SINCE the implementation of Movement Control Order (MCO), we have gone through a whole new way of life. The MCO has shown that the number of infections is decreasing. Indeed, the MCO is the best way not only to combat the Covid-19 virus but also to preserve the environment from the Islamic perspective.
The MCO had indirectly led to a positive effect on the rate of air pollution, water pollution and greenhouse gas emission to the global climate change due to a change in human activities.
The average reading of air pollution index (API) is less than 60, while the reading in Kuantan (Pahang), Tanjung Malim (Perak), Paka (Terengganu), Alor Setar (Kedah), Kangar (Perlis) and several areas in Sarawak were below 50, which is good.
An environmental Economist, Marshall Burke, from Stanford University said the Covid-19 outbreak has led to a significant reduction in air pollution and this has saved many lives. Burke estimates that nearly 4,000 children under five years old and 73,000 adults over 70 years in China have been saved because of less pollution.
The MCO also has had a positive effect on river pollution that was previously uncontrollable. For example, the Kim Kim River in Pasir Gudang, infamous for its toxic waste removal from factories, is now recovering and clear. The Klang River whose total waste discharged by the river is reduced by 43 per cent. The water quality index reading also reached 90 per cent during the MCO period.
Human activities related to the environment is mentioned in the Quran is translated as "Corruption has appeared throughout the land and sea by [reason of] what the hands of people have earned so He may let them taste part of [the consequence of] what they have done that perhaps they will return [to righteousness]." [Al-Ruum: 41].
Based on scholar's observation, there is no specific verse that pertains directly to actions related to the preservation of the environment. However, there are 13 Quranic verses which have been identified and could be understood to be on the environment.
The 13 verses are as follows: "Do not damage the earth" [Al-Baqarah: 11]; "Do not roam the earth spreading mischief" [Al-Baqarah: 60]; "Allah dislikes destruction" [Al-Baqarah: 205]; "Allah dislikes people who cause destruction" [Al-Maidah: 64]; "Don't you cause destruction on earth" [Al-A'raf: 56]; "Do not act destructively on earth, causing mischief" [Al-A'raf: 74]; "Do not cause destruction on earth" [Al-A'raf: 85]; "Do not follow the way of the corrupters" [Al-A'raf: 142]; "Do not commit abuse on earth, spreading devastation" [Hud: 85]; "Do not commit abuse on earth, spreading disruption" [Al-Shu'ara': 183]; "Do not do mischief on the earth" [Al-Qasas: 77]; "Allah does not like people who cause destruction" [Al-Qasas: 77], and "Do not cause destruction on earth." [Al-Ankabut: 36].
During the MCO, we were not supposed to leave our homes unless necessary, and only those who work in essential services were allowed to go to their work workplaces. Work from home (WFH) has become the norm for those whose work is not listed in the essential services list. Many companies in Malaysia and across the globe are now allowing employees to work from home.
Different countries have different approaches to homeworking. Prior to Covid-19, 25 per cent of Germans worked from home. The German Labour minister, Hubertus Heil, commented on how successful working from home has been across Germany, "Everyone who wants to and whose job allows it should be able to work in home office, even when the corona pandemics is over."
In the United Kingdom, working from home can save £3 billion a year and cut carbon. Increasing the number of UK employees working from home can cut costs by £3 billion a year for UK employers and employee and save 3 million tonnes of carbon. Homeworking reduces employees from commuting, resulting in carbon, money and time saving and significantly reduces office energy consumption and rental costs.
Advancements in technologies such as broadband internet, smart phones and cloud computing mean that many jobs can now be done effectively outside of traditional workplaces. Ultimately, the MCO can preserve the environment direct or indirectly so that the balance of this universe can be maintained.
The writer is a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Islamic Understanding (IKIM) Malaysia
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times
