THE Government’s Movement Control Order (MCO) has resulted in almost the whole population being restricted to their homes, and allowed to go out only for essential errands. We asked some Sabahans how they are spending their time and the following is what they told our reporters Ottey Peter, Jo Ann Mool, Ricardo Unto, Anthea Peter, Iffah Dilaney, Eifa Rizan, Lagatah Toyos, Christy Chok, Clarence Dol and Sherell Jeffery.
MOST of my time is spent on online classes. I had it tough at the beginning due to slow line connection. I also watch movies, help my mother clean the house and wash clothes.
I think MCO is good not only to curb the spread of Covid-19 but to get enough sleep. I’m sleep deprived as sometimes I study until late at night.
I rarely go home so I think it’s a good thing to spend more time with my family and get enough rest.
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Emmayaan Vivii Victor Baga,
20, student
I’M very thankful that I get to spend my time with my family during MCO at home, caring for my little baby. He was born late last year so it actually helped me to bond and have more time with him.
I am working from home. It was tough actually, juggling your time with housework, baby and you get distracted by so many things but I have my husband and we divide housework.
It was stressful, physically and mentally at first because at your workplace you have everything in place but the important thing here is safety first. At other time, my family will get together and pray.
Recca, 34, Office Worker
I HAVE been working from home during this MCO and it was quite stressful because you get distracted all the time. You want to sleep, eat and watch TV. Working at office, your sole focus is your job. I am not happy with this arrangement but am slowly adapting to it.
Most of the time, I do simple exercises, clean the house and lately I’ve been reading a lot. MCO is good to prevent the spread of Covid-19 but I think staying in the house for too long can cause mental breakdown, especially if you live alone.
Wilma, 29, Librarian
I HAVE more time to relax and spend time with my family. I’m a salesman so I meet a lot of people. Still, I adapted to the new measures. I rarely go out, I wear a mask.
It’s kind of scary to work during this time so I prefer to stay at home, do gardening and take care of my dogs. The whole thing has caused economic downturn and uncertainty but I think it is also important to put safety first.
Odemotte Juanes, 21, Salesman
I GET to spend my time cooking, gardening, reading and sleeping. Most of the time is boring but there’s nothing I can do about it.
I’m an active person, I always go jogging and walk my dogs everyday but due to the order, I restrained myself considerably as I am afraid of being infected.
I rarely go out and continuously wash my hands. I do worry about my work but I think right now we should focus on keeping safe. I hope people understand the seriousness of the situation we are in at the moment.
Cerryvina Ovey, 25, self-employed
I SPEND my time doing research on music recording which I didn’t have the time to do before as I was busy working.
As a music lover I find its hard to focus on this matter, especially if you don’t have time on your hands.
It’s unfortunate that Covid19 is around and has affected many people, but it gives time for many who didn’t have time to do anything else than their work before.
I learned how to cook some great cuisines and I have been arranging my room to be a home studio during this MCO. It was awesome, thanks to YouTube. The most beneficial thing during MCO is I got time to do what I loved to do and I got to do it with my family, too.
Sheldon Elev Baritus Gungkit,
29, IT support, Kota Kinabalu.
OTHER than working from home during working hours, all I did was play PC games all day long and spending an hour or two doing some light exercise and practising my so-so cooking skills.
I got to ease myself physically and mentally from all the work stress, and saved a lot of money from unnecessary spending.
Aaron Blantocas, 29, Assisstant
Manager, Lahad Datu
I FILL my time during this MCO period completely with family activities, especially with my children.
I also got the time to do house chores and gardening as well as relaxing activities at home such as taking my children have their bath in a mini swimming pool in house, watching television and my favourite travel vlog on youtube.
I also got to try out a variety of new recipes that are simple and spend time bonding with my children.
I can guide them to pray and understand what is happening in the world the and threat of covid outbreaks.
Elsie George, 40, teacher, Kinarut
I CLEAN the house together with my family and also some gardening.
It enabled me to bond ties my with family as before this I worked while my son was in nursery.
But now I can concentrate on taking care of him and also during MCO time I could save a lot of money as now I cooked at home compare to before where we always went out to have our meal.
Jenna Azman, 42, teacher, Sandakan
I SPEND my time playing guitar, watching television, sleep, eat and working from home by sending them via email or WhatsApp.
Now, I watched more television the last two weeks than i did the last one year.
The only problem is all the restaurants closed early and ordering food is also a problem as online food delivery can be cumbersome.
Franz BM, 50, self-employed, KK city
I AM a wife and a mother, so, of course, house chores is a top priority.
I do gardening and go online, as well as watch Korean dramas which I had been doing a lot since day one.
As for my daughter, we are blessed that we have a compound where she can run around and my husband is doing OK as well with his TV shows and online stuff. Perhaps I would look for more activities that I can do together with my family during the MCO.
Kay, Public Servant, Penampang
I PLAN ahead what I am going to do every day and also focus on completing my office work at home.
I try not to visit the kitchen often because it is quite “scary” as the longer you stay at home, the more you eat. I also watch a lot of anime and movies online apart from browsing through Facebook – there are many funny things on social media now as people are becoming more creative.
I am also active in updating my blog which are mostly on reviews.
Davelynn D Rampas, Public Servant,
Kota Kinabalu
BESIDES going to the supermarket to buy provisions for the family, I have been doing a lot of gardening. I have also been doing a lot of reflections about life.
I don’t have a problem with the MCO because I treasure my silent life and also I love gardening.
I will be planting more vegetables which are beneficial for the family. It will be pesticide-free so everyone will be able to have organic vegetables.
Jane Saliun, 65, Housewife
I’M a tutor so the moment this whole MCO was implemented, I couldn’t physically give tuition. I’ve been wanting to go online, something like producing online lessons.
I guess this MCO period speeds up the whole process. I’m planning my syllabus, doing some recordings, thinking of new ways to do tuition without being physically present.
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Kevin Yau, 30’s, Private Tutor
I HAVE been cooking more than I usually do, which is good so then I just stock up and eat slowly . My mum is very proud of me.
I watched the news recently and they were asking this professor why it is so hard for people to stay at home.
It’s very simple, the answer is that humans are social animals, we like to go out and mingle, be around people. So when you tell a very social animal to stay at home, of course people will rebel. Some of us would, some would not. But in this pandemic, even if we are social animals, safety is still the most important thing.
Jasmine Rajah, 30,
Talent Management Head
THE extended period has allowed me to sort out long overdue junk at home, as well as delve into other hobbies such as card collecting, and connecting with fellow like-minded people online throughout this period.
Kenneth Lai, 30, Freelancer
I HAVE been using my free time to enhance my cooking skills by trying out new recipes I came across when scrolling through social media.
During this MCO period, netizens have been actively posting about their culinary skills and I have picked up several new recipes to try out.
I believe the MCO is definitely beneficial for all.
I have learnt to be more appreciative towards hawkers and vendors namely our ‘Kopitiam Uncles’, ‘Roti Canai Annas’ and ‘Pisang Goreng Mak Ciks’. By trying out these recipes, I realised how much effort and thought goes into preparing a dish enjoyed by all Malaysians, such as a bowl of Tau Foo Fah or a plate of Poori with curry.
Khairudin Abd Rahman,
47, Labuan, banker
THE MCO has definitely been harder for us who have been working on vessels. Despite being docked here in Labuan, we are not allowed to leave the ship and enter the harbour, let alone go into town or return home.
It is hard for us to buy our personal essentials and visit our families. We have not stepped on land since the MCO began and our lives have been confined in a ship. I spend most of my time working and catching up on Netflix.
Daryl Eugene Anthony,
31, Labuan, deck cadet
I MANAGED to return to Labuan a few days before the MCO began. I am grateful to be able to be home and by my family during this challenging period.
Of course virtual classes have not been easy for us students, especially with the exams coming up. Slow internet connection has also been an obstacle for me with my online studies.
We also do not know what to expect for our examinations, whether we will have to do the exam online or will it be postponed, etc.When we do not know what to expect, studying gets hard for us as we wont be able to focus on one thing.”
Jacynthia Joycelyn Teo,
22, Labuan, law student
AS a stay-at-home mother, my routine has been pretty much the same with and without the MCO. Now, as I am less preoccupied with my children’s school activities, I am using my free time to earn some extra pocket money.
Many friends who are working in essential industries are still going to their offices for work. As most eateries are closed, they have asked me to cook and cater their lunches. This has provided me with some side income for the family.
Nuzaimah Baharudin,
49, Labuan, housewife
DURING the MCO, I finally got to do the things that I have always planed to do but never got the chance to. To be more productive with my free time, I have managed to push myself to do a daily morning and evening workout.
I also got to bond with family members by having movie marathons, got to experiment new recipes, learn new dance move because of the famous ‘TikTok’ application. Overall, I would say that the MCO is a good initiative to prevent the spread of Covid-19.”
Edrie Georgiena M., 26, Labuan,
purchasing & warehouse officer
I CONTINUE to do my business from home. Although orders have dropped by about 70 per cent, there are still customers who place orders for home celebration during their special day.
During this period, I also get to spend more time with my family and teaching the younger family members to bake.
Hadija Ahmat, Lahad Datu, Bakers
I TOOK the advantage of having the abundant free time during this MCO by gardening near our house. This is a good time to share hobby with my family and we finally have opportunity to clean the house together as well as repairing some items that have been long broken.
“We also went to our farm, right behind our house to clean also to exercise so that we will be healthy during this MCO.”
Barlianta Abdul Hakim, Lahad Datu,
Private Sector
I PREPARE some of online teaching materials for my nephews and nieces so that they can spend their holidays in useful activity.
I also took over all the house chores and let my parents rest during this MCO.
Asma Roslan, Lahad Datu,
Private Sector
I SPEND my time to cook and bond with my children. During this period, I cook at their request and assist them to do their homeworks.
I finally have time to try the recipes which I saved on Facebook as well as clearing my closet.”
Abie Lim, Lahad Datu, Salesperson
I HAVE to work from home during this MCO but during my leisure time, I usually cook and spend some time with my cats.
I also spend some time to get my work done such as organising the photos and articles on my computer.”
Norwahida Yamaludin,
Lahad Datu, Reporter
APART from ‘work from home’ as I’ve been involved in essential services, I took this opportunity to observe my kid’s progress as they also given online task by their respective teachers. I think this is also a way of spending quality time with my family.
Ismail Awang, 42, Tawau, Chairman
of Pusat e-desa Tanjung Batu
I DO a lot of house chores and spending time doing bead handcraft for scarf and necklace. I get so many benefits from MCO and Covid19 for this is a good time for me to get rest and do my hobby of making bead handicraft. I also sew beads on Kadazan traditional costumes, furthermore, I repaired a broken mirror with thrown wood which is I collected. Do not waste.
Mary Fred @ Kak Midah, 50s,
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Papar/Tawau, entrepreneur/
welfare volunteer
I SPEND my quality time with my lovely family watching television and cook their favourite dishes. We also bergotong-royong tidying up the home as early preparation for the coming holy month of Ramadan and hari raya besides helping out my six years old son with his school task.
Apart from that, we also initiated selling pre-loved bags online through facebook live to get side income to accommodate our cost of living during this hard time.
Nurul Hanie Kadil,
35, Tawau, housewife
I SPEND a lot of quality time with family and reading my favorite book which I rarely was able to do before this.
Abdul Mansah Abdul Samad,
42, Kalabakan, entrepreneur
I DIDN’T stay home during MCO as I have been involved with help mission for Covid19 front liners and affected families. Working during MCO is a bit challenging because we have to be extra careful to meet the Standard Operation Procedure (SOP) and make health and safety first.
Alex Dennis, 35, Tawau, volunteers
I AM spending some of my time attending meetings with the council committee and discuss precautions taken during MCO. I arrange to send protective equipment to the frontliners in hospital. I also explaining the latest situation and related information about Covid-19 and MCO to those in doubt through messages or calls, even help them surfing for the cheapest protective equipment on the net. In the evening, I will be washing my car or watering plants.”
Datuk Chin Chee Syn,
48, Tawau, councillor
I GO out shopping for veggie, fruits and groceries. I follow the advice. I will clean the things and take a bath before going near my kids. I also do some online shopping apart from giving virtual teaching, answering questionnaires and doing lesson plans.
As parent, I use to guide my two sons in their school works as given by their teachers through Whatsapp class group.
I also teach my kids daily life skills like washing dishes, baking, mow the lawn…etc. I, myself, also learnt a new skill on trimmimg hair for my kids from YouTube. I gained cooking and baking ideas from Facebook and shared my recipes with friends via whatspp group.
In short, no matter how’s life is going to be, as Malaysians we must obey and cooperate.
Yap May Tze, 40, Tawau,
Form Six physic teacher
I HAVE been spending most of my time ploughing on and catching up with research for my educational dissertation. I do not usually have much time to do so on normal working days. My goal is to complete it, hopefully before the lifting of MCO, which I hope will take place soon. Get well soon, Malaysia!”
Ir. Dr. Cheong Vai Yan, 52,
Tawau, business owner
I AM guiding my son and daughter for homework, cooking, gardening and baking at home.
Serena Wong, 36, Tawau,
nursery school principal
“AS A woman, who has multiple jobs, I need to buy fresh vegetables from market every day and guide my children in their homework. Suddenly, I am feeling that my contribution is too much but a strong parent-child relationship can help lead to better outcomes for children. Also, I am taking advantage of this period to teach children to complete house chores independently.”
Janetces Lim, 42, Tawau,
UCMAS Centre principal
I HAVE more time to relax and do the things that I always wanted to do like learning to cook and read more books. Now I have time to finish reading my favorite novel the Les Miserables. Other than that, watching TV and YouTube”
Sara Lonira, 23, Kg Kilimu,
Quantity Surveyor
ALTHOUGH having to spend days at home during the Corona Virus pandemic, as a teacher there is still work to be done. Other than that I could spend more time with the children and do my hobby which is painting. I also spend much time praying.
Felicia George, 53,
Ranau, Teacher
I AM having much time with my family and continue my piano lessons at home. Apart from doing some studies and research on my own, I also help my mother in cleaning the house”
Sandra Leo, 21, Medical Student,
UMS/Kg Lukapon Ranau
BEING attached closely to the Ranau Parliamentary Office, I spend time helping out the department in delivering aid and contributions to villages across the district with other members of the office, led by MP Jonathan Yasin. While at home I spend much time with my family and guiding my children in doing their homeworks.
Endy Ladis, 44, Kg Gana-Gana,
Entrepreneur/Philanthropist
I GOT to spend my time with my mother and siblings and we do a little gardening together. I also enjoy listening to my favorite music and watching my favorite movies”.
Shera Laura, 25, Kg Kilimu, Engineer
I WATCH television. I also compose religious songs.
Aud, 40s, Retail Supervisor, KK
I EXERCISE, tidy the house, read books and cook.
Frone, 20s, Tourism Management
Coordinator, KK
I COOK and eat. Occasionally I jog on my treadmill at home. Sometimes we exchange meals with the family next door. I also take time to pray with my family. Best of all, I have time for a drink or two