LETTER | As we inch close to Hari Raya this week, it is most painful to witness the tears among our Malaysian Muslim citizens.

The “balik kampung” sojourn has been stalled although we saw some surprising traffic jams at major tolls.

Bazaars which normally would see jam-packed last minute shopping have been told they can operate; then it was changed to shorter hours; and then suddenly ordered to be closed.

Last year, our Malaysian Muslim brothers and sisters made a huge sacrifice without complaining in the face of Covid-19.

Today, however, we can empathise with the frustrations mounting on the grounds.

Yes, it is as some will say, unfortunate. Yes, it is as some others will say, inevitable. Yes, it is as still more others will say, a situation that must be accepted to prevent our loved ones back in the kampung from being infected.

As we review the close to half a million infections in the country and the total number of fatalities at 1,700 to date (and mostly as reported since January this year), we have to ask some painfully honest questions.

Despite convincing the palace in January 2021 that a “Darurat” is needed to arrest the Covid-19 pandemic from getting worse than what it was in December 2020, how did we end up with almost half a million infections since these past five months?

Armed with the palace's sanction, the government had all the absolute power - minus Parliamentary interference, to bring down the R-Naught to safer levels.

It even had a balming slogan “Prihatin Rakyat: Darurat Memerangi Covid-19 (Caring for the people: Emergency to fight Covid-19)” to battle the virus.

But we could not keep the peg on. Instead we witnessed mind-boggling varieties of movement control orders that made the people more confused and let the infection rates skyrocket.

So, today it is again no balik kampung and no Raya wherever you are as only restricted numbers can visit within the fences of districts.

How a government can monitor this movement is just as puzzling anyway.

The sense of hopelessness has spread far and wide.

The government has proven it could not harness the demands of businesses in the name of economy.

The government has proven that its daily case count and response based movement controls have succeeded in giving the virus a field day.

Despite former leaders like Najib and the ousted PH coalition government telling the PN government to go for a strict 21-day lockdown instead of a “Darurat” and subsequent shutting down of Parliament to arrest the pandemic, Prime Minister Muhyiddin thought otherwise.

Fear of being branded “biadab” and being changed accordingly under an Emergency Ordinance Act, many chose to go silent on the PN government’s move but still felt that the ever changing movement controls would not work.

Along with the rakyat, the commonly shared opinion was why not bite the bullet and go for a total lockdown.

But the 70 member cabinet still chose to yo-yo the anti-covid battle plan.

So, today, if we cannot balik kampung to be with aging parents and kin, who do we blame?

Is the current situation the fault of the virus or the people or the government?

Let us vote.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.