From 18th March\n2020 until today, we have gone through a whole new way of life. The COVID-19\npandemic has transformed the landscape of the world across geographical\nfactors. COVID-19 was reported to be aggressively attacking 210 countries across\nthe globe. As of Wednesday, 26th May, COVID-19 figures in Malaysia was 7,604\nfor the total number of confirmed cases, total discharged was 6,041 while total\ndeath was 115.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Indeed, the afore-mentioned\ndata may increase or decrease depending on the adherence of the Movement\nControl Order (MOC) and other factors such as maintaining personal hygiene,\nsocial distancing etc. The MCO also includes border control and social control.\nInitially, the MCO was meant to flatten the proverbial curve so that the public\nhealthcare response is manageable. We need to understand that the objective of\nMCO is to cut the chain of infections. Statistically, the MCO has shown that\nthe number of infections is decreasing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Indeed, the MCO\nis the best way not only to combat the COVID-19 virus but also to preserve the\nenvironment from the Islamic perspective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The MCO has\ngiven a new breath to the environment. Its implementation due to the COVID-19\nhas also breathed new life into the environment. The MCO had indirectly led to\na positive effect on the rate of air pollution, water pollution and greenhouse\ngas emission to the global climate change due to human activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The average\nreading of air pollution index (API) now was less than 60, while the reading in\nKuantan (Pahang), Tanjung Malim (Perak), Paka (Terenganu), Alor Setar (Kedah),\nKangar (Perlis) and several areas in Sarawak were below 50 which is good. [Bernama, April 19, 2020]<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An Environmental\nEconomist, Marshall Burke, from Stanford University said the COVID-19 outbreak\nhas led to a significant reduction in air pollution. The air pollution has\nsaved many lives and Burke estimates that nearly 4,000 children under five years\nold and 73,000 adults over 70 years in China have been saved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The MCO also has\nhad a positive effect on river pollution that was previously uncontrollable.\nFor example, the Kim Kim River in Pasir Gudang, infamous for its toxic waste\nremoval from factories, is now recovering and clear. The Klang River whose\ntotal waste discharged by the river is reduced by 43 per cent. The water\nquality index reading in Sungai Klang reached 90 per cent during the MCO period. This clearly\nshows that the MCO can control human activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Human activities\nrelated to the environment is mentioned in the Quran is translated as \u201cCorruption\nhas appeared throughout the land and sea by [reason of] what the hands of\npeople have earned so He may let them taste part of [the consequence of] what\nthey have done that perhaps they will return [to righteousness].\u201d [Al-Ruum: 41].<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Based on\nscholar\u2019s observation, there is no specific verse that pertains directly to\nactions related to the preservation of the environment. However, there are 13\nQuranic verses which have been identified and could be understood on the\nenvironment. The 13 verses are as follows: \u201cDo not damage the earth\u201d [Al-Baqarah<\/em>: 11], \u201cDo not roam the earth\nspreading mischief\u201d [Al-Baqarah<\/em>: 60],\n\u201cAllah dislikes destruction\u201d [al-Baqarah<\/em>:\n205], \u201cAllah dislikes people who cause destruction\u201d [Al-Maidah<\/em>: 64], \u201cDon\u2019t you cause destruction on earth\u201d [Al-A\u2019raf<\/em>: 56], \u201cDo not act destructively\non earth, causing mischief\u201d [Al-A\u2019raf<\/em>:\n74], \u201cDo not cause destruction on earth\u201d [Al-A\u2019raf<\/em>:\n85], \u201cDo not follow the way of the corrupters\u201d [Al-A\u2019raf<\/em>: 142], \u201cDo not commit abuse on earth, spreading\ndevastation\u201d [Hud<\/em>: 85], \u201cDo not\ncommit abuse on earth, spreading disruption\u201d [Al-Shu\u2019ara\u2019<\/em>: 183], \u201cDo not do mischief on the earth\u201d [Al-Qasas<\/em>: 77], \u201cAllah does not like\npeople who cause destruction\u201d [Al-Qasas<\/em>:\n77], and \u201cDo not cause destruction on earth.\u201d [Al-Ankabut<\/em>: 36].<\/p>\n\n\n\n During the MCO, we\nare not supposed to leave our homes unless necessary, and only those who work\nin essential services are allowed to go to their working workplaces. Work from home (WFH) has become the norm for\nthose whose work is not listed in the essential services list. Many companies\nhere in Malaysia and across the globe are now allowing employees to work from\nhome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Different\ncountries have different approaches to homeworking. Prior to COVID-19, 25 per\ncent of Germans worked from home. The German Labour minister, Hubertus Heil,\ncommented on how successful working from home has been across Germany,\n\u201cEveryone who wants to and whose job allows it should be able to work in home\noffice, even when the corona pandemics is over.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n In the United\nKingdom, for example, working from home can save \u00a33 billion a year\nand cut carbon. Increasing the number of UK employees working from home can cut\ncosts by \u00a33 billion a year for UK employers\nand employee and save 3 million tonnes of carbon a year. Homeworking reduces\nemployees from commuting, resulting in carbon, money and time saving and\nsignificantly reduces office energy consumption and rental costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Advancements in technologies such as broadband internet, smart phones\nand cloud computing mean that many jobs can now be done effectively outside of\ntraditional workplaces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lastly, the MCO can preserve the environment direct\nor indirectly so that the balance of this universe can be maintained.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" From 18th March 2020 until today, we have gone through a whole new way of life. The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed the landscape of the world across geographical factors. COVID-19 was reported to be aggressively attacking 210 countries across the globe. As of Wednesday, 26th May, COVID-19 figures in Malaysia was 7,604 for the total…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_analytify_skip_tracking":false,"_wpzoom_pinterest_image_url":"","_wpzoom_pinterest_hidden_image":"0","_wpzoom_pinterest_description":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[139],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27431","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-new-straits-times","category-139","description-off"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ikim.gov.my\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27431","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ikim.gov.my\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ikim.gov.my\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ikim.gov.my\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ikim.gov.my\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27431"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.ikim.gov.my\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27431\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ikim.gov.my\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27431"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ikim.gov.my\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27431"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ikim.gov.my\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27431"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}