The ravages wrought by the Covid-19 pandemic stays in the consciousness of almost all Malaysians as the nation continues to stubbornly chalk up daily infections in the 20,000 ballpark and fatalities by the hundreds.
The virus shows it is no respecter of victims, be they the humble or the prominent. Within the space of days, it took the lives of two Tuns and a former Sabah deputy chief minister.
Public frustrations are growing, and understandably so, especially when it seems like whatever personal or collective sacrifices demanded of them and duly made have been for naught.
Predictably, a common enough reaction is to apportion blame and the government, fair or not, is the most obvious target.
Perhaps, it is time we rid ourselves of the urge to blame others and to accept sacrifices made not as sacrifices, but rather as good personal habits expected of all of us under this pandemic-era normal.
Datuk Seri Ang Lai Soon, a prominent social worker in Sarawak, is as good an exemplar of healthy living and taking sensible precautions as any in these unusual times.
As commander of St John Ambulance Sarawak and president of the Sarawak Cheshire Home for those with disabilities, he is no stranger to the whole spectrum of rendering relief to the needy.
But, amidst a health pandemic that unfortunately strikes humanity about once every century or so and makes each human life as vulnerable as the other, there is no greater social service than the power of personal example.
Since the onset of the pandemic, Ang has become a virtual recluse at home in a leafy hillock across the main road from the Sarawak General Hospital in Kuching.
He puts up with the minor inconvenience of unkempt and overgrown grass on his expansive compound, the better to ensure minimal physical contact with other humans wherever possible.
As a leader among volunteer frontliners in the unceasing daily battle to tame the virus, when it is essential for him to meet physically with others, Ang shows up looking every inch a frontliner himself, complete with full protective gear from head to toe.
A pandemic recluse he may have chosen to be, but life and work go on for Ang who appears as busy as ever, conducting meetings virtually and staying on top of events and news online.
A reminder is always at the tip of his tongue as he dispenses tips to be extra vigilant in order to keep the virus at bay.
Contrast that with some among us — from mere mortals to the high and mighty — who think they are somehow immune to infection, until it is proven otherwise, that is.
Those who quibble about the personal inconvenience of always wearing a mask, or the need to keep physical distances, or the imperative to keep washing hands and sanitise surfaces we come into regular contact with.
And, worst of all, whether this perception is fair or not, must be the anti-vaxxers, a stubborn and selfish minority that is a bane to every country and society.
Individualist tendencies at a time of an airborne virus that can latch on to any and every human must be treated with similar disapprobation as any prankster shouting "fire" in a crowded cinema: social arsonists all who potentially endanger innocent lives.
The virus that has become a menace the world over may never be brought to heel completely. There is now a growing realisation that at best we can only manage it and learn to live with it — a pandemic turning endemic.
It thus will become a challenge with the onus falling increasingly upon ourselves as individuals to confront it.
Ang, who has devoted much of his adult life to bringing relief to the naturally or medically afflicted, knows only too well how personal habits matter in the battle against Covid-19.
There is only so much governments and medical authorities can do. Much still redounds on what we do as individuals if we are not to be in thrall to the virus forever.
The writer views developments in the nation, region and wider world from his vantage point in Kuching, Sarawak
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times
