Djohan Shahrin

Muslims in Malaysia from every walk of life prepare to mark another Raya under Covid-19 lockdown, observing age-old traditions as best they can according to health SOPs.

In Pulau Ketam, a small island off the coast of Port Klang in Selangor, an Orang Asli community observes the Ramadan fasting month in their village, constructed on stilts over the waters of the Melaka Strait.

Retired soldier A Arullapan left war and conflict behind him years ago but today, he faces a struggle of another kind. Money is short and it is up to him to take care of his wife and son who are both debilitated.

It doesn't pay as much as it used to, but Che At Bahadun, 74, does what he can to earn a living climbing coconut trees to pick the fruit.

In Baling, a rural district in Kedah bordering Perak and Thailand, pipe water is patchy at best, and many residents are forced to depend on rivers for their water supply.

With fewer than 100 registered sign language interpretors in the country, communication can be a challenge for the deaf and the mute. But the Malaysian Federation of the Deaf is determined to do what it can to change this.

Institutions around the country have been floundering in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the National Blood Centre in Titiwangsa, Kuala Lumpur, is no exception. On several occasions, it has had enough supply to last only a few days as the virus and health measures put in place to control the spread of infection keep would-be donors at home.

A wide range of emotions is on display as students head back to school this week after a long enforced break from the physical classroom due to Covid-19. Mindful of public health concerns, authorities have put in place strict SOPs to circumvent further spread of infection but while some children can't wait to rejoin their friends in school, others may take a while more to adjust.

With much of the country still subject to restrictions on movements, the traditional lion dance has been far from the spotlight, forcing performers who normally rake in high profits this season to find other means of earning a living.

While many aspects of Chinese New Year will be different or entirely missing under the movement control order this year, families such as that of Fong Teck Keong in Kampung Baru Ampang will still gather for reunion dinners under strict health SOPs.

Lim Tiap Beng, fondly known as Uncle Kapitan in his village in Jelebu, Negeri Sembilan, has lived alone since his mother passed away 34 years ago. While he still has a sister and other family members, he will spend Chinese New Year alone in his rickety old house as Covid-19 movement restrictions remain in place across most of the country.

The Melaka Zoo has been empty of human chatter for a long time since its closure due to Covid-19 restrictions, and the loss of income from ticket sales means it's a struggle to keep the animals healthy. That task now rests on the shoulders of these committed zoo workers, who feed, wash, and treat the adorable and the fierce alike every day.