Talk here, talk there … talk, talk everywhere…
Umrah pilgrims, umrah pilgrims … what telah happened …
It is very disturbing to hear that 14% (12) of returning umrah pilgrims were not only tested positive for the Omnicron variant but that they were not vaccinated at all.
How on earth could they perform the umrah when both Malaysia and Saudi Arabia require umrah-goers to be fully vaccinated?
Now the blame game has started from the travel operators right up to the government agency responsible for ensuring that pilgrims are fully vaccinated.
But really the first party to be blamed is the 12 pilgrims themselves. Why are they so obstinate in not getting the full vaccination before they even contemplated to go for the umrah?
They have the gall to beat the system when they know what they are doing is against the law, and the irony of it all is being devious in doing so when the objective of the umrah is to purify their soul.
The full weight of the law should be upon them in that once they have recovered from the Omicron infection – if they ever recover – an intense interrogation of these wrongdoers should be pursued on how they manage to beat the system.
Are they in league with a syndicate that falsify vaccine certificate? Are their travel agents complicit in facilitating their umrah? Are they under the influence of the anti-vaxxers who egged them on to beat the system? Are there government agency official or a Saudi element abetting all this wrongdoing?
These are all serious issues in the context of the rapid spread of the Omicron variant globally which in the words of the head of the World Health Organization, is 'tsunami of cases' that is overwhelming health systems.
To date, Malaysia has 245 confirmed cases of the Omicron variant in the country, and according to Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, the plan for the transition to the endemic phase early this year has to be postponed “after considering the impact of the floods and (infections caused by) returnees from abroad, with special focus on umrah pilgrims”.
"All states are now in Phase Four (of the National Recovery Plan) and my initial plan was to announce the transition (to endemic phase) early this year,” added Hishammuddin.
The writer is the Editor of Let's Talk!, an e-newsletter on current affairs. To subscribe copies contact https://www.letstalk.com.my/
