Nearly a year after the first MCO, the government has rolled out five stimulus packages worth RM320 billion to help Malaysia’s economy recover from the impact of COVID-19 - and to help the people navigate socioeconomic challenges. But the rakyat and businesses remain concerned that more needs to be done, especially in light of the second MCO - and given the long term nature of the pandemic, even as a national vaccination drive looms on the horizon. We speak with Jomo Kwame Sundaram,  Emeritus Professor and Fellow at the Academy of Sciences, about whether the government should rethink its approach, and what lessons Malaysia can learn from other countries who are successfully navigating the COVID-19 pandemic.

Image source: Wikimedia Commons (World Public Forum Dialogue of Civilisations)