Serina Abdul Rahman, of ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore, said the recent announcement of a nationwide MCO had caught everyone off guard.

She said the real danger of Malaysia’s current situation was not the steady rise in infection numbers, but the increasing doubts and divisions brewing on the ground.

“If Malaysia cannot keep all these under control to launch a unified national response, new daily infections breaching 5,000 may come sooner rather than later,” she said in an opinion piece on Channel NewsAsia (CNA).

To tackle the issue, Serina proposed that the government have a unified communication strategy that focuses on the dangers of the virus, with a sole voice speaking with authority.

Among others, she said, the health ministry should disseminate accessible Covid-19 updates in several languages through social media platforms such as TikTok and WhatsApp.

“They also need to disseminate information on policy changes and details through similar social media channels,” she wrote.

Serina said the public must also understand the severity of the current situation, such as the struggle of medical personnel taking care of the sick and the growing number of deaths.

She said videos showing burials could provide a clearer picture on the severity of the situation.

“Because death rituals are so important to rural communities, these videos need to demonstrate how death by Covid-19 entails dying alone and being buried only by medical staff in personal protective equipment,” she said.

“Perhaps this might motivate them to take the virus threat more seriously.”

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