More help for nasi lemak seller Mary

 

Seputeh MP Teresa Kok was among those who have offered help to nasi lemak seller Nurajahan Mariamah Abdullah, better known as Mary, after her plight was highlighted by FMT.

PETALING JAYA: A struggling single mother, who resorted to selling nasi lemak after losing her job due to the pandemic, said today more people are coming forward to provide aid.

Nurajahan Mariamah Abdullah — fondly known as Mary to her customers — said her business had also picked up after her struggle to support her family was highlighted by FMT.

Mary, who has been selling nasi lemak out of a trolley, said she had received many phone calls from customers to order her homemade nasi lemak.

“On top of that, my nasi lemak sold out faster after my story was published,” she told reporters today at her house during a visit by Seputeh MP Teresa Kok.

Mary said a kind-hearted person had also volunteered to pay her house rent of RM700 a month.

Yesterday, she said the Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya Indian Chambers of Commerce (KLPICC) bought her a large rice cooker to cater to the increasing orders.

Meanwhile, Kok brought groceries — such as cooking oil, eggs, rice and sugar — for Mary’s business, saying she felt she had to do something as Mary was in her constituency.

“To help your business, starting tomorrow, my office will buy 30 packets of nasi lemak from you for a month,” she told Mary.

She also urged members of the public to help more people like Mary by supporting their businesses.

Yesterday, Deputy Federal Territories Minister Edmund Santhara said Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) would assist Mary get a hawker’s licence and a suitable location for a stall.

Mary, who was working as a cleaner, lost her job in March due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Since then, she has resorted to selling nasi lemak and mee hoon, pushing her trolley around Taman Desa from 6.30am to 11am.

She currently earns RM80 a day from selling nasi lemak and mee hoon, and spends her afternoon selling cut fruits at a nearby restaurant to earn some extra income.

Mary lost her husband, who died of a heart attack, six years ago and has taken on the responsibility of caring for her mother and three children. - FMT