By Michael Tay, Johor MCA Government Coordinating Affairs chairman.

China was battered by tariffs and tech restrictions under the administration of former US president Donald Trump. Its President Xi Jinping was quoted as saying no country should “be allowed to do whatever it likes and be the hegemon, bully or boss of the world.”

Now that Trump is moving out of the White House, hopefully President-elect Joe Biden will not treat the Dragon in the same manner.  But can Biden salvage the damage brought about by his predecessor?

China’s foreign exchange reserves registered at US$3.15 trillion, making it the highest foreign exchange reserves of any other nation.  Who does not want to be friends with China?  US may even need China’s help to revive it’s economy pummeled by job loss, racial tension and the coronavirus.

As I had studied and worked in the US before, it pains me to hear and read about the emotional distress faced by the US citizens who seem to have lost hope.

The US should emulate Malaysia’s model in curbing the spread of Covid-19 which includes prohibiting inter-state travelling. Over here one can only travel if they have permission from the police during the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO).

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo handles the pandemic brilliantly but if inter-state travelling is not imposed, someone from another state may just enter the state and infect someone in New York. The US should also strictly adhere to the standard operating procedure (SOP) at all times.

The Governors of each of the 50 states should hold a forum with representatives of all the local hospitals and come up with a standardised SOP. They should also follow the mandate of Biden who issued a call for everyone to wear masks and practise sanitisation.

I would like to suggest that any state with a high death rate from the coronavirus, the governor should take responsibility and resign or assign the duty of managing the pandemic in that state to a health official.

I’m giving the US this advice because like I said before, I do not wish to see the citizens there dropping like flies.

I’ve been the chairman of a public hospital in Johor for the past 15 years. I mingle with doctors and top health officials regularly, and I must say Malaysia’s SOP is one of the best.

My earlier post Take Covid-19 Seriously bears testimony to the fact that I care about the US people. At the same time, being a Chinese, Trump’s attacks on China has hurt the feelings of many Asians, myself included. The US needs to change their direction and look East if they want to see a rapid economic recovery.

Since I mentioned Andrew Cuomo, let me take this opportunity to congratulate the Governor for winning a founder’s award “in recognition of his leadership during the pandemic” from the International Emmy Awards.

I must admit that I idolised his father Mario Cuomo, a former New York Governor and also his brother Chris Cuomo, a TV journalist.

In my earlier post Curb Cyber Attacks!, I  also talked about the discord brewing among the races but we were able to prevent the situation from escalating as we had set up a watchdog to contain the spread.

I would suggest that the US set up an Anti-Racism Watchdog committee under a judicial branch of the US government.  This committee should comprise of Latinos, Blacks, Asians and Anglo-Saxons.  The committee should also include Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan are so talented and gifted. They will be able to make immense contributions to the US constitution which is in disarray now.

Cases of police brutality, hate comments and derogatory remarks appearing in social media platforms should be taken down immediately. The watchdog should be empowered to have any law officer accused of any wrongdoing against an ethnic minority —-after a tribunal hearing had found him guilty of the crime —- to have the officer removed from his job. This will ensure that justice is served and the much needed harmony in the US will be restored.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in Your Say are those of the contributor, not the blog owner.

By Michael Tay, Johor MCA Government Coordinating Affairs chairman.

A strong  alliance between China and Japan could be just what the world needs right now  to withstand the recession, and revive the global economy.

If the world’s second biggest economy (China) and the third biggest economy (Japan) could form something like the Axis alliance, it would be ideal.

What is the Axis alliance? The alliance comprise of Germany, Italy and Japan which recognised German domination over most of continental Europe, Italian domination over the Mediterranean Sea and the Japanese domination over East Asia and the Pacific.

If there can be bilateral free trade without any tariffs and technology transfers between China and Japan, coupled with the support and cooperation of Germany and France — the two leaders of the EU, and neighbouring Southeast Asian countries, this union will be a force to reckon with.  It will be an alliance that the United States cannot divide.

I would also like for China to be given a chance to be a member of the advisory board of NATO, The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, aka the North Atlantic Alliance.  China can offer stimulus packages that will strengthen the ailing economy and make the world a better place.

Regarding concerns about China’s technological advancement, I would think any allegations that came up was born of ignorance or politically and racially-motivated, namely, the claims by US that China’s communications supplier Huawei Technologies is a national security risk and a threat to transatlantic intelligence sharing.

China should send an elite IT experts to give an indepth explanation about 5G.  To put it briefly, 5G offers a faster transmission speed and enhances connectivity.

Malaysia actually has one of the best intelligence in Southeast Asia.  Anyone remember the horrific jams at the Johor-Singapore Causeway and massive manhunt in the republic when a militant named Mas Selamat Kastari gave Singapore authorities the slip in Feb 2008.

In April 2009, we caught the fugitive in Johor and handed him over to Singapore. So, this proves my point that Malaysia has one of the best intel in the region.

Our government will continue to bank  on digital transformation for long-term sustainability and profitability, and is upgrading its technology.

Our Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had said that technology mastery is the only way for Malaysia to become a high-income nation and history has proven that military, economic might and world superpowers are dependent on the mastery of technology.

By Michael Tay, Johor MCA Government Coordinating Affairs chairman.

With the decoupling of US and China, I believe there’s a strong possibility of investors turning to China.

Taking that into consideration, it would be beneficial for non-Chinese students to learn and master the Chinese language.

As of the fear that the US may be threatened by China, I would like for China to declare all its military assets and nuclear capability as well state its military ambition to the world.

It also could do well too to declare its actual military alliance with Russia.

Does China have any naval bases or army bases set up in any part of the world?  China is more interested in trade more than anything else.

China clearly has the capability to land a robotic spacecraft on the moon but it has never uttered or conveyed any nuclear threat to another nation.

A country considered to be a rouge nation like North Korea should actually be a bigger threat to US than China as it has the unpredictability of utilising its nuclear missiles.

I wish to urge China to cooperate more with the UN, if they were approached by the latter, to volunteer in the world body’s programmes. 

China should also not threaten Japan or any other country, if they want to enhance bilateral ties. A superpower also needs allies and friends.

I don’t think it’s right for the US to impose sanctions on Chinese companies as it’s simply bad diplomacy. They should not be burning bridges instead of building them.

If the US is saying that Chinese companies like Huawei, for instance, has links with the Chinese military, then they should show proof of such allegations.  And to say that hundreds of Chinese companies have military links … please prove these allegations to be  true.  If not,  please let these Chinese companies remain in the US stock exchange.

China is the emerging superpower whether you like them or not. That’s why I’m urging fellow Malaysians — the local Chinese and non-Chinese — to learn the Chinese language.  It will be very useful someday.

Lastly, I also  believe that  China could surpass US in term of relations, and they should practise technology transfer with Europe due to its much larger population. Europe should also collaborate with China as its population is much bigger than that of the US.

By Michael Tay, Johor MCA Government Coordinating Affairs chairman.

I’m saddened by the fact that US President Mr Donald Trump, the leader of a great nation has been infected with the coronavirus.  The number of new cases in the US showed that the containment of the Covid-19 needs to be stepped up, or the situation is only going to get more serious.

I had studied and worked in the US for a period of time, so I care about this country even though I am not a US citizen.

From what I’ve read and heard, the fear factor is sadly lacking among some of the residents.  Mr Trump himself declared that “Covid is not something to be afraid of.” Social distancing is not practiced and there is a lack of respect for authority.  If the US does not come up with a better model or infrastructure, the situation is only going to get worse.

Things are not going to be like what it used to be.  Get use to it.  At least for now until a cure is found, I would advise people to stay at home unless you really need to go out.  And if you do go out, please wear a mask.

It is a big mistake if people insist on believing that Covid-19 is a hoax, that sanitisation isn’t necessary and social distancing is stupid. Do not rebel against an indiscriminating virus in the name of democracy. 

Looking at Worldometer, US with a population of 331.5 mil has 7.6 mil cases to date with more than 210,000 deaths while China with a population of 1.4 bil has 85,000 cases and less than 5,000 deaths. 

I received a call from my sister in Taipei recently and she was telling me how impressed she was with the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic in Taiwan.  She told me the residents there were fearful and they strictly observed all the SOPs.

A friend in South Korea told me the same thing.  The country’s new coronavirus cases dropped from 3 to 2 digits as the people were fearful of the virus and were very disciplined in their daily lives.

Once you have the coronavirus, you’re on your own.  Your friends and family can’t be with you at the hospital.  Do you really want to die alone, without any loved ones by your side?

Everyone’s affected by Covid-19 in one way or another.  There’s no more big scale celebrations or international vacations.  There are lesser shoppers and diners.  Some people are going bonkers and getting edgier due to financial constraints and emotional challenges.

This is a time where we need to help one another, especially towards those who have lost their jobs or are unable to put 3 meals on the table for their family due to pay cuts.  In Indonesia, the residents share food with friends and neighbours.  This is admirable.

On the subject of a General Election in Malaysia, unless the EC can come up with a mail voting system, a GE15 is not likely to take place anytime this year.  Just look at the effect of the Sabah election that was held on Sept 26.

People are not coming out to vote during an outbreak.  We do not want to be like the Philippines which recorded 3,190 new coronavirus cases on Oct 4.

My heart goes out to everyone regardless of race and religion, and in whichever part of the world you are right now.  Most economies can’t afford another lockdown.  Please don’t be in denial, and keep believing that the coronavirus is a hoax.  Covid-19 is claiming lives indiscriminately.  It can infect anyone, even a world leader.