Malaysia (Covid-19 & Eating during Movement Control Order MCO 2.0 ) Jan 2021

MCO 2.0 lockdown commencing Jan 13 2021 ! Unlock Feb 4 2021 ?

MCO 1.0 March 18 > April 28 2020. MCO 2.0 Jan 13  > Feb 18 2021 ?

Stay home rule, movement limited to 10km radius under MCO 2.0 

" Good Food is very often, even most often Simple Food " 

2021 is the Chinese Lunar Year of the Ox. In the Chinese Zodiac, the OX is very hardworking & methodical. 2021 is going to be a year when work will get rewarded (hope so), and those zodiac signs who are lucky in terms of money this year will be the ones that will make a considerable effort ! So let us all work hard & "smart" like the Ox and get rid of Covid-19 to make this world a healthy place to live for all ! 

Due to the exponential increase of Covid-19 cases (averaging 3,000 > 4,000 cases daily) in my home country ie Malaysia in recent weeks, the Malaysian Government has decided to re-impose the Movement Control Order (MCO) ie MCO 2.0 & also a National Emergency has been declared on Jan 12 2021 ! Once again, the central business district of Kuala Lumpur are empty again due to stay-at-home rules as part of the Movement Control Order (MCO). When will it end ? I believe everybody is anxious to know ! Expect this coming Chinese Lunar New Year (Feb 13 & 14 2021) festive occasion to be a quiet affair ! 

Where are the people ? 

Petaling Street (Chinatown), Kuala Lumpur
- devoid of people & shopping crowd

Chinese New Year is getting closer
but Petaling street (Chinatown) is very quiet ! 

The Dos & Don'ts under the MCO 2.0 - initially from Jan 13 > Jan 26 2021 but now extended to Feb 4 2021 ie no interstate & inter district travel, no social gatherings eg weddings, religious processions, group sport activities etc, roadblocks will be mounted, movement limited to 10km radius. only 2 people per household to purchase groceries at supermarkets etc, only 2 people allowed per vehicle, fine of Rm1,000 for anyone who violates these rules, eateries & hawker stalls may operate but only takeaways & food deliveries are allowed.

After almost a year of going through MCO (Movement Control Order), CMCO (Conditional MCO), RMCO (Recovery MCO) & in some places under worst case scenario EMCO (Enhanced MCO) & a soon-to-be mass vaccination scheme, Malaysians are looking forward for a Cuti Cuti Malaysia (Staycation) & hopefully an overseas dream vacation to see the world again when international flights resume & borders open ! In the meantime especially during the MCO 2.0 period, just stay home, LIFE is simply beautiful ! But for the outdoor activists, this maybe a tall order ! 

Chinese Lunar New Year decor in Empire Shopping Galley (Saturday Jan 23 2021) - a 5 minutes walk from my home place ! 

Fast Food restaurants & eatery outlets in Subang Parade & SS15, Subang Jaya - due to MCO, no dine-in, only takeaways & food deliveries are allowed ! Needless to say, the business of F & B or hospitality industry has been gravelly affected by the MCO 2.0 ! 

Stocking up of some groceries purchased from Aeon Big Supermarket, SS19 Subang Jaya during the MCO 2.0; this time no hoarding of toilet papers, bread shelves empty etc everything looks normal but a little queuing & time waiting (senior citizens are exempted from queuing in Aeon Big Supermarket, Subang Jaya), so you can still shop in ease & convenience ! 

Wet market shopping for fresh produce, fish, chicken, pork & groceries etc with my wife in SS14 (Pasar Mini), SS15 (Wet Market) & USJ Taipan (Pasar Tani Morning Market), Subang Jaya during the MCO 2.0 (partial lockdown); not a New Normal to me going to wet market, as this is my every weekend household chore; prices of greens & fish sold in Pasar Tani Morning Market are generally lower than wet market ! Needless to say, entries to these markets are subject to usual screening, temperature checks & observing social distancing etc. Partial lockdown means spending more time at home & less eating out, so more home cooking & probably gaining weight & look rounded (hopefully not looking like a fat cat) or walking like a penguin with a big belly or tummy to show off ! 

SS15 Wet Market, Subang Jaya 

Pasar Tani Morning Market, USJ Taipan, Subang Jaya

SS15 Wet Market , Subang Jaya (Pork Stall) 

SS19 Pasar Segar Mini Market, Subang Jaya 

Roasted pork belly - Rm60 per kilo (SS15 Wet Market, Subang Jaya)

Rm75 (US$18) for 4 varieties of fish
(Pasar Seni Morning Market USJ Taipan)

Pasar Seni Morning Market USJ Taipan, Subang Jaya - Fish Stall

SS15 Wet Market, Subang Jaya

4 varieties of  fish - total Rm112 (US$27) - Pasar Seni Morning Market

Medium size prawns - Rm49 per kilo, SS15 Wet Market,
Rm60 per kilo for big prawns (Sunday Jan 24 2021)

Chinese New Year Nian  Gao (Year Cake)
prepared from glutinous rice flour 

Chinese New Year goodies on sale in wet market 

SS15 Wet Market  Grocery Stall, Subang Jaya

Grocery stall in SS15 Wet Market, Subang Jaya

Big prawns Rm79 per kilo - SS15 Wet Market,
Subang Jaya  - price increase from Rm60 > Rm79
(Jan 29 2021) come closer to CNY

Cartons of Chinese mandarin oranges on sale at a roadside in Subang Jaya 

Breakfast (takeaway or home made) eaten at home during the MCO 2.0 (partial lockdown), bought from a nearby wet market / food stalls or made our own (DIY) ! 

Fried mi hoon & noodle - Rm3.30 per package 

Yam cake - Rm3.30 per package (SS15 Wet Market, Subang Jaya)

Fei Lou Sum Wantan Mee Stall in Won Soon Kee Restoran,  SS19, Subang Jaya

2 packets of wantan mee Rm7.50 each = US$1.80
 (double portion)

Glutinous rice with peanuts Rm3.30 per packet 

Nasi lemak - Chinese style Rm3.30 per packet 

Chee cheong fun Rm1.00 per piece 

Assorted yau tau foo - Rm1.00 - Rm1.30 per piece

Black sauce & curry gravy for chee cheong fun - FOC

Hot steamed pork dumpling (Rm6) as breakfast during the MCO

Whole wheat bread with butter or mayonnaise with sliced cucumber 

Bread with egg - home made

Home cooked fried noodles + Coffee

Sardines & cucumber with bread - home made

Lunch or dessert (takeaways or home cooked) eaten at home during the MCO 2.0, bought from nearby favourite food stalls in Subang Jaya & USJ, home cooked food is always delicious & satisfying, eating in comfort at home, no hurry, no rush & some food are simple to cook if you have learned some basic cooking skill ! During my backpacking years, I normally do some simple cooking ie noodle or steamed rice with canned sardines, vegetables & anchovies / seasoning powder, using my mini rice cooker or hot plate stoves / cooking utensils provided by the hostels ! 

Steamed rice with long beans & pork sausages - home cooked

Home cooked chicken porridge 

Home cooked lunch - stir fried vegetables, bean curd with carrots & fried fish cakes 

Spaghetti with vegetables & meat - home cooked

Steamed eggs with fish paste

Home cooked lunch for 4 

Roasted chicken rice Rm6.00

Roasted pork rice Rm6.00

Home made fried mi hoon 

Home made dessert 

Home made red bean dessert 

Nyonya kuih (cake) - Rm1 per piece

MCO Promotion. Roasted chicken rice buy 5 free 1. Rm5 per pack 

Roasted chicken rice Rm6 (bigger portion) during MCO 2.0

Roasted pork belly Rm6 (bigger portion) during MCO 2.0

Home cooked lunch - fried eggs + vege + pork ribs 

Home cooked pork, dried oysters & peanut porridge 

Home cooked fish head noodle - my favourite ! 

Putting food on the table during the MCO 2.0 period - simple home cooked dinner meals (stir fried vegetables, steamed white chicken, curry gravy chicken/potatoes, steamed pork patty, fish paste, egg rolls, bean curd, egg & sliced pork ginger soup, yau tau foo (stuffed meat or fish paste in tofu or brinjal or bitter gourd) - average 2 or 3 dishes for each dinner taken at home for a family of 3 during the MCO 2.0, adopting a healthy style of eating with a balance diet !