QUESTION: What can be done to ensure all efforts made during the Movement Control Orders are not in vain?
Answer: Malaysia has the highest recovery rate at 86 per cent, compared with the world's rate of 46 per cent on average. Now we are in the recovery phase and the people are the frontliners, as they have to care for their areas in our efforts to fight the pandemic. The responsibility now is theirs (the people). It is up to them to ensure whether their areas stay a green, yellow or red zone.
Q: Can you explain the Prevent and Educate, Practice, Comply and Monitor (CAPP) approach under the District Risk Reduction Programme (DRPP) during this recovery phase?
A: We need to ensure the infection can be stopped at the community level. Therefore, we came up with DRRP, which focuses on the state and district levels.
The National Security Council and district action committees are working together to ensure that the 154 districts in the country can stop the infection at the district level via DRPP.
The district officer, district health officer and district police chief are crucial in mobilising the committee at the district level to ensure full adherence to the standard operating procedures (SOP).
The CAPP approach will focus on communities and individuals. Through it, Malaysians have the responsibility to contain the pandemic by educating their family members and community on the new norms.
We will encourage them to download the MySejahtera application, where information on the pandemic can be obtained. Via the application, users can be informed of the action to be taken upon infection, as well as identifying the nearest hospital and clinic for (Covid-19) screening and treatment.
Until a vaccine is found, we need to learn to live with Covid-19 and continue to practise the new norms.
Q: How will the ministry ensure the effectiveness of CAPP?
A: We have the Communication for Behavioural Impact (Combi) teams to fight dengue in communities. We have 3,000 Combi teams nationwide, with more than 26,000 members organising campaigns.
Now, we will use the Combi teams to provide information on Covid-19.
However, they must ensure social distancing at all times and wear
face masks while creating awareness of the pandemic.
At the ministry level, we have Healthy Community Empowers the Nation team. We will mobilise them and team up with village heads and committees at mosques and surau for the same purpose.
Q: How does the ministry ensure compliance among immigrants?
A: When the Enhanced Movement Control Order was implemented, we managed to detain those without valid travel or working documents and sent them to Immigration detention centres.
For foreign workers with a valid working permit, we have made it compulsory for them to undergo Covid-19 screening if they are in red and yellow zones.
It is the responsibility of employers and embassies to ensure foreign workers go for screening.
Q: How about cooperation with the state governments?
A: All menteris besar and chief ministers attended a meeting with Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, where they were informed of (the nation's Covid-19) status and the exit strategy (from Movement Control Orders) so that they could coordinate with their states.
Q: What do you think about the level of compliance among Malaysians with the SOP outlined by the Health Ministry?
A: I praise Malaysians for their high level of compliance with the SOP, such as adherence to social distancing rules, wearing face masks in public places, and adopting good hygiene practices.
Because of that, we have reduced the number of new daily cases and deaths.
We hope that under the CAPP we can continue to monitor and ensure adherence (to the SOP), especially among vulnerable groups, such as children and those with a history of illness.
Q: People are comparing you with Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah. Your comment on this?
A: In our fight against Covid-19, we must work as a team. We do not have time for trivial matters. Delegation of duties remains crucial.
As a minister who was appointed only recently, I had no time
to look after the ministry's
policies due to the outbreak of Covid-19.
I am thankful that in our fight against Covid-19, I get full cooperation from the ministry's secretary-general and Health director-general (Dr Noor Hisham).
I have instructed the director-general to attend to the media as part of the risk communication that we have to address, as I cannot be there all the time.
Hence, Dr Noor Hisham was tasked with updating the media and public on Covid-19 developments in the country.
As the backbone of the ministry, I will face the people when answering questions in Parliament, which is something the director-general will not be able to do.
Those who think that we are not on good terms should stop saying so.