Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right. – Oprah Winfrey
Oh! The visions, resolutions, high expectations, goals and dreams we had entering the year 2020.
Several nations and many organisations had set grand targets and aspirations to achieve by 2020. I am sure you too had your dreams and plans.
Twenty-twenty was meant to be a symbolically significant year.
However, as we entered 2020, the Covid-19 virus took root and set in motion its designs to become a global pandemic to wreak havoc upon the human race far beyond anyone could have imagined.
While this was brewing, in Malaysia we were preoccupied with the many twists, turns and knots conjured up by federal politics.
In February the Pakatan Harapan government collapsed. The following months further exposed the nasty face of politics — deceit, betrayals and broken alliances and grab for power and all this while the Covid-19 virus marched on unabated.
I am not sure if our federal politicians took a leaf out of the ‘Game of Thrones’ TV series or their scriptwriters are followers of our politics.
According to some psychic interpretations seeing the number 2020 confirms that your guardian angels will protect you.
Well, on the home front in 2020 some politicians certainly had some guardian angels, (well perhaps not angels, but shaitan himself) as whole stacks of corruption charges vanished. You would be right to think that shaitan will be kept busy and more charges will vanish in 2021.
Times have been good for a privileged few, for many other mere mortals, the number 2020 is synonymous with all things bad.
People have had to cope with a drop in income, loss of jobs, business losses and closures, 80.4 million have fallen ill with the virus, for some families even deaths (1.8 million worldwide with 453 in Malaysia at the time of writing) and much more.
Twenty-twenty is not exactly an endearing number for those who grieved and suffered.
Next, 20/20 vision — a term used to express the clarity or sharpness of vision measured at a distance of 20 feet. If you have 20/20 vision, you have good eyesight and can see clearly at 20 feet — perfect vision.
Malaysia’s Vision 2020 was fashioned after this term. Here is what we were meant to be in 2020.
A united Malaysian nation; a psychologically liberated, secure and developed Malaysian society; developing a mature democratic society; a fully moral and ethical society, a matured liberal and tolerant society; a scientific and progressive society; a fully caring society; an economically just society, in which there is a fair and equitable distribution of the wealth of the nation and prosperous society with an economy that is fully competitive, dynamic, robust and resilient.
These nine noble strategic goals were launched 19 years ago in 1991 by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the then fourth prime minister and again as the seventh prime minister from May 2018 to March 2020. Unfortunately, not much evidence of Vision 2020 can be seen.
This vision went up in flames due to bigotry, politics of racial hatred and corruption. Ironically, Dr Mahathir himself had a role in ensuring the failure of some of these goals. Instead, we do have a distorted vision in its place.
We are now leaving the year 2020, with common terms such as the ‘new normal’, ‘coronavirus’, ‘social distancing’, ‘stay home’, ‘stay safe’, ‘face masks’ and many more.
For us here in Sarawak, the many caring and effective initiatives of Team Abang Jo helped to cushion some of the negative impacts of the MCO.
The chief minister and his GPS government went full out to protect its entire people. Credit must be given where it is due.
So, what has 2021 in store for us? One thing for sure is that the Covid-19 virus and its numerous and evolving variants will still be with us for a long time.
The vaccines are certainly on their way. But do take note there are still many variable factors.
Perhaps a system of quarantine still needs to be in place for several months due to the many evolving virus variants.
In 2021, we also need to become more accepting of technological advances. From online banking to ordering food via apps, many of us have been pushed into this direction and the trend will continue due to necessity.
If there is anything to learn from 2020, it is that we need to be resilient and move forward. It will be this ability to cope, adapt and be robust that will see us through 2021.
Welcome 2021 — certainly not a year to let our guard down.
The views expressed here are those of the columnist and do not necessarily represent the views of New Sarawak Tribune.
