The world of Tzu Chi January 2021 (Vol.130)

TZU CHI 130 07 application. He used the first month’s relief cash to buy milk powder, diapers and some household necessities. Knowing that the assistance was short-term, he told volunteer Cheak Wei Ying, “The pandemic is not over yet and my life is very much affected. However, I’ll plan properly to live through this difficult time.” In October, Irzwan utilized the RM600 from Tzu Chi and RM500 from his Employees Provident Fund to run a small stall selling Malay traditional food in front of his house. He used strings to mark the social distancing guide in compliance with the pandemic standard operating procedure (SOP), and mindfully created posters to attract customers. When a Tzu Chi volunteer called and sent regards to him in October, he informed, “Business is quite good with support from residents nearby.” Now, he was able to run his business and take care of his children at the same time. Despite not having a permanent job, he was able to provide for his family for the time being. “I’m no longer afraid of the impact of the pandemic as it doesn’t help at all. My wish is for everyone to take precaution, and the Covid-19 patients to face it courageously and get immediate medical aid. More importantly, be positive and don’t give up. Have faith that everything will be better after this challenging time,” Irzwan shared his personal experience to encourage others to be positive and hang in there. From a courier to having his own small business now, he believes there will always be opportunities for those who try hard. The power of collective love Irzwan’s circumstance is probably an epitome of many Malaysians. Owing to the unexpectedly pervasive coronavirus, the World Bank forecasted that the global economy would shrink by 5.2% in 2020, resulting in the deepest recession since World War II. In Malaysia, the MCO in March 2020 elevated the unemployment rate to 3.9%, and it hit 5.3% in May—the worst in 30 years. Following the RMCO, it decreased slightly to 4.9% in June, and maintained at 4.7% in July and August. The number of unemployed in the nation was at 745,100 in July. “These numbers, however, may not reflect the real suffering of the people because statistics from the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) stipulated that if a person was employed for one hour in one week, and received the hour wage, he was considered employed. The number of unemployed in the past few months is worrying. There are many problems implicit in these figures that need addressing,” said Associate Professor Dr. Wong Chin Yoong from the Department of Economics, Faculty of Business and Finance, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR). Despite the various relief packages introduced by the government, Dr. Wong believes that there are still some groups that are neglected. “It may be that the frequency of aid is insufficient, the underprivileged groups are unaware of the relief plans or do not have a bank account. There are various possibilities for the gap. This is the time where bottom- up approach is required. For example, those equipped with better knowledge of the local society can help to cast the net wider and reach out to those underprivileged groups. Charitable organizations and individual groups can do a good job in this regard.” Dr. Wong reminded about the indigenous Kita 1 Keluarga, We Are One Family