The bad news is that the number of coronavirus cases in Malaysia continues to rise – today was the highest (212 new cases) so far for the country. But the good news, if you could call it that, is that the percentage rate of increase is generally lower than it was last week, before the movement restrictions came into effect.
Check out the table below that I compiled. Does that mean the stay-at-home mode is having an effect? I hope so.
As the number of cases in Malaysia spiked by 153 to 1,183, Penang saw its highest daily increase of 13 cases today, taking its total to 50. So far, just one of those 50 has been discharged.
How are we faring in our testing of suspected cases of coronavirus? This graph shows where we stand among a group of selected countries of interest. The figures are for tests per million people.
The first day of movement control has ended with mixed results.
Generally traffic was very light on the road in George Town tonight. Most shops were closed, apart from convenience stores. A couple of hawkers stalls and a few small eateries were selling ta pau food to customers. But most didn’t bother to open as there were only a few pedestrians on the streets.
Many marvelled when China was able to build 16 temporary hospitals in Wuhan in record time, but few are aware that all 16 were closed by 10 March after serving their purpose.
Last week’s events have left many people horrified. It was certainly a leap year 29 February with so many MPs leap-frogging left, right and centre. Appalling. And now the tainted old guard are back. But the struggle for a new, more inclusive, Malaysia continues.
Aliran issued this statement today:
Aliran is appalled over the ousting of a democratically elected government by MPs who cast aside the five-year mandate given by voters in the last general election.
Stay calm. Whatever happens in Putrajaya, the people’s will must prevail.
Whatever happens at the Pakatan Harapan leadership council meeting, what matters most is the fate of the reform agenda. Come and attend this forum in KL to find out what’s going on and whether the interests of the people will be upheld.
Our train network. A magnificent legacy (though of course the trains were used back then largely to transport commodities to feed the Empire). But for almost a generation since the mid-1980s, while the government focused on the “national car” (which bled red ink) and tolled highway (cashcows), our trains and supporting infrastructure were neglected.
This is it, the main event, organised by a string of grassroots, civil society, residents’ and fisherfolk representatives in Penang.