KUALA LUMPUR: The sacrifices and contributions of armed forces veterans are never forgotten, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic's trying times.
Realising their plight, a non-government organisation answered an 'SOS' call from members of the Malaysian Armed Forces Veterans Association Federal Territory branch.
Alliance for Safe Community chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said the call for help was made by association president Brig-Gen (Rtd) Datuk Pahlawan Shamsuddin Abbas to aid his stricken members.
Lee said the pandemic had caused significant hardship affecting a broad spectrum of the population.
"Many have lost jobs and income which put them in hardship to secure food for their dependents.
"Although our NGO is a small one with limited funds and resources, we cannot ignore the call for help from the less fortunate and the deserving.
"We received an urgent appeal from the association last Wednesday, calling for help for the most deserving veterans," said Lee during an aid presentation ceremony to Shamsuddin at the latter's association's premises in Bukit Petaling, Jalan Bellamy today.
The NGO had organised a fundraising exercise among its members and well-wishers to provide food aid to the recipients.
Each bag contained essentials such as rice, cooking oil, sugar, salt, flour, canned goods and other items as well as diapers.
Lee said the veterans had played their part in the nation's struggles and it is only fair that the NGO helped them in their time of need.
He added that a corporate member had subsidised the cost of additional food packed into individual bags or boxes with a value of RM75 per bag.
Lee said his NGO had also made similar contributions to the B40 group and health workers during the first Movement Control Order.
Meanwhile, Shamsuddin expressed his gratitude to Lee for his timely response.
Shamsuddin said his association has 6,704 members but a large number, especially non-pensioners, had yet to register.
"About 85 per cent of our members are from the B40 group, eight per cent are special needs individuals and five per cent are hardcore poor.
"A large number of those who were involved in businesses are dependent on rental income from the shophouses and office space they had invested in.
"Additionally, they are also dependent on contributions from the Defence Ministry, the Veterans Affairs Department, various organisations and the public for their management, administrative and welfare expenses," he said.
Shamsuddin said the Covid-19 pandemic had greatly affected these veterans as they could no longer garner rental income from their properties as the tenants themselves lost their sources of revenue.