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The Singapore Law Gazette

A Letter to the World

Dear Rajan,

Today is 31 December 2020.

I am the Corona Virus. I am still here. I am not gone. I do not want to go away forever as I have much to show and teach the world.

I have been a part of your life since 26 January 2020; such an integral part of your life. I dominated the news, challenged the politicians and business leaders, was much talked about by the young and old, became the biggest social media influencer and I changed everyone’s life the world over. I am not nation-centric but international. Many nations think I am not present in their country or in smaller numbers, but I am everywhere. Yes, I am a mere droplet but in strength, you know that I am Mighty Powerful. I took away lives by the tens of thousands, made many sick for very long periods of time and brought worry and fear in the lives of many.

I also changed the way all of you live. You learned about social distancing or physical distancing. You did not even know what this was till I came along. I kept you away from your extended families, friends and loved ones. I hear that a lawyer shared on Facebook that his newborn child who is a few months old now has not yet seen a park. Yes, I am omnipresent.

I have changed the economy. The world and the state of Singapore reminds you, Rajan of a large Hollywood movie set and those movies which made you sit at the edge of your seat, watching how humans fear the unknown, run for their lives and do whatever they can to just survive. It was great entertainment, you said to your friends.

It is just survival now and like those movies, I have and am creating a brand new world for you, to start again, to really live Life. Accept it and embrace it. Humans have now the opportunity to live their lives differently. How you are going to do that remains to be seen. Will you go back to your old ways? Are the old ways going to work anymore? Are they even relevant anymore? Your life beyond 2020 may be the subject of a new movie, which a movie maker will make, I am sure.

I wonder or even worry whether you will forget 2020 when all this is over and just go back to living your old life in 2021. Life just cannot be the same again. Many have lost loved ones; you have seen strength, courage, innovation, initiative and kindness shown towards strangers. This is the time to teach children valuable life lessons. It is time to do things differently.

At the macro level, I have shown that life is simple. It is humans who make it complex. It is just about mere living. You have realised that you don’t need many material goods, and can live with little as you are experiencing now as part of Singapore’s Stay At Home law. It did not take you too long to be innovative and interact socially through video conferencing Meetings, Meals, Drinks and Parties.

By staying at home, you have learnt to take things more slowly. There is no more need to rush – anyway, where can you rush off to now! What is the point of planning and structuring every minute of your day and every part of your life? Is that really Life? You now spend time with your family, forced time for many, I think. As a Singaporean top executive of a multi-national corporation living in Kuala Lumpur said, it is a period of reflection and examining of priorities.

Through Business Continuity Planning, all of you have learnt to work and function well by working from home. You have embraced technology. Work gets done with just a laptop, a handphone, communication apps and video conferencing facilities. Finally, the Courts are also embracing technology in a larger form in their adjudication services. Some of you may never go back to the traditional law firm structure. Telecommuting provides a different way of living and working, rather than working in a prescribed manner.

It is not only movies or video games which create magic and excitement. You can too now. It all depends on what you are going to do. This is an exciting period in world history.

If the world needs more opportunities to get its act together, I will return. I am just one virus with many names.

Take care, my friend. Keep being creative, innovative and loving. Really live your life. Take it slowly and savour it, as what Life was originally meant to be.

Yours truly,

Corona Virus

Rajan Chettiar LLC
E-mail: [email protected]