KUALA LUMPUR: A university student's emotional video, in which he expressed disappointment with the campus management for closing the cafeterias and leaving him and other students to starve for 24 hours, has gone viral on social media.
The student, who goes by the TikTok username Bayinuckal, claimed that the educational institution in Johor expected students to return after the Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations to attend classes in person.
However, he said, the campus management had failed to inform students that the cafeterias on campus would not be in operations.
"It is fine if they (the varsity) chose not to conduct classes virtually on May 2 and May 3 and expect students to be back in campus.
"But please ensure the cafeterias are open. There are no food at all on campus," he said in the 56-second clip posted on TikTok.
He then expressed gratitude towards a senior who saved him from hunger by buying him some food and refusing to accept his money.
He hoped that the senior would notice the video.
The student's video drew the attention of netizens, who shared similar experiences they had as college students.
"I feel you. I used to be one of the students who didn't go home and all the cafeterias (in my campus) were closed. It was eight years ago. It is saddening to see this still happening," said @terahuz.
"I understand what you have gone through. But this is also a lesson for you to be more prepared. Don't just rely on one option. Toughen up, boy," commented @crssimplyediting.
A TikTok user questioned why the student did not order takeout through FoodPanda or Grab, but the student responded by saying: "Foodpanda service is unavailable (in the campus area), and Grab orders are frequently cancelled.
"Therefore, students depend on the campus cafeterias for their daily meals," he wrote.
Some netizens also shared creative life hacks to alleviate the burden.
"Sneak in a rice cooker and get some dry goods such as eggs, noodles, onions, and rice to cook," user @fidoreviews wrote.
Another user, @puankojit, recommended that there should be a cooking hall on campus to prepare simple dishes such as eggs and rice.
"Perhaps students could pool some money and purchase a stove and cooking gas."
Meanwhile, user @aishamarisaa said students should stock up on foods with long shelf life.
"Get some biscuits and foods that can be eaten right out of the box. These come in handy."
The student's video had garnered over 555,900 views, 48,300 likes, and 1,676 comments within 20 hours of being uploaded.