Malaysians sing from balconies in solidarity amid Covid-19 shutdown

KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysians have jumped on the “balcony festivity” bandwagon, with people singing in unison from their homes amid a nationwide lockdown to stem the spread of Covid-19.

The trend, which began in virus-struck Italy, has now become a way to keep Malaysians upbeat and raise morale during their 14-day mandatory shutdown.

Several videos have been shared on social media showing people singing in solidarity during the government-imposed movement control order (MCO).

The videos, from various condominiums, show people singing from balconies and windows in an attempt to boost confidence, with all non-essential businesses and services still closed in the country.

A widely-shared video on Facebook shows residents in an apartment singing the patriotic Saya Anak Malaysia song by singer Salim Ibrahim, who is better known as Dr Sam.

The video, which has been shared over 18,000 times, has garnered many heart-warming messages from social media users who lauded the residents for staying positive at these worrying times.

In another video, believed to have been taken at Irama Wangsa Condominium in Kuala Lumpur, a group of people are cheering to a song being played from a loudspeaker.

In a Twitter post, the user wrote: “Balcony singing in solidarity spread across Malaysia during Covid-19. We are together in this, Malaysia.”

Malaysia is one of the worst affected countries in South-east Asia by Covid-19, with 1,306 confirmed cases and 10 deaths as of Sunday (March 22).

From Malaysia to Europe and the US, the pandemic is forcing a growing number of people around the world to self-isolate, leading to widespread anxiety. 

Some, however, have tried to spread positive vibes, and after several videos of Italians singing and dancing from balconies and windows went viral on social media, people from other countries quickly joined the movement to build scenes of support and solidarity across their country.

Malaysia is now in its sixth day of the two-week MCO that is in effect until March 31. MALAY MAIL