KUALA LUMPUR: Ever since the Movement Control Order (MCO) was enforced on March 18, Andy Ong and his team have been providing daily lunches for the underprivileged community in Penang.
Ong, who is also the founder and owner of Penang’s vegetarian restaurant Mamavege, said that due to the MCO, many underprivileged families have been left high and dry, without any means to feed themselves, especially their little ones.
He said many of these families rely on charity and the people’s goodwill just to get by.
“If medical frontliners can work around the clock to care for others, we can do the same too. Regardless of background or creed, we’re all Malaysians. We’re living in tough times and we can do whatever that it is within our means to help one another,” he said when contacted.
Ong, 36, worked closely with Padang Lalang’s Women and Family Development council to come up with a list of affected families needing urgent help.
From there, he enlisted the help of Majlis Pengurusan Komuniti Kampung (MPKK) to distribute lunch boxes to disadvantaged families.
“By 10.30am (every day), our kitchen staff based in Kampung Permatang Batu in Bukit Mertajam are done packing all the lunch boxes. Another team will take over for the delivery and distribution process,” said Ong.
The Kulim-born entrepreneur credited his team members for making this project possible.
“Everyone in the company, including the senior management, decided to come together to lend a helping hand.
To date, Ong and his team have distributed over 25,000 packs of lunch boxes to families living in poverty-stricken areas of Bayan Baru, Pulau Tikus, Tambun, Bukit Tengah, Nibong Tebal, Bukit Mertajam, Machang Bubok, Juru, Jawi and a couple of locations in Kedah, including Sungai Petani.
One of the beneficiaries of Ong’s goodwill is a family of four, the oldest member of which is aged 80.
On top of taking care of their elderly mother, he said the family had to also care for three children with disabilities.
Another group of beneficiaries is a family of six, who live in a shabby hut that they put together themselves.
“Since they have no income, they are not able to buy food to feed themselves,” he said.
Ong also contributes what he can towards medical and non-medical frontliners working at Penang’s General Hospital, Hospital Bukit Mertajam and Hospital Kulim, the People’s Volunteer Corps (RELA) and the police.
On top of the daily lunch boxes provided, he also gives out face masks and vegetables that the public have donated to the families in need.
“It’s a collective effort made possible by everyone. And we will continue to provide lunch boxes to the needy,” he added.