Although university students may not need parental guidance as opposed to younger children, the different MCOs still impacted them in several ways. During the first MCO, many students had to adapt to e-Learning, despite it being less encouraging than physical classes. Many students were forced to rely on self-learning and self-discipline which may not be as effective as a high number, causing students to be more demotivated in their studies.

Moreover, hands-on students studying subjects like medicine, engineering, and culinary faced difficulties as they weren’t allowed to return to campus, making labs and other areas inaccessible for them. With the quality of education being debated and households struggling to stay afloat, the fact that tuition fees and resources became stagnant during this period posed an even heavier burden to students that have been working part-time to contribute to the payments.

However, the ever-changing SOPs and extensions made under MCO 2.0, have definitely caused uncertainty towards international students and those from other states away from their campus, on whether or not they’re allowed back to campus. Although it has been announced that students are allowed back on campus from 1st March, who knows if the decision would be taken away when everyone starts coming back and moving into hostels again? And although this seems like a breath of fresh air for most students, is this the right step to take or will we see another spike of cases?

While evidence from businesses, families, as well as students, show that MCO 2.0 has been less severe compared to the first, can we truly say it is an effective tool in flattening the COVID-19 curve? Though certain states, like Kedah, Terengganu, Kelantan, and Pahang initially showed a decrease in infection rate, areas with dense populations, like Selangor, KL, and Johor, saw an increase instead due to the higher rate of economic and industrial activities.

Trying to pursue both at once, Malaysia has imposed regulations that can be stated as questionable, at the very best. We saw an MCO extension in four states to 4th March 2021, yet we also saw the travel limit of 10km being lifted, the ability to dine-in, and the lifting of passengers in a car — with strict implementation of SOPs. 

At this point, who knows what exactly an MCO means? In order to flatten the curve, it’s obvious the most effective way would be to implement a total lockdown for at least 2 weeks, though it may be at the expense of economic disruption. Let’s get real, with the way MCO 2.0 has been regulated, its implementation makes little to no difference than if it wasn't there in the first place, making it an ineffective tool in combatting the pandemic. 

As inconsistency becomes evident in Malaysia, we mustn’t depend on the government to control the pandemic. Chasing both the health of the people and the health of the economy half-heartedly, won’t do any good for either objective but will end up worsening in the long run until one objective is prioritised.

Right now, we’re our only hope in playing a role in reducing the number of active COVID-19 cases and prioritising our heath before it's too late. How? Reduce public movement by staying at home and only stepping outside when it’s necessary. And when you do go out, remember to sanitise and mask up!