Two years ago, we could only dream of being here. Being cooped up in our homes with the number of cases only getting higher and higher, it did not seem like there was a way out. Being vaccinated is far from our imagination. We could not see the light at the end of the tunnel. Our spirit was low, we did not have the motivation to do anything, we missed our family and friends, we missed dining out, and we were worried we or any of our loved ones would get infected by COVID-19 – we had a hard time adjusting to the new normal.

On top of all the stress of going through a pandemic, we were still expected to live our lives as normal as possible, meeting work deadlines with a pay cut, and some even lost their job. We were living in uncertainties, and it was hard. We also had to go through a crash course on particle filtration, alcohol level to effectively sanitise, room ventilation, and a whole lot more things that we wish we knew a whole lot less about.

We also had to learn about interdependence to ensure the survival of our species. We learned about forming quarantine bubbles, donning protective gears just to go get groceries, and having only essential physical interactions. The days were suffocating, and the nights were long. We look forward to the day when we can breathe easier again, although the future seemed bleak.

And it seems like we are finally having a major breakthrough. COVID-19 vaccines have successfully been developed and distributed worldwide after months of research by healthcare experts. Vaccine rolls out in Malaysia kicked off on February 24 with Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin receiving the first of the two-dose Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine as mass inoculation campaign started.

Let’s be honest – all of us pretty much had a hunch, if not positively knew, the RMCO was going to be extended. Seeing how there are plenty of active new cases every day, both nationwide and worldwide, there is no way of denying our new normal.

On August 28, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced the extension of the Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO) – which was supposed to end on September 1 – to December 31, 2020. The decision was made based on the latest development, as more time is needed to clear Malaysia of the pandemic. Throughout the extension, enforcement would continue under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 (Act 342).

According to the Prime Minister, everything is under control but should there be an increase in infections in particular localities, the government will carry out the implementation of targeted measures such as the Enhanced Movement Control Orders (EMCO) or the Targeted Enhanced Movement Control Order (TEMCO).

Now the million-ringgit question is, how are we, the mere citizens, planning to cope with at least, another four (4) months of RMCO, or a possible EMCO and TEMCO? We have seen reports saying around 70,000 people were retrenched up to August. The actual figure is believed to be higher as we have to include retrenchment practised by micro-enterprises, and not forgetting, retrenchment that goes unreported.

The severity of the COVID-19 impact on businesses is unprecedented. It started as a health crisis, which quickly evolved into a global economic crisis at a speed and magnitude we have not seen in our lifetime. Weak economic and financial results, demand cut-backs, supply chain disruptions, and knock-on effects of troubled sectors on employment are the main contributing factors to this crisis. The ripple effects are still unfolding on a global scale and it is unlikely that the true impact of this pandemic can be measured until the situation stabilises.

In February, the government together with financial institutions announced the first economic stimulus package. Even though the outlook is not good, SMEs can persevere against the financial adversities by leveraging on all available resources to help them get through these difficult times. In March, they announced the second stimulus package valued at RM250 billion. In April, the third stimulus package was announced worth RM10 billion. Seeing how the cases weren’t dying down and many businesses were starting to close doors, the government announced the fourth stimulus package in June to help support businesses affected by the pandemic.

Many of the local businesses are affected and although they are resilient and learning to make changes, most of the businesses said they can sustain themselves for only two months during heightened restriction periods. Even after resuming operations, some services are still not allowed, which reduces these businesses income significantly.

While they agree restrictions are needed to stop the spread of COVID-19, they also believe the government should explore further and address this issue so that employees will continue to have job security. They said an extension should also be accompanied by additional stimulus measures to help businesses continue the recovery momentum. It is truly an unprecedented time and whether we agree with it or not, these additional stimuli are needed for our economic growth in the demand and supply chain.

In addition, it goes without saying that the uncertainties we are facing during this unprecedented time is understandably nerve-wrecking, and it may have caused some profound anxiety in some of us. It is 2020, and we are going through a pandemic, it is okay to take things one day at a time. Try not to bite more than you can chew, so you won’t become overwhelmed. The hours may become blurry during this partial-quarantine, so stick to a routine and this will make you feel functional and in-control. Until then, hang in there.

Life has been full of uncertainties for us lately. Every two weeks we wait in front of our televisions, our mobile phones, to find out what is next? Where do we go from here? What is the news we will be receiving today? What will the prime minister tell us? Will the MCO be extended? Are the number of cases going down? Are we in the clear now? Can we, finally, go back to normal? Hundreds if not thousands of questions go through our heads and most of the time, we do not like the answers to it.

As much as we hate to admit it, and as in denial as we want to be, life will never go back to normal for us, those days are over – until a vaccine for the COVID-19 virus has been developed at least. Even so, it is unlikely for our lives to go back 100% to the way it was – we are all traumatised now. We will always involuntarily be extra conscious among strangers. Having a person sneezing near us will make us anxious, and when we start sneezing the next day, even for a completely different reason, our anxieties will shoot up through the roof.

Whether we like it or not, we must start adapting to the new normal. Wearing a mask when we go out even for just a short while, is vital – it is literal life or death. Having to be alert of your distance to a stranger at all times may feel odd in the beginning, and will feel taxing after a while, but this is our reality now, this is our new normal. We have to do it!

Recently we have been requested to go back to work as per normal to restart our economy. We were taking in major losses every day and our country could no longer afford it. It was a tough decision but one that had to be made. From small businesses to companies with substantial revenue, many Malaysians are losing and have lost their jobs. According to BNM Annual Report, the unemployment rate is expected to hit 4% this year due to the outbreak – that is over 2 million citizens, and the livelihood of even more will be affected.

It is understandable for us to feel fear of having to go back to work in the middle of a pandemic, and to deal with the anxiety that tags along with it, it is important for us to have knowledge on how to stay safe. It is crucial for us to abide by the rules of the new normal. Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds, wear a mask when going out, practice social distancing for at least 1 metre from the next person in the office, and always carry a hand sanitiser with you, just in case. Do not gather for lunch, and do not eat others’ food. These may all seem tedious, but it could be lifesaving.

Will this new normal change us? Hopefully, for the better. In a way, it trains us to have self-discipline and be aware of our environment. This new normal will push us to become more cooperative, and to listen to the authorities better, because our lives depend on them.

When we cooperate with the guidelines given by the Ministry of Health, we are also helping the frontliners. In fact, there is a saying that we are actually the frontliners. We are the ones who are capable of putting a stop to this pandemic. When we apply these guidelines in our daily lives, we are the one who get to decide on whether we are going to infect our society or not. The doctors and nurses are the last line of defence, when we are infected, they will be our last hope. Naturally, it is our duty to help lessen their burden.

Just the other day, we were informed that Raya gathering is permissible, provided the house contains a maximum number of 20 people, no crossing your residential state, and they must all be family members only. Although we have been blessed with this leeway by the government, we must use our own discretion and not abuse the privilege.

It is best to exercise our own judgement on whether this Raya gathering needs to be done within our families or not. Do we have many elderlies in our family? Will we be asymptomatic and unknowingly infect them? As we already know, the elders are more prone to be infected and they are unlikely to recover or survive from it. The best way to show our love for them is by staying away and using technology to keep in touch with them.

Wanting to be with our loved ones during Raya is normal, but we all must pull ourselves together so we can win this fight. We must put aside the desire to have a normal Raya gathering with our family and friends, so we can ensure we will still be able to celebrate Raya with them for many more years to come.

As much as we find this new normal to be suffocating and limiting to our normal routine, we have no other choice but to buck up and just do it. It is for the literal survival of ourselves, our loved ones, and our species as a whole. If we stay disciplined and apply the guidelines provided into our daily lives, we will get through this pandemic alive.

We’re treading through uncharted waters. Unless you’ve lived through the Spanish flu, the deadliest pandemic in history, we’re facing an unprecedented event. It’s been a little over a decade since the world experienced the last pandemic – the 2009 H1N1 swine flu. 1.4 billion people across the globe were infected and over half a million did not make it. Therefore, it seems reasonable to expect stringent measures by the authorities.

But that’s not the case.

The world is in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic caused by a novel coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2, a virus that has no precedent hence no vaccine yet. By all serious estimates, it is going to be a major killer. Our government has taken all the necessary measures to curb it from spreading further and as socially responsible citizens, it is our duty to follow orders.

What was initially a two-week Movement Control Order (MCO) has now become a month, with expectations of an extension. Although it feels a little suffocating to be cooped up in your house for a month, this decision was made after a thorough analysation by the authorities and considering the curve we were heading towards, this measure is not extreme at all but highly necessary. Based on global data collected, so far, COVID-19 is most deadly for people over 60 who have underlying health conditions. If you’re a student who’s feeling stuck at your university during this period, missing your parents and family and dreading not being able to go home, change your perspective. You are not stuck, you are safe and sheltered, a privilege that plenty are unable to enjoy during this pandemic.

You’re potentially saving their lives, too. Many healthy young adults are asymptomatic and silent carriers; you might infect other people especially the elders like your parents. Therefore, the MCO is highly important and must be obeyed 100%, which means no hanging out with your best friends too. Limit the number of physical interactions to only the people you’re living with, that’s how you help flatten the curve.

We understand working adults are also restless about not being able to go back to your hometown and be with your parents, too. Basically, every Malaysian right now would want to be with their family and loved ones. Don’t worry too much if you’re unable to physically be with your loved ones in this duration. It is normal to miss the sense of your mother’s touch, your father’s smell, your sister’s infectious laughter. You need to try your level best to pull it together and you will come out of this stronger. Your emotional bond, your connection with them, would also become undeniably stronger.

Now that we are home-bound, it is also a good time for us to take the time to reflect on the importance of love in our lives and how we must learn to appreciate things as they can be taken away from us in a split second. Who would have thought going out to restaurants with family and friends would become illegal, or even going to the park to do some light exercises? These are among the things that we have all enjoyed throughout our lives and somehow took for granted; because we never thought we would lose our freedom to do these basic things.

We are lucky we are living in the 21^st century, where we have modern technology that is sophisticated enough to allow us to communicate with anyone we like 24/7. Besides that, not only do we get to hear their voice, we also get to see their face and see their gestures. In this pandemic, that is enough to feed and warm our soul, and to temporarily cure our longing for the natural human experience.

To date, the Ministry of Health has announced that the current MCO is working in flattening the curve. The number of new cases is lower than it was initially projected to be, which is great news for us Malaysians. This is a good example of why we must strictly adhere to the “Stay-at-Home” order accordingly. As long as we cooperate and work as one, the sooner we will be able to end this and start going back to our normal lives. Until then we all must stay strong, stay put, keep ourselves updated, take care of our health both mentally and physically, and wash our hands frequently. Stay safe, everyone. Together, we will get through this.

– Corporate Liaison and Digital Media Department

This month has been a challenging month for us Malaysians what with the recent new strain virus outbreak known as COVID-19. To date, there has been more than 1,500 positive cases in Malaysia. Good news is, so far 139 patients have recovered and been discharged.

Now that Malaysia is under Restricted Movement Order (RMO), we at LBS hope everyone is quarantining themselves at home to help flatten the curve. Go out only when it is absolutely necessary and practice social distancing at all times. It is up to each one of us to help stop the spread of the virus. Only with our collective effort, we will be able to end this and stop the nightmare.

During this RMO period, let’s take the time to really dig deep and reflect on every little aspect of our lives, do a little soul searching. Look at the things we have been taking for granted for years, and how important it is for us to start being grateful for every blessing that comes our way, be it big or small. You don’t have to be picky, there is nothing too small for you to be thankful for. It can be as simple as appreciating the clear weather or how quickly your online shopping parcel arrived despite the current restriction.

Find gratitude in your challenges. Sometimes, thinking about negative or difficult situations can help to really nail down what you have to be thankful for. Dig a little deeper into some of your own past experiences and try to figure out how they have helped shape you into the person you are today. How those experiences have matured you and strengthen you, and how they’ve prepared you for future obstacles.

Take this time to cultivate better health habits. Eat more nutritious food to help boost your immunity, do some home exercise to keep fit, and avoid risky behaviours such as going out unnecessarily. Our health is one of the things we tend to subconsciously take for granted, and this will stop us from having optimistic and healing attitudes. When we take better care of our physical health, our mental state will be better too.

We know by now a lot of people are starting to get restless. A sudden halt from the hustle and bustle of life, and we understand completely. In times like these, you must learn how to slow down and take things one day at a time. Don’t think about two weeks, but rather focus on today. Do some breathing exercises. Count your blessings. Say it out loud if you have to! Make small goals for the day that you would like to achieve. This is a reset, and a chance for you to look at life from a different perspective.

Until then, stay safe, follow the orders, and wash your hands frequently!