THESE are not only difficult, but inopportune times. On the one hand, countries around the world are hit by the coronavirus pandemic. Many countries are imposing lockdowns, quarantines or curfews — whatever the people’s movement-control terms might be — so as to minimize the spread of the disease. These are, no doubt, prudent and essential measures. Many countries, which initially experimented with less restrictive coronavirus prevention methods, have been hit with skyrocketing infection rates and have since graduated to more full-fledged lockdown measures to try desperately to contain the coronavirus’ relentless rampage.

Malaysia took quite drastic coronavirus containment measures quite early on, when flight bans and quarantines-upon-return were imposed since early this year amid, quite frankly, somewhat widespread derision of the alleged paranoia, discrimination and induced panic. Movement control, or lockdown, had been imposed since middle of March in stretches of two weeks each, now entering the fourth such stretch. The containment results may, perhaps, not be characterized as impressive, but with a population of well over 30 million, Malaysia registered fewer than 6,000 active cases of coronavirus infection and just below a hundred deaths. The stay-at-home requirement is indeed necessary and effective.