By Tay Tian Yan, Sin Chew Daily

The moment I woke up, my phone was already flooded with political news, that Muhyiddin wanted a meeting with Mahathir, that Mahathir rejected Anwar because of his liberalism, that some in Umno were unhappy with PN's seat allocation, blah blah blah…

But there was another piece of news that drew more of my attention: Tom Hanks and his wife Rita tested positive for coronavirus!

The news came as a psychological shock to me, far more than any political stuff.

For Heaven's sake why Hanks and his wife?

Hanks is no ordinary Hollywood star, at least to me. He was that mentally challenged boy who fulfilled his American dream in Forrest Gump, the heroic Captain John H Mille sacrificing himself for justice in Saving Private Ryan, the death row corrections officer Paul Edgecomb in The Green Mile, and the audacious Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger who landed his plane on Hudson River, saving the lives of 155 onboard, in Sully: Miracle on the Hudson.

If the world ever needs a hero to give this planet some hope, that must be Tom Hanks. You may argue that he is only a hero on the silver screen, but let me tell you in real life he is very much caring for our world, and has regularly spoken up for equality and freedom. At least he is far more than the other Hollywood superstars assuming superhero roles in movies.

It is a sad thing that when our planet is taking the brunt of a major pandemic, he falls ill.

When the media tell you unemployment is on the rise, you could be quite certain a recession is nowhere near us yet. But when your neighbor loses his job, you know recession is already at your doorstep!

Going further, if someone tells you the coronavirus outbreak is very serious now, you tend to believe it is just an overstatement. But if your most favorite star falls ill, you know it could be much worse than what many would have imagined.

You should know what I was trying to say.

Two weeks ago, a massive tabligh event was held at Masjid Seri Petaling in KL for three days.

A Bruneian participant became the first confirmed COVID-19 case in his country several days ago. And a Pahang man who was in close contact with him during the event was also confirmed with coronavirus infection to become our 131st case.

This thing won't end just that. Imagine 16,000 people taking part in the event in a tight enclosed space for three whole days!

I doubt how the health ministry and other relevant departments are going to track these people. The person in charge at the mosque said they did not have the records of all the participants.

The authorities couldn't tell whether there are more people infected with the virus, and how many of them. These potential COVID-19 carriers have gone back to their respective homes, workplaces, restaurants they frequently visit… The potential number of infectees could be nightmarish.

This incident has not only shocked our beloved nation but also regional countries because thousands of the tabligh participants are from countries like Brunei, Indonesia and Singapore.

What I can't understand is that why there were still people organizing such a huge event two weeks ago, when coronavirus had already spread across the planet and when any sound-minded people was aware of the risks, and why there were still many courageous enough to attend it.

Why did our health authorities, city hall and religious authorities allow such an event in the first place?

The newly appointed minister in the PM's department for religious affairs Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri has maintained that Friday prayers should go on albeit with reinforced safety precautions, because the coronavirus outbreak is under control here.

I hope he made the right judgment, or should he first double check with the health minster and the health DG whether things are really under control in this country?

Extraordinary measures need to be adopted during such an extraordinary time lest we become another Wuhan, Italy or Iran.