PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT ABOUT THE NEW NORMAL AS A LIFE CHANGING IN MALAYSIA DUE TO COVID-19 CRISIS

By: Nor Farhana Syakirah bt Hassan (Group Leader), Natasha Farina bt Muhammad Faisal, Nurul Diyanah bt Basirun, Che Ahmad Rasydan b Che Rozaid, Muhammad Zulfadzli b Mohd Samsudin, Siti Nor Zulaikha bt Awang, and Dzarifah bt Dzahar 

1.0 INTRODUCTION

The coronavirus' rapid spread poses an unprecedented health problem with which the planet is struggling. There is also a major economic influence that is felt worldwide, in addition to the human effects. The impacts will continue to propagate, as viruses know no boundaries. As in Malaysia, several other governments have placed in place restrictions on travel and gathering and implemented partial or full lockdowns, hoping the pandemic can be contained in a matter of weeks, and people's lives can return to "normal". Yet now, society needs to transition into new standard and become used to that.

Furthermore, Post Covid-19 would introduce a new trend to the much broader digitalization of businesses and services. Previously, the digital platform needs to be strengthened, advanced and readily accessible so that daily affairs such as the teaching and learning process in educational institutions, work affairs at companies, and food sales and need products are not put on hold. Society needs to go through a new phase and climate that involves re-adjustment or re-adaptation to transition to a new standard.

Facing pandemics such as Covid-19 requires both parties to take certain practical and systematic recovery steps in different spectra of life. As an individual we cannot put everything on every leader and manager's shoulders. This is because no one is exempt from this new normal, and everyone has to leave behind the current normality and increase their self-capacity to face even more challenging set of realities. It might be perceived as difficult now, but when everyone is ready to practice it and adopt an open mind to it, it will be a new normal.

2.0 AIM AND OBJECTIVE

2.0.1 AIM

Our aim is to increase the awareness to the public about the dangers of the COVID-19 epidemic.         

2.0.2 OBJECTIVE

1. To strengthen the "new normal" of life to the community with that hit by COVID-19
2. Foster community co-operation to assist the goverment in preventing the epidemic of the COVID-19
3. Improving health care measures to overcome the epidemic of the COVID-19.

2.1 SCOPE

       

        The scope of the study to assist the public engagement:-

1. Introduces the cause and how the COVID-19 can spread.
2. Notify the society about the symptoms of coronavirus disease.     
3. To open everyone's eyes about how dangerous the coronavirus to society around the world. 
4. Understading the ways of how to handle and overcome with epidemic of the COVID-19.

3.1 SITE BACKGROUND

3.1 KEY PLAN

Selangor Darul Ehsan is one of the 13 states on Malaysia's peninsular western coast. Selangor State is situated alongside Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya. Besides that, Selangor capital is Shah Alam, which obtained the status of city in 2006 and 2019. Malaysia subsequently also contains more than one city with another official status, namely Sarawak, Johor, and Penang.

                                                                        Photo 3.0: Key Plan of Selangor

  3.2 LOCATION PLAN

Officially Klang is the Capital City of Klang. The royal city, and also Selangor, Malaysia former state capital. Further, Klang royal city is located in the Klang District. Throughout the previous period it became Selangor's administrative capital. Before the advent of Kuala Lumpur and its present capital this city existed. In addition to being the 12th transshipment port place and the have 12th busiest big container port in this country, Port Klang is situated in the Klang District too. Parliament member for municipal council of Klang. Besides, Klang City also has a total of population which is 240,016 (10,445 in the middle of the city), while Klang District have population which is 842,146, with a total population of 744,062 in all communities administered by Klang Municipal of Council.

3.3 SITE PLAN

                                                                        Photo 3.1: Site Plan

GM Klang Wholesale City is a wholesale market complex situated in Bandar Botanic, a modern business area in the south of Klang Town and on Greater Kuala Lumpur's west side. The architecture of GM Klang Wholesale City was deliberately planned to promote an optimal atmosphere for wholesale industry. Combined with its ideal venue, the strategic nature of the complex makes it well-positioned as a global center and gateway for regional and foreign exchange.

How we chose GM Klang is because the title of GM Klang itself is South East Asia's most comprehensive 1-stop wholesale area. Based in the south of Klang Town area and on the west side of Greater Kuala Lumpur. It is near to seaports, airports and enjoys superb connections with big highways. GM Klang certainly has quite a number of visitors.

Our main project is that of public involvement. What is public involvement? Community Engagement identifies the various aspects that the higher education and science programs and rewards can be communicated with the community. By nature participation is a two-way mechanism involving dialogue and listening with the goal of producing shared gain.

Selangor was the most infected state during the COVID-19 crisis in Malaysia and the zoning was red in colour. That is the biggest factor we're using GM Klang to increase consciousness of the current standard of daily life.

4.0 PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT

4.0.1 STACKHOLDERS

Our stackeholders are local or based communities, volunteer groups, racial, ethnic and cultural groups, and finally local communities

4.0.2 METHODS AND TOOLKIT

There are some approaches we should reach the public and the number of approaches to do so:

 I.            FIELD WORKSHOP

Local communities can develop action plans with few data to begin with in field workshops. They are particularly suitable for research in developed countries on disaster reduction. Our primary aim is to habituate citizens to the new normal. Because of COVID-19, the new norm transforms lives. Anything once a routine, such as shaking hands, will no longer be.

Content and events focused on the field training that is often suitable for the group to increase awareness of the New Normal:   

· A team of professional professionals were engaged in field sessions with several elected facilitators, local authorities and a wide range of local people of all ages, cultures and desires.

 · A multi-day or even week program of activities involving the identification of community profiles, risk assessment and planning methods is drawn up in advance. Both stakeholders decide on the plan in advance but it can differ at some stage such that findings are produced and integrated.

· The goal is to foster a shared awareness of the existence, challenges and future solutions of the society.

· A few days after the major operation meetings, the expert committee will deliver its suggestions to the entire group.

II.            STREET STALLS

Street Stalls consist of public exhibits like the concept or graffiti walls that catch vast amounts of people's views and remarks. Area or activity maps and proposals should be viewed and passers-by encouraged to report on relevant subjects, produce suggestions or vote in support of certain events or services.

Photo 4.0: Example of Street Stalls.

III.            COMMUNITY SURVERYS

Community Surveys were a demand identification technique focused on input from a selection or group of representatives of the society.

Photo 4.1: Example of Community Surveys.

5.0 THE ADVANTAGES OF USING THIS METHOD

1.       Field Workshop

(Source: Modified from www.advantagesndisadvantages.com, 2018)

·     Knowledge Sharing

Tends to boost the knowledge of an individual who is able to listen to speakers who are expert in their field and also to discuss topics with other people and thus to achieve success, whether in an individual's job or business.

·     Make Friends

Friendship is established as you have a mutual interest and in seminars only those people who have a shared interest in the topic or subject and are also likely to create new friends in seminars and can be quite helpful in the long run because you can address and overcome any questions about the subject with those friends.

 

2.       Street Stall

(Source: Modified from nibusinessinfo.co.uk, 2020)

·     Raise awareness

For example, street stall at business conferences is a perfect opportunity to boost your visibility and increase brand recognition. As well as having a stance at an event, there are typically other incentives for advertisement and support.

 

·      Meet in person

Meeting face-to - face with prospective clients is a perfect place to continue establishing relationships.

 

·      Networking

Street stall are a perfect place to reach prospective new customers, sources and know more about the companies.

·      Launch new product

Street stall is a perfect spot to launch a new product or service. Being willing to clarify the bid in person and address the concerns is perfect if the offering is unique.

 

·      Build your database

Meeting potential customers at the show would help you start developing your mailing lists and create eligible sales leads.

 

3.       Community Survey

(Source: Modified from Snap Surveys, 2012)

·      Extensive

Surveys are valuable for defining the features of a broad community. No other methodology can provide this broad capability, which ensures a more accurate sample of targeted outcomes for drawing conclusions and making important decisions.

 

·      Flexible

Surveys may be conducted in a number of forms, including: online surveys, email surveys, social media surveys, paper surveys, mobile surveys, telephone surveys, and face-to-face interview. With distant or hard-to-reach respondents, it might be appropriate to use a hybrid form of survey polling (e.g. to conduct both electronic surveys and paper surveys to obtain feedback and to compile survey findings into a consistent data collection available with analysis).

 

·      Dependable

The confidentiality of the surveys helps respondents to reply with more open and accurate answers. You need respondents to be as transparent and truthful as possible in their responses to the most reliable results. Surveys collected secretly offer an outlet for more truthful and unmistakable responses than other forms of study methodologies, particularly where it is explicitly mentioned that survey responses should remain fully confidential.

6.0 CONCLUSION

The government has already taken legal action to curb the spread of the covid-19 outbreak and outlined the standard operating procedures to be practiced by the local community. However, there are still many people out there that are insensitive and disobey the new norms proposed by our government. The purpose of public engagement that will be conducted is to raise public awareness about the dangers of virus covid-19 and to taking into account the views and suggestions of the community for the success of the standard operating procedures that are recommended by government to curb the spread of this dangerous virus and educate community to adopt a new normal as a life changing and safer.

PRESENTATION VIDEO: https://youtu.be/7VvlmabbEKw