COVID-19's Impact on Ubin: One Month On
Hi all!
In today's post, I will be sharing about the impact that the ongoing COVID-19 disease outbreak has left on Ubin based on my engagement with the residents there during my impromptu visit with my mom last Sunday (Feb 23).
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When news first came out about the COVID-19 making its way into our shores back in late January, I was slightly concerned on how things would go and I knew we would have to be extremely vigilant. In fact, just days after the first local transmission cases were reported and after the Ministry of Health had raised the DORSCON level to "Orange", it became clear that there were going to be some slight inconveniences to be faced - such as additional precautionary measures taken in an effort to stop the spread of this mostly-unknown novel coronavirus.
I did not hesitate to suspend WUJ Kampung Clean-Up until further notice. I did not take any chances upon myself to put the lives of the elderly residents at risk given the nature of how my kampung clean-ups were conducted; where social interaction was the norm and both participants and residents would be in close proximity with one another for quite a prolonged period of time. I knew that this was the right decision.
Visitorship to Pulau Ubin had begun to drop, even more so following the news where the Outward Bound Singapore (OBS) Campsite on Ubin had been turned into a Government Quarantine Facility. There had been possible misinformation among the general public that they were to avoid all travels to Pulau Ubin solely because of this; which painted this false and ungrounded image that the entire island had turned into a "hotspot" for COVID-19.
This is of course, silly. The OBS Campsite is situated extremely far away at the westernmost tip of the island - a considerable distance from the nearest residence and accessible area of public traffic. Any hearsay of Ubin becoming an "incubator" for this disease or any other rumours of similar nature are simply false and undeniably damaging to the Ubin community-driven economy; and I urge anyone caught spreading these around to stop.
It was very evident that the drop in visitorship due to the COVID-19 outbreak had caused a very sombre atmosphere on the island; especially so in Pekan Ubin, Pulau Ubin's commercial town square. What should have been a very crowded area filled with visitors, especially on weekends, many resident business-owners who depend on these visitors to make a living on the island, witnessed slower business as the weeks went by.
Taxi drivers have also noted that they are getting much fewer passengers in recent weeks. Among one of the taxi drivers who expressed their concerns with me was Cik Azman, who drove us to and from Pak Ahmad's house during our visit that day. Cik Azman joked that he preferred having to drive cautiously and slowly through crowded roads rather than eerily silent ones like the one witnessed on Sunday. He added that the roads were even more silent just the day before.
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| Quick selfie with Cik Azman in his taxi van! |
The situation was not much different when we arrived in Kampung Sungei Durian. Pak Ahmad's Drink Stall which has a full capacity to entertain 60 customers at any given time, was empty.
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| What would have been a crowded place on any typical weekend, Pak Ahmad's Drink Stall was eerily quiet. |
Pak Ahmad shared with me his concerns over the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak situation and the impact that it had on his drink stall. Fortunately, he is still able to earn enough to pay for the monthly rent but understandably, should the situation not improve over the next few months, it may be possible that this may no longer be the case. Nonetheless, Pak Ahmad displayed resilience and positivity; and treated both my mom and I to some fresh durian that just fell off his durian tree the previous night.
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| Pak Ahmad prying open a durian for us |
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| Some durian and coconut for brunch |
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| There's a reason why its called a durian - and why it's also called the king of fruits. Of course, earning scars from prying open a durian is actually a kampung tradition (that I made up for myself, hehe) |
Things weren't as gloomy as it seemed in the Malay kampung, however. Just a few houses away, loud music was blaring from the loudspeakers at Nenek Jariah's house. I was informed by Pak Ahmad and Cik Azman earlier that Nenek Jariah had returned back home with her family the day before for a simple barbecue.
I was greeted with a very warm and huge smile by Nenek Jariah's brother, Cik Ibrahim, who was already waving and welcoming me to come over to their house as I made my way over. Also, there seated in Nenek Jariah's serambi was their neighbour, Cik Othman who joined in the simple family gathering.
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| Nenek Jariah's house was abuzz in what would have sometimes been a very quiet Kampung Sungei Durian. |
Nenek's Jariah's daughters, Cik Midah and Cik Mazlah were seated next to one another, happily sieving through the belinjau and cemperai leaves which they have foraged from their garden, while their children just came back from their fishing escapade. Meanwhile, Cik Othman and Cik Ibrahim were busy picking out a new CD from their big box of karaoke CD collection which they have labelled "Main2 Di P. Ubin" or "Playtime in Pulau Ubin" in Malay. Needless to say, there was a whole lot going on in that serambi.
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| Like mother, like daughters. The kampung way of life would never disappear for these kampung girls. |
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| Cik Ibrahim warming up his vocal cords as he prepares to sing up some 1960s slow rock. |
Aside from being offered to indulge in some delicious homemade cooking from the family, Cik Othman and Cik Ibrahim also encouraged me to sing some karaoke with them. I've never been that confident to sing in the shower, let alone in front of a live audience - but since everybody was in high spirits, I decided I should give it a shot by singing to some classic hits by the late P Ramlee.
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| Oh, how amazing it is to be eating food prepared with love in the kampung. |
It was very fun to be singing to popular 1960s music, as it gave out this nostalgic vibe in the kampung. I could just imagine the residents back in the days tuning in to their radio to listen to these songs by the late talented P Ramlee. I was happy to see that everyone there was having a wonderful time and really enjoying everyone's company. After a meaningful time at Kampung Sungei Durian, it was time for my mom and I to head back home.
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| But before we left, a quick pic with Pak Ahmad- |
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| -And one for my mom with Nenek Piah, too! |
When I looked back during my visit that Sunday afternoon, I was reminded of what it meant to be strong in the face of uncertainty and adversity.
While there might be a handful of Singaporeans who chose to weather through this disease outbreak cooped up in their homes, there are also those - like Nenek Jariah and her extended family - who chose to stare COVID-19 in the eyes and continue living life with no worry or fear.
There are some who chose to only see the bad and dwell into the fear of this disease, but there are also some - like Pak Ahmad and Cik Azman - who showcased resilience and positivity even though things may look gloomy and uncertain for them.
Fear and anxiety are normal human reactions, but to give in to this fear - or to create even more fear by spreading fake and unverified news, hoarding of face masks and sanitisers, panic-buying, profiteering, discriminating against our own healthcare workers and those fighting in the frontline - could only end up endangering ourselves even more.
Together, we can each play our part in fighting COVID-19. The best defence against this virus is to look out for one another, practise good personal hygiene by washing your hands thoroughly with soap regularly, avoid touching your face with your hands, monitor your health by taking your temperature twice a day and should you be unwell, please wear a face mask, avoid crowded places and see a doctor immediately.
I pray and hope that this disease outbreak will be over soon so that a life of normalcy and ease could return to the hearts of our Ubin residents, who depend on visitors to continue in making a living on their island home.
In addition, should you be free and healthy, do consider lending a helping hand to our Ubin residents by patronising from their stalls and businesses right here on Pulau Ubin. It would mean a lot to them to know that their fellow countrymen in the mainland are there to support them in tiding through this difficult period together as a nation.
Together, we can overcome!
May Pulau Ubin thrive again, with its people in its heart.
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