Couple's generosity rewarded, encourages others to help flood victims

SEPANG: Giving to others had brought in more rewards for Ahmad Munzir Shahril and his wife when they decided to distribute their home-cooked cakoi (fried breadstick) to flood victims around Dengkil as their act of kindness had encouraged others to donate to enable them to channel more aid to those in need.

Ahmad Munzir, 41, said initially they thought of donating the popular Chinese dish which they had been selling, with their own money because they felt sorry for the victims as they too had gone through difficult times.

"Previously I would help others with the cleaning up but now I contribute with the cooking skill that I have because I have encountered how difficult it was to get food amid floods," he told Bernama here today.

Ahmad Munzir said food aid should be sent to victims at their homes apart from the relief centres as most of them would return to their houses to inspect the devastation after the floods.

"Those who return to cleanup the mess would be too busy to think about food or they have difficulties getting them as they have no means of transport after the cars were submerged.

"As such, I am determined to do my bit to the community in this way. At least this will allay their hunger and lift their spirits," he said.

Ahmad Munzir did not expect that the simple act of kindness would attract so much publicity on social media.

"Many have been messaging me to ask how they could donate to help. Most of the donations received were from our regular customers and the farmers' market traders and we managed to raise about RM1,000," he said.

With the money, the couple decided to buy drinking water, dry food and disposable diapers, apart from the ingredients necessary to prepare more cakoi as contribution to victims.

"In some of the areas that we visited, the victims had requested for hot meals for lunch and the Orang Asli community living behind the Jenderam Murni Religious School who had not received any aid, wanted disposal diapers and drinking water. So we try to help as much as possible with the donations received," he said.

Ahmad Munzir said the floods that hit since Dec 18, had also destroyed his food stall Cakoi Krabi which the couple had been operating since 2003 at Taman Desa, Jenderam Hilir, adding that all their cooking utensils were washed away in floodwaters

As the floodwaters have not receded and they could not operate their stall, the couple would continue to prepare and fry the cakoi in their makeshift kitchen at the front portion of their house..

"The cakoi packs will be distributed house to house in the evenings," said his wife Nurul Farah Hamizah.

"Each pack is filled with 12 pieces of various flavours namely baby cakoi, red bean pau, cakoi cheese, oreo and cakio panjang. Daily we prepare 100 packs which is enough for about 70 families," she added.

-- BERNAMA