Malaysia — a tale of two crises
As COVID-19 cases soar, political instability wreaks havoc on Malaysia’s public health response
As with the rest of the world, Malaysia has been severely impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In recent months, with the rate of infection climbing due to the spread of the Delta variant, the public health situation in Malaysia has worsened considerably. New confirmed cases per capita have soared since late June, reaching 576 average daily cases per million on August 7th, far surpassing India’s peak of 283 average daily cases per million in early May (Our World in Data). Coupled with an intractable political crisis that only serves to undermine the government response to the pandemic, Malaysia’s public health situation remains at serious risk of further deterioration.
A COVID-19 role model?
Yet it has not always been this way. In October 2020, the WHO Representative to Malaysia, Dr Ying-Ru Jacqueline Lo, spoke of a country ‘united in the face of a pandemic’, praising Malaysia’s preparedness and rapid response to the emergence of COVID-19. Indeed, an August 2020 article in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases highlighted the Malaysian government’s strong initial response to the threat posed by COVID-19. The authors noted that the rapid establishment of health screening at points of entry, the enforcement of a Movement Control Order (MCO), and the mass testing of people who had recently attended large gatherings was crucial in containing the virus. Arguably, this approach was very effective in the early months of the pandemic, with case rates per million remaining low compared to worse affected areas in Europe and the Americas (Our World in Data).
When two crises collide
Unfortunately, two factors have since led to an upsurge in cases. First, the emergence of the highly infectious Delta variant, first detected in India in late 2020, has fuelled increased transmission. Second, the ongoing political crisis in Malaysia has continued to distract Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s government from its public health response. As cases continue to soar, a political analyst in Kuala Lumpur recently commented that Malaysia has transitioned from being a ‘COVID role model to a mini-India’, referring to India’s well-documented struggle to contain the Delta variant. However, while the Delta variant has precipitated increased infection rates across the globe despite the mass (albeit unequal) rollout of vaccines, the situation in Malaysia has been worsened by political turmoil at the highest levels of government.
A protracted political crisis
Starting in early 2020, Malaysia’s political crisis is the result of the previous Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad’s attempts to maintain his position, despite continued pledges to hand power to Anwar Ibrahim after their coalition narrowly won the 2018 Malaysian General Election. When a major party in the majority’s coalition, the Malaysian United Indigenous Party (PPBM), withdrew in February 2020, this prompted the formation of the informal Perikatan Nasional (National Alliance) coalition to take over. Subsequently, on March 1st 2020, Muhyiddin Yassin was appointed as Prime Minister, less than two weeks before the WHO declared COVID-19 to be a pandemic.
Since then, Muhyiddin’s razor-thin majority has been dogged by continued instability, with the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) threatening to withdraw its support in October 2020. At the same time, opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has sought to assemble an alternative majority, meeting with the country’s king to discuss his plan to challenge Muhyiddin’s leadership. In January 2021, as COVID-19 cases continued to climb, Parliament was suspended due to a declaration of national emergency, further hampering the efforts of politicians and public officials to coordinate an effective public health response.
Nevertheless, the suspension of Parliament has done little to quell dissent. In early July 2021, the leader of UMNO, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, announced that his party would no longer support Muhyiddin’s coalition. Just this week, tensions re-emerged when the king rebuked Muhyiddin’s revocation of emergency laws, leading to further calls from opposition leaders for his resignation. Yet Muhyiddin remains steadfast, resisting calls for his departure and instead pledging to hold a confidence vote in his leadership next month.
The impact on the Malaysian people
The political drama falls against the backdrop of an unprecedented surge in COVID-19 cases. Indeed, the human impact of this wave seems to have been entirely neglected by the country’s rulers, as outlined by a recent report from the Council on Foreign Relations, which stated that ‘Malaysia’s response is being hampered by chaotic governance and persistent political infighting.’
Hospitals are reportedly being forced to turn away patients and images of patients sharing oxygen supplies have been widely circulated on social media.
One healthcare worker at the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital in the Klang Valley recently told Malaysiakini that ‘our Emergency Department and wards look like a disaster movie. Our clinics have been shut down. We are coping badly.’ Yet despite these reports, the Malaysian government appears to be set on relaxing restrictions in the near future. Such moves are likely to exacerbate the crisis engulfing Malaysia’s health system.
‘Our Emergency Department and wards look like a disaster movie. Our clinics have been shut down. We are coping badly.’
Solidarity in a time of crisis
Even beyond the public health impacts of the pandemic, the economic downturn triggered by successive lockdowns has had a significant impact on working families. In recent months, the #benderaputih or ‘white flag’ campaign has encouraged those who are in desperate need of food and other supplies to hang white flags outside their homes to appeal to voluntary organisations. While the government has provided wage subsidies and other financial support to its citizens, provision is limited and often misses those working in the informal sector. As a result, the number of Malaysian households living below the poverty line has increased.
Looking ahead
As cases rise and political elites remain distracted by infighting, public dissatisfaction and anger is growing. The ‘black flag’ movement, calling for Muhyiddin’s resignation, is building momentum as many become increasingly frustrated with their leader’s perceived apathy. Yet for the majority of Malaysians, Muhyiddin’s political survival is less concerning than that of themselves and their families. Whether the Malaysian government will come to this same realisation is yet to be seen.
