Malaysia reported a record 17,045 cases of Covid-19 infections yesterday (July 25) – just a day after the never-before tally of 15,902 was chalked up.

Cases of Covid-19 infection have been on the rise, numbering more than 10,000 daily since mid-July. Fatalities have also climbed, reaching 199 on July 21 – the highest yet, as at press time. Majority were from Klang Valley and Selangor.

The Bishop of the Methodist Church in Malaysia (Chinese Annual Conference), Rev Wong Tik Wah, told Salt&Light that the Methodist Church has lost several pastors and members to Covid-19.

Pastor Eddy Marson of Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC) in Petaling Jaya said his church was particularly “heavily affected”.

“The past few weeks were really difficult for us. The spike of new cases daily, with the threats from new variants, is so alarming.” 

One of its pastors, Pastor Ravindren Arumugam, passed on just over a week ago on July 14, due to Covid. “We are grieving,” Ps Marson said. “Pastor Ravi was a great loss to us and to the body of Christ.” 

Severe shortages

Nationwide, Malaysia’s healthcare system is buckling under the surge in cases, with news reports of spent frontliners collapsing from exhaustion and incidents of vaccination errors being made by overwhelmed staff.

Hospitals are also running short of ICU beds due to the steady influx of Covid-linked admissions.

This comes on the back of Malaysia’s third national lockdown – termed “Enhanced Movement Control Order” (EMCO) – which had been set to end June 28.

However, the status of the EMCO is uncertain. Sources close to Salt&Light say businesses remain closed, and the demand for labour is significantly lower.

According to the Department of Statistics Malaysia, the number of registered jobs has fallen by 130,000. Many of the country’s population of 32.7 million are in dire straits and struggle even to afford regular meals. Suicide is reported to be on the rise.

White flags

The lockdowns and increasingly tighter restrictions have “created a cry for help” in the form of the #benderaputih (the “White Flag” movement) – a way for families to appeal for food, work or other essentials, said Pastor Dr Lew Lee Choo, Deputy Senior Pastor of SIB Kuala Lumpur (SIBKL).

#benderaputih (“white flag”) is a way for families to appeal for food, work or other essentials as many businesses remain closed and unemployment rises. Photo by Boo Soon Yew on Twitter.

“Malaysians are crossing social, economic, racial and even religious divides to help one another,” said Ps Lew.

“People are reaching out to each other by supplying food, paying rentals and offer all kinds of help wherever there is need.”

Churches that Salt&Light contacted have been on the forefront of these neighbourly efforts, providing relief and aid through food banks, helplines, counselling services, financial aid and such-like.

Some, such as Cheras Evangelical Free Church, also have been providing food aid to Myanmar refugees living in Kuala Lumpur (KL). (There are more than 154,000 registered Myanmar refugees in Malaysia.)

Meanwhile, the Methodist Church’s Harbour ministry is a support platform for those infected with Covid-19, offering medical consultation, counselling and pastoral prayer, said Rev Wong.

In response to bed shortages at government hospitals, SIBKL, DUMC and several other churches are working with non-governmental organisations (NGO) to set up a quarantine centre in KL.

“This initiative is a joint effort,” said Ps Marson. “We believe that the Church exists for the community.”

Ps Lew told Salt&Light: “Our people are now more willing to embrace the word ‘suffering’. Perhaps you can say that the theology of suffering is no longer a stranger to us.

“Health, food, friendships, family and peace of mind are not a right that we are entitled to but a blessing to which we must always give thanks for.”

One in Christ

Noting that the Church in Malaysia’s unity amidst the country’s third and most severe wave of infections is unprecedented, Ps Lew said: “There is a reshaping of God’s Church in Malaysia.” 

Since Pentecost Sunday on May 23, more than 400 local churches across denominations throughout East and West Malaysia have kept up a 24-hour prayer chain, Malaysia United Firewall.

Ps Lew said that she has “never seen something like this” in her country – where so many churches of different denominations and language groups are “enjoying worshipping our Lord together day and night”.

“This would not have happened if not for the pandemic: Locked out of our physical churches, we have become more and more aware of the need to be one.

“We would not even have been aware of the churches in small towns and those of other language groups whose needs differ so much from ours.

“Something is breaking through,” she said. “God is using this pandemic to make His church strong and resilient, steadfast in the face of challenges – shining as light in the darkness.

“While it is easy for us to look at the sad state of affairs, we must also look at what God has done – turning what the devil means for evil into good.”