Malaysians Must Know the TRUTH: MCO Moments - how Malaysians spent the past 47 days cooped up at home

Monday, May 4, 2020

MCO Moments - how Malaysians spent the past 47 days cooped up at home

CORONAVIRUS | Today, life could change drastically for many Malaysians. Most sectors of the economy are allowed to reopen. For those employed in these sectors, 47 days of a partial lockdown under the movement control order, as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, end today.

Since March 18, most Malaysians were placed under strict “stay at home” restrictions, allowed out only to buy essentials, and that too, only within a 10km radius and never in a group.

The restrictions have had a severe impact on livelihoods. For day wagers, it meant a complete loss of income, plunging many into desperate poverty. Salary-earners too are not spared as more and more businesses are forced to shut down.

Yet, amid the doom, the ever-resilient Malaysians have also found ways to cope and overcome.

Recently, Malaysiakini put out a call out to its readers to share photographs which capture how their life is like in this period.

Below are some of the best submissions. We compile them in the photo essay below, as a record of this extraordinary period of our lives.

A different way to speak to my wife

Yew Jin Kang

My wife passed away in September so I "visit her" at the columbarium every weekend. When MCO happened I felt sad I could not visit her. I had extra time on my hands, so I ordered a guitar from Lazada and every day for the past few weeks I will practice one song for her.

An author is born

Shasmeen Sheza, Shah Alam

I am nine-year-old and have written several books. I launched my first book on Amazon and Lazada during the MCO. It is called "First Term at Brass Towers". It took me less than a month to write.

My dad is my inspiration behind the book as he used to take me to the Shah Alam Library every month before MCO. I used to borrow 10 books and read them for a month. Under the MCO, I read e-books.

One of the main reasons I decided to publish the books and sell them is to help people who need food in the current situation.

Shasmeen Sheza, 9, with her first book, which she wrote while under the MCO.

Volunteering for a charity helping those in need

Kelvin Cheah, Kuala Lumpur

After reading an article on Malaysiakini about a group assisting refugees, I felt the urge to help. I initially contacted PichaEats to donate money but instead, the founder, Suzanne, told me they needed help documenting their efforts. So I helped them photograph their activities.

I was fortunate to be offered a small role in PichaEats' noble effort. We've been to many hospitals, clinics, old folks homes and even to the police headquarters.

I was witnessing first hand the real exhaustion faced by the frontliners, the weariness in their eyes is something that has burnt into my head to this day. The old folks' homes, too, were feeling the pinch and I saw the helplessness on the faces of the persons in charge.

The experience was really humbling to me, made me realise that this is a real tragedy, at the same time the joy and the appreciation when they received the food from the PichaEats' runner. It made us all proud to be Malaysian again.

I hope Malaysia will recover from this soon, and we'll all be more helpful and kinder to one another.

While volunteering as a photographer with PichaEats, Kelvin Cheah saw firsthand the challenges faced by frontliners at hospitals, old folks’ homes and a police headquarters.

Practising for the Abilympics

Abilympics Malaysia

Abilympics is an international skills-based competition for Persons with Disabilities. Malaysian Abiliympians will represent the nation in the 10th competition in Russia next year.

Under the MCO, Abilympians try their best to practice their skills while at home. Below is a video of Amran Hamid, 41, who will compete in the skill category of Silk Hand Painting.

Amran’s special hands have not stopped him from producing tremendous batik paintings on a part-time basis, while working as a social welfare assistant.

This period of MCO has been particularly challenging for Amran as he needs to juggle his time well between work, training and family. He also finds it difficult to get batik supplies since shops are closed and he misses his friends from the art fraternity.

Learning to (finger) dance

Victor Tiong, Klang

I started to learn tutting after coming across it accidentally when searching for dance moves as physical activity at home in this MCO. Tutting is a way of dancing with your fingers.

Initially, I was looking for foot movements like the moves of the Running Man dance troupe. (Ha! A 40-plus-year-old man trying to learn how to do the Running Man dance moves!)

After viewing some videos on tutting, I thought why not try this. This photo is a still from my first tutting video after learning it for only a few days. Not too shabby I would say! And I have continued tutting.

Victor Tiong learning to do tutting - a kind of dance that involves intricate movements of the fingers.

'Sunbathing' my ringgit bill

Haley Lim, Petaling Jaya

Sunbathing money may not remove traces of any virus, but it definitely adds to the peace of mind (this was before I remembered using e-wallets for purchases).

This is one of the oddest, yet the most memorable things I have done during the MCO period.

Haley Lim gives her ringgit bills an airing in the sun, for peace of mind.

Being my son’s therapist

Noraza Yusuf, Kuala Lumpur

I spend MCO moments with my non-verbal son who has autism.

With MCO, we can't get the therapists to come over, so I have to become his therapist.

It was so stressful in the beginning, but now it is getting better.

The experience is priceless. I am now his mum and one of his therapists.

Work meets in the kitchen, wearing my blazer, tie... shorts

Pukalenthi T, Puchong

In my ‘normal’ life before MCO, I met around 70 to 80 business wonders and entrepreneurs every week for business networking and collaborations meetings. I also visit the customers in person.

In this ‘new normal’ life, I still continue my meetings with the same 70-80 business owners via teleconferencing, every week without fail. MCO didn’t stop my routine activity of communicating with my clients and my staff.

Pukalenthi T joins a work meeting via teleconferencing in his kitchen.

Camping in our living room

Mac, Johor Bahru

This is what my family and our pet dog have been doing during MCO. My family are avid travellers. We hope the MCO will be lifted soon so we can travel again.

This family in Johor Bahru found a way to soothe their travel fever during MCO.

Father-son bonding over a car wash

Amanda Christine, Papar

These boys are my husband and four-year-old son.

This is how they cope with the MCO - they wash the car almost every other day, even though the car is literally dirt free.

It lets them get wet for absolutely no reason and gives them something to do while making memories.

Gardening the MCO blues away

Many have found a new love of gardening in this period. Below are a couple of submissions:

This photo was submitted by Mohamad Hishammuddin. "Big things often have small beginnings and you know what? I can do this all day," he said.

“I started gardening on Day 1 of MCO. Now 40 percent of our vegetables for dinner comes from our garden and we only go to the market once a week,” said CK Yong of Kuching.

Living amid moving boxes

Vishitra Manikam, Kuala Lumpur

I was supposed to move house but these are extraordinary times. So here I am, living with 95 percent of my things packed in boxes.

There's only enough space to move in my 800sq ft studio. I've had to open a few boxes and buy things even though I know I have them in some box, somewhere. Exasperating and funny, at times.

Vishitra Manickam was due to move, and then the MCO was called. Now she lives amid boxes.

Returning to music

E Juno

I usually don’t have time to practice my instrument. There are many reasons not to and gradually the hands don’t feel like they need to anymore. During MCO, I regain this feeling in my body. Over and over again, I play the same notes. It seems to me that I have used this time to reawaken my senses with the sound of music.

Juno reconnects with music under the MCO.

Discovering the wildlife in my garden

Dougie Cameron, Kuala Lumpur

I am using the time at home to open my eyes and really see and appreciate what has been right in front of me for years - the incredible beauty of nature in Malaysia.

I am a UK national fortunate enough to be living here in KL. Before the MCO, I was too busy, too caught up with daily chores to look and see any of the beautiful creatures that we share this country with.

Now, I make sure I spend an hour in my garden with my camera every day. Some days, I see a lot of birds and animals, other days I do not. But every single time, I am grateful.

Dougie Cameron uses the spare time under MCO to capture the wildlife in his garden.

The sky and sea seem bluer than before

Toh Leong

During the MCO, I am in solitude, parked at one corner of my house, looking at the sea. The sky and sea are bluer than ever before, with the lockdown in place and reduced human activities. Even the sunsets each evening appear more splendid and brilliant. I saw six turtles bobbing up and down in the sea, just a week ago. Perhaps, the reduction in pollution makes it right for them to seek a place nearby to lay their eggs. Who knows?

Vaisakhi at home

Jaspal Singh, Kuala Lumpur

Vaisakhi, which fall on April 14, is one of the most important festivals for Sikh devotees. This year, Jaspal Singh and his family celebrated with a simple barbecue at home.

Barbecue on Vaisakhi for Jaspal Singh and family.

Learning and playing at home

The MCO period is particularly challenging for children who are kept away from school and are unable to play outdoors. Below are some of the submissions showing how some children are coping.

Tony Wong's little one's dream has come true. She is finally able to bring her favourite toy to school - online school, that is.

Ian Chai's daughters channeled their frustrations from not being able to play outdoors with friends into building a car out of cardboard boxes.

When the world is upside down, do yoga

Miz Malyn

I love to exercise, especially running and yoga, but since MCO, working at home means I have to put my laptop on my bedside and no more running outdoors.

So, on April 18, I participated in a small indoor running event called the Komy Ultra Challenge 12 Hours.

I’ve also started practising my upside yoga pose again, as a symbol of my MCO life, which is sometimes okay and sometimes not.