PUBLIC PARTICIPATIONS: DEPRESSION AWARENESS AMONG WORKERS DUE TO PANDEMIC COVID-19 ISSUES

By: Muhammad Firdaus b Jasmi (Group Leader), Mohd Siraj Munir b Zainal Annuar, Ameen Ikhram b Mohammad Supian, Muhammad Rizqi Ardani b Asri, Mohd Hafizullah b Hassim, Tengku Luqman Ikram b Tengku Khairul Ismail, Nor Arenna bt Rosli and Nurul Azliqa bt Talib

 

1.0       INTRODUCTION

 

Public involvement may be any mechanism that actively includes the public in decision-making and gives due consideration to the public 's feedback in making the decision. Public participation is a process, not an event. It consists of a series of events and acts that the funding organization has conducted over the entire life of the initiative, both to educate the public and to gain input from them. Public involvement gives stakeholders (individuals who have an ownership stake in the company in a problem, such as persons, interst community, community members) the able to persuade decisions that impact their lives.

 

Agencies should not even be concerned that seeking community feedback means having to do "what the public wants." Actually, the public is comprised of a number of stakeholders with a variety of views and opinions on a matter. Generally speaking, there is no public at all. When carrying out meaningful public participation, an organisation must gather feedback from a broad range of different stakeholders The funding agency 's role then is to reconcile these issues and views, and refer critically the decision such that the public knows how their varied interests have been taken into account.

 

Not every public involvement is the same. Carrying out active public engagement means obtaining public feedback at specific points in the decision-making process and on specific issues where such feedback has real potential to help influence the decision or action. It's rarely appropriate or useful to ask the public simply "what do you want? ”. Such wide-ranging concerns would only increase expectations and potentially attract feedback into areas where no real impact is possible. Often the probability of influencing is very low, while at other times the public can be quite powerful. The sum of that possible impact is a crucial factor in creating a effective plan for public involvement.

The subject to still be discussed in this case is 'Public Participations: Depression Awareness Among Workers Because of PandemicCOVID-19 Issues'. In January 2020 the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak of a new coronavirus disease,COVID-19, to be an international public health crisis. WHO reported that COVID-19 is highly likely to spread to other countries around the world. WHO made an analysis in March 2020 that COVID-19 can be described as a pandemic. WHO and public health agencies worldwide are working to control the outbreak of COVID-19. This time of crisis, however, is creating tension around the entire population. The concepts outlined in this document were established by the Department of Mental Health and Drug Use of the WHO as a set of messages that could be used in communication and during epidemic to promote psychological or mental well-being in different target groups.  Other than that, COVID-19, in so many geographical locations, has been and is likely to occur in people from many nations. Do not tie the disease to any specific ethnicity or nationality when referring to people with COVID-19. Be empathetic towards all those affected, in and out of any region. People are affected by COVID-19 have done nothing wrong and deserve our help, sympathy and kindness.

 

Photo: Graf Distribution of COVID-19 Cases According To Date Of Confirmation.

(source: COVID-19.moh.gov.my, 2020)

 

The cognitive elements of depression are known to most of us: grief, irritability , fatigue and exhaustion. Such fundamental interactions take over and turn the body under some circumstances, preserving energy and disrupting sleep, appetite and focus. Depression lays waste to our ability to effectively overcome issues, set goals and work.

The public at large acknowledges depression as a disorder of the brain. Our genes do affect how quickly we will slip into clinical depression, and for most of us mental illness is also greatly affected by environmental stress. The particular environmental stressors of the COVID-19 crisis indicate that depression will grow to an exceptionally large part of the population. The suffering is likely to be inequitably distributed.

Exacerbating the pervasive tension of this crisis, many of us experience major personal losses and reactions to grief, which are strong predictors of depressions. A further danger layer is introduced by the continuing and sheer unpredictability of these stress factors.

Numbers of deaths are expected to rise as this crisis unfolds. Some, particularly those on the front lines, would be exacerbated by acute experiences of grief, trauma and fatigue and put them at an even greater risk. People who feel under pressure is a likely experience for both you and many friends of yours. In the current predicament it is quite understandable to feel this way. Stress and the related feelings are by no means a reflection that you can't do your job or that you're weak. Managing your mental and behavioral health wellness is as critical as managing your physical health during this period.

 

2.0       AIM / OBJECTIVE / SCOPE

 

Aim:

To analyse the depressions awareness among workers due to pandemic COVID-19 Disease at Sri Petaling.

Objective:

1.   To study the background of workers at Sri Petaling that involves in pandemic COVID-19 disease.

2.   To analyses the steps of community engagement of pandemic COVID-19 disease on workers at Sri Petaling.

3.   To identify the method and techniques of community engagement at Sri Petaling.

4.   To identify the benefits and significance of community engagement of pandemic COVID-19 disease on workers.

Scope:

This study is to achieve the aim and objectives on workers that directly or indirectly affected by pandemic COVID-19 disease at Sri Petaling.

 

 

3.0 BACKGROUND OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

 

According to Zizan (2020) Sri Petaling is a suburb located in the southern part of Kuala Lumpur. Part of the federal territory Seputeh, this city near Bukit Jalil, Kuchai Lama, and Fun Park. Previously, the municipal area of 250 hectares has a reputation 'stench' as a garbage dump, but when the Bukit Jalil next selected as the venue for the 1998 Commonwealth Games, the dump is filled and turned into a playground and parking for sports events. Coupled with the opening of the Sri Petaling LRT Station and is strategically located at the crossroads of three major roads in the Shah Alam Expressway, Maju Expressway, and Kuala Lumpur-Seremban Expressway, the city is rapidly grown into one of the most sustainable neighborhoods in the capital. The history of how Sri Petaling formed and his journey to becoming one of the top addresses in Kuala Lumpur.

Before municipal Sri Petaling launched, the area occupied by the rubber plantations. The government then launched a municipal plan in 1977, but its construction began in 1981. In the early 1980s, not many people want to stay in the area as far as Kuala Lumpur and touring. There is also limited access roads that enter the city. In the late 1980s, more families decided to settle in Sri Petaling built as the entrance to the two areas near the park happy and Salak South, also known as the Salak Selatan. After opening the two entrances, the city developed further and the population grew significantly.

Accoding to Ambrose (2020) the first COVID-19 death in Malaysia on March 17 was linked to the international tabligh gathering of 16,000 “Tabligh Congregation” activists. The Tabligh congregation is native to India and is the largest Muslim missionary group in the world, with followers in more than 80 countries and from all socio-economic backgrounds. The three-day rally was held at the Sri Petaling Jamek Mosque in Kuala Lumpur at the end of February. For almost a month after that, almost half of the cases in the country were traced back to this event, which contributed to five generations of infection and four subclusters. And they are the ones detected and tested - there are likely to be many more. Assembly facilitates not only dissemination in Malaysia but also elsewhere. Of those who attended the tabligh gathering, 1500 came from other countries, including Cambodia, Thailand, the Philippines, India, Australia, and Canada, causing an international overflow. Some Malaysian participants continued their journey to Sulawesi and New Delhi to attend other similar gatherings, continuing the next spread elsewhere.

According to Berita Harian Online (2020) a preliminary investigation by the Ministry of Health, most of the new findings are related to the tabligh assembly cluster at the Petaling Mosque held from February 27 to March 1. Total of 190 new cases of COVID-19 coronavirus infections were reported, mostly related to tabligh infection at the Sri Petaling Mosque, bringing the total number of positive outbreaks to 428 cases.

 

4.0       STEPS OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

 

According to the Center for Economic and Community Development, there are seven (7) Engagement Plan Steps which are:

1.    Frame the Issues and Problems

 

The first step in developing a plan for community participation is to recognize the issue or challenges, to define the group’s choices, solutions and outcomes. COVID-19 causes disease ranging from common cold to more severe diseases such as Respiratory Syndrome of the Middle East (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). A novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain not previously discovered in humans. The 2020 Movement Control Order, commonly known as the MCO, is a cordon sanitaire introduced by Malaysia's federal government as a preventive measure in reaction to the country's COVID-19 pandemic of 18 March 2020. The directive was commonly referred to as a "lockout" or "absolute lockdown" in local and international media. As the MCO has been implemented, a lot of workers which involved directly or indirectly in Pandemic COVID-19 Issues faced depressions. Some of the workers has lost their jobs and some of them have to work overtime especially for front-liners.

 

2.    Identify the Engagement Goals

 

a)   To Inform

To inform which is what are the engagement for. For example, to inform the community that the engagement is to educate community about the COVID-19 outbreak.

 

b)   To Consult

For example, to consult the community about the dangerous of COVID-19 disease

 

c)   To Involve

The involvement of the community to educate about the COVID-19 outbreak is important

 

d)   To Collaborate

The collaboration between the organizations to conduct the community engagement is important

 

e)   To Empower

For example, the community engagement is to empower

 

3.    Develop the Engagement Project Team

 

It is a smart move at this point to build a project team or advisory company to help organize the engagement cycle and execute it. The roles of the department may include:

 

a)   The Selection of the Tools and the Designing of Process for Citizen Participation

b)   Identify and Recruit of the Participants

c)   Publicizing the effort

d)   Develop the Background Information

e)   Report the outcomes of the Process

f)     Make the Recommendations based on the outcomes

 

 

4.    Identify the Face-to-face Tools for Engaging Citizens and Stakeholders

 

There are a host of face-to - face methods and mechanisms to involve the audience and stakeholders. These resources serve different engagement goals which are the knowledge, consulting, involvement, cooperation or empowerment. The key is to pick the resources and processes for engagement that suit the goals and the capacity to execute the applicable techniques. In the section Choose Right Tools, some of the most common processes are identified.

 

Table: Increasing Level of Public Impact, Department of Agricultural Economics, Sociology, and Education

	To Inform	To Consult	To Involve	To Collaborate	To Empower
Public Participation Goals	To offer accurate and truthful knowledge to the public to help them consider the issues, options or remedies	Feedback from the public on research, options and/or judgments	Work alongside the public through the entire cycle to maintain mutual interpretation and evaluation of relevant problems and complaints	Partners with the public in every phase of the choice, including the creation and commitment of alternatives.	The public participants will hold the final decision making
Promise to the Public	The public Participants will be informed and up to date	We will hold you updated, respond to, consider and reflect about whether the decision was affected by public opinion	We will work with you to make sure the alternatives produced represent your interests and questions directly, and to provide guidance on the effect of public opinion on the decision.	We look forward to constructive guidance and creativity in the creation of approaches and incorporate your suggestions and feedback as much as possible in decisions.	The recommendations   and suggestion by the public participants will be implement
Example Tools	Some of them are the factsheets, websites and the open houses	Some of them are public comment, the focus groups, surveys and the public meetings	Some of them are the workshops, deliberate polling for example	Some of them are citizen advisory committees, consensus-building and participatory decision making	Some of them are citizen juries, ballots and delegating decisions

 

 

5.    Participant Recruitment and Retention

 

Create a retention and recruiting strategy with members outlining how you meet the target audience, train for it and interact.

 

6.    Plan for Evaluation

 

Determine your assessment strategy. What are you going to calculate whether you succeed? For the engagement team and the participants what represents success?

 

7.    Plan for Communication

 

How is your strategy to maintain the contact channels open between you and the individuals involved?

 

 

5.0       METHOD OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

 

Community engagement methods (according to Urban Institute) refer to a rigorous research methodology that includes the input, participation, and reflections of the people and communities at the heart of the issues we study. These research methods can start in the design stage and continue through the development of insights and recommendations, and they can range in engagement intensity from the most rigorous form, community-based participatory research, where community representatives are full partners in the research, to the more modest approach of community consultation, where community stakeholders and residents provide input at different points of a research project, especially at the end.

The method that we have choose to conduct our community engagement is  through web based engagement, the reason why web based engagement is suitable because while we are on the verge of pandemic covid-19 which needed us to stay home and out only when necessary, this web based engagement benefits us the most because we can still reach large numbers of people to engaged without needing them to gather at a place, instead they can participate at their own house, choose a convenient time and a convenient place.

Web-based communication channels include public chat boards and websites, Twitter, web polls, social networking, feedback and voting, and digital interactive television, but the one that that we chose is online discussion forums. This is because online discussion forums are open, multipurpose events lasting as long as we want. The three-stage model is structured with a minimum of advance preparation to protect information, stimulate ideas and establish dialogue between interest groups.

We are going to hold an online discussion group by developing an Web website, or a message board. It is here where users will have conversations shared in the form of posts. These differ from chat rooms, in that most texts are longer than one line of text and are briefly archived. And depending on the extent of access of the user or the layout of the site, the administrator may need to check a posted message before it is made accessible to the public. Forums have a specific set of terminology associated with them; for example , a particular topic is called a thread or series, and our forum is about Depression Awareness Among Workers Because of Pandemic Covid 19 Issues. Our target demographic for this forum is staff actively and indirectly interested with COVID 19 matters. The steps below on how to develop our platform online are:

1.    Select a forum topic

2.    Select a forum name

3.    Register your domain name

4.    Get a hosting account

5.    Get a forum script (we will get the most secure script we can afford)\

6.    Write a forum policy

7.    Hire moderators, this to keep our forum safe and civil

6.0       BENEFITS / SIGNIFICANCE

 

Community engagement is a way in which public bodies such as local councils and community groups can establish a working partnership. Strong community involvement would ensure that all parties will recognize the needs or concerns of community members and work on them, helping to bring about meaningful change.

Benefit of Community Engagement

 

      i.        Benefit of Community Engagement of Pandemic Covid-19

 

 

 

7.0         CONCLUSION

 

As the conclusion, the community engagement is one of a way to study and identify the actual issues that happened towards the community. As for this study, the community engagement would look into how the novel coronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic has been taking its toll on daily norms of workers in Sri Petaling, which is the area that have been strongly linked to COVID-19 spread in Malaysia. Through this community engagement, the target respondents will contributes in giving the clear image on how some group of people going through this pandemic, unprepared, as the whole world faces the new uncovered deadly disease which is highly contagious and taking peoples to practices a new way to survive.

 

REFERENCES

 

Ambrose, N. S. (2020). COVID-19 reveals cracks in Malaysia’s access to marginalised communities. Devpolicy Blog. Retrieved from https://devpolicy.org/covid-19-reveals-cracks-in-malaysias-access-to-marginalised-communities-20200506-2/

Berita Harian Online, (2020). COVID-19: Kes di Masjid Seri Petaling kluster baharu. Retrieved from https://www.bharian.com.my/berita/nasional/2020/03/664769/covid-19-kes-di-masjid-seri-petaling-kluster-baharu

Center for Economic and Community Development. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://aese.psu.edu/research/centers/cecd

Community Engagement Methods at Urban. (2019, November 19). Retrieved July 21, 2020, from https://www.urban.org/research/data-methods/community-engagement-methods-urban

Covid19 Malaysia Updates. (n.d.). Retrieved July 21, 2020, from http://covid-19.moh.gov.my/

Zizan, G. (2020). History of Sri Petaling. Propsocial. Retrieved from https://www.propsocial.my/topic/2102/history-of-sri-petaling-posted-by-propsocial-editor