Friday 29 Mar 2024
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This article first appeared in Capital, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on June 1, 2020 - June 7, 2020

As I write this piece, I have just snapped out of what seemed like an infinite trance in which I tried to make sense of the past few months since the Movement Control Order (MCO) was enforced.

And in case no one has noticed, we’re close to wrapping up the first half of 2020. That’s a fleeting six months!

The good news is that Malaysians at large are embracing working from home. I, for one, have pumped a full tank only thrice in three months, albeit at a time when fuel prices have dropped steeply.

The bad side? Well ... where do I even begin?

If you thought I’d mention that many people have been pressured to stay fit — thanks to the growing “fitspo” movement that has taken social media by storm, one that I find damaging, seeing that some people are senseless enough to use AND promote weight-loss supplements in their workout Instagram stories — trust me, there are far worse things than this.

Other than the Covid-19 death rate that has been keeping many of us up at night, there’s something else we need to talk about — mental health.

Earlier last month, Penang reported two suicide cases. One involved a club jockey; the other, a hawker. Despite the lack of coverage of both incidents, what we can surmise is that financial constraints could have pushed them over the edge.

Over the course of the MCO, thousands of businesses have been brought to their knees, jobs axed and household income drying up faster than Kedah’s Sungei Muda in the dry season.

Take, for instance, the Penang incidents. The jockey was 35, with a wife and two children. He had apparently not been working since the MCO was imposed in mid-March. The hawker was most likely one whose livelihood depended on dine-in customers, but who could not sustain his business during the restricted movement order and temporary shutdown of eateries.

In short, it must have been the final nail in the coffin.

I get it: It’s taboo (a gentle reminder that we’re still stuck in an era in which corruption seems more acceptable an issue than mental instability), but here’s why I think mental health deserves more of our attention:

Restricted movement ? business closure ? unemployment ? zero income ? dwindling savings ? growing debt pile ? failure to support oneself or family ? stress ? depression.

While data on Malaysia’s suicide rate is limited, earlier research and surveys have concluded that, by end-2020 (yes, this year), mental illness would rank as the country’s second-biggest health problem after heart disease. And among the chief contributors to the rise in mental health cases are financial problems.

Sure, money isn’t everything. But let’s spare a thought for the dead jockey and hawker. And what about the poorly paid food delivery riders, the breadwinners who got laid off or the postmen who probably did not get their bonuses in time for Hari Raya this year?

Who should we blame, really? The government for extending the partial lockdown and restricting businesses? Employers for neglecting employee welfare amid this crisis? Or ourselves for not having sufficient financial backup? Let’s not even get racist and blame “that one person who decided to eat a bat”.

Whatever it is, we must rea­lise that things happen for a reason. The MCO’s primary goal is to flatten the infection curve: so fewer people are infected; so it is safer for all Malaysians to go back to their daily routine; so businesses can resume and people can continue to work and earn their salaries.

Yes, times are difficult, but patience is a virtue. For now, here’s what we can do in the spirit of #KitaJagaKita:

•    Never add more sorrow by telling a cash-strapped person that money isn’t everything. Your obliviousness won’t pay their bills;

•    Tip the person delivering your food. A little goes a long way;

•    Support small businesses or solopreneurs, local fundraisers and donation or food drives;

•    Help the needy with their groceries; and

•    Check up on your friends and loved ones. Spot red flags? Stop judging and start listening.

Let’s stay strong and fight

Covid-19 together.

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