The world of Tzu Chi May 2020 (Vol.122)

A beacon of hope in tough times W hen the third MCO extension was announced on April 23, 2020, life seemed bleak for more than 100 foreign labourers and refugees trapped in their homes in Kampung Kenangan, Seri Kembangan and the Bandar Bukit Puchong flats. The plight of the impoverished communities, most of whom have lost their source of subsistence, has prompted the local residents’ association to appeal for assistance from Seri Serdang assemblyman YB Dr. Siti Mariah binti Mahmud, who relayed the call for help. Tzu Chi volunteers responded to the call and prepared supplies for distribution according to the list of eligible beneficiaries provided by the state authorities. On April 17, 2020, Tzu Chi KL & Selangor collaborated with the respective local residents’ associations to organize a relief distribution session in each of the settlements. Each of the 112 households received grocery vouchers, face masks and hand sanitizers, which offered them temporary relief from the harshness of life on the fringes of society. YB Dr. Siti Mariah expressed her concerns over public compliance to safety precautions in a time when mass gatherings are strictly prohibited by the government, but she commended the volunteers for ensuring the distribution session was conducted in an orderly manner and for their adherence to the necessary measures, including observing social distancing. Many of the migrant workers survive on daily wages and are at risk of losing their source of income and sustenance due to the suspension of employment during the prolonged MCO. She stressed the need to extend sympathy and assistance to the immigrants whose lives are threatened by poverty and starvation. One of the beneficiaries, Nurhayati binti Mayur, makes a meagre living by collecting recyclables along the streets for sale. During the MCO, she stopped leaving the house for fear of being detained by the authorities. Yet, she was driven by hunger and desperation to beg for food at the wet market. Nurhayati had been experiencing discomfort in her chest and yearned to return to her hometown in Indonesia. “I’ve been coughing for some time, but I couldn’t afford to seek treatment from a doctor. I feel miserable,” she lamented. She had also accrued arrears of two months’ rent. “Now I’m finally able to stock some food and solve my most pressing concern,” she remarked, grateful to Tzu Chi for the assistance. Reported by Sia Ah Tong Photograph by Leong Chian Yee Translated by Choo Suet Fun TZU CHI 122 11 Marching Forward Hand in Hand