Stranded Sarawak student keeps calm amid the calamity

SIBU: Ivan Yeo Zhi Yu, 19, an undergraduate from Bintulu stranded at the China University of Geosciences in Wuhan is trying to keep calm and not think too much about the calamity that has struck the city.

Being locked up in his hostel since the Chinese New Year has not been easy. He has been keeping himself occupied and is ready to leave the country along with his Sarawak state sponsored university mate Balachandar Subramaniyan, 43, who is there with his wife and two children.

“Actually, it is the same routine everyday. Wake up, look for the latest news and read books, have meals, that’s all. Sometimes I will look outside from the window to see what’s going on but there is hardly any activity, ” he said when asked how he was getting by via Messenger.

Yeo said there was hardly anyone outside the hostel where he was staying as all of the over 200 foreign students who did not go anywhere during the festive holidays were told by the university to stay put in their hostels.

The officials would come to update them on any information about the disease and university workers also come to clean up the public areas on and off, he said.

Wuhan has been in a state of lockdown with people told to stay indoors since Jan 22 to contain the outbreak.

“As for food and drinks, we have to settle it ourselves. However, they do provide us with masks, ” said the Geography and Environmental Science undergraduate.

Asked on how much food stock he has left, Yeo said he had milk and instant noodles that he estimated could last for 15 days.

He said he would have to consume the available food “wisely” until help arrived.

“Actually, the Malaysian Embassy tried to send food and some supply to me but was unable to do so because of the lockdown.

“I heard our government has already planned to evacuate us. Hope everything will be smooth and fine, ” he said.

Yeo and Balachandar’s family are among the 78 Malaysians in Wuhan that the government is trying to bring home.

Yeo said that he constantly kept in touch with his family to update them on his situation.

He communicates daily with Balachandar via WeChat.

“He is worried that the situation will worsen, ” Yeo said when asked about Balachandar, a PhD student who is also staying at the university with his wife and two children.

Balachandar, who has been working in Sarawak since 2003 as a geochemist with the Mineral and Geosciences Department, is expected to complete his PhD in Geophysics in September this year. — Bernama