Please be strong, your survival is OUR survival too!

We commend the Malaysian government and several other governments for earnestly adopting the appropriate approach in managing the novel coronavirus crisis within their respective borders.

Also appreciated is how the Malaysian Government extended the international cooperation needed under the proper guidance of the World Health Organization in controlling the spread of this deadly disease and the humane treatment of victims.

The WHO, which has just warned that the overseas virus outbreak may be a "tip of the iceberg", has also praised the China government for its quick and clinical response in containing the spread of this disease.

The China government has acknowledged that the authorities there made some mistakes in the beginning in handling this crisis and they seem to have learnt the lessons of the SARS crisis in 2002-2003 on the need to be transparent.

In writing this open letter, the Asian Heritage Museum Group sees this crisis as part of our effort to promote multicultural harmony, justice and sustainable peace on a non-partisan and inclusive basis.

Regardless of the rights and wrongs, geopolitics and even conspiracy theories circulating on the social media and the web, our message to the world is simple and clear.

The people of Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, and China, need our full support and solidarity to overcome the health catastrophe. It is in the world's common interest that China pull through this crisis successfully. Hence, this open letter.

Globally, containment of the coronavirus is undermined by apathetic, stupid, evil, racist and selfish people who failed to understand lessons of history and science.

Warning: the virus could still potentially explode into a global pandemic caused by a new strain of coronavirus that is afflicting Wuhan, despite its lockdown.

Some people wrongly think that coronavirus would not cross borders significantly and seriously infect other nations around the world. It has.

There is the notion that this new strain cannot cause a global pandemic that will ruin the world economy and the fragile social infrastructure in many poor and developing countries.

The diabolical ones may secretly wish that this virus would only destroy China and leave the rest of the world unscathed. Such evil extremist politicians may be few but they can be extremely influential.

The Nazi party was started by just one man (Adolph Hitler). In 1934, when he was already Chancellor of Germany, he was DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED by the German people to be their President. See how much havoc and destruction one evil extremist leader could cause to the whole world.

The 1918-1919 Spanish Flu pandemic infected 500 million people worldwide, a third of the world's population at that time, and killed more than 50 million people worldwide, more than the total deaths in World War 1 (1914-1918).

It is worse now: the world is even more connected and integrated than in 1918. 

Besides the Spanish Flu, there had been several other disease outbreaks at a global level. For example, H1N1 was started in the USA in 2009 but little effort was made to stop the spread of the virus. It killed 284,500 worldwide and affected 214 countries.

This new coronavirus is still evolving and mutating with many unknowns after it has crossed the specie barrier from animals to humans and has developed the ability to spread from humans to humans. We are like a ship sailing in unchartered waters. This new strain could turn out to be deadlier than the Spanish Flu.

This virus is unremorseful. It has NO personal feelings on the type of humans that it would attack. It does NOT select people to infect. It does NOT discriminate or differentiate its victims based on RACE, RELIGION, GENDER, POLITICAL IDEOLOGY or NATIONALITY.

In a nutshell, this virus is a real threat to humanity. The global village consists of different parts connected in the same body.

When one body part is infected, it would soon poison the other parts and eventually the entire body.

This is why the United Nations has banned biological weapons, but it is very difficult to enforce, especially on research and development of deadly pathogens.

The biggest group of people with negative outlook isn't inherently evil but the apathetic, complacent and stupid are everywhere, including the educated, who can be influential in spreading such an attitude.

To readers, please educate your friends, colleagues or relatives on the science and morality of this global threat.

To the people of Wuhan, the vast majority of the world feel your pain, suffering and sacrifices at the frontline in this dangerous "global war" against a deadly virus.

The good people of this world are in full solidarity with you. We stand by you. We are the world, together as one people regardless of race, religion, political ideology, nationality or gender.

Please be strong, do not give up and have faith that good people everywhere are doing their best to support and help you.

We salute you, first, the doctors, nurses, medical staff and volunteers; secondly, the people involved in the logistical support, food supply chain and goods/needed, and finally, the people involved in the construction of the two new large hospitals in Wuhan, one of them in nine days, a new world record.

If you perish, we will all likely perish with you. You are brave, selfless and heroic people who are building a "massive dam" to stop a "global flood of Biblical proportions" from engulfing the entire world.

We, as the human race and people of the world, must work together to make this this world a healthier place for us and for our future generations, which depend on us.

Our survival is fully dependent on your survival. 

Asian Heritage Museum Group

K. K. Tan, Chief Executive Officer, Political Analyst & Strategist on Local & Global Issues

Council of Advisors

Maria Chin Abdullah, Member of Parliament, Former Chairman of BERSIH

Tan Sri Dr Salleh Mohd Nor, Former Director General of FRIM, Former President of Malaysian Nature Society

Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam, Former Sec-Gen (Civil Service) & Chairman of Think Tank Policy Group

Dato' Noor Farida Ariffin, Former Judge & Former Ambassador

Prof Dato' Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman, Dean of Medicine, Univ. of Malaya & Chairman of Malaysian Aids Foundation

Commissioner of Police (R) Dato' Shabudin Abdul Wahab, Former Deputy Director of Management (Training), Bukit Aman

Azmi Anshar, Former Newspaper Editor