<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today has been a mixed day, it feels long but passed by quick. Last night\u2019s news was still sinking in, the announcement seems clear but obviously there were details that were unclear and unsettled.\u00a0
As a senior management member of a Takaful Operator, we were also figuring out how best to make it work, to fulfill our obligation to continue providing critical services to our customers – the duties of an essential service provider.\u00a0
I must admit it wasn\u2019t an easy task as we had to balance the needs of the people, respecting the spirit of the \u201crestricted movement order\u201d as well as the safety of our staff. It\u2018s the first time we are facing a calamity of this magnitude and sensitivity, the true test whether our Business Continuity Plan (BCP) and crisis management procedures actually works.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s probably not going to go smoothly for the next few days, we can\u2019t admit and say we have everything figured out. But we have tried our level best to put in the procedures to make the experience as pleasant as possible for everyone.
Should we have started planning and preparing earlier? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
We should have, but we didn\u2019t. No one knows what to expect. Right now, all we can do is try our best to try to make it right.
While it\u2019s easiest to blame others for the situation we are in, including the unpreparedness of processes, imperfections of communication and sloppy execution, the noises that come out from our mouths (and fingers through postings on social media and other avenues) doesn\u2019t change the situation especially when the actions that many of us have taken, contradict what is needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What are we, the humankind, most unprepared and unequipped for? Considering our reaction in less than 24 hours from the announcement and closer to the actual implementation of the restrictive movement order – it\u2019s clear, as a society, we\u2019re not ready for self-restraint. And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient<\/strong>, Who, when disaster strikes them, say, “Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return.”<\/p>Al Baqarah 2 : 155 – 156<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n For the next 14 days, let\u2019s choose to exercise restraint so that all of us can come out of this calamity quickly. We were informed of the first 2 deaths due to the virus in Malaysia and another 120 new cases registered making the total confirmed cases 673 at the moment. Do we need the number to be by the thousands before people will finally listen? So fellow Malaysians (and humankind for that matter) – trying my best to play my part as a responsible human being, I beg of you, put aside our differences and egos, don\u2019t be stubborn and forgive, make that wise choice, listen and do what is needed from each one of us to make the world a safer place for everyone, the soonest. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Today has been a mixed day, it feels long but passed by quick. Last night\u2019s news was still sinking in, the announcement seems clear but obviously there were details that were unclear and unsettled.\u00a0 As a senior management member of a Takaful Operator, we were also figuring out how best to make it work, to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1216","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-life-notes"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wanahmadnajib.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1216"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wanahmadnajib.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wanahmadnajib.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wanahmadnajib.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wanahmadnajib.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1216"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.wanahmadnajib.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1216\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1223,"href":"https:\/\/www.wanahmadnajib.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1216\/revisions\/1223"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wanahmadnajib.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1216"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wanahmadnajib.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1216"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wanahmadnajib.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1216"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
We can\u2019t control the world, we can\u2019t control the government, we can\u2019t control the opposition, we can\u2019t control the keyboard warriors, we can\u2019t control the irresponsible people out there.
What we can supposedly control – ourselves. Our choices, our actions.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today itself, I\u2019ve met many people who will be going without pay for the next 2 weeks, people working at restaurants and shops, hoping that this will pass by soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With Ramadhan<\/em> just slightly more than a month from today, are we prepared to receive it without the tarawih<\/em> prayers and bazaars? Are we ready to receive Syawal<\/em> locked in our homes not celebrating it with family and friends?
If we don\u2019t start practicing self-restraint and continue challenging \u201cthe test\u201d given to us with our ignorance and stubbornness, we might just end up in that situation. When that happens, there is no one else to blame but ourselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The choice is ours. Choose wisely. Stay home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n