Politicians, healthcare experts not thinking alike, leading to erosion of public trust: Analyst

PETALING JAYA: Political interference has been singled out as the biggest threat to the country’s efforts to win the Covid-19 war.

Political commentator Prof Mohd Tajuddin Mohd Rasdi said politicians and experts are clearly not on the same page and this has led to a lot of confusion as well as erosion of public trust.

“Eighteen months into the pandemic, health facilities in many countries, including Malaysia, are still unable to handle the pandemic.”

In countries most successful in tackling the pandemic, the task was left to medical experts, and political interference that could contribute to blunders were avoided, he told theSun.

Malaysia continues to see more than 5,000 new cases of Covid-19 infections daily, and deaths have also risen significantly.

“When decisions are made based on political expedience rather than on science and facts, there is bound to be chaos.”

Take for instance, the opening of Ramadan bazaars last month following which the infection rate began to rise sharply, Tajuddin said.

This led him to believe that the motive for allowing the bazaars to operate was to garner the majority’s favour. “There is more politicking rather than actual action. I suggest politicians hear out what health experts have to say.”

Many countries which were doing far worse than Malaysia initially are now faring a lot better because the views of public health experts are taken seriously, he added.

“Science and facts have become subservient to political agendas. I understand that we have to look at the bigger picture and consider our economic position but we cannot disregard the health emergency that is right in front of our eyes.”

Tajuddin said that people should adhere to the government’s standard operating procedures (SOP).

“The government may have its flaws but this should not give the public a reason to flout the SOP. For example, during the Raya celebrations, many visited their families and friends although it was not allowed.”

All the travelling and visiting contributed to another spike in infections, he said.

Malaysian Council of Professors senior fellow Prof Dr Jeniri Amir said a study showed that the Sabah polls triggered the third Covid-19 wave.

“The analysis showed that almost 3,000 new cases were reported in the first few weeks after polling day.”

That error on the part of politicians led to problems for healthcare workers who had to struggle to flatten the infection curve, Jeniri pointed out.

“Over the last 18 months we have seen multiple U-turns and double standards that have brought nothing but confusion and anger,” he added.