*Day 12(Sun, 29/3/2020) of Lockdown/MRO) – Yayasan Suria JB(YSJB)’s activities report.*
Written by: James Ho
Hello, good morning guys!
Its now 6.03 am and I woke up a bit late. Today, just a bit of introduction of YSJB before we start. Registered under ROS(Registrar of Societies), under the Ministry of Home Affairs on 14th Sept 2012. I am the Founder and now Secretary of YSJB.
Today’s brunch: Ubi kayu, eggs, jagong and Pau. A bit heavy. Got more places to run, need lots of energy.
Okok, lets move on. Since my involvement in this Lockdown/MRO, strolling the Internet, calling friends for a chat or watching videos on WhatsApp, replying messages are a luxuries – just couldn’t find any time for these, just run run run, bathe, eating on the run, writing receipts for donors, writing reports and just sleep. A new experience, a new episode of my life to be “enjoyed” , hopefully once(with virus-like matters). Am I enjoying it?
Yes, yes, yes – very much.
Why? Because this brings me so much joy, satisfaction and fulfillment that I will not trade this for anything in the world. You have to be in the midst of the action, being there, being in their shoes(so to speak) to experience the feelings, the moments, the ‘everything’ in them. Just a smile from any of our “clients”(the people we gave the food to) or a special type of thank you(not the normal Thank you you get when a friend gives you something or a waiter brings your food and you say ‘thank you’), it’s a special type of Thank you, you got to be there at the right moment, right time to savour these types of moments. Just can’t put into words, its so so special, so so unique, I just can describe. Just a bow and salam (we don’t shake hands now for obvious reasons) from my clients make the day for a Social worker like me and KK. Perhaps, when you speak to another social worker under the IMSHA’s umbrella, they will describe some sort of a similar narrative *but it’s just special.* Sorry, ok?
The other thing I receive are calls from readers saying “you are writing as if you are talking”. Yes, I do. Writing early in the morning after a good night sleep with no interruption of thoughts is essential. Just let your mind flows, whatever comes in just type – like a train running along after the initial momentum. A little bit of ‘rojak’, being Malaysians semua bolih, semua taroh like when you go to a mamak shop and the guy say “boss, apa curry mahu? –
Semua taroh, sikit ini, sikit itu.”
Okok lah, let get to the report you pusing-pusing fellow.
1. First stop, met up with buddy, KK, at Taman Molek with the Nissan Serena MPV, courtesy of JJ who kindly allow us to use during the duration of the Lockdown/MRO. Did some errands and headed straight to Medini Iskandar this time.
It’s Teumsae Korean Restaurant’s at Citrine Mall, Sunway Iskandar. Its their turn today to provide 50 sets of sushi meals(vegetarian and tuna) to be distributed to the Needy. These daily meals are arranged by Sunway Iskandar’s Marketing Manager, Larry Tan. They have many F&B outlets in their malls and each of them takes turn to contribute to us as part of their CSR initiatives.
Thank you Sunway Iskandar and the various food outlets for your efforts to bring good delicious food to the Needy. Perhaps, this is the first time in their lives they have tasted such food like Kenny Rogers, Burger King, Japanese and Korean food. My clients comments “what this, can eat ah”. After putting into their mouths, they expressed “wah, like this ah, good leh, woo woo”. You have to be there to experience. Its beyond words. Ha ha.
2. 50 meals from Korean restaurant today to be shared by the 65 residents in the 9 Homes managed by the Rainbow Family Homes for the aged, disabled, and problem residents.
Rainbow Home is used as our distribution centre for vegs and other food stuffs donated by well-wishers.
3. Collected quite a lot of vegetables(this time kangkong, timun) donated to Rainbow Family Home but released to us for further distribution. To see the social resources go further and deeper to benefit more needy people is our dream. The spirit of partnership and sharing amongst NGOs, with the notion of helping each other all for the benifits of our clients. Thank you, Rainbow 
Home.
4. NSK, Ulu Tiram, to fill our trolleys. Many wives and children to feed but dont worry, definitely not ours. Perhaps of KK, I don’t know. “Don’t get angry ah, you can do anything you want but punch me ah.” Ha ha.
5. Detoured to Oxford Fajar to collect some very important stationaries that Hospital Permai and Hospital Aminah requested for urgent use during Lockdown/MRO. No time to procure our own SOP we set for ourselves – occasionally we do run errands for other NGOs requiring our assistance. Social kindness to the rescue. Oxford Fajar(Talent BookStore) donated the list and your dear heroes make sure the doctors and nurses has the stationaries for their paper works.
Thanks to the boss of Talent BookStore for asking your staff, Panjang, to go back to your store, pack the goodies, bring back to his house. All shops are closed now. We picked up from Panjang in Ulu Tiram. You see, in charity, its all about “helping” – if there is a will, there is a way. Yes, the boss of Talent BookStore went out of the way to help. He could have said “I can’t do anything now. I am closed. I give you after 14th Apr 2020”
No, he didn’t. He says “And I did it my way”. Nice song eh?
OK, need to take a break now. Go collect urgent parcel from Farrah of Ihsan Johor to be sent to Singapore.
Continue later, now 7.53 am. Reached Farrah’s place, some 25 km away and started writing away with the little time I have, trying to get out this report asap…. Farrah gave me the parcel, just say “thank you” and left.
It’s now 8.55 am. Took from the office staff and left. No time rushing back to Seri Alam, some 25 km away. To be continued…….
Farrah called at 9.01 am while I was driving(hands free lah, don’t worry) says “Sorry, got some kurma(dates) to give me”, reached Seri Alam(where I stay) 9.20 am. Before that told my wife to come down to the guardhouse, gave her the parcel and left.
Left for Taman Molek where I meet KK, our usual meeting time at 10.00 am. He will come with the Datsun Serena MPV. Reached here 9.45 am and while waiting, continue writing……
6. These stationeries are for HSAJB & Hospital PERMAI, Tampoi. These 2 hospitals are where COVID-19 patients are kept in JB.
1. Gunting sederhana – 20 pcs
2. Calculator – 10 pcs
3. Buku latihan – 100 keping
4. Buku kulit tebal panjang – 20
5. Stapler – 5 pcs
6. Punch hole – 10 pcs.
All these were given to Farrah of Ihsan Johor to be handed to the 2 hospitals asap.
Its the many tasks like these that looks like kacang putih that is behind the scene that makes the doctors and nurses jobs at ground zero possible. Here with Farrah from Insan Johor, another link in the supply chain and lifeline to the fight against Covid-19.
Thank Farrah, you are an angel! I shall write more about this amazing lady in my future reports, time permitting.
7. Back to a hectic program of distributions of food rations to those who has requested earlier and to the many who called us while running around. We can only try to help as many as possible depending on the “urgency/severity” of each time.
Cases are increasing and we are coping as well as we can. Run, run, run, go…. go…. go…..
I go so many people calling up this morning saying “no report ah, why so late”
“Okok, coming lah” Now 10.27 am.
KK arrived at 10.42 am(must kill him). Now I tell him “now you don’t disturb me ah, you drive carefully” Not writing ‘live’ from the MPV.
8. Visited 10 families, all in Desa Harmoni, Plentong this time, coordinated by En Nazim, Neighbour Security Head, Taman Desa Hormoni.
No details of families visited as time is running short. We shall follow up with the 10 families here in future.
Tata, got to run like a fugitive again, bank in cheques, on for the purchase of 6,000 pcs masks due for delivery by tomorrow.
11.06 am. Sorry guys for the late report.
Thank you & God bless.