JOHOR BARU: At the OCBC building in Jalan Ibrahim here, scenes of a certain wrenching quality are observed by customers conducting their banking services.
Some are approached by individuals who are down and out on their luck brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic and its economic aftermath.
At times the same customers would fish into their pockets small change or notes and hand over to the person who solicited a handout.
This prompted OCBC officials to think up something they knew the bank had to do.
OCBC Johor Baru senior manager Fiona Gan Huei Chin said they watched what was unfolding and could not turn a blind eye to it.
She said the social and economic effect of the global pandemic is hard on many and so they wanted to reach out to support the community in this time of need.
In cooperation with Rotary Club of Johor Baru (RCJB) and Suasana Suites Hotel, Gan said the bank decided that they had to render help where it is most needed.
Starting yesterday, OCBC, Suasana and RCJB collaborated in donating food packets to homeless people in the town.
The packets are sponsored by OCBC Bank (Malaysia) Berhad through its Taman Molek, Skudai and Kulai branches.
The bank has donated RM19,000 towards financing the operation which will continue for three months.
Augmenting this amount is a contribution of RM3,500 which is the personal donation of Datuk Ong Eng Bin, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of OCBC Malaysia.
These food packets, prepared by Hotel Suasana, contain either Mee Siam or Chicken or Fried Rice, or even nasi lemak with egg and sambal.
Suasana Suites Hotel CEO Ng Siew Koon said the outlet will ensure the hygiene and quality of the food that is prepared for giving the homeless.
She said the hotel was aware that people are in desperate need of food and what little sustenance they can get.
RCJB president Cheong Nai Cheong said the initiative arose from discussions between the club and OCBC that the plight of the homeless was getting to be particularly wrenching.
"We are living in tough times and can either choose to ignore the homeless around us and treat them as an inconvenience or recognise immediately that these are fellow human beings with their own sets of hopes and dreams that have been disrupted by the pandemic. And their most immediate need is simply to survive," he said.
Recipients of the free food packets drive were enthused by the gesture.
Mazlan Amat, 34, used to get daily paid for his odd jobs but due to the pandemic has lost his job.
The bachelor sometimes goes without having a meal the whole day.
"The nasi lemak can last me the whole day and I can even skip my dinner as I have no money to even spend on food," he said.
Mazlan said the simple free lunch packet he got contained chicken rendang, egg, anchovies and sambal would have cost him at least RM10.00.
"I am grateful to people like these who know of our plight," he said.
Another recipient who got a packet of nasi Lemak was Chan Sim Chai, 52, who used to work as a janitor in Singapore before the causeway was closed due to the pandemic.
"I used to earn well when I was working in Singapore but due to the Covid-19, I am no longer able to work," she said.
She tried looking for a job in Johor but was unsuccessful.
"I have exhausted all my savings and am now a pauper," said the teary-eyed.
She said she does not know if she can return to Singapore to work.