The government’s consistency in being inconsistent in managing the Covid-19 crisis is appalling.
The latest decision not to name establishments where the virus has been detected has become another insufferably smug moment.
People have a right to know which restaurants, condominiums, schools or shopping malls have been affected and the choice to avoid them is theirs.
People cannot protect themselves if they are not cautioned.
Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah yesterday said that revealing the names of the establishments would stigmatise them and cause public alarm.
Noor Hisham said if there were cases at such places, people might not want to go there? Why would they?
Isn’t that like a doctor withholding the patient’s sickness so as to not disrupt his life?
By not identifying virus-hit premises and just naming the entire area, needless distress is caused to everyone in the locality.
If people know of an affected building, they will skip it instead of avoiding the whole area, thereby lessening the economic impact.
Saving lives should prevail over potential stigmatisation.
Is human life less precious than the reputation of an establishment?
Surely, owners of the affected places have a moral obligation to alert the public. So does the media upon verifying an incident.
Since, the hotspots are not going to be named, how does the ministry plan to alert those who frequented the affected premises to test for Covid-19?
By knowing the affected spots, those who went there can opt to test themselves, look out for symptoms, or keep away from elderly family members for a period.
All these outweigh the argument of stigmatisation.
Expect a maelstrom of madness to be unleashed as the rumour mill goes on overdrive – and there’s no certainty where fake news will end.
Consider: People would speculate and spread rumours about the wrong establishments, resulting in the innocent ones being shunned.
More credit should be given to the public to handle the truth.
With truth comes trust while hiding facts builds distrust.
Inevitably, suspicion will arise that the government does not have the interest of the people at heart.
Noor Hisham has fallen foul of the spirit of transparency which is key in managing Covid-19.
People are going to panic if there is no clarity.
As it is, the confidence of a depressed public has been eroded over poorly reasoned decisions by the authorities.
Every few days brings a new alarm, depriving huge numbers of men and women of their livelihoods and making life infinitely less enjoyable.
Policy flip-flops and rules increasingly impossible to understand or follow seem like a vexed attempt to punish us for wanting to live normal lives.
Their effects on happiness, health, safety and the economy are increasingly evident, profound, harrowing and lasting.
The reality is we have no idea what our government thinks it is doing.
In the absence of answers to fairly obvious questions, we have to assume that ministers and Noor Hisham have no idea either.
The views expressed as those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.
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