SELAMAT Hari Raya, Malaysia.

I am writing this on the morning of Hari Raya Aidilfitri, which is unusual. The Covid-19 pandemic has made unexpected changes in human behaviour.

Firstly, it has made 2020’s Aidilfitri celebration an extraordinary one,a once-in-a-lifetime experience during which we cannot perform prayers en masse or go visiting. Personally, we may feel disappointed but for the nation, we are happy to do this. The novel coronavirus has raised our sense of civic obligation.

Secondly, the virus prompted the making of history in our august House. Our beloved

Yang DiPer-tuan Agong led the Dewan Rakyat in applauding our frontliners. The House saluted healthcare staff, police and army personnel, waste collectors, cleaners, volunteers, cargo workers and delivery service riders for continuing to serve amid the Covid-19 outbreak.

The virus is deadly and will hit anybody. Even the Yang DiPertuan Agong and Prime Minister had to quarantine themselves after a staff member tested positive for the virus. Still, this pandemic has brought us together: Foregoing hitherto strong clan consciousness, the nation came together to adhere to Health Ministry SOPs (standard operating procedures) and maintained social distancing and wore face masks in public and frequently washing of hands with soap.

Then we appeared on the world’s stage for being among the best in handling the spread of the virus. Which makes a nice change from appearing in global headlines for corruption trials and airplane accidents.

Our Health director-general has been hailed as among the best in the world. Our frontline workers have been held in good esteem.

We have become an example of how to handle the pandemic.

And then there is the movement control order (MCO). Despite the difficulties it causes, it nevertheless made the crime rate fall - there have been no snatch thefts in cities. The accident rate fell, too. Never have there been calm roads before Chinese New Year, Hari Raya and Deepavali but this year, on the day before Hari Raya, the highways were calm. My sister, who works as an intensive care unit nurse, said that for once, she and her colleagues were not run off their feet tending to accident victims.

We also discovered there are many kind-hearted people in Malaysia. In these challenging times, volunteers appeared in droves to help the homeless, the stuck and frontliners. Housewives and designers made personal protective equipment (PPE) when it became scarce. My sister said a Datin donated material to the Sultanah Nur Zahirah Hospital to make PPE.

Next, online teaching and learning was done full-scale. Universities and schools are closed but students and pupils are not suffering academically, as they are being taught online. Office workers too are working online from home. Yes, we experienced the calm of working from home - no need to leave home early, no need to scramble for parking.

The older generation, stereotypically said to fear computers and doing anything online, suddenly had to learn to work online. For example, older university staff who might have been avoiding online teaching had to learn Google Classroom, Google Hangouts, Zoom, etc, for meetings and classes. They have discovered the fun of doing things online.

That much-feared Form Three examination, the PMR, was cancelled, much to the relief of parents and pupils - we have discovered that it doesn’t make a huge difference in students’ lives. I spoke with a retired teacher who said it was a huge relief.

And the nation became smitten with Sugu and Pavithra’s cooking. The young couple became a YouTube sensation. Many Malay-sians, including our Prime Minister, have tried their recipes. I myself don’t like cooking but I actually made their Terung Bulat Goreng Belacan (Eggplant Fried with Shrimp Paste) - and it tasted good! From them, Malaysia and the world learned about Malaysian Indian recipes and food. Sugu and Pavithra have done Malaysia proud.

YouTubers with international followings have begun to pay attention to Malaysia. There’s Cak Lonjong of Indonesia who described with awe how Malaysia was helping people during the MCO period and an American - the “travelling dentist” - who described “15 ways Malaysia did the impossible” in handling the pandemic (bit.ly/youtube_malaysia).

DR MEGAWATI OMAR , Shah Alam

https://www.thestar.com.my/opinion/letters/2020/05/26/silver-lining-of-a-pandemic