Malaysian parents in Singapore reunite with children after 6 months of lockdown

Among the various Covid-19 restrictions that have been put in place, being separated from one’s own children is perhaps the most difficult thing for a parent to deal with.

Such is the case for many Malaysian parents having work commitments in Singapore and were unable to return home due to Malaysia’s Movement Control Order. 

However, last Saturday (Sept 26) saw a different reality for several families who received assistance to meet their children — some six months after the borders between Malaysia and Singapore had closed and just in time for the Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations.

The tearful yet joyful reunions were documented by Malaysian politician and Johor State Executive Councillor Liow Cai Tung in a recent Facebook post. 

Liow shared that she assisted nine children from eight families to return to their parents after being separated for several months.

The children who hail from different parts of Malaysia such Pahang, Selangor, Johor and Ipoh, are aged from as young as six months old to four years old.

They have been under the care of their relatives while their parents work in Singapore, according to Liow. 

Unable to return home every week to look after their children due to the lockdown imposed, the parents can only keep in touch with their children through digital means like video and phone calls. 

Reunion of M’sian parents In S’pore with their children made possible 

According to the post, Liow sought help from the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority of Singapore (ICA) and the Immigration Department of Malaysia in order to help these eight families meet their children.

“It is absolutely impossible for nine children to pass [through] the customs by themselves, so this depends on the coordination and arrangement of various units,” she explained. 

Apart from ICA arranging transportation for the children, the officers also helped to carry their luggage to ensure that the customs clearance could be completed smoothly.

The nine children were safely handed to their parents in batches over five hours.

Below are some of the moving snapshots of the families’ tearful reunion.

“Every family has its own story”

Every family has its own story, says Liow: “Some mothers see their children crying happily because they have been separated for too long, some babysitters who are taking care of the baby are reluctant to leave and cry (sic).“

According to her, there are also some children who cry as they are unwilling to leave their grandmothers who have been taking care of them and they are unable to recognise their own mother.

For one family, Liow recounted that they had to be separated from their six-month-old baby just three days after she was born. 

Both parents had to return to work in Singapore, including the baby’s mum after completing her maternity leave.

Their original plan was to look after their baby by travelling back and forth between the two countries. The lockdown imposed, however, thwarted their plans, leaving the baby’s aunt to care for her. 

Furthermore, the subsequent lockdown extensions meant that the parents could only watch their baby grow up virtually. 

Seeing the families she has helped reunite with their loved ones back home, Liow shared that she is glad. Some families had even sent photos of their family reunion and wished her well. 

“The Mid-Autumn Festival this year is very different. The full moon is reunited, and it is our greatest satisfaction to be able to see everyone reunite safely,” Liow said. 

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This article was first published in theAsianparent.