7. MAS planes grounded at KLIA Terminal
Full Itinerary,  Outdoor Adventure,  Travel

Arriving at An Abandoned KLIA for Quarantine in Malaysia

9th May 2020 / 44 Comments
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If you’ve been following my adventures, you will know that I was hiking up the Everest Base Camp trek in March 2020. An experience that I highly recommend.

Unfortunately, Nepal went into a nationwide lockdown on 24th March 2020 due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. This resulted in half of my trekking team being stuck in Lukla (i.e. the Himalayas). The other half of my team (including myself) found ourselves stuck in Kathmandu.  

After 12 days of being stuck in Kathmandu, we managed to board a rescue flight from Kathmandu to Kuala Lumpur. 

In this post, I will share my experience

  • flying home via our specially chartered Malindo flight;
  • what happened when we arrived back in Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Malaysia; and 
  • the processes that the Malaysian government had in place for us as we went through a most unusual immigration all the way to the government-controlled quarantine centers. 

An experience that was both familiar yet completely foreign.

For a quick recap of the Everest Base Camp Trek:

0. Kathmandu to KLIA Airport immigration arrival to quarantine

Malaysia’s Response to COVID-19

To control a potential second wave of infections, the Malaysian government issued an order. With effect from 3 April 2020, all Malaysians returning to Malaysia must stay in a quarantine facility for 14 days, without exception. 

Non-Malaysians were not allowed to enter Malaysia. 

A Conditional Movement Control Order (“CMCO”) was then instituted on 4 May 2020, allowing for all businesses to resume operations while instituting appropriate social distancing measures.

Flying Through An Empty Sky

16. Himalayan mountain overhead views from plane during COVID19 global pandemic lockdown
Himalayan Mountains beneath us

Having finally managed to secure a rescue plane to bring us home, we departed Kathmandu at 12.42 pm. A  4 hour 40-minute flight that would bring us back to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Nepal is a country of mountains, and this was true the moment we were in the sky. Valleys and incredible mountains spread out beneath us the moment the city dropped behind us. 

Mountains that had drawn all of us to the country in the first place. 

17. Malindo meals - Maggie meekest Cup, milo sachet
18. Malindo lunch Maggie Mee cup curry and milo

At 1.15 pm, the flight attendants came around with hot water. 

We ate from the Maggi Mee Curry Cup and milo drink that had been distributed earlier. Such a classic Malaysian meal! It felt a little nostalgic after nearly a month of Nepali food. 

That said, they weren’t serving anything else on the flight as they wanted to minimise contact between us and the flight stewards. 

19. leaving Kathmandu during COVID19 lockdown Nepal
Look at that 3 pm moon!!!

One of the most notable things about the flight, apart from the surreal social distancing measures in place, was the sky. 

It was just the most astounding blue!

At 3.09 pm (Nepali time), I even saw a three-quarter moon appearing in the sky!! I didn’t even know it was possible to see the moon in the middle of the afternoon!

20. leaving kathmandu during COVID19 lockdown global pandemic
How can the sky change so quickly in one flight?!

After the blue skies, there came…  the most stunning clouds. I couldn’t stop staring. 

21. arriving at Kuala Lumpur International Airport
Sunset in Malaysia as we approach the KLIA landing strip!

We came within sight of land and the airport around 4.23 pm Nepali time / 6.38 pm Malaysian time (yes, I recorded every moment down to the detail!). 

Again, can I just talk about the sky?

As it was sunset, the sky was now a stunning reddish gold against the open seas. 

As we landed, our pilot reminded us again of the recent Malaysian order: that any Malaysians returning from 3 April 2020 would have to go straight to a government-controlled quarantine center or hospital (if you were sick/had tested positive).

22. landing at Kuala Lumputer International Airport KLIA during COVID19 lockdwon in Malaysia
Look at those rows of airplanes parked on the tarmac in KLIA!

As we came closer to KLIA, I saw the sight I’d been waiting for: rows upon rows of planes parked on the tarmac. 

Lined up in perfect formation.

We landed at 7.04 pm. 

And soon after, my network sign turned to “Maxis Stay At Home”.

The first of many signs that I had returned to a home that was nothing like what I had left behind. 

Landing in an Abandoned Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA)

1. arriving at KLIA Departure Terminal
2. arriving at KLIA Departure Terminal

The corridors of KLIA’s arrival hall were dark and silent.

Upon exiting our plane, we were greeted by policemen who informed us that those transiting to Singapore should head to the left. 

For us Malaysians, we headed to the right towards where the Aerotrain was located.

3. all cancelled flights on flight board after arriving at KLIA Departure Terminal
Every single shop within the KLIA Departure Hall was shuttered due to Malaysia's COVID-19 MCO Lockdown.

Passing by rows upon rows of shuttered shops, each of them stating that they would be closed indefinitely. 

4. all cancelled flights on flight board after arriving at KLIA Departure Terminal
CANCELLED CANCELLED CANCELLED CANCELLED!!

One of the most surreal sights at KLIA was the departure board showing that every single flight was CANCELLED. 

There were policemen at nearly every corner. The amount of resources used was staggering. 

We didn’t use the Aerotrain as that was closed. Instead, we were directed towards an escalator leading downwards, and there, we saw more signs of what COVID-19 had done to our country.

5.social distancing warning at KLIA Departure Hall instead of Aerotrain
6. bus at KLIA to go to immigration

A sign telling us to maintain social distancing. 

Lines on the floor as we queued for the bus that would take us to the immigration area.

7. MAS planes grounded at KLIA Terminal
The lonely, eerie row of airplanes parked on the tarmac of the KLIA Airport

That bus ride took us past many of the planes parked at KLIA. 

8. KLIA Terminal immigration
Travellator leading to the body thermometry & immigration counter at KLIA

At the end of the short bus ride through the tunnel, we were greeted by even more policemen who directed us towards the awaiting infrared body thermometry. 

9. KLIA Terminal immigration
Snaking our way to the first pit stop: tables with a form on them to be filled

Once past the scanner, came the immigration counters. But the place had been transformed!

The area where people used to queue in individual lines was removed. Instead, signposts were arranged that made us walk in a long snaking line until we came across a small collection of tables. 

I was actually surprised that no one stopped us recording the whole surreal process!

Each table was allocated to each person, and a Health Declaration Form awaited us on that table.

10. form for Malaysian returnees for COVID19 pandemic
Health Declaration Form to be completed at the table

Once the Health Declaration Form was completed, we had to walk through the very lengthy queue before arriving before three health officials decked out in full-fledged PPE outfits. 

11. immigration with PPE suits
2nd & final station for us before we arrived at the immigration counter: medical staff decked in PPE uniforms

Again, each of us was seated before them and we were given another form.

This form essentially told us to mark each of the 14 days of our quarantine. If we had any fever, headache, or shortness of breath, we needed to tick it in the requisite box and submit the form at the end of our quarantine. 

Once the briefing was done, we were finally released to get through immigration.

But it wasn’t over!!

12. social distancing in KLIA immigration airport Malaysia
Another clear social distancing mark 0.0

Because once we were out, we were all made to wait. And each of the seats had a giant yellow “X” sign in between them to remind us that we were not meant to sit beside each other. 

I mean, you have to understand. At this point, I had never actually seen anything remotely related to “social distancing” in real life. It wasn’t exactly practiced in Nepal given that we were all stuck in the same place for the past two weeks (and before that, over a week in the Himalayas). 

And reading about this thing called “social distancing” that we kept hearing and reading about online, well, it just didn’t seem real. It still doesn’t!

13. waiting room in KLIA arrival hall

At this waiting area, our “head of the family” (in our case, we just appointed a representative for our EBC group) completed a form. This listed the names & personal details of the “family members”. 

And then we waited.

We waited and waited and waited, because only 16 persons were allowed to be at the bag collection area at any one point. 

We were also told that the quarantine center assigned to our plane was the KL International Hotel.

14. social distancing in KLIA arrival hall
Social distancing: 1 metre distance from each other in 2 lines, while waiting for our turn to head towards the luggage collection area

At 7.58 pm, we were allowed to move forward to where the bag collection area before the police asked us to stop again. 

Each of us lining up 1 meter apart from each other in 2 separate lines.

15. policemen at KLIA arrival hall
Policemen keeping us in check!

Policemen all around us. 

Side Note: I have never seen so many policemen in one place in my life!

When we were finally allowed to head towards the luggage collection counter, we could see the group ahead of us already moving towards the exit. 

By this point, all of our luggage had already come out so collection was a quick affair. We piled all of our things on trolleys and were again asked to wait in a line.

16. Kuala Lumpur International Airport luggage collection
The officials working at the airport were exiting through this area.

I’m not sure why, but we ended up having to wait quite a while before being allowed to move towards the exit.

But when we did move, it was again under the ever-present gaze of the many officers of the police and army forces.

18. chartered bus for bringing Malaysians to quarantine center in Kuala Lumpur
20. ambulances outside KLIA Arrival Hall

Once outside, we saw a very long row of specially chartered SMART Selangor buses awaiting us. 

And a huge crowd of policemen, army officers, medical folks in PPE outfits and ambulances!

Driving towards the Malaysian Quarantine Center

19. inside chartered bus in KL to quarantine center
Briefing by personnel in PPE outfits before the bus set off!

Each bus contained around 15 passengers. 

Again, social distancing practices kicked into place, with one person per row. We were told to wait and that the bus would bring us straight to our quarantine center.

After a long wait (notice a theme?), we began moving at 8.18 pm. I imagine we must have been quite a sight for the very few vehicles still on the road: a long line of red buses led by a police outrider. 

I didn’t know whether to feel like a VVVIP or a prisoner! 😳

Kuala Lumpur International Hotel

By 9.25 pm, we had arrived at Kuala Lumpur International Hotel. A place that we could access only after bypassing a number of police-manned security checks and many other policemen/army personnel manning the back alleys we had turned into. 

Up till this point, I must say that I was quite blown away by what I had witnessed. Everything was well thought out and organised.

There were more than enough personnel from every imaginable division around. Everyone from ambulances to bring in any emergency cases to the police and RELA officers to provide additional security. 

But THIS point is where I have my biggest complaint.

We waited in our bus without any updates. Saw policemen walking up and down the road outside our bus. But never moved. 

More than 2 hours later at 11.47 pm, we finally received word: the Kuala Lumpur International Hotel was full and all of us were being transferred to IBIS Styles Kuala Lumpur Fraser Business Park instead. 

Excuse me?

There were at least 4 buses worth of passengers and no one thought to make the appropriate passenger count to ensure that there wasn’t any unnecessary mass movement of what they called us to be “Person Under Surveillance” (PUS)?

IBIS Styles Kuala Lumpur Fraser Business Park

22 lining up to enter IBIS Hotel quarantine center
21. bus outside IBIS Jalan Pudu

In any event, we went to our new quarantine center in IBIS Styles Kuala Lumpur Fraser Business Park (“IBIS Styles Kuala Lumpur”). 

At midnight (can you believe it?!), we arrived. And passengers began to get off, five at a time. 

Again, there was a huge crowd of officials everywhere: police, RELA, army, medical assistants, and people in PPE suits. The ground was clearly marked with lines so we knew how many people could get off the bus each time. 

23. sanitising hands before entering Malaysian quarantine center for 14 days at IBIS Hotel Jalan Pudu

Closer to the entrance to the hotel, we were given a squirt of hand sanitiser. 

24. body temperature check at IBIS Pudu quarantine center

And at the door, another officer in a PPE outfit checked our body temperature again. 

Once that was done, we handed over our passport to the two hotel staff on duty. This passport was copied, and a copy of the room key was handed over. 

We were told to head straight to the lift with our luggage. 

By far the simplest hotel check-in I’ve ever been in.

Checking into IBIS Styles Kuala Lumpur 

25. Level 5 hallway in IBIS Hotel Jalan Pudu aka quarantine center in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
Level 5 hallway of IBIS Styles Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Once the lift pinged open at our hotel floor, we were greeted by… you probably guessed it, another small army of policemen! 

“Please go straight to your rooms and stay inside!” they said. Clearly not wanting us to wander around.

So off we went. 

Down a little corridor (see photo above). There was a small brown stool located right outside each room, which would be used by the hotel staff for deliveries. 

It was 12.30 am by the time we finally managed to get to our rooms. And 2.30 am when our “dinner”, consisting of toasted bread & jam, was delivered. A delayed service because the hotel had not been expecting us. 

And thus began our 14-day quarantine center adventure at IBIS Styles Kuala Lumpur. 

Conclusion

Malaysia’s National Disaster Management Agency did a fantastic job handling all of us Malaysians arriving in the country. From the moment we touched down to when we were ushered into our quarantine center rooms, there was never a lack of personnel or directions. 

Of course, I suppose given that this happened in early April, there were hiccups to be ironed out. The confusion over the quarantine center to house us and the fact that the hotels themselves weren’t expecting us is an obvious one. 

Another was that consequently, “dinner” was only served at 2 am and consisted of two pieces of lightly toasted bread (“roti bakar”) with jam and butter. Our last meal was a Malindo meal at 1 pm. 

And finally, a lack of instructions on what we could and couldn’t do. Using common sense, we assumed that we weren’t allowed to leave the room at all unless specifically told. Which was true but we never received any briefing.

But that’s a story for my next post, on what it was like spending 14 days in a Malaysian quarantine center!

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