My First MCO (Assignment 1)


The whole world is affected by this disease and is still affecting more and more even after months has passed. For a pandemic to spread like this, in a very unexpected way and is spreading faster than the Spanish Flu, everyone in the whole world panicked. What are we to do? How will it end in the future? Is there a cure for this?

Questions like this are circulating and creating tense to the world. Countries are halting their airports, no one can go in and out without checking symptoms, drastic moves that was never been done before, were taken into action – especially Malaysia.

During the midst of the pandemic, before the cases shots up like climbing a ladder, the cases were controllable. It starts with a Chinese nationality who came to Singapore and was tested positive for Covid19.

 Malaysia however, at that time, choose to accept the patient and put it under their care while Singapore and United States deal with the vaccine. Little did we know, things are not as smoothly as we planned.

The outbreak started to worsen due to the tabligh gathering at Sri Petaling on April. The pandemic spread across Malaysia like wildfire, creating panic across Malaysia. Not to mention that Malaysia had just received a new government due to political issues right before the corona outbreak. Things aren’t going so well for the new government, led by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

Until an announcement was made that Malaysia will uphold the Movement Control Order or MCO. People were panicking, thinking that they will be locked up in their houses, or far away from their family, lose their jobs and income source, their food supply, their businesses. Supermarket were filled with greedy people panic buying and investors panic selling their stocks and shares. It was haywire.


I remember that day like it was yesterday where I had just gone back from Penang for my husband’s cousin kenduri kahwin, leaving his mother and sister behind due to his work. They were still in Penang and we were worried that they might not have the time to get back. The MCO will be implement in just three days.

However, I am not the least worried. I had no idea why but I was exceptionally calm probably due to my trust to God that things will be better soon. Malaysia is not like other country, we are special. And I have faith in the governance of the Health Minister as well as the new government. The prayer that our Prime Minister initiated soothes my worries. We can do it. We will win this war! #KitaJagaKita.

My mother and sister in law managed to come back home in the nick of the time, during the last day. But her son and daughter (my sister and brother in law), currently studying in UiTM were stuck in their college, waiting for official order by the university.

I was supposed to go back to Unisel by June but that was postponed until further notice. We were then being told that universities are not allowed to operate until December. I do not mind though as I preferred to stay at home, close to the ones I love. At the same time, keeping myself and my family safe from being infected.

This disease is like no other. I can easily be spread by air and surfaces. People were being paranoid and applied hand sanitizer every 10 minutes. I provided hand sanitizers as well for my husband as he went off to work as a Foodpanda delivery.

It was risky, but we cannot survive without money. At least the income he gets from his job can ensure that we get enough food supply for the whole family.

Every time he come back home, I would rush to him and carry away his belongings for him to go to shower immediately, for safety measures. I prayed every night to Allah to protect my husband from any harm, whether the virus or unwanted accidents. I cannot imagine the horror of losing him so soon.

That is probably the only thing that I am constantly worried about. As long as he is safe, then I will be at ease.

I had no problem adapting to the new normal due to my sociability. I am not close to anyone from Unisel and I only had few close friends. Therefore, I do not mind staying away from people. I like it better this way. Interaction is exhausting. I prefer doing things alone, where I do not need to work with other people. However, if things were required to do in groups, I had no problem to do so.

It’s not that I hate to be social, but most of the time when we were doing a teamwork, I always ended up do everything by myself. That is why I’d rather do things alone, without expecting anything from anyone. 

The MCO teaches me a lot of self-discipline. I acquire many knowledge and attended many seminars in order to broaden my views and enhance my knowledge. I read 8 books during the whole MCO, CMCO until now. It was a productive ‘vacation’.

I like the term ‘work at home’. This way, I will be able to focus on both my families as well as my work. Work at home should be the norm from now on. It should be the future. Humans were created to adapt and evolve and I am sure that if I can do it, anyone can.


Comments