[Work From Home, Day 9]
It has been almost 2 weeks now. We are still under the Movement Control Order (MCO), our government’s effort to help us curb the spread of COVID-19 in Malaysia. When our government announced that we will be extending the MCO until mid of April, my heart sank. Here I am in Selayang while my parents are all the way in Seremban, one of the 8 identified red zones in Malaysia. My heart yearns for me to go back home to them, but I do not want to risk anyone’s safety and health as my husband and I both work in central Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya respectively.
Being a millennial, I spend most of my time at home scrolling through social media. And today it hits me. Amid everything that is happening now, there are a lot of things I find positive even in these somber times. Somehow, we as Malaysians are more united under these stress and challenges. Here are a few that I have observed:
1. Capable leader
We all appreciate our capable leaders. As Malaysia faces the inevitable spread of COVID-19, it is very crucial for our leaders to plan and strategize means to combat this issue from getting worse. I witness many leaders step up and lead their team. One of the public figures I admire would definitely be our Health Director General, Dato’ Noor Hisham Abdullah. In one of his announcements regarding the ‘tabligh’ cluster that is still waiting to be examined, he called for the public not to blame and stigmatize them but instead support and urge them to come forward for testing. Not to forget our newly instated Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin in his latest speech where he announced the extension of Movement Control Order. Many were touched by how genuine he is in wishing for this to end so we can all go back to the way it was. These are characteristics of honest and hardworking leaders!
2. Front-liners
They are the backbone of Malaysia in combating this crisis; the real-life heroes! From doctors to cleaners, to our everyday delivery guy, they are all our most valuable lifeline at this difficult moment. Imagine having to be away from your family while the whole country is in crisis. They are away from their families, so we can keep ours. One of the trending taglines on Twitter is the “THEY STAY AT WORK FOR US, WE STAY AT HOME FOR THEM” and the hashtags #stayhome and #dudukrumah are used to encourage the public in cooperating with the MCO. Next time you meet these kind heroes, don’t forget to give them honest and sincere appreciation!
3. Concern citizens
A friend of mine, with a few of his friends, started an initiative to keep helping the homeless during this time of crisis without any involvement from officials. They gathered funds from their circles of friends and put this into action without any involvement from the government or any officials. I also see many people in social media doing a similar thing by helping those in need near them. We can see them passing around information to help families in dire need. These efforts touched my heart. They are the kind of people that we all strive to be. It shows how connected we are as Malaysian and shares common values! #kitajagakita
4. Creativity and Positivity
Finally, I appreciate the creativity that comes in this challenging time. It puts a smile on my face to see how creative people are in preventing the spread of COVID-19. I saw a tweet where a guy puts on a unicorn costume to buy groceries to protect himself. It was funny and we definitely need some happiness injected in our lives. Besides that, the ongoing trend that goes viral on social media like the Dalgona Coffee gives us something interesting to try and to innovate on. Now everybody can feel like a barista! Many people are also taking this opportunity to spend more time with their families; mothers trying new recipes they do not have time to try before and fathers coming up with creative ways to keep their children engaged. It is indeed a blessing in disguise!
What about you? How are you dealing with this crisis and the changes that happen along with it? Do share with us at Dale Carnegie Malaysia. United Malaysia, let us all survive this together 😊
NURUL FARAHIM RAHIM BASRI
Performance Consultant, Dale Carnegie Malaysia