Opinion | How political mismanagement has fuelled Malaysia’s coronavirus surge

It has been a year since Malaysia recorded its first coronavirus infection, last January 25. The country’s recent surge in cases is a perfect storm caused by a government without legitimacy, a bureaucratic structure that hampers a whole-of-government approach, and a fetish for fiscal discipline at the wrong time.

Malaysia’s third wave of infections started in September last year at a detention facility in Sabah, and spread as politicians and political workers travelled to campaign for the state’s elections. Now, with daily case numbers regularly exceeding 3,000, it’s clear that the pandemic is out of control. On January 23, daily cases reached 4,275, the highest ever.

Authorities announced a second lockdown, or movement control order, on January 11 to contain the spread of Covid-19, while the king declared an emergency on January 12 on the advice of politically embattled Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin. Since the beginning of the year, five of Muhyiddin’s 32-member cabinet have tested positive for the virus.

For months, health workers have urged the government to prioritise limited hospital resources, particularly beds in intensive care units and ventilators, for severe cases. But the Health Ministry has only recently decided to allow those Covid-19 patients who are asymptomatic or show only mild symptoms to quarantine at home – finally falling in line with World Health Organization recommendations.