PETALING JAYA: From floods and murders to the rising number of Covid cases and seemingly neverending political strife – it can be hard to get excited about a new year.
To start 2024 on a brighter note, here are four heartwarming stories of people who were kind to others, reflecting the warmth and generosity Malaysians are known for. May these stories shine a light of hope to brighten your New Year.
‘It was their first time in Malaysia’
On Aug 22, Muhammad Zunnasree Zamri, better known as Nasree, was making a delivery on Carnarvon Street in George Town, Penang, when a family of tourists from Barcelona asked if he could drive them to Terengganu.
The driver they had booked was a no-show and they couldn’t find other transport options, Nasree told FMT Lifestyle. They offered to pay him, but he hesitated because of the distance. Eventually, he agreed.
“I wanted to show them that not all Malaysians are like the driver who promised and didn’t show up,” said the 38-year-old, who learnt it was the family’s first time in Malaysia.
Several hours into the trip, however, his car broke down in Jeli, Kelantan. Thankfully, Nasree’s parents – who live in the state – came to their aid. Determined to keep his promise to the tourists, Nasree used his father’s car to complete the journey.
“I don’t really mind that my car broke down because I believe if we have good intentions and do good things, God will help us,” he added.
‘Special’ Uncle Kittu
For the students and staff of Sekolah Kebangsaan Bandar Baru Putera in Perak, security guard Kittu Kalaimoorthy – fondly known as Uncle Kittu – is a beloved figure.
As such, it wasn’t surprising that on Uncle Kittu’s last day of work on Nov 30, the school threw him a surprise farewell party.
Speaking with FMT Lifestyle, Mohd Bazli Ramli, the chairman of the teachers’ club, said it was the first time they had organised a farewell party for a security guard. But 50-year-old Uncle Kittu, who had worked with the school for five years, was “special”, he said.
“He remembers most of the students’ names and who their parents are,” Bazli shared, adding that Uncle Kittu was always patient and smiling while guiding traffic.
During the party, many of the students showed up with gifts and clamoured to take photos with him.
The special relationship Uncle Kittu shared with the students and teachers demonstrates how one shouldn’t underestimate the impact a person can make on many others, regardless of their background.
Lunchbox love
In the middle of last year, Siti Hawa Mohd Zainudin’s curiosity was piqued when her 11-year-old son, Ammar Aiman Anuar, began sharing the food she had prepared for him with a classmate from his religious school.
Speaking with FMT Lifestyle, the 38-year-old housewife from Melaka began wondering about Ammar’s friend and if the food she made was enough – after all, they were growing boys!
When she learnt this friend’s mother had passed away, it left her feeling sad as she, too, had lost her mother in her early 20s. But she was also touched by her son’s generosity towards his classmate.
So, Siti decided to make an extra lunchbox for her son’s friend, filling it with a variety of homecooked food such as prawn sambal, fried fish, and omelette.
“He was so happy when my son told him, ‘My mother prepared a lunchbox for you’,” Siti recalled, adding that she’d been delighted upon learning of the other boy’s reaction.
On days when she didn’t prepare food, she would give Ammar an equivalent amount of pocket money for his friend. She also invited this friend over to their home to enjoy a meal together, in addition to buying him school supplies.
“I believe when we do good deeds today, God willing, someday, we will enjoy the rewards promised by God in other ways,” Siti concluded.
Giving animals a new lease on life
Shima Aris’ foray into animal rescue began in 2019 when she decided to give a stray kitten a home. The little creature brought much joy to her family and this, in turn, sparked in her an interest to rescue more cats.
The following year, she rescued her first dog, a black puppy with a hole in its head. Today, the pooch named Bond is happy and thriving.
There is also Cera. “The first time I saw her, it was heartbreaking. She was a tiny little puppy, weak, both legs broken. She had been beaten repeatedly and was terrified of humans,” the 43-year-old told FMT Lifestyle.
A surgical procedure was subsequently carried out that included implanting a metal plate in one of the pup’s limbs. Thankfully, Cera made it and she, too, is thriving today.
Sadly, in June 2021, Shima was diagnosed with stage-2 breast cancer. Amid chemotherapy treatments, she learnt from a shelter that one of the dogs she’d rescued, which had a tumour, had died.
It became a wake-up call for her: “That’s it. I decided to stop being down, to stop thinking about myself.”
With a new zeal for offering hope to helpless animals, to date, Shima has given hundreds of dogs and cats a new lease on life. - FMT
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