Top Malaysian designers are doing their part in combating the COVID-19 pandemic by sewing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for our frontliners.

According to Malay Mail, big names in the local design field such as Melinda Looi and Datuk Radzuan Radzi are spearheading initiatives to put together surgical gowns and even make face shields for our doctors and other medical personnel.

Looi said that she was inspired to make the PPE after seeing entrepreneur Liyana Zainal donate the protective gear to government clinics.

Looi said that she was pleasantly surprised when many of her designer friends, tailors, and even manufacturing companies came forward to ask how they could contribute too.

Let's sew together

As for Radzuan, his initiative “Jom Menjahit Sambil Beramal di Rumah” encourages skilled seamstresses to join him in making PPEs.

“Right now, we’ve finished more than 200 sets and I’m aiming to make 1,000 to 2,000 protective robes, hats, and head covers for the frontliners who need it.

“I hope other fashion designers and anyone else can help sew the PPE clothing because I’ve been told that they need 400 disposable sets each day at Serdang Hospital and Sungai Buloh Hospital,” he said.

The PPE shortage has not only brought together fashion designers, but students and even inmates have also been doing their part to help with the shortage.

Students and inmates pitch in

Malay Mail also reported how Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK) students have been working together to create PPE for doctors and nurses in the state.

“These people are lecturers, textile designers, film directors, musicians, animators, industrial designers, AI experts, conservators, artists, visualisers and many more," said Hanisa Hassan, the dean of the Faculty of Creative Technology at Heritage at UMK.

She said that regardless of their background, they were joining hands to prepare PPE.

Meanwhile, at the Penor Prison, inmates are working from 9am to 5pm daily to produce as many PPE for our nation's frontliners.

“Currently, the workshop continues its operations on Saturdays and Sundays due to the urgent need for PPE following an increase in the number of Covid-19 positive cases, ” Penor Prison director Datuk Abu Hasan Hussain told Bernama.

He told Bernama that the Prison Women Staff and Wives of Prison Staff Association (Persiap) has also produced 525 units of face shields for the usage of frontliners.

It is beautiful to see how Malaysians from all backgrounds are converging their skills and effort to help in the COVID-19 battle.