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Nantha Assignment 1
Nantha Assignment 1
Nantha Assignment 1
Assignment 1
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Full name and IC No: Nanthakumar a/l Jayabalan 800530081234 Date : 16/10/2021
What is belief? Belief is often associate with our state of the mind when we consider something true
even though we are not 100% sure about it. Everybody has their own beliefs about life as based on their
experience. Mutually supportive beliefs may form belief systems, which may be religious, philosophical or
ideological. Religions are belief systems that relate humanity to spirituality. Religion is a collection of cultural
systems, belief systems, and worldviews that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values.
There are number of challenges our Malaysian citizens have faced during this pandemic and the only
source of belief they have are the religious belief. The first challenge was when the number of reported
COVID-19 cases grew relatively slowly until a religious event took place at Sri Petaling, in March, Kuala
Lumpur, which led to an exponential rise in cases, The Star, (2020). A few weeks after the event, Malaysia
recorded the highest number of positive cases of COVID-19 in South East Asia. The religious mass gathering
was a 4-day event with 16,000 people participating, including 1,500 from outside Malaysia. Two more cluster
groups were detected on 6th April 2020, originating from a religious gathering at Kuching, Sarawak, which led
to 83 COVID-19 confirmed cases The Star, (2020). Undoubtedly, the main course of Covid 19 spread in
Malaysia is due to the religious mass gathering in Malaysia. However, many people have turned to religions to
cope with stress and anxiety as they have no other way to solve this dreadful diseases. Besides, many people
agrees to implement preventive measures which are religiously acceptable by all the religious groups in
Malaysia. Studies has also mentioned that people have turned to religion solely just to get comfort and hope in
The second challenge that we have faced as the Covid-19 pandemic continues to ravage the economy, is
losing of jobs. The Human Resources Ministry reveals that 99,696 Malaysians have lost their jobs since the
implementation of the movement control order (MCO) in March up till this year. Meanwhile, Saravanan said
the Labor Force Survey conducted by the Statistics Department found that employees in the aviation,
hospitality and tourism sectors are the most affected by Covid-19. He also said that based on the survey, the
highest unemployment in 2020 was recorded in March, where unemployment stood at 5.3% or 826,100
individuals. However, on a positive note, Saravanan said the local labor market has improved tremendously,
and the unemployment continued to drop to 4.7% or 745,100 individuals in July and remained at 741,600
individuals in August.” The Star, (2020). The local entrepreneurs linked themselves to religious and have led
them to a more coherent, focused, and motivated at work. Religious also plays a significant factor in beating the
competition in business and represents more than just an opportunity to earn money.
The third challenge is when many Malaysians be homeless. The pandemic proved to be a “crisis within
a crisis” as many could not get proper food and shelter. In Kuala Lumpur, the Welfare Department and Kuala
Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), among other agencies, rescued about 800 homeless people from the streets during
the movement control order in April, The New straits Times, (2021). During the stay, all the homeless
underwent psychological and counselling sessions with counsellors from Kuala Lumpur Welfare Department
besides some religious training programmed to help them become independent. Some religious institutions also
engage themselves voluntarily in charity and others establish groups of members to help the needy and their
The fourth challenge is committed suicide. The police recorded 468 suicides in the first five months of
2021, compared to 631 in 2020, and 609 in 2019. The three main causes cited were family problems, emotional
pressure and finances. The emotional support help center Befrienders Kuala Lumpur recorded 20,575 calls from
January to June this year, compared to 32,710 for the whole of last year. Number of people with mental health
issues is rising and Malaysia is also grappling with a shortage of psychiatrists. Therefore, many doctors offer
help and advice everyone to call helplines or see mental health professionals for help. They also have asked
everyone to stay connected with people, via video or phone calls. Remember to eat balanced meals, exercise
and have adequate rest and sleep. However, many people also had already sought to use prayer to end the
pandemic by March 2020. They believe that every prayer works effective way to end the pandemic, it was
helpful for the mental health of those who prayed, lowering the rates of distress of Malaysian who used prayer
as a response to it.
The fifth challenge is cash flow. Payments must be made. The suspension of almost all activities
during the MCO meant no works being carried out and thus no payments being made, yet I still continue to
incur my recurring costs, e.g. rental charges, car instalment, and other overheads, etc.
In a conclusion, I would say that religious belief does help every Malaysian to combat with this dreadful
disease in many ways. Therefore, one should practice religious belief to lead a positive lifestyle.
REFERENCES
1) Alagesh T. N. (2020, April 14) Tamil New Year marked nationwide amid MCO. NST Online.
https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2020/04/584129/tamil-new-year-marked-nationwide-amid-mco(last
June 2020).
3) Aziz A. (2020, March 28) MoH calls on 5,084 presents at Sri Petaling tabligh assembly to come forward for