KLANG – One would have never thought that there would come a time when starvation and malnutrition would be widespread in Malaysia.
However, the poor management of the Covid-19 pandemic and lack of imagination in repairing the economy have brought thousands of Malaysians to their knees – where providing just three square meals a day for their families has become a challenge.
Nowhere is this more evident than in Klang, where the lines at food distribution points have become longer.
This has resulted in Klang MP Charles Santiago’s food bank programme, which is largely sponsored by the Vinod Sekhar Foundation, reviewing its roll-out plans since the number of people struggling to put food on the table is skyrocketing.
The programme, under the foundation’s funding of an initial RM300,000 donation, took off in November last year as an immediate response to the movement control order (MCO) in Klang that put many in the B40 category out of work.
Another RM700,000 was meant to be part of a second phase targeting economic recovery that included upskilling programmes and micro-credit schemes. This was meant to be implemented by May.
However, with a poverty crisis unprecedented in its scale, the foundation is spending the entire balance for the food programme, with a pledge to give more.
PETRA Group chairman and chief executive Datuk (Dr) Vinod Sekhar, the patron of the foundation, said it is impossible to think about Phase 2 when people are still going hungry.
He said he will now be providing more funds to help Santiago keep the food bank going indefinitely.
“We were hoping to begin economic initiatives to lubricate the economy, get people to work and train youth, but what good is all these when their stomachs are still empty?
“I have never seen this level of desperation in my own country. It is heart-breaking to see people rush for food to feed their children.
“It is a disgrace that a country as blessed and bountiful as Malaysia is witnessing scenes reminiscent of bread lines in communist Soviet Union and that of Venezuela after its economy collapsed,” said the industrialist and philanthropist.
Vinod said this after accompanying Santiago and 12 volunteers to distribute vegetables and fish in five hard-hit locations in Klang on Sunday.
These include the fishing village of Kg Nelayan in Telok Gong, Orang Asli settlement in Pulau Indah, and Ar Rahman Mosque in Pandamaran Jaya.
Joining Vinod during the drive were foundation chairman Datin Dr Winy Sekhar and their daughter Tara, a writer for The Vibes.
Santiago said 2,200 people received food baskets containing vegetables – such as spinach, kangkung, carrots, onions, potatoes, pumpkin, cauliflower, cucumber, and maize – as well as ikan kembung.
While it will be easier and cheaper to just distribute dry foods with longer shelf lives such as canned foods, rice, and instant noodles, the nutritional intake of the people will be compromised, he added.
“They need healthy, balanced meals, which is why we decided on fish and vegetables,” he explained.
Santiago, however, said his service centre does supply dry foods, including eggs, which those in need can pick up themselves.
He added that the food bank, as well as a soup kitchen his service centre organises every week, benefit close to 100,000 people.
With an area of almost 150 sq km, Klang is one of the largest constituencies in the country, with 150,000 voters. However, it has a metro population of almost a million people due to migration and the high number of foreign workers.
A largely B40 population, many are daily wage earners, who are now without an income.
Vinod and PETRA Group’s funding for the food bank brings the foundation’s total contribution since the start of the MCO to RM15 million. This includes a RM6 million mobile hospital that is meant to assist the government in its vaccine roll-out plans to rural areas. – The Vibes, July 15, 2021
