Separated Family Members Wave to Each Other Between Woodlands & JB; Could See Each Other From Far Apart

It’s been seven months since Malaysia implemented its Movement Control Order (MCO), yet leisure travel across the border is still not permitted.

If someone were to ask you what you missed most about short trips to JB, you’d probably say cheap shopping, late-night supper, and Hiap Joo banana cake.

But while life without good banana cake might seem like a grim existence, it’s nothing compared to families who have been separated by the lockdown.

Family Members Wave to Each Other Between Woodlands & JB; Could See Each Other From Far Apart

Like many people in Singapore right now, Facebook user Mohd Izwan Sarip has not been able to see his family members, who are living in Johor.

But he may have just discovered the next best thing.

On Monday (5 Oct), Izwan shared a touching video on Facebook of him trying to reach out to his family from a pier at Woodlands Waterfront Park.

The video starts off with Izwan waving across the sea, but when the camera gets behind him, all we see is a group of buildings in Johor.

He then makes a video call to a woman.

“Where are you?” Izwan asks in Malay.

“I’m here, wearing a black and white shirt. Can you see me?” a woman replies.

In another clip, a woman can be heard saying “Hi, Papa!” on the phone, presumably to signal to her kids that their father is looking for them.

Both Izwan and his family were trying to wave at each other across the water, and his kids were getting excited.

So, did they manage to spot each other?

View From Johor

In a subsequent post, Izwan shared his wife’s view from Johor, which showed their two children trying to spot and wave to their father.

After some time, they managed to find him.

But could they really see each other? Well, here’s Izwan’s view from Woodlands:

And here’s what his family saw:

If you’re currently sitting in a puddle of your own tears, you’re not alone.

PM: Malaysia Won’t Rush to Reopen Borders

Sadly for Izwan’s family and lovers of banana cake, Malaysia won’t rush to reopen its borders despite the impact on its economy and workers, said Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.

In a televised address last month, Muhyiddin noted how countries around the world are struggling to contain the virus and prevent new waves.

“The same can happen here if we let our guard down and disregard the global situation,” he said.

He acknowledged that the border closure has affected many Malaysians, especially those working in Singapore, but said that preventing more casualties is just as important.

“We must strike a fine balance between protecting lives and livelihoods of all Malaysians,” he said.

The prime minister, as it turns out, wasn’t being overly cautious at all.

The country has recently experienced a huge spike in infections with a record high of 691 cases reported on Tuesday (6 Oct), the highest daily tally in the country.

Let’s hope that things improve and borders open up soon, not for the sake of leisure travel or banana cake, but so these poor, separated families can finally see each other.