This article first appeared in Forum, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on April 13, 2020 - April 19, 2020

Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.” The words of John F Kennedy, the 35th President of the US, certainly ring true, and current, in our present Covid-19-infested world. Pandemics have always reshaped the world and its cities whenever they visit the human population. The novel coronavirus is doing exactly that.

We see greedy, unruly and generally bad human behaviour on display everywhere, but we also see communities coming together, trying to beat this scourge throughout the world. We will defeat this Covid-19, as we did the previous plagues. We, as a species, will survive, but we need our leaders to learn from this global setback.

There is now a strong case for leaders everywhere to unlearn and relearn the art of leadership in a neo-apocalyptic world. The world order as we knew it is no more. Economically and politically, the balance of power is slowly but surely changing. A tad dramatic, you say? Not at all, I say. Covid-19 has levelled the big and mighty and the small and weak, as it wreaks havoc across the world. Guns and cannons have been rendered useless against an unseen enemy, and that memory will be long etched in our consciousness. Even big aircraft carriers sailing the seas are not immune to its effects. The world has indeed changed. Pandemics have tended to do that throughout history.

From the earliest-known global epidemics of the ancient world — the Athens plague in 430BC, which drove profound changes in the city’s laws and identity — to the Black Death in the Middle Ages, which transformed the balance of class power in European societies, to the recent spate of Ebola cases in Africa and, now, the global novel coronavirus affliction, public health crises rarely fail to leave their mark on the world.

As we continue to fight the rapid spread of the virus, confining many people to their homes and radically altering the way we move through, work in and think about our homes and cities, some are wondering which of these adjustments will endure beyond the end of the pandemic, and what life might look like on the other side.

It is clear that our world “after” the Covid-19 pandemic will not be the same as it is now. Here are the four of the major changes that I think are likely to emerge in our Malaysian society.

De-densification: The reduction of population density in major cities such as Kuala Lumpur and Penang may happen, and for good reasons. This, the separating out of populations, is one of the key tools currently being used to hold back infection transmission. We call it social distancing.

As a result, more companies are establishing systems that enable staff to work from home. With better connections and better communication applications, more workers are getting accustomed to it. And I believe these habits are likely to persist.

My urban-planner friends are quick to argue the opposite, though. They claim that, on the whole, density is a good thing: Denser cities are more energy-efficient and provide their inhabitants with easy access to public amenities. While this may be true, I believe there will be renewed focus on finding means that will enable people to work and socialise without being packed into compressed offices, restaurants and clubs — although, given the incredibly high cost of land in big cities such as Kuala Lumpur, Georgetown and Johor Baru, success here may depend on significant economic reforms as well.

If proximity to our jobs is no longer a significant factor in deciding where to live, then the appeal of staying in these cities will wane; as it is, they are already expensive! We could be heading towards a world in which new townships around former city centres will rise in prominence, while traditional commuter belts fade away. The present sorry episode has shown that working from home is no longer the “new age” solution many had in their minds before the pandemic.

Family units: Stuck at home, families are increasingly aware of the need to be better prepared for future emergencies. This is likely to result in home back-up systems — bigger storage of canned goods, toilet paper, batteries, first-aid kits and so on.

More entertainment is likely to take place in the home as opposed to going out. Instead of going out to a movie or the mall, families might stay home, cook a meal, play board games, read a book or learn a new language — talk more to each other! All of this will lead to changed concepts of “home” and result in new designs and household goods that better fit such new and smaller group constructs.

The business of businesses: This pandemic has produced new ways of doing business and the larger business world will be wise to notice. More people are ordering online, working from home, getting their food delivered or relying on takeaway meals.

Sports, entertainment and other industries whose business models depend upon large crowds may be negatively affected. The tourism industry (airlines, cruise ships, trains) will see a decline in the number of customers. Border protection will make people realise that they do not need to travel very much. Folks in the tourism sector will have to act to restore confidence that measures have been taken to ensure they are safe and clean. Conferences, trade shows and other large group activities will have to look increasingly to virtual equivalents as well as take steps to offer greater protection to large groups attending these events.

Strengthening of communities: The virus has seen a resurgence of local communities and small groups, both personal and digital. While there has been some bad behaviour, such as hoarding, price gouging and false media reports, it is wonderful to see the many volunteers aiding the most vulnerable segments of the population. I clasp my hands and send a prayer of thanks to the dedicated health workers, community leaders, police officers and other public servants who have worked tirelessly in coping with this crisis.

Life is fragile and precious. This pandemic hits at every home. It shows that every moment matters. While we may not always be able to control what happens to us, we can control our reaction to it. We should remain calm, focus on what we can do, and hold steadfast in the belief that if we work smart and hard, and in cooperation with others, we will persevere. By the grace of God Almighty, we can make that positive difference in the world both now and for future generations.

Bereft of the usefulness of their military might and international political influence, leaders of nations everywhere will be wise to unlearn, adapt and relearn, to protect their people and prepare the stage for a changing world.

Zakie Shariff is managing partner of Kuber Venture Bhd, a specialist investment company. He is also a director of Universiti Malaysia Pahang.

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