THE Covid-19 pandemic has spared not even the tiniest nation. Such is the will of the virus in crossing boundaries to kill.

We are constantly fed with information on the government’s mediocre success in tackling Covid-19. While other countries are recording fewer deaths per capita, it raises questions of how other governments are better at managing their resources to steer their nation out of the pandemic.

For example, Sri Lanka is a country with limited resources and population density that’s close to ours. Well, it has been managing the situation far better than us.

Since the outbreak, it has closed its borders and while it is an unpopular policy, it has left the country’s fatality rate at below 200.

Being in management requires one to make tough decisions. The focus is on long-term results instead of ad hoc solutions with U-turns in key decisions, as is the case in Malaysia.

The key to tackling the pandemic is to have our borders closed. However, since the outbreak, we have been surprisingly lax. This is unfortunate. One does not need MacGyver’s brain to figure out why border closures must be prioritised.

In this Merdeka month, the strength of a nation is not just about waving the Malaysian flag with pride. It is about mourning together the death of another Malaysian.

Our government is disconnected from this moral conviction. The media must highlight the success stories of other nations. They will inspire us that it can be done with the right governance.

Finally, managing the pandemic is not about returning to normalcy but the acceptance of a new baseline for society. – August 14, 2021.

* M. A. Tinagaran reads The Malaysian Insight.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.