KUALA LUMPUR, March 19 ― It has been two years since Malaysia went into its first lockdown. Overnight everything shut down; offices, shops and our borders.
Our photographers took pictures of what was happening during the various lockdowns, reopenings and everything in between.
But which were the pictures that touched them the most? The scenes that stood out for them.
Here Miera Zulyana (with the help of reporter Soo Wern Jun) tells us why these three pictures moved her the most:
Kuala Lumpur like I have never seen it before
On April 8, 2020, I was in the Masjid Jamek area at 2.30pm and it was gloomy and quiet.
There was no one about in this usually busy area; all the shops were shut, nothing was open.
This was my first time ever experiencing Kuala Lumpur city this empty and lifeless.
I chanced upon this moment as I was walking around; workers carrying out a disinfection exercise with the KLCC in the background. I was stunned, to the point that I realised that this was real, it was actually happening.
I knew that I had to capture this moment for my own personal keepsake.
Fighting the Covid war in the hospitals
Fast forward to a year later, as the country was facing worsened Covid-19 pandemic conditions, our focus transitioned to photographing emergency situations.
This was taken during my visit to the Shah Alam Hospital emergency ward, on July 23, 2021. Doctors were tirelessly attending to Covid-19 patients who were in critical condition.
At that point, I did not know what to feel; there weren't enough beds, ventilators were shared and the frontliners were exhausted.
It was only when I arrived home, I had a flashback of the situation in the Shah Alam Hospital and that almost sent me into a panic attack.
There was nothing I could do, but to say a prayer, for my family and me, that we would be kept safe from Covid-19 and none of us have to go through that dire situation at the hospital.
When will we enjoy a Ramadan bazaar again?
This was taken during the fasting month on May 3, 2020, at the Padang Jawa, Shah Alam Ramadan bazaar.
It wasn't the usual excitement that you would feel when you're at a Ramadan bazaar, taking your time to check out each stall for the best food bargain.
For the first time, visitors to the Ramadan bazaar were required to form a line prior to entering the bazaar. There were police officers monitoring the movement of visitors. Each food stall was also inspected by the police officers present, for adherence to standard operating procedures.
But it was also during this time that the Ramadan bazaar here in Padang Jawa was the liveliest compared to other bazaars I surveyed.
It was also the first time that I was fearful of visiting a Ramadan bazaar because of Covid-19; it made me fear crowds.
I really miss a busy Ramadan bazaar, and I hope that we can experience that this year.
