KUALA LUMPUR: Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) said the time has come for the government to revamp the Covid-19 policy as the current approach was a total failure.
Its secretary-general Datuk Dr Paul Selvaraj said the country needs to be “intelligent with a little bit of common sense” to lead the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
“It is indeed sad that the fight against Covid-19 is led by insensitive, and unintelligent leaders. The latest announcement by the Minister (Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob), though there is no law, is that resident managements have the right to allow only those who have taken Covid-19 tests to enter their apartment.
“No wonder the fight against Covid-19 is a massive failure. Health failure as cases keep going up. Economic failure as people continue to suffer, without adequate financial support, when they lose their jobs or incomes,” he said in a statement today.
Selvaraj described the recent move as a consumer protection failure.
“Implementing that at the border is crucial, implementing it at your own home is absurd and senseless.”
“Firstly, any medical test is confidential, except maybe to the Minister who has decided that any third party has a right to personal medical information.
“No third party, except the relevant medical authorities, have the right to that information and to act according to that information towards the person, including directing him to seek treatment immediately. No one else has that right. What next Minister? When we go to the supermarket, do we need to show that we have no Covid-19 to enter?
“Secondly, has the test to be taken once only or every time that the person goes out. Because most people go to work or to purchase essentials every day or almost every day. That means they are exposed every day. Does that mean each time they return they have to take a test?
“Thirdly, if residents cannot afford to pay for the tests, as they have lost their jobs due to the failed economic protection policy, is the government going to carry it out for free.
“Currently, you cannot just go to a government hospital as say you want a test unless you are in the high-risk group. You have to pay for tests in private hospitals. People are already suffering economically; do not make it worse,” he said.
He also questioned would the government protect the committee for actually implementing the drastic action if tenants or house owners sue them as there was no law on the matter.
“The total insensitivity to the rakyat suffering the crises is causing only more suffering. If you have failed miserably to stop the health crises and the economic crises, you should not create a new crisis for consumers by refusing entry to their own homes.
“You have started with condominiums and apartments. What next? Resident associations in residential areas.”- NST