On the 11th March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 global outbreak to be a pandemic. Following WHO’s call for countries “to urgently scale-up aggressive measures” to contain the spread of the disease, on the 16th March, the Malaysian government announced that it would observe a form of lockdown through a Movement Controlled Order (MCO), an order derived under powers given to the government in the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 and the Police Act 1967.
The recent outbreak of COVID-19 has become a world-wide catastrophe in this century. It is devastating to see many people lost their lives, especially older generations and people with high health risks. In Malaysia, coronavirus has begun to replace our day-to-day life with a new norm.
Folklore atau cerita-cerita lisan merujuk kepada cerita-cerita fairy tales, lagenda, mitos, muzik, tarian, seni kraf dan lain-lain. Dari segi kajian folklor, para sarjana atau dikenali sebagai folklorist menjelaskan folklor sebagai perspektif sesebuah masyakat, meliputi orang-orang adat, kepercayaan, tradisi, tindakan, dan estetika yang penting kepada individu dalam kehidupan seharian mereka.
How metaphors frame our understanding of COVID-19
“Nous sommes en guerre [We’re at war]”, declared French President Emmanuel Macron on 16th March 2020. He wasn’t declaring war against another country but against COVID-19. The virus had become a pandemic, and its global impact was known in less than 3 months.
It is the month of the year again where the colour purple (or fuchsia or the spectrum between pink and purple) paints our world. It is the month where women all over the world converge in spirit, if not physically, to celebrate their continued advocacy to make the world a better place for everyone regardless of their sexes.
