Taiwanese self-discipline key to virus prevention success: Malaysian official

馬來西亞官員表示：台灣人的自律是預防病毒的成功關鍵

Malaysia relaxes partial lockdown Monday, urges citizens to follow Taiwan's example


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — As Malaysia prepared to partially ease strict movement controls and allow most of its economic sectors to reopen Monday (May 4), the country's defense minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob on Sunday (May 3) urged all Malaysians to use the Taiwanese as role models in self-discipline.

Following Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin's announcement Friday (May 1) that the Southeast Asian nation would go into conditional movement control order (CMCO) starting Monday, concerns have been raised about the possibility of a new wave of coronavirus infections. However, Muhyiddin stressed that the move was necessary, as he pointed out that the nation could no longer carry on with the extended movement control order (MCO), which has dealt a significant blow to its economy.

According to Reuters, most businesses will be allowed to resume operations under the CMCO, while large religious gatherings, cinemas, night clubs, schools, and universities will remain closed. The government has also advised all employers to implement flexible hours for their workers as well as encourage them to do their jobs from home.

At a daily media briefing on Sunday, Ismail Sabri noted that Taiwan has not introduced any nationwide or local lockdowns, yet it still has one of the lowest number of COVID-19 cases in the world. He said he believed the key to Taiwan's successful pandemic response was self-discipline on the part of the population, and he hoped the Malaysian public would follow suit.

The defense minister explained that most Taiwanese have complied with social distancing guidelines and worn masks on public transportation and in crowded areas. He stressed that Malaysian citizens need to become aware of the importance of self-discipline during this difficult time and pay attention to their personal hygiene, reported Storm Media.

Ismail Sabri also gave clarifications on the CMCO, explaining that businesses can choose to remain closed if the owners or shareholders still feel concerned about the spread of the virus. He added that restaurants can also only offer take-out services to better apply social distancing.

Before Monday, Malaysia had been under partial shutdown since March 18. Although the MCO has somewhat flattened the COVID-19 infection curve in the multi-ethnic country, it still reported 122 new confirmed cases on Sunday, bringing its total to 6,298.


Malaysian Defense Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob. (AP photo)