THERE has been a greater loss of public trust in science since the Covid-19 outbreak.

This trust deficit is due to “problematic” science, as an institution, churning out public health policies that are scientifically weak, biased or one-sided.

Wuhan’s lockdown policy was emulated by most countries in March 2020 – an understandable measure at the time due to the high case fatality rate (CFR) of 9% during the early stages of the outbreak in the city.

However, with the rapid vaccine development, pharmaceutical companies have offered human society hope that they will bring us out of the woods – Covid-19 vaccines.

Countries rolled out these shots under emergency-use schemes without the conventional longer-term studies. Most are in the race to get their residents inoculated, so the virus can be eradicated and life can return to normal.

Unfortunately, Covid-19 showcased its adaptive ability, which can not only break through the vaccine shield, but also transmit from fully vaccinated folk to others.

Countries once again scrambled to vaccinate citizens with a booster shot, with many to start or already have started a fourth-jab policy.

A common issue for all countries – authoritarian or democracies alike – is poor public communication by health authorities, which often impose their expert authoritarian views and ignore other scientific proof and possibilities.

There is better space for dissenting views in societies where freedom of expression is protected.

We still observe many unscientific authoritarian policies implemented worldwide, for example, but not limited to:

- China imposes a policy where approval from government is a prerequisite for researchers before any coronavirus-related studies can be submitted to academic journals;

- The White House is working with social media to silence anti-vaxxers;

- French President Emmanuel Macron, a well-known liberal, uses provocative warning intended to “piss-off” the unvaccinated communities; and

- Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin announces that the “fully vaccinated” status will be changed to “partially vaccinated” for above-60s (regardless of primary vaccine brand) and above-18s (Sinovac recipients) if they do not get a booster jab.

Vaccination can help reduce the transmission of Covid-19, but not stop it. It also helps reduce severe coronavirus symptoms and death.

In a world where less than 10% of the population is vaccinated in poor nations and we are closely connected, the disparity of global vaccination may trigger more new variants like Omicron.

The public has the right to know the risk impact and decide for themselves whether to get vaccinated. Sadly, our authorities are addicted to expanding public power and ruin a golden opportunity for the country to tackle the pandemic in a more engaging and open-minded manner.

Power is a mental drug for mankind. Some people want to get addicted and, subsequently, get more indulgences. This applies to these authorities, both politicians and technocrats.

Another reason is “fear always sells”, particularly when humans are dealing with disasters.

One will not get blamed for being fearful, hence pessimism and over-cautiousness. Expressing oneself as such will grab the people’s attention, and perhaps even win big applause.

All these can be attributed to the impact of science as an institution serving authoritarianism, deviating from science as a philosophy.

Due to this misconception, one will easily believe the presented data without thorough scrutiny.

Therefore, it is understandable that one will rule out other proofs and possibilities, and take the most convenient approach as an easy way out. Or worse, some with misconceptions of science will turn science into a sort of “religious worship”.

With education, we can overcome ignorance, but education will not be easy to combat arrogance. The ignorance-arrogance combination is almost impossible to defeat.

It is obvious now, with the high literate percentage and democratisation of higher education, we have more and more of this combination, and this has led to the rapid spreading of preferred proof without mentioning or knowing other possibilities.

Climate change and vaccination – the two best examples that can polarise the society with very little middle ground.

Let me quote American physicist Richard Feynman: “I would rather have questions that cannot be answered than answers that cannot be questioned.”

I invite all of us to join the discussion, get ready to be thought-provoking and be intelligently offended, with hope that inclusive policies can be borne from that process, and finally reasonably implemented to ensure individual and collective benefits can be protected. – January 10, 2022.

* Chong Kok Boon is a member of Agora Society. He is a self-declared Peter Pan who advocates science in forging a more democratic and humane society.

* 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.