COVID-19

The COVID-19 Pandemic

This page lists my op-eds, media interviews, lectures, panels and joint statements, specific to the Covid-19 pandemic.

OPINIONS & EDITORIALS

The End of the Year of Living Dangerously (The Edge, 28 Dec 2020)
Beating Covid in 2021: Managing time, risk and ambition (Malay Mail, 31 Dec 2020)
Why Malaysia Can’t Reveal the Vaccine Prices (The Star, 29 Dec 2020)
Lessons from Asia for a Multi-Year Pandemic (Asia Society, 23 Dec 2020)
Should Covid-19 Vaccines be Mandatory? (ISIS Malaysia, 23 Dec 2020), with Nurul Ezzaty Hasbullah
How to Increase Vaccine Confidence in Malaysia (Sin Chew et al, 11 Dec 2020), with Nur Izzaty Badrol Hisham
Malaysia’s Vaccine Path (The Edge, 8 Dec 2020), with Prof Datuk Dr Lokman Hakim
Next Steps in Malaysia’s Vaccine Journey (Malaysiakini et al, 4 Dec 2020), with Nur Nabila Nasharuddin
South Korea’s Test-kit Diplomacy (ISIS Malaysia, 16 Nov 2020)
Sabah is Malaysia’s Covid Priority (The Edge, 27 Oct 2020)
Learning from SWIFT to Reopen Borders (Straits Times Singapore, 17 Oct 2020 & The Star Malaysia, 18 Oct 2020)
Three Organising Principles for Malaysia’s Third Covid Wave (The Edge, 13 Oct 2020)
The Plan to Vaccinate Malaysia (The Edge, 3 Oct 2020)
An Asian Pandemic Success Story (Foreign Affairs, 21 Sept 2020)
Non-Citizen Health in Thailand (Council on Foreign Relations Think Global Health, 16 Sept 2020) – with Drs Piya Hanvoravongchai, Rapeepong Suphanchaimat and Titiporn Tuangratananon
How can Southeast Asia Health Systems Collaborate Better (The Edge, 18 Sept 2020). Re-published in SEA Junction on 12 Oct 2020.
What does Merdeka mean for Malaysia’s Health? (The Edge, 2 Sept 2020)
We need private sector-led public health responses (The Edge, 15 Aug 2020)
The Politics of a Coronavirus Vaccine (The Edge, 28 July 2020)
How to Pilot an ASEAN Travel Bubble (Straits Times Singapore, 16 July 2020)
Smart Travel Bubbles in Southeast Asia (The Edge, 15 July 2020)
Covid Travel Bubbles must be Rooted in Science (South China Morning Post, 7 July 2020)
Malaysia & Global Health Security (The Edge, 4 July 2020)
Southeast Asia needs its own CDC (Council on Foreign Relations Think Global Health, 2 July 2020) – with Drs Jeremy Lim, Hsu Li Yang and Jemilah Mahmood
Re-evaluating SEA Public Health Policies to Prepare for Second Covid Wave (Penang Institute, 26 June 2020) – with Dr Choong Pui Yee
Health Reforms during Pandemics (The Star, 15 May 2020) – with Nazihah Noor
Predictable Ultra-Long-Term Strategy Needed (Malaysiakini et al, 14 May 2020)
How to Make Predictable Long-Term Covid Decisions (South China Morning Post, 11 May 2020)
Malaysia needs a Pandemic Production Act (AEI et al, 15 Apr 2020) – with Distinguished Professor Dato’ Dr Rajah Rasiah
Ramadan and MCO can Co-exist (The Star et al, 11 Apr 2020) – with Islamic scholars, doctors, public health physicians
Uniting for Better Health after Covid (The Star, 8 April 2020) – final Vital Signs column
Balancing Regulatory Safety & Speed (The Star, 7 April 2020) – with Dato’ Madani Sahari and Ken Chiew Leong (engineers)
Avoiding Domestic Abuse during Covid (Malay Mail, 7 April 2020) – with Lean Ong (crisis counsellor)
Outbreak Procurement (The Star, 5 Apr 2020) – with Fara Sheyna Zaid Lam
Surge Hospital Construction (Malaysiakini, 5 Apr 2020) – with Eunice Lim
Alternative Face Masks from Textiles Industry (Malaysiakini, 3 April 2020) – with A/Prof Dr Mohamed Faizul Yahya (textiles technologies scientist)
Unintended Consequences of Decisions (The Star, 1 April 2020)
Three Priorities: Procure, Test & Public Health in NSC (The Star, 1 April 2020)
The Rights and Duties of Doctors during Pandemics (Berita MMA, 29 March 2020)
Non-Medical Experts to Fight Covid (The Star, 25 Mar 2020)
How to Use PPE for General Practitioners (Malaysian Family Physician, 18 Mar 2020) (Academic Paper)
Social Distancing, Together (The Star, 18 Mar 2020)
Covid is a National Security Issue (Malaysiakini, 15 Mar 2020) – with Ivy Kwek
Here are Your Priorities, Health Minister (The Star, 11 Mar 2020)
Travel Bans Don’t Work (South China Morning Post, 10 Mar 2020)
Why is Southeast Asia Responding Differently to Covid-19? (Council on Foreign Relations, 28 Feb 2020)
Politicians are the new threat to public health (The Star, 26 Feb 2020)
How will Malaysia fight Covid-19 without a Health Minister? (South China Morning Post, 26 Feb 2020)
We Must Understand and Harness Fear (The Edge Weekly, 18 Feb 2020)
All-of-Science Response (South China Morning Post, 17 Feb 2020)
The Coronavirus that can change China (Straits Times Singapore, 15 Feb 2020)
The Coronavirus Fight is a Marathon, not a Sprint (The Star, 12 Feb 2020)
Science & Solidarity to Fight Coronavirus (South China Morning Post, 8 Feb 2020)
Science & Unity will Save Malaysia (The Star, 29 Jan 2020)
The Politics of Coronavirus (Council on Foreign Relations, 24 Jan 2020)

LECTURES & PANELS

The Science, Politics and Geopolitics of the Covid Vaccine (RSIS NTU, 15 Dec 2020)
Contract Doctors in Malaysia (Malaysian Medics International, 5 Dec 2020)
Plastics Pollution & Public Health (Bar Council & C4, 26 Nov 2020)
Applying Health Systems Principles & Economic Analyses towards a Pandemic-Resilient Lab Service (Malaysian Association of Clinical Biochemists, 26 Nov 2020)
Sustainable Cost Control in SEA Private Healthcare (Malaysian Healthcare Tourism Council, 25 Nov 2020)
Health Policymaking and Diabetes (Sweet Spot Hackathon with Sanofi, Undi18 and Arus Academy, 22 Nov 2020)
Boosting the Economy and Managing Public Health (MIDF, 11 Nov 2020)
Budget 2021: Where is Healthcare Headed? (National Oversight and Whistleblowers, 11 Nov 2020)
Budget 2021: Borak MUDA Kesihatan (Parti Muda, 12 Nov 2020)
Reforming Global Health Governance (Council on Foreign Relations Council of Councils, 10 Nov 2020)
The Political & Commercial Determinants of Non-Citizen Health (panellist, Malaysian Bioethics Community webinar series, 3 Oct 2020)
Balancing Lives & Livelihoods: The H2 Covid Update (panellist, UBS OneASEAN Conference, 21 Sept 2020)
Private Sector Leadership in SEA Covid Responses (British Chamber of Commerce, Cambodia, 8 Sept 2020)
The Anatomy of Health Advocacy in Malaysia (Scientific Meeting of Academy of Medicine Malaysia, 23 Aug 2020)
Youth Mental Health (Workshop for Malaysian Public Policy Competition, 15 Aug 2020)
Malaysian Medical Summit: Panel on Contract Doctors (MMI, 9 Aug 2020)
The Impact of Covid-19 on Health & Health Equity in ASEAN (SingHealth-Duke Global Health Institute, 1 July 2020)
Malaysia & the Politics of Global Health during Covid-19 (ISIS, 11 June 2020)
Covid-19 and Southeast Asia’s Haze (CERAH Anti-Haze Group, 7 June 2020)
Fighting Extremism during Disaster Planning (Southeast Asia Women Peacebuilders Network, 15 May 2020)
COVID-19 vs MALAYSIA: The New Normal & The Path to Recovery (Malaysian Health Diplomacy Foundation, 8 May 2020)
Constructing our Post-Covid Future (REFSA, 6 May 2020)
Beating Covid with the Whole of Malaysia (Malaysia-China Chamber of Commerce, 26 April 2020)
Assessing the Impact of Coronavirus in China & Beyond (University of Oxford, 4 Mar 2020)
The Science, Politics and Geopolitics of COVID-2019 (ISIS Malaysia, 17 Feb 2020)

BROADCAST INTERVIEWS

Malaysia’s Vaccine Roll-out (Astro Awani Consider This, 8 Jan 2021)
Is an MCO necessary? (BFM, 8 Jan 2021)
Is an MCO necessary? (Astro Awani, in Malay, 7 Jan 2021)
Perkukuhkan Sistem Kesihatan (Astro Awani, 27 Dec 2020)
Vaccines in Malaysia (in Mandarin, RTM2, What Say You, 27 Dec 2020)
Laporan Penilaian Berkala untuk Kelulusan Vaksin (Astro Awani, 21 Dec 2020)
Apakah tahap keberkesanan vaksin? (Astro Awani, 10 Dec 2020)
Vaksin untuk Covid di Malaysia (Astro Awani, 7 Dec 2020)
Malaysia’s Covid Situation (Channel News Asia podcast, 12 Nov 2020)
Budget 2021 Wishlist (Astro Awani, 2 Nov 2020)
4% KDNK untuk Kesihatan (Astro Awani, 2 Nov 2020)
PKPB untuk Sabah dan Lembah Klang (Astro Awani, 13 Oct 2020)
Do Border Controls Work? (BFM, 28 Jan 2020)
A War between Species (Perlawanan Antara Spesies) (Astro Awani, Malay language, 28 Jan 2020)
Who calls the shots in outbreaks? (Astro Awani, 29 Jan 2020)
The Politics and Geopolitics of COVID-2019 (Astro Awani, 17 Feb 2020)
Social Distancing (Astro Awani, 14 Mar 2020)
Movement Restrictions in Malaysia (Astro Awani, 17 Mar 2020)
“Movement Restrictions are Drastic, but Reasonable” (The Star Video, 17 Mar 2020)
“Two deaths in Malaysia” (BFM, 17 Mar 2020)
“An Extended MCO” (BFM, 27 Mar 2020)
“Public Health in Malaysia” (Sin Chew, 29 Mar 2020, in Mandarin)
“Crisis Procurement” (Astro Awani, 30 Mar 2020)
“Covid and Digitalization” (MARii Mobility World podcast, 1 Apr 2020)
“The WHO Solidarity Trials” (Astro Awani, 6 April 2020)
“Pandemic Production Act” (BFM, 21 Apr 2020)
“Ways to Celebrate Eid in the New Normal” (Astro Awani, 20 May 2020)
“ASEAN’s response to Covid-19” (BFM, 3 June 2020)
“Vaccines are Global Public Goods” (Astro Awani, 8 June 2020, in Malay)
“Migrant Housing must be Improved (Channel News Asia, 8 June 2020, Singapore)
“Vaccines are a Human Right” (BFM, 2 July 2020)
Pandemic Healthcare #1: Essential Workers (BFM, 13 Jul 2020)
“The New Normal in Malaysia” (Astro Awani, 20 July 2020)
Pandemic Healthcare #2: Funding the System (BFM, 27 Jul 2020)
“The Geopolitics of Public Health” (Astro Awani, 25 July 2020, in Malay)
“The Malaysia-Singapore Travel Bubble” (Astro Awani, 26 July 2020, in Malay)
Pandemic Healthcare #3: Hospitals and Clinics (BFM, 10 Aug 2020)
TEMCO, EMCO and RMCO (Astro Awani, 11 Aug 2020, in Malay)
Migrant Health and Detention Centres during Covid (Astro Awani, 9 Sept 2020)
Pandemic Healthcare #4: ASEAN CDC (BFM, 28 Sept 2020)

QUOTED IN MEDIA

Is an MCO necessary? (Astro Hotspot, in Mandarin, 9 Jan 2021)
NDAs for Vaccines (Malaysiakini, 29 Dec 2020)
Rise in cases in Klang Valley (Sin Chew, 28 Dec 2020)
Vaccines will not end the pandemic magically (The Star, 22 Dec 2020)
Vaccines for Southeast Asia (Voice of America, 18 Dec 2020)
“Health cuts in Budget 2021 are due to change in accounting treatment” (The Star, 9 Nov 2020)
“Sabah’s healthcare is under-invested” (Al Jazeera, 6 Nov 2020)
“Decades-long under-investment in Sabah” (The Edge, 4 Nov 2020)
“Don’t spread rumours” (The Star, 29 Jan 2020)
A War Between Species (Bloomberg, 31 Jan 2020)
“Fear is natural, but trust is essential” (Tuoi Tre Vietnam, 8 Feb 2020)
“Travel bans lead to false sense of security” (NST 17 Feb 2020; TMI (in Mandarin) 17 Feb 2020)
“Watch for fatigue in health professionals” (NST 17 Feb 2020; MSN News 18 Feb 2020)
“Transparent information” (Bernama, 17 Feb 2020)
“Entire education systems must be revamped to train the population how to search for, verify and use information” (China Daily, 18 Feb 2020)
Fact-checking maps and disinformation (First Draft, 27 Feb 2020)
ASEAN responses (China Daily, 3 March 2020)
Social Distancing (Astro Awani, 14 Mar 2020)
“Biggest test of legitimacy” (Asia Times, 16 Mar 2020)
“Need to act now” (South China Morning Post, 16 Mar 2020)
“Movement restrictions are necessary” (South China Morning Post, 16 Mar 2020)
“Complacency is broken” (LA Times, 18 Mar 2020)
“Watch for unintended consequences” (New Straits Times, 20 Mar 2020)
“Social distancing works, but carries cost” (Al Jazeera, 20 Mar 2020)
“Covid is worse than SARS, so MCOs are necessary” (South China Morning Post, 21 Mar 2020)
“Malaysia’s Political Transition and Covid” (Foreign Policy, 26 Mar 2020)
“Third Wave” (South China Morning Post, 27 Mar 2020)
“Doctors are at higher risk” (Anadolu News Agency, 3 April 2020)
“Health and Political Transitions” (Taiwan Reporter, 8 April 2020) – in Mandarin
“Health Reforms must Survive Political Transitions (The Sun et al, 6 May 2020)
“We must have global access to vaccines” (South China Morning Post, 25 May 2020)
“Risk of Covid during Eid” (China Daily, 28 May 2020)
“Careers in Public Health” (Sin Chew Daily, 1 July 2020) – in Mandarin
“Vaccines are Global Public Goods” (The Edge, 18 June 2020)
“RM10,000 fine is too burdening” (NST, 27 Aug 2020)
“Kesihatan umum yang optima semasa PRU Sabah” (Astro Awani, 26 Sept 2020)
“PKPD Bersasar adalah lebih wajar” (Astro Awani, 4 Oct 2020)
“Pelaksanaan PKPD” (Astro Awani, 10 Oct 2020)
“Pematuhan terhadap SOP” (Astro Awani, 13 Oct 2020)