Can blame ourselves for the turmoil on earth?
Do we really know why the Covid-19 pandemic spread so fast in the world in just a few months since the end of 2019?
Covid can mean Cleansing Over Various Insidious Dirt (very big issue) on earth and in ourselves behavioural-wise. Even our attitudes need so much reformation for a change in society.
While many had been reluctant to change environmentally the consequences of that can be the adverse impact amongst us.
We know that our earth and its environment have been neglected for recent decades beyond recognition of many in the exploitation of our natural resources on earth and in the oceans. It is simply irresponsible consumerism that we witness rampant exploitation of the natural earth with all its natural beauty and intrinsic values for mankind in recent centuries post second world war. In recent decades, there had been talk of rescue or restoration of the depleted forests and the over fishing of the oceans when much of the earth had been depleted of its natural characteristics almost everywhere.
Some people think that the environment is part and parcel of the present pandemic of corona virus or covid-19 that has brought much suffering and many deaths without any vaccine insight to stop that.
What we have seen that the pandemic had brought much changes in our daily lives and living habits with so much inconveniences to all in going out and even staying safe at homes. When someone close by and even family members get the covid-19, all others would have to go through very troublesome enforced quarantine.
With the Movement Control Order since 18 March, 2020, we have seen the most unexpected consequences as more people go through economic hardship and hard to make ends meet with the economy and consumerism in great decline. Many affected businesses in connection with global travel have closed down with devastating consequences and the domino theory prevails to adversely impact the livelihood of all.
Unfortunately the target groups like the health workers have to take the blunt of the consequences of the largely unknown covid-19 and the SOP is so complicated for the sick and healthy people alike as prevention to stay safe from infection likely to be fatal unless treated very early.
Whether covid-19 comes from God or not, we are not sure but the global communities are to take the blame for it.
It is also unclear if vaccines ever to be available would be effective to stop the calamity of covid-19 as it is alleged that the mutations do take place and everything is too early to be confirmed.
We are uncertain of what will be of the covid-19 and so Malaysia has decided to extend the MCO or RMCO until 31 December, 2020 meaning the used-to-be economic and social behaviour must take cognisant of vital changes amongst us. Such unfortunate measures may kill more people via others sicknesses (likely unrelated to covid-19 due to stress and shortcomings in public health care) and hunger for the people without any regular income in a diminished and diminishing unsustainable sectors in economy.
So in such drastic scenario without any chance of easy escape from covid-19, we must take appropriate actions for the improvement of the environment together with more ‘friendly measures’ to the wild life in many aspects.
Whether covid-19 has anything to do with our degraded environment everywhere is still unknown but certainly we need to take measure as individual for our own survival normally when we cannot do anything much for those devastation in the wilderness or hinterland of Sabah.
One thing we know what the climate and environment can harm us even staying in the cities and urban areas. We also know what trees and jungles/forests can help us in the mitigation of worsening climate changes and this can be worst than covid-19 pandemic which seem the SOP controls can sort of mitigate the adverse impacts.
We have been observing that the trees and jungles in the habitat of cities dwellers have been declining with more cuttings of mature trees and nothing to replace them in and around our homes. It is very hard to have good mature trees like the mango plants but most people cut them down for the fruits have worms. Such worms have been proven to leave those trees and the ripe fruits if we smoke those mature trees regularly and the bad ones may need more such small doses of smokings. Smoking unlike fogging is free and give good results.
There maybe some people cutting those mature trees for the nuisance of leaves droppings etc.
I strongly believe that all trees (hard to grow them to maturity) are for our comfort in fresh air/oxygen, good shade in any sunny day, and brighten our environment naturally apart from relief in flash floods in certain areas. Some trees have fruits/flowers for the birds and insects like honey bees especially the wild pigeons who now have to ‘patronise’ our residential premises in big numbers.
So what is wrong with so many cutting of matured trees especially mango trees which can bring us thousands of mango fruits in several seasons throughout the year.
Actually not many people planted those trees but God did it and even water them with rain regularly and some people - (plants and animals (dogs) haters - just hate those trees around to make way for car parkings around at the front of homes and empty back gardens.
Just to be sure that the climate change in rising temperature would not come by in our next challenge on earth and elsewhere in the world we are told of very high unusual extreme heat waves especially for those cool nations.
Sabah is in the equatorial zone and already experiencing worsening climate change in recent decades of neglected environment, and so we definitely need more trees in our land (private and public) around our homes.
Instead more trees are gone for no good reasons. Some people may claim that the trees in their gardens are their business and what they can do with that is their business.
Now whose business is it with pandemic covid-19?
So whose business is it when the temperature around go sky high in time to come? Are we all held to be responsible and then it is probably too late.
How can we sustain ourselves when the extreme temperature around us for too long and too much? All I can say is that we can be helpless but maybe too late to complain.
So as a precaution right now is to fill up all vacant and idle land around our homes (inside and outside) with trees. For those who want to cut trees think again and again.
So I would urge authorities and the Government to start a set of laws or bylaws that anyone (including public authorities) want to chop down matured trees in private and public land must get permissions to do so. Those cutting grass in open space should also leave the small plants untouched so that they can grow up as such small plants are brought by the birds and can turn up as our food in fruits.
Similarly, those occupants in treeless spaces inside their homes in the front and back gardens and the public open spaces nearby should forfeit their rights and privileges to stay in landed properties. They should be a law that they stay in apartments or condominiums.
If anyone thinks the laws for “trees cutting” and “flats housing” are impossible or difficult to implement but it is going to be new normal now, I would advise new local parties with new local leaders (not recycled ones for decades of neglect) to include this new law in their manifestos to secure good public response.
Who would have imagined covid-19 pandemic to come to Sabah when other places had plagues and other pandemic much earlier, but we definitely have no escape with rising temperature this time round and plenty of trees can be for our assurance.
This is my Merdeka message for 2020.
Joshua Y C Kong 31/8/2020
