Emulate Australia, Canada in containing Covid-19

ADUN SPEAKS | I fully support all efforts and decisions thus far taken by the Ministry of Health (MOH) in our attempt to flatten the Covid-19 curve. 

The movement control order (MCO) is necessary and appropriate, however, it is with regret that we are still seeing Malaysians ignoring the MCO, placing fellow citizens at risk. There are graver risks than what meets the eye.

We must take cognisance of the scientific fact that there are likely to be a large number of asymptomatic (showing no symptoms) carriers of Covid-19 who are and have been unknowingly infecting others. 

They could be among Malaysians working in essential services who have unwittingly and inadvertently been making regular contact with others despite the MCO.

Testing allows infected people- especially those who are asymptomatic- to know that they are infected as people who don’t know they are infected might not stay at home and thereby risk infecting others. 

Testing is also crucial for an appropriate response to the pandemic. It allows us to understand the spread of the disease and to take evidence-based measures to slow down its spread. It is now widely recognised that mass testing is the key to stopping the spread.

In Malaysia, Covid-19 tests are available to whoever wishes to take one; but it will cost around RM600 per sample from 11 companies with labs nationwide. 

Unless one is classified as a sporadic case, PUI (Patient Under Investigation), or a contact (those in close contact with an infected individual, people displaying symptoms or people who have recently visited an impacted country or a cluster incident), you are not eligible to the RM1 government subsidised Covid-19 test.

If we were to study Canada and Australia who have similar numbers of total cases, active cases and cases per million population with Malaysia, it is shocking to see that Malaysia has only recorded 14,661 checks as of yesterday.

Whereas Canada and Australia have both had almost 10 fold- over 113,000 tests done each. Both these countries have been recognised as nations who have done well in their war against Covid-19, specifically on flattening the curve.

There also appears to be a certain degree of incongruence between reported figures of the number of tests on the MOH website and reports of five thousand tests per day in the 26 available facilities nationwide. 

This query is neither hostile, suspicious, nor accusatory. It is a genuine and conscientious request for transparency so we can together fight this war.

With the inhibitive cost of RM600, it is highly unlikely that your average Malaysian would want to be or can afford to be tested. 

This means that a significant group of likely infected yet asymptomatic carriers of Covid-19 could be roaming out there without knowing themselves the risk they pose unto others.

I hereby call on MOH to immediately emulate South Korea, Singapore, UK, Canada, Hong Kong, Vo Euganeo in Italy and many others to embark on Covid-19 mass testing. 

The cost must be born by the federal government, we must not let cost be a hindrance to our effort to prevent loss of lives. This is a political decision that must be made immediately to contain the virus from further spreading.

It is the only decision at this juncture that will stand us a chance in winning our war on Covid-19.

HOWARD LEE CHUAN HOW is Perak DAP Youth Chief and Adun for Pasir Pinji.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.