What your 2021 looked like in photos

From yet another change in prime minister to devastating floods, here are some of the most striking images of 2021.

These photographs are selected by Malaysiakini photographers Azneal Ishak and Mukhriz Hazim.

Cover photo: At the confluence of Sungai Telemong and Sungai Krau in Pahang, broken branches and tree trunks can be seen across at least two hectares, carried adrift by floodwaters - Pix by Mukhriz Hazim

---

JANUARY

It is no ordinary schooling for Nur Erisya Santa, 12, who studies at the SJKC Bekok. She attends a class via Google Meet from a makeshift wooden hut in a forest near Bekok, Johor. As schools reopen, parents have to scramble to ensure their children are connected online. For some, it can be a 15km motorcycle journey on a lonely road, surrounded by thick oil palm estates. Every day, Orang Asli children from the Jakun tribe leave their homes in Kampung Orang Asli Kemidak and make their way to the wooden hut - Pix by Azneal Ishak

The Lord Muruga silver chariot procession from the Sri Mahariaman temple in Kuala Lumpur to the Sri Subramaniyar Swamy temple in Batu Caves is escorted by heavy police presence on the eve of the Thaipusam celebration. Due to the pandemic restrictions, Hindu devotees are not allowed to attend the prayer or follow the procession for the first time in the history of this festival. Therefore, the chariot ferrying the statues of Lord Murugan and his two wives, Devi Valli and Devi Theivanai, has taken only three hours to arrive at its destination compared to previous years which took almost 16 hours - Pix by Mukhriz Hazim

---

FEBRUARY

A patient at the Covid-19 Quarantine and Low-Risk Treatment Centre (MAEPS) in Serdang waves to photographers through a glass wall - Pix by Azneal Ishak

DBKL health workers are spraying disinfectant during a public sanitation work at the Bukit Bintang business district in Kuala Lumpur - Pix by Mukhriz Hazim

---

MARCH

Health workers in hazmat suits take a break after the burial of Covid-19 victims in Gombak, Selangor - Pix by Azneal Ishak

After 51 days of movement control order (MCO), night activities come back to life with relaxed SOPs under conditional MCO in Selangor. People take the opportunity to spend quality time with their families. The I-City in Shah Alam is one of the top spots where visitors can enjoy exciting theme park games and take memorable selfies along the colourful LED lightscape - Pix by Mukhriz Hazim

---

APRIL

A handwritten note by Fahmi Reza to fellow Malaysians is shared by his lawyer. The graphic artist says it is important that expression through art be defended at all cost - Pix by Azneal Ishak

Padi farmers in the Sebarang Perai Utara district, Penang have started replanting for the first season in 2021. The farmers here depend on Sungai Muda (from Kedah), which is the main source of water intake for Penang - Pix by Mukhriz Hazim

---

MAY

All shops and restaurants in Petaling Street, Kuala Lumpur are closed due to the coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak - Pix by Azneal Ishak

Families and friends separated by the restrictions during the MCO 3.0 meet and get together during the Hari Raya celebration on the border between Selangor and Negeri Sembilan in Bandar Bukit Mahkota, Bangi. For them, it was a different kind of Raya but still meaningful - Pix by Mukhriz Hazim

---

JUNE

The usually busy streets in and out of Kuala Lumpur are eerily quiet, with malls and office buildings shuttered on a weekday. June 1 is the first day of a two-week-long full lockdown in Malaysia. The movement control order (MCO) is imposed to flatten the Covid-19 infection curve after record numbers of daily cases the week before - Pix by Azneal Ishak

The Immigration Department detains 309 illegal immigrants out of 715 who checked in during an integrated operation in residential areas and development sites around Dengkil, Selangor - Pix by Mukhriz Hazim

---

JULY

Health officers are walking to a residential location in Kampung Parit Baru, Sabak Bernam, bringing with them the Covid-19 vaccines. A total of 80 percent of the 128,615 residents in the district are expected to get their first dose thanks to a “mobile outreach” programme - Pix by Azneal Ishak

Contract doctors and medical officers participating in the "Hartal Doktor Kontrak" at the Hospital Shah Alam, demanding permanent jobs and a better future in the public healthcare system - Pix by Mukhriz Hazim

---

AUGUST

Police block opposition lawmakers from marching to protest against the two-week lockdown of Parliament, which they consider another ploy for the embattled prime minister to dodge a no-confidence vote - Pix by Azneal Ishak

Ismail Sabri Yaakob in a bus before departing for a meeting with the king in Kuala Lumpur. He is set to become Malaysia’s third prime minister in three years. The former deputy prime minister will be sworn in after receiving the support of 114 MPs, the palace says. That’s more than the 111 required for a simple majority - Pix by Azneal Ishak

Casket and funeral services worker is taking a break after performing his duty at the Meru Christian Cemetery in Klang - Pix by Mukhriz Hazim

---

SEPTEMBER

A secondary school student receives a dose of the Pfizer vaccine against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) at a school in Putrajaya - Pix by Azneal Ishak

Ongoing hill-cutting and land clearing inside compartment 35 of Bukit Cherakah forest reserve in Shah Alam.

Full moon rises over Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur during the celebration of Mid-Autumn Festival - Pix by Mukhriz Hazim 

---

OCTOBER

A kid plays on a rainy day outside their house in Kampung Segambut Dalam, Kuala Lumpur - Pix by Azneal Ishak.

While some have gone out of the Klang Valley since interstate travel is allowed, many still prefer to take their vacation within Selangor’s borders. One exciting attraction is the mangrove kayaking in Bagan Lalang. Located on the banks of Sungai Sepang bordering Selangor and Negeri Sembilan, it attracts adventurers who can now participate in the activity without having to drive hundreds of kilometres to Langkawi - Pix by Mukhriz Hazim

---

NOVEMBER

Adhering to the new SOP for the Malacca polls, Pakatan Harapan women are on their walkabout in Kampung Padang Temu sending flyers about the candidates - Pix by Mukhriz Hazim

BN supporters watching a dashboard on the live results during the Malacca polls - Pix by Azneal Ishak

---

DECEMBER

A damaged car is seen after the flooding at Kuala Langat, Kuala Lumpur - Pix Azneal Ishak.

At the confluence of Sungai Telemung and Sungai Krau in Karak, at least two hectares of area was filled with broken branches and tree trunks drifted by flood water - Pix Mukhriz Hazim