by Theleaders-Online | March 18, 2020 3:17 am
Hi my fellow Malaysians,
This is the first of our 14-day long movement restriction period. It feels a little strange getting up early on a Wednesday morning only to realise that there’s no office to rush to.
The biggest mistake which countries like Italy made was that their citizens totally underestimated the severity of this coronavirus, despite stern warnings issued by their governments. They decided to continue with their normal life – socialising, moving around, wining and dining like before, as if nothing extraordinary had happened. Big mistake – the virus spread like wildfire and people start dying!
On the contrary, the one right thing which China did was the government’s absolutely no-nonsense approach and its ‘draconian’ way of managing the crisis after the early hiccups in Wuhan – decisively locking down cities, shutting down schools and all public facilities, building emergency medical centres in record time, and imposing strict movement restriction of its citizens. Despite the ridicule and jeers from the rest of the world in the early days, China persevered and went ahead with what it felt was the right thing to do. And now it’s paying off handsomely!
So what about Malaysia – what are we going to do and how are we going to take this battle? Over the next 14 critical days, are we going to foolishly treat this like a long holiday and get all excited about where to go, what to eat, who to meet, and how to enjoy ourselves…OR are we going to understand that this is a battle that our country is fighting, and that each and everyone of us is not only involved, but plays a critical role in ensuring that this battle ends in victory?
Let’s stay at home. But let’s not feel sad and deprived. In fact, let’s turn things around and make this period our most fruitful and rewarding ever by working on the following things.
We can work on our social lives. Oh yes, let’s catch up with our friends – not less, but more! Yes, now we have all the time in the world to ‘meet’ our friends – not physically but on our mobile devices through social media and chats. So catch up with all our friends – actively and virtually!
We should work on ourselves. How long have we been skipping out on reading? Do we ever spend time by ourselves – thinking, reflecting, visualising? What about our health – how long have we not had the time for a brisk walk or to exercise? Isn’t this the best time to reshape ourselves – both mentally and physically?
What about our family? How long have we not had deep and meaningful conversations with our loved ones – like our parents, children and our better half? Has it just been a ‘hi, bye’ kind of relationship? I suggest we sit down with them individually, look them straight in their eyes, speak from our hearts and get some real conversations going. After 14 days, we will be amazed at how much more bonded our family has become. Priceless!
So this 14-day lockdown can become the most meaningful 14 days in our lives if we choose to spend it wisely.
Good luck my fellow Malaysians, let’s ‘get going’!
Datuk Eric Chong
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of The Leaders Online
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