The Covid-19 outbreak’s a lot of things: deadly, hazardous and a general pain in the ass.
Apart from being an infuriating source of inconvenience, the pandemic has also separated the tightest of loved ones and resulted in an entire host of otherwise preventable problems…
Like a long walk back to Johor Bahru from Singapore, for instance.
“But it’s not that bad,” one reasons. “Preventable, but hardly something that warrants an entire article, is it?”
Well, here’s the thing. For starters, one has to remember that it’s a long walk in the midst of a global pandemic. And for seconds…
The strider in question is pregnant, and had to walk across the entire Johor-Singapore Causeway with her luggage and two-year-old son in tow.
Pregnant M’sian Walks Back to JB via Causeway with Her Son As The Earliest Bus is on 2 May
Now you might be wondering;
Why on earth would a pregnant lady with a two-year-old boy choose now of all times to take a trek back home? And aren’t there buses in the first place for such a thing?
In answer, we present the following:
For starters, it’s revealed in an exclusive Sin Chew Daily interview that the woman, Jessie, was forced to take action in the midst of an ongoing pandemic, as her son’s social visit pass could no longer be extended.
As for the long journey back by foot, the Malaysian buses that were scheduled to retrieve Malaysians from Singapore would only arrive earliest on 2 May, though we can’t verify that. At this point, I would presume that Jessie had a tighter deadline to meet, as she decided to embark on the arduous trip back home on 27 April.
Arduous As It Sounds, It’s Not All Bad
Posting the entire ordeal on her Facebook page, Jessie entailed how the trip back home wasn’t all bad.
As she was pregnant, she was forced to let her son walk on the road himself. Thankfully, the two-year-old boy proved cooperative in an already taxing scenario.
Eventually, they reached the Johor Bahru checkpoint, where they were screened by designated health officers before being escorted to a hotel in Johor Bahru for isolation.
Jessie then shared a photo of the hotel room, and described it as small but clean.
And though the journey was excruciating in nature, she professed that she felt contented and happy.
In total, her journey from Singapore to the Johor Bahru Customs, Immigration, and Quarantine Complex took around six hours, including the 40-minute trek across the Causeway.
At the time of posting, Jessie had just arrived at JB CIQ. Netizens, amazed at her determination, turned up in droves to encourage her and wish her luck. Some also complimented her child for being so cooperative.
You can view her Facebook post here.
But Wait, Isn’t There A Movement Control Order (MCO) Going On In Malaysia?
So how on earth did she even enter Malaysia, you wonder.
Lest you’re indeed wondering that, here’s the tea:
According to Jessie, she had applied for an Entry Permit from the High Commission of Malaysia in Singapore on 23 April, and had her request approved on the 25th from the authorities.
“I heard that the High Commission of Malaysia in Singapore currently only opens 400 places for people to apply for returning home, so I suggest that fellow citizens who want to return home should make an application by email three days ago,” she said.
Humans Are Amazing
Every once in a while, you hear incriminating stories of humans committing vile deeds, acts so inhumane that you start losing faith in humanity.
And then once in a while, you read incredulous stories of humans going past their limit for a sole purpose, with such driven determination that you start regaining faith in humanity again.
This article, lest you haven’t latched on, belongs to the third:
A pregnant mother’s intent on securing the interests of her older child, no matter what it takes. A story that amazes and rallies the people at the same time, because it’s that incredible.
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And yes, I’m implying that her story belongs in a league of her own.