Myanmar family gets food after flying white flag

 

Tawk Zel showing where he had placed the flag outside his room above a shoplot in Cheras.

PETALING JAYA: Tawk Zel, 40, has been without work for the past two months.

The refugee from Myanmar, who used to work at a curtain shop, has had to survive on the little savings he has and the generosity of others to feed his wife and two children, aged two and three.

After the nation went under a full lockdown, they were forced to live on one meal a day, just so they have enough to eat the next day.

Not knowing what else to do, Tawk decided to heed the advice of a friend who told him to do what some other Malaysians are doing now – hoist a white flag.

Tawk stays in a room above a shoplot in Cheras, a home, which he shares with three other families.

The white flag brought instant results.

“After I did so, I got food supplies from 99 Speedmart,” he said, referring to the mini market chain which launched a campaign to provide 1,000 packages of basic food supplies from today till July 14 for those in need.

“As long as we get food supplies, we will survive. I am really thankful.”

A recent social media campaign has called for people to fly a white flag to signal to others that they are in need of immediate assistance, especially in terms of food, as the country remains in lockdown indefinitely.

The campaign’s poster, spread online on Tuesday night, triggered a wave of posts by private individuals attempting to reach out to those in dire situations. - FMT