Movement restrictions have also impacted private health care facilities, including GP clinics and community pharmacies, leading to late detection of chronic diseases.
There is an urgent need for the government to review its policies and strategies. In this respect, the appointment of an independent panel of experts will provide wider perspectives and options.
Lawmakers representing constituencies in Kedah, Kelantan, Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Perak, and Pahang -- from PAS, Umno, PKR, DAP, and Amanah -- have objected against the expansion of four-week movement restrictions across almost the entire peninsula from Nov 9-Dec 6.
The sudden reintroduction of CMCO in Selangor, KL and Putrajaya, when Covid-19 cases were previously under control, is an admission of failure of other less damaging public health measures that should have been activated much earlier, says Dzulkefly Ahmad.