The state of emergency implemented at the beginning of the year has so far failed to curb the spread of the coronavirus in Malaysia, which yesterday resorted to declaring a third nationwide lockdown effective tomorrow.
The shocking announcement made through a press statement instead of the regular national address by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin also left a bad impression among Malaysians who have had to suffer yet another round of tighter restrictions starting on the eve of one of the country’s biggest public holidays – Hari Raya Aidilfitri. The lockdown is expected to last three weeks.
“So the state of emergency is a failure?” Lembah Pantai MP Fahmi Fadzil reacted yesterday.
“The audacity to announce MCO through a PDF file. What leadership is this?” @Ulyahusamudin said on Twitter.
Malaysia has recorded 444,484 COVID-19 cases and 1,700 deaths to date. The number of cases continued to increase months after the state of emergency was declared in January.
The stricter Movement Control Order lockdown will be imposed on all states, banning interstate and inter-district travels as well as dining out, and limiting the number of people in personal vehicles to a maximum of three people. Visiting other people’s homes and going to the cemetery will not be allowed during Eid celebrations.
“Flip-flop decisions and last-minute SOP enforcement, so much confusion. The people are the ones who suffer most. Please do better,” Facebook user Abdul Halim Ibrahim wrote on the Prime Minister’s Facebook page.
"MCO NATIONWIDE!!!!"
everyone: whatever, fuck everything.
— ファズリ【公式】🔞🥕⏳🥐🕵️💎 (@tenoq) May 10, 2021
Some social media users have also created sarcastic memes of MCO 3.0.
— Burhan (@BurhanPlays) May 10, 2021
— Fahmi Reza (@fahmirezaKL) May 10, 2021
MCO 3.0 be like🤥 pic.twitter.com/PMEroMPRet
— hyk4ll_ (@Heykarll1) May 10, 2021
https://twitter.com/binuttttt/status/1391786657637027848
Other stories to check out:
Fined for breaching COVID-19 rules, Najib Razak posts photo of maskless Muhyiddin
Pressure weighs on Malaysia’s royal family over vaccine allegations
