It was Moui who warned me of the earthquake. She sent me a message, about the 8.6-magnitude quake off Indonesia, we discussed it and I set my plans in motion. Informing my other networks was simple, but staggered under the weight of their many questions and concerns. Naturally I was worried for many who lived in the coastal areas of Malaysia, where Sumatra was just opposite, a boat ride away. Despite the low possibilities of devastating waves in Malaysia, memories of the 2004 tsunami in Aceh and the many floods ravaging my country briefly stopped me in my tracks.
I made a few calls, met with some concerned villagers living near Pulau Indah and asked a kind man to keep an eye on the news ~ he was checking his Facebook and watching BBC (bizarre, but he did not check the local mainstream broadcast).
Barely into my fifth sip of my hot, sweet coffee, courtesy of a kind 60-year-old woman living in a hut, my volunteer reported the second 8.2-magnitude quake. I am also worried about the aftershocks and people living in high-rise buildings. Malaysian society can be complacent at times, abandoning logic for sheer confidence ~ something one doesn’t need in a time of possible disaster.
I’m monitoring the progress, trying my best to dispel the anxiety of others. Panic is quite an infectious emotion, and whatever natural disaster that strikes, people must try to remain calm. The last thing we need is panic gripping those who are in the position to help others. Ignorance kills.
~~ Reporting from Pulau Indah
For updates
Zashnain
An avid blogger, twitterer and photojournalist, Zashnain Zainal suffers from an incurable addiction to social work, helping marginalised communities since 1989. Nowadays he travels from the plantations of Malaysia to the slums of Thailand. He can be found at zashnain.com and @bedlamfury
Follow Me:
You must be logged in to post a comment.