Lyrissa Lister
KUCHING: The Movement Control Order (MCO) has changed people as they become more vigilant in terms of social distancing, according to several people interviewed.
Lyrissa Lister, 23, a businesswoman, said social distancing does not only minimise risk of getting infected by Covid-19 and benefit one’s health but also gives sense of security and safety.
“Social distancing is practised in banks, so we can expect no stalker during cash withdrawal. Pick pocket theft would be significantly lower in terms of number of cases.
For McWilkins Benadik
“Increased awareness and alertness in public spaces also helps guarantee our health and safety. The queues would become a norm, whilst all this while, Malaysians are known to be ignorant in terms of orderly manner; they like to squeeze in,” she said.
For McWilkins Benadik, 27, a government servant, social distancing as part of daily life is good as Malaysians in general are not known for their orderly manner.
“The mentality of most Malaysians are changing slowly, maybe due to increased awareness or simply because they are paranoid. The nationwide panic during the start of the pandemic started the change in terms of our social habits.
James Kui Wu
“It made the ignorant individual more disciplined when it comes to some orders and laws,” he said.
Construction site officer James Kui Wu, 40, said that though people are aware of the pandemic, many still have low awareness of the need for social distancing.
“I’d say 50-50. Half will follow strictly, half will just go about their daily lives like nothing can happen to them. Look at the supermarkets on weekends, they just squeeze in.
“Maybe because they’ve been stuck at home for so long, it’s like they were just released from prison.
“People with real awareness, they know how to distance themselves, they know how to conduct themselves in public places. They also know not to touch their face.”
Simon Lambert Utap
He stressed that it is best to stay home but it is not feasible for the long run due to economic reasons.
Meanwhile, Simon Lambert Utap, 32, engineer, is on the fence on this, and believes time will tell if MCO has really changed the public’s personal discipline and level of awareness of the need for social distancing.
“For now, I can’t tell for sure. But it will be tested in the coming weeks. Will we comply with the SOP or will we go back to MCO? The choice is in your hands, fellow Malaysians,” he said.
The Conditional MCO which started on May 12 ends on June 9.