Japanese singer Gackt praises Malaysia’s MCO operation

PETALING JAYA – Malaysia’s firm action under its movement control order (MCO) has received praise from Japanese singer-songwriter Gackt (pic), currently residing in Kuala Lumpur, who made a comparison with his native country.

In an interview on the Chokugeki! Shinsou Sakagami programme on Fuji TV last Thursday, Gackt said the situation was more serious in Japan compared to Malaysia.

“There are friends who called me up and asked if KL was fine. Japan is actually more dangerous but is taking things lightly.”

“Other countries see Japan as slow in taking action. The consequences will be severe,” he said.

Gackt, famed for his visual kei goth rock genre, was also asked about his experience living under the MCO in Malaysia.

To this, Gackt said despite the MCO, there was no disturbance in the country.

“If you want to go to the hospital or buy things, only one person is allowed. Even at supermarkets or pharmacies, there are restrictions on how many people can enter,” he said.

Gackt shot to fame with his J-rock hit tunes such as Mizerable, Dears and Redemption, as well as contributed songs for anime series, TV dramas and video games.

He is currently living in a luxury residential area in Kuala Lumpur, having made the country his second home for the past eight years.

Gackt shared that he used to dine out every day but was now confined to eating at home.

“Other than that, most of my work I do it at home. I don’t mind and I don’t think it is a burden,” he said.

When asked about his views on the Japanese government’s response towards the Covid-19 crisis, Gackt noted that his native country was “taking it lightly”.

“The spread of infection in other places such as New York and Italy has become uncontrollable. If this situation continues, Japan will also be very much affected, ” he said.

On April 7, Japan declared a state of emergency in seven regions due to a spike in Covid-19 cases in the country.

Criticisms also mounted with some Japanese citizens saying that the state of emergency should have been declared much earlier.

Gackt said even though the declaration was a bit late, the way that Japan managed the restrictive movement was important.

“There are people who follow orders and quarantine themselves.”

“But there are also those who do not follow the directive, thinking they are fine. These are the ones who may spread the virus and cause the situation to become worse, ” he said.

Currently, Japan has more than 7,000 cases with 147 deaths from the disease.