No one is above the law. That is the basis.
– DATUK SERI ISMAIL SABRI YAAKOB, SENIOR MINISTER AND DEFENCE MINISTER
I miss my routine morning teh tarik sessions with my buddies at the Mamak. I miss the spicy teh masala in particular, roti canai, roti bom, roti telur bawang, roti sardin, roti cheese, roti tisu, mee mamak, etc.
Damn the coronavirus. Because of this Covid-19 which first surfaced in a far-off land, Malaysians have to suffer for it. No one will ever understand the suffering I am going through because of the partial lockdown or the movement control order (MCO) as we know it here.
It’s ‘painful’ not having my regular glass of divine hot mamak tea and the Indian-influenced flatbread to go with it. But what is more torturous is missing the daily political talks and the chitchats with my regular buddies who include politicians who feed me a lot of interesting information.
It won’t be far from the truth if someone were to say I missed my chitchat buddies more than I missed teh tarik or the flatbread. I can go without the two for weeks, but not without my chitchat pals.
Since the MCO has put paid to my routine appointments with my buddies for now, I thought of a way to ‘meet up’ with them. What better way than by video calls?
There are several video chat apps available to turn social distancing into distant socialising. You have Zoom, WhatsApp, Skype, Google Duo, Hangouts, Viber or WeChat.
But I prefer Zoom to the rest as I find it’s the best face-to-face chat apps to keep in touch with friends or colleagues as it allows multiple users per call.
Last Friday three of my regular buddies and I ‘met’ on Zoom to discuss current issues. It was nice to catch up after a month. We discussed so many issues but we talked more on the deputy minister who was said to have violated the MCO.
The following is our chitchat which I have decided to reproduce in toto. Please excuse the colloquialism.
Me: Thanks guys for agreeing to meet up via this chat app. Really appreciate it.
Ridzuan: Let’s get to the point. I don’t have much time; wife wants me to help mow the compound.
Liu: Have you heard about the deputy minister who flouted the MCO? These people have one law for the common folk and another for VIPs!
Wong: Ya, lah. How could he do that?
Liu: That’s the problem with our elected reps. They say one thing and do another thing.
Me: The police have said they will question him and a Perak state exco for their visit to the tahfiz school.
Ridzuan: Do you think they will carry out investigations fairly?
Me: They will. Photographs of the event are widely circulated on social media. They will call everyone to have their statements recorded.
Wong: I hope you are right. Chances are they will say a full investigation has been conducted and they will accept his explanation that it was his duty as a deputy minister and the wakil rakyat to be present at the event. And Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob has said he will leave it to the police.
Liu: Looks like that will be the outcome. I am sure of it.
Ridzuan: No one is above the law. The MCO is for everyone, lah. Some form of action has to be taken or else the rakyat will lose confidence in our government.
Me: I agree. Hundreds of offenders have been fined or jailed now. If no action is taken against VIP offenders what sort of signals are we sending to the rakyat?
Liu: True. If I’m not wrong, until April 17, about 17,000 people were arrested and were compounded RM1,000 or were charged in court. The offenders must be brought to court and there should be no exception. What say you, Raj?
Me: Well, like one portal reported, and I quote: “Since many offenders, including the poor have been handcuffed, remanded and ordered to serve time behind bars, why are certain people spared?”
Ridzuan: Betul!
Me: You guys read about the Kiwi health minister being demoted after he admitted taking his family on a beach trip during his country’s coronavirus lockdown?
Ridzuan: It was Dr David Clark. But don’t dream of that sort of action being taken here! According to The Guardian newspaper he apologised. Let me read out what he said. Here it goes: “At a time when we are asking New Zealanders to make historic sacrifices, I’ve let the team down. I’ve been an idiot, and I understand why people will be angry with me.”
Me: That’s a true gentleman politician. Will someone here apologise?
Liu: Okay, boleh tukar topic?
Wong: What is this pension revocation threat all about?
Me: Yes, that’s what Cuepacs president Adnan Mat said. Pensioners could lose their pension if they were found guilty of breaching any law.
Ridzuan: Section 21 (1) of the Pensions Act 1980 says that pension or other benefits will cease when a person is sentenced to death or even imprisonment a day.
Me: My friend’s mother who has a heart condition is now afraid to go to IJN for her routine consultation for fear of being caught by the cops. Poor woman, she doesn’t want to lose her pension. But her daughter should explain the MCO conditions are relaxed in certain situations.
Wong: The pension is not a right but a privilege and could be forfeited if one is convicted. Anyway, I hope there will not be a situation when pensioners lose their pension for going against the MCO. Just stay home and stay safe till the MCO is lifted.
