6 Ways the ‘New Norm’ is Actually Saving Malaysians from Our Common Bad Habits

By now, every Malaysian has definitely heard this little thing called the ‘new norm’, which is basically a whole new way of living that affects our daily behaviour and interactions with people around us. However, there’s a surprising silver lining behind all this! These new SOP’s are actually helping us Malaysians curb some of our most common daily bad habits. Can’t think of any? Then read on to see six different ways that this new norm has helped us change for the better:

1. We’re forced to line up and take turns

One important SOP that was introduced to us is that we’re required to practice ‘social distancing‘, which is to maintain a one-meter gap between one another. Because of this, we’ve been seeing Malaysians do a lot of queuing, even at places we never had to queue at before such as supermarkets, malls, clinics, even restaurants.

Back then, the only thing we’d stand in a long line for was probably to grab a ‘buy 1 free 1’ deal from our favourite fast-food restaurants. So in a way, this has been teaching us to be more disciplined and patient in our everyday lives.

2. We now prefer to take the stairs than the elevator

While this may not seem like a biggie to most of us, we forget that the lift should be prioritised for people who need it such as disabled individuals, parents with baby strollers or people with trolleys loaded with heavy items.

However, with the current SOP, we now have to adhere to the designated placements prepared in the lift like so:

As you can see, this has limited the number of people that can ride it. So instead of waiting for our turn–and getting stuck in a small space with strangers–we now prefer to use the stairs or escalator. This is obviously the better choice since we can leave the lift for people who actually need it AND it’s healthier for us too!

3. We’re no longer squished like sardines in the LRT

One of the sorrows joys of going to work via public transport is the fact that you get to experience this:

Remember the good ol’ days where you’d be squished left and right every day on your way to work? Getting on the train itself was also a challenge since we have a bad habit of boarding the train before the people in it could alight.

But ever since social distancing was enforced, new SOP’s have indicated where passengers can sit or stand and this has limited the number of people on the train. Now, our public transports actually look more comfortable for everyone. Way to go guys!

4. We’re saved from spending our money unnecessarily 

We don’t know about you guys, but there have definitely been many times (since the MCO started, of course) we thought “I want to get some boba today!” but that feeling got immediately turned off when we saw the queue to order looking like this:

While it’s great that Malaysians are abiding by the SOP’s, it does require some effort and patience to enter any stores these days. But we’re not complaining! It’s actually great because now, we’d only enter stores that are absolutely necessary for us which is beneficial for our wallets. There’s another solution to shop for everything online but that’s also advantageous for us since we can find better deals there and get the things we need for cheaper.

5. We’ve gotten used to wearing masks & carrying sanitisers

Face masks and sanitisers have become a must-have for all of us when we go out, so much so that our face feels naked without them now.

This is definitely a good thing when we’re out in public or using public transportation since sometimes, we take it very lightly when we, or those around us, have a cold or flu. But now that wearing face masks is normalised, everyone is better protected and has a lesser chance of getting infected with anything.

6. We’re practising better hygiene, especially at restaurants

Since the MCO started, restaurants were prohibited from operating and we had to suffer cook at home every day for a few months. Thankfully, all restaurants have been allowed to start operating again and we’re even allowed to dine in, but with proper SOP’s of course. For instance, we recently dined at a fast-food restaurant and there were a few SOP’s that took us by surprise.

• You need to ‘check-in’ upon entering the restaurant

You can either scan the QR code or write down your name, and an employee will take your temperature too.

• There are lines to indicate where you can stand while queuing

• You don’t need to make direct contact with the cashier

There are trays provided for you to put money or to collect food.

• You can’t sit across your partner

There are X’s plastered on each table to indicate where you can or cannot sit. This to limit the amount of diners allowed in the restaurant and to enforce social distancing for each dining table.

We also noticed that for smaller tables, only one chair is provided to allow only one diner per table.

• Food is served in takeaway bags and there is no condiments station

Instead of the usual tray, dine-in food is served in takeaway bags to keep up the level of hygiene.

The condiments station is also not available and the sauces are served in packets instead.

This may seem like a lot but we ended up taking the extra ones home, which is actually super convenient because there’ll be no more wastage from people pumping on the sauce like there’s no tomorrow!

So consider yourself warned! The next time you’re about to dine out, make sure to follow all of these new SOP’s, okay? If you’re unsure of which restaurants are safely following these protocols (especially if you’re bringing your family), why not check out Burger King! Our recent dining experience there was very pleasant due to the implementation of various safety SOP’s. Plus, you’d also get to check out this super special deal:

Burger King just released a Family Bundle promo where you can get a full meal for your whole family for only RM20 – RM25!

Just check out the tempting menu below:

Now, you and your family can enjoy some of Burger King’s best menus items including the:

• BK Tendercrisp
• Grilled Chicken Burger
• Juicy Cheeseburger, and more!

These sets would include drinks and sides too! All at super affordable prices.

If you’re already salivating like us, make sure to hurry as this promotion will only be available from now until the end of June. Plus, this bundle is also available for dine-in, takeaway and drive-thru so you don’t necessarily have to bring your whole family out to eat. So hurry on to a Burger King outlet near you to get your bundle of choice!

That’s it, no other coupons needed! (Other T&C’s would still apply, of course)

For more information on this promo or to view Burger King’s full menu, you can visit their website or you can also follow them on Facebook or Instagram to get all the juicy updates on their delicious deals!

What other bad habits have you curbed because of the new norm? Tell us below!