We are struggling with a series of movement control restrictions with no sign of a solution to the health and economic calamity choking us.

People are suffering even more under the latest “indefinite lockdown”. The white flags raised – as part of the campaign to ask for food or other aid – is the clearest sign that quite a number of families need immediate assistance to survive.

Many businesses have gone bust. Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) president Syed Hussain Syed Husman told FMT last month that many small and medium enterprises and micro enterprises had reached a breaking point under the total lockdown and “have zero cash flow to sustain businesses”.

In the beginning of June, SME Association of Malaysia vice-president Chin Chee Seong said at least 50,000 SMEs might be out of business should the lockdown last for another four weeks.

When companies go bust, workers lose jobs. When workers lose jobs, they have to borrow or use their savings. When savings dry up, what do they do?

Although the government is trying hard to handle the pandemic, the actions of the authorities give the impression that they are doing everything on a trial-and-error basis. Many on social media have expressed deep disappointment with the government. The public expects solutions to their suffering, they want normality to return as soon as possible.

Certainly, as I said earlier, the government is working to keep the numbers down while keeping the economy going, and those in the health sector are slogging tirelessly. There is no doubt about that. But are its efforts working?

The government has to get some competent professionals who – if they cannot come up with their own solutions – can at least adopt and adapt plans that work in other countries and studies that show promise to help tackle the pandemic. The feeling on the ground is that neither the politicians leading the charge now nor many of the civil servants involved have the necessary competence.

If new approaches are not implemented, there will be no end to the pandemic and the lockdowns.

I had, in one of my earlier columns, called on the government to adopt lean management – which maximises value (in this case for the public) and minimises waste, inconsistency, and unreasonable requirements.

I had also urged for specifically targeted implementation of movement restrictions. For instance, we know the disease spread is largely at workplaces, particularly in factories and hostels. If that is the case, the authorities should work with employers’ bodies and the Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) to come up with solutions, including rules that at least reduce the spread of the disease without stopping production.

Right now, public perception is that it is all haphazard, leading to employers losing business, workers losing jobs and confusion all around. All this is but adding to the rise in people with stress and mental problems – and to suicides.

I especially feel very sorry for the small-timer, the self-employed and the daily wage earner. I also feel sad for those who are not registered with the welfare department or any other government body through which government aid is distributed.

If the Covid-19 clusters are largely confined to workplaces, what is the use of having strict movement restrictions for those who work from home or elsewhere? Why can’t they be allowed to travel out of their district or state so long as they observe the basic safety measures?

Keeping people confined for too long will affect their mental state and will further cause depression and other psychological issues. More long term harm may be done to their health than the good that comes from a total, indefinite lockdown.

The police say that a total of 468 suicide cases were recorded nationwide from January to May. That means three suicides a day on average. This is already alarming, but with the indefinite lockdown, we will certainly hear more such sad stories.

Families and friends are being kept apart for too long. Video calls are not enough. The human bonding and support system, so necessary for healthy psychological growth, is not there for many families. I suggest that some system with strict rules be worked out to allow people to visit their family members, close relatives and friends.

Also, people should be allowed to eat at food outlets, again under strict rules, at least in areas where infections are not high. Eating out with family or friends can help lift our spirit.

Hope is important for human survival. In the past, lockdowns were for two weeks, although they were often extended for another two-weeks or so. When you know it is only for two weeks, you can bear it because you have hope that things will get better and the lockdown will be lifted.

But when you are told an indefinite lockdown has been imposed, the hope of better times – at least in the short term – is removed. And that can have a deleterious effect on people’s mental states.

It’s still not too late for the government to hold a meeting with all the key players – including the MEF, Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers, SME Association, MTUC, Malaysian Medical Association, the Academy of Sciences Malaysia, health (including mental health) and business experts in the private sector and young people who are working at the ground level to alleviate the situation – to review measures taken thus far and work out new approaches.

I repeat what I have said previously: there is a need for fresh ideas and approaches. And I think the young should be given a bigger say, and that we should have some trust in them.

Look at some of their initiatives over the years via social media. Look at the latest initiative – the white flag campaign – which I think is a more effective way of getting food where it is needed than through the politically-tinged, slow acting bureaucracy.

There is nothing wrong in listening to more people and seeking new, practical ideas just as there is nothing wrong in copying models that work in other nations.

I hope it doesn’t, but I’m afraid the government’s indefinite lockdown could just end up causing indefinite suffering.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.

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