SINGAPORE - Mr Fozzil Jaffar, who is a regional manager at Murdoch University in Perth, Australia, used to return to Singapore four to five times a year for work.
With travel restrictions brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, the 46-year-old Singaporean, his Malaysian wife and 19-month-old son have not been home for almost two years, and he has been hit with a strong bout of homesickness.
"I miss Singapore badly, especially my family. The food my mum prepares is my favourite thing. And it is good to just be with my family in our living room in Singapore or go out for a meal with them," he said.
While Perth has controlled the Covid-19 outbreak better than some other cities around the world, with few social restrictions or requirements such as mask wearing, life is not the same without the family connection, said Mr Fozzil, who moved to Perth in 2002 to pursue his university education.
"Gone are the days where we could simply go online, buy a ticket and fly to Singapore the next day.
"Now, we don't know when that will happen again, or if it will ever happen at all."
Australia restricts its citizens and permanent residents from leaving the country, to manage numbers at quarantine facilities, including hotels.
He added: "Our little boy Zayden has not had the chance to visit Singapore and meet all his cousins, aunties and uncles."
To quell the homesickness, he has been meeting other Singaporeans there, taking turns to host and cook meals.
For this National Day, the Singapore Western Australian Network, which he is a part of, has organised a gathering, which is expected to draw 120 people.
It will feature quizzes, a lucky draw, Singaporean cuisine and a screening of the National Day Parade theme song The Road Ahead, he said.
Mr Fozzil, who had to travel to meet prospective students, university partners and government agencies as part of his job, now conducts his student interviews and counselling sessions online. Exhibitions and marketing activities have gone virtual too.
His wish for Singapore is for everyone to respect one another regardless of race, language or religion. "Diversity is meant to be celebrated, and not to separate us," he said.
"I also wish for all of us to take our health and well-being more seriously now... We don't know how much longer we may have to continue fighting this pandemic."
