Memes about MCO round 2


As Malaysians anxiously waited for Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s live broadcast yesterday, many could have already predicted that MCO will be reintroduced again, given the increasingly high number of reported COVID-19 cases and predictions circulating on the Internet.

True enough, MCO has been confirmed in six states starting from 13th January till 26th January. Though a full lockdown may be necessary to prevent cases from spiking again, it is understandable that people are not looking forward to being cooped up at home again. So the best way to deal with the situation is apparently none other than creating and posting a bunch of self-deprecating memes on social media platforms, almost immediately after the announcement was made. Here are the best 8.


1) 2021? More like 2020 Season 2


meme depicting how 2021 is already going downhillImage credit: @Jafri1986

To say that 2020 was one of the worst years ever is not an exaggeration. Despite all the hardships and tribulations, we managed to triumph over the negativity with heartwarming moments, and make it all the way to 31st December 2020, praying for a better year ahead as we quietly welcomed 2021.

But we’re barely 2 weeks into January when the MCO round 2 was announced, followed closely by the declaration of a state of emergency which is supposed to last till August. So it doesn’t seem like things are looking up at all. Here’s hoping that we will have better days in last quarter of the year perhaps?


2) It’s like looking into a mirror


meme depicting how march last year and this year will be the same
Image credit: dopl3r

The first MCO took place in March last year, and now, almost one year later, it seems like we’re going back to right where we began. Now we know how Tom Cruise felt in Edge Of Tomorrow. Bill Murray in Groundhog Day. Or Jessica Rothe in Happy Death Day. You get the idea.


3) There’s a possibility that we might spend the whole of 2021 at home too


meme depicting how mco might last the whole year
Image credit: u/Sanitizem8

Ask Malaysians what they did last year and majority of them will tell you “absolutely nothing notable”. There’ll be anecdotes of us making Dalgona coffee or waking up to a bunch of funny but ridiculous antics that netizens have been up to to keep busy during the last MCO. But the point is, there wasn’t really anything of note here.

And before we knew it, 2020 had come to an end, and we don’t remember how did time fly by so darn quickly when it felt like the minutes were barely crawling past when MCO first kicked in.


4) Rest of Malaysia can’t relate with the six states placed under full MCO


meme depicting mco in 6 states
Image credit: u/GNR_DejuKeju

The six states that are in full lockdown include Selangor, Sabah, Penang, Johor, Melaka, and all Federal Territories, while other states with lower number of cases are either in CMCO or RMCO.

Grumpy Squidward represents exactly how the six states that are in strict MCO can only gaze out the window sadly while the rest of Malaysia frolic outside like Spongebob and Patrick.


5) Zero local cases? I haven’t go by that name in a long time, pal


meme depicting how we once had 0 cases
Image credit: u/PSYCHO_ZAF

Once upon a time back in July 2020, we came out of MCO fresh and happy, enjoying our RMCO status with zero local cases. That lasted for three sweet months before cases started spiking alarmingly in October and today, we’re at more than 2,000 new cases everyday.


6) SPM candidates can’t deal with this no more


meme depicting school staying open for SPM candidates
Image credit: u/CajamBeingGay

With SPM already delayed, the candidates would really like to get their exams over and done with. The good news is, schools will remain open with strict SOPs in place, so that SPM students in MCO states can still attend classes. But with the increasing number of cases, it’s not exactly the most ideal situation for them either. Panik is understandable, indeed.


7) Leave Gardenia alone


meme depicting stocking up on gardenia bread
Image credit: u/this_username

The last MCO saw Gardenia bread flying off the shelves as people started panic-buying and stocking up on groceries. And for some reason, everyone really liked bread suddenly.

In all seriousness, there is no need to panic-buy as essential services will continue operating. So just get what you need and leave the rest for others!


8) PM’s address happening in the PM


meme depicting time of PM's address
Image credit: u/PorkyPain

In a clever but eye roll-inducing use of word play, Twitter user @hanifjamals casually asked what time was the PM’s announcement – to which another user @amiradamantium replied, “Probably in the evening, because PM.”


Memes about MCO round 2 unite netizens


While the reimplementation of the MCO is no joking matter – a lot of people and businesses get ready for a rough ride ahead – it doesn’t seem like we can do much about it, except keep strictly to SOP guidelines and hunker down for the next 2 weeks. And to pass the time, we will likely be scrolling through many more memes as we stay at home and stay safe.

Take a walk down memory lane with past funny MCO-related news:


Cover image adapted from: u/GNR_DejuKeju

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