We understand that medical professionals know the Covid-19 virus the best, considering they have to deal with the outbreak first hand, but that doesn’t mean that doctors, nurses and other medical professionals have a higher jurisdiction compared to the government during times like this.
Hence, when the government implemented the Movement Control Order, it means that all Malaysians including medical professionals have to adhere to the rules and regulations set in place to restrict human activity that can cause the spreading of coronavirus.
However, one Penang doctor decided that he could go for a jog at a park, without a mask and argue with authorities when confronted, as showcased by the We are Malaysians Facebook page.
PenangBrainless! Why so stubborn! PBT/PDRM should lock him up, let him exercise in jail ???
Posted by 我们是马来西亚人 We are Malaysians on Thursday, March 19, 2020
They wrote, “Brainless! Why so stubborn. The local authorities or PDRM should lock him up, let him exercise in jail.”
In the video, the doctor was confronted by the authorities for jogging in the park during the obvious current Movement Control Order, to which the doctor argued back, informing them that he had to look out for his health by exercising and that his jogging was within the government’s orders as we are not in a total lockdown.
They tried to reason with the doctor, telling him that as a doctor he should take his knowledge of the dangers of the virus and educate others instead of openly jogging in public, which can encourage others to join in if he’s seen.
“You as a doctor should know the dangers of the virus. And if others see you, they’ll want to come out too,” they told the doctor.
Throughout the video, the doctor can be seen actively keeping his distance from the officer, who was wearing a mask. He even said multiple times, “keep your distance from me”.
The doctor said that he would reach out to clarify the exact terms and conditions of the restrictions and pulled out his phone before the video ended.
Considering there are mentions of the army being deployed because of Malaysians who refuse to adhere to the social distancing conduct, it doesn’t seem very smart to so blatantly question the authority that’s trying to protect a country from being ravaged by a deadly virus, even if you’re a heart specialist.
The government is taking these steps to ensure the country’s overall safety, in which obviously they would have taken into consideration the advice and ideas of your fellow medical experts, so stay home rest assured that these measures are what we need right now.
Just buy a treadmill and go home, doctor.
Also read: M’sian Doctor’s Son Cries As She’s Self-Quarantined, Reaches Out To Her For Hugs