MPU 3313/03 Comparative Religion

Assignment 1

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Full name and IC No: Nanthakumar a/l Jayabalan 800530081234 Date : 16/10/2021

Assignment (Asgmt) Declaration Form

Jan / May / Sept 202__ SEPT 2021
Student’s Name Nanthakumar a/l Jayabalan
Student’s ID No: 031210146
Course Code MPU 3313/03
Course Title Comparative Religious
Class Code 3CRG1
Assignment No: Assignment 1
No. of pages of this Assignment 5
(including this page)
Tutor’s Name Mr Anthoney Khannan
Course Lead’s Name Ms. Jasmine Emanuel

T-DF Assignment Declaration Form (3/2021 / version #004)

 MALAYSIAN CHALLENGES AND THEIR
RELIGIOUS BELIEF DURING PANDEMIC

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

times of predicament and vagueness.

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

main objective is to divert their mind.

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

accessed 16 April 2020).

2) Astro Awani. (2020, April 8) COVID-19 sub-cluster detected in Rembau.

http://english.astroawani.com/malaysia-news/covid-19-sub-cluster-detected-rembau-237401 (last accessed 4

June 2020).

3) Aziz A. (2020, March 28) MoH calls on 5,084 presents at Sri Petaling tabligh assembly to come forward for

test. The Edge Markets. http://www.theedgemarkets.com/article/moh-calls-5084-tabligh-participants-come-

forward-covid19-testing (last accessed 4 June 2020).