One year ago, I was known as Patient #33 as I was amongst the earliest Covid-19 patients of the Kayangan cluster. The virus was very new then in Malaysia.
There was not even a test kit to tell if one was infected. That's what happened on 25th and 29th February 2020 when I felt unwell and went twice to the neighbourhood clinic to seek treatment for a very bad fever that I was experiencing then. The clinic dismissed my requests for Covid-19 testing because there wasn't any then!
After the chairman of a GLC whom I came into contact with was hospitalised, I was confirmed positive and was quarantined at Sungai Buloh Hospital with my wife for 13 days. While in hospital, I was captivated by the sacrifices of our frontliners and wrote an anonymous article — Thank You from #33, published by The Edge.
After my discharge from hospital, I became passionate about supporting all initiatives to fight Covid-19. I raised funds for PPE equipment and donated my blood plasma in an antibody research program. I did whatever I could as a patriotic citizen to support the KitaJagaKita campaign. I supported the government's introduction of the Movement Control Order (MCO), which was very effective to control the second wave, and Malaysia was spared from the third wave.
The success in flattening the curve allowed the government's focus to shift from saving lives to saving livelihood. By then the country's economy had been badly battered just like the other economies of the world.
Today, we are supposed to be at the phase of making economic recovery, but as we always are, we became complacent and started to neglect the SOPs which the govt had carefully oriented us to accept as our new norm. We not only forget, in fact we breached many of the rules that had kept us safe. Some of us were so irresponsible as to glamourise these breaches on social media while complaining of frivolous things. Everything became so politicised.
The latest to be politicised is the vaccination program. Fake news that incite and inflame people's emotions were viraled. And many of them refused or failed to register for vaccination. That's how we are as Malaysians. We easily forget.
The world is now facing the fourth wave of a grim and more virulent mutated strain of the virus. The rate of infection is alarming across the globe. Today [May 20], in Malaysia it hit a record high of 6,806 infections and 59 deaths. Yet, many are still indifferent to the need to register for vaccination. Some outrightly disbelieved the KKM's statistics as mere propaganda to justify prolonging the emergency.
Perhaps the presentation of cold hard statistics did not sink in amongst Malaysians. Two nights ago, a very good documentary was televised by Majalah 3 and it is now available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/CcAYdtmIKrI.
Hopefully, this can spread awareness, especially amongst those still hesitant over behavioural change and getting vaccinated.
If anyone should feel a sense of immunity, it would be an ex-Covid patient like me. Yet, I don't. I registered for vaccination in March 2021 via MySejahtera. A few days ago, I received notification from the MySejahtera app on my smartphone to be present at PWTC this morning for my turn to be vaccinated.
Dutifully I turned up with my wife 30 minutes before our appointed time. What I saw and experienced this morning left me in awe of our frontliners. From the police personnel who controlled traffic to the Rela at the car park, to the volunteers and medical staff, they worked with such beautiful coordination almost seamlessly to receive, register and administer the vaccine with such wonderful efficency, something rare with us Malaysians.
The volunteers and medical staff were of various races, culture and religion working together to serve selflessly. It showed the diversity of our Malaysian society. I felt overwhelmed that we Malaysians have the capability and capacity to care for one another when it matters most.
So, to those who have yet to register, to those who do not want to be vaccinated, I ask you to think not only of yourselves but of other Malaysians who are exposed to the dangers you pose to them by your obstinacy. My request to you, do not be selfish — Get Vaccinated!
Prominent lawyer Rosli Dahlan — who was the 33rd confirmed Covid-19 patient in Malaysia — is also known as Patient #33.