Let’s start a Community Chest for all

IT was indeed heartwarming to read in The Star yesterday the article headlined “Hard times, kind souls” (online at bit.ly/star_ souls).

The story speaks of people all over Malaysia spontaneously donating time and money to prepare and distribute free food to those in need because of retrenchments and movement restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Their caring efforts jive with our proposal earlier to start a Community Chest to which Malaysians of all persuasions, of all levels and wherever they are can donate cash that will be used to feed the thousands now suffering during these trying times. Donors can contribute as little as RM1 on a regular basis to the Community Chest.

The chest could run parallel to the scheme launched recently asking civil servants to donate RM10 each a month for the next three months for a similar purpose.

Both these initiatives will go a long way towards helping those in dire need. There are already many in that category and the numbers may increase with the current uncertainty over the question of how long this pandemic will last.

This is the time for all Malaysians to show their caring nature, the time for all to wear their hearts on their sleeves, as the saying goes.

During this movement control order phase, we know many of those employed in both the public and private sectors are working from home. In monetary terms, that means they are able to accrue savings because they do not have to use their cars and burn petrol or take public transportation to get to their places of work. This can amount to substantial savings in transport and fuel costs. Wouldn’t it be an act of kindness to set aside a small portion of those savings for those who are struggling to put food on the table for themselves and their families, including small children?

In The Star article, we read of university students who had resorted to buying food from online delivery services but who had to stop when their money ran out. This is heart-rending, to say the least. So Malaysians, let’s put our differences aside, let’s put our preferences aside, let’s put some of our extravagant needs aside, and put some of our money aside for those in dire need.

Of course, it will be no easy task to set up and manage such a Community Chest, but where there is a will there is a way. It should be a public initiative, organised and managed by the public, for the public. Its rules and regulations and other details can be worked out with the government in consultation with philanthropists in the private sector. The media could take up this call to help roll out such a Community Chest.

Let’s do it! Let’s do it now.

Malaysians, let’s put our differences aside ... let’s put our extravagant needs aside, and put some money aside for those in dire need.