Yayasan Suria JB (YSJB) – Another working ‘break’ in KL!
While in KL fetching my son, Michael, who is on a 1-month holiday break from States, I stole some time off from the family bonding and together with wife and daughter, we made a quick dash to Banting, Selangor on 29/12/2021 where the recent floods indunated many kampongs(villages) there.
Journey started at 10 am, a 90-minute drive from Segambut Dalam, KL to IPD(Ibu Pejabat Daerah or District Police HQ) Kuala Langat, Banting, Selangor. With no specific leads from anyone, I decided to drive there to seek assistance from the Police as to where the flooded areas were.
We stopped by at Hong Leong Bank, Banting to withdraw cash, RM100 l
ve gift for each family to do whatever they wish, we opted out not buying ‘goodies'(usual kitchen food stuffs) as we don’t know what they already have. A total of RM8,000.00 were allocated, good enough for 80 families.
After making some enquires at IPD Banting, I was pleasantly surprised that the Police officers and OCPD himself were interested in our project after I told him I am a NGO/Volunteer from JB and wanted to help the flood victims in his area. He mobilsed his men, escorted us personally in a police car with a few of his boys and we went to the Penghulu(Village Headsman) complex, some 25 minutes drive away from the Police HQ.
There, under a tent setted up at the complex, were 6 lady staffs, a few flood victims and the Village Headman himself waiting for us. One by one, the flood victims came.
Registration, verifying police reports about their 
being flooded and we started giving out the RM100 Lve gifts, we gave as many as we can. We were told later that 20 low-ranking police personels were affected by the floods and we passed the Lve gifts to the OCPD himself for his men.
Never have I imagined that the Police would have taken such an interest in someone they don’t know, got so involved and took all the necessary steps to ensure the money goes to the intended flood victims. We left the Penghulu complex at 3.30 pm, have a good chat with the Police, Penghulu, staffs on duty and the flood victims themselves.
Fond memories of our short stay there but lasting memories of the surprised treatment accorded to us, especially by the Police, and the warmth of the people of Banting.
I told the Penghulu that I shall try to canvass some more funds for the flood victims in his Morib/Kelanang area when I get back to JB.
On the way back to Segambut while on the highway, we spotted 2 other 4WDs(one from Kedah and another one from Penang) doing flood relief works in Banting/Dengkil areas.
Quick ‘2 honks’ as my Toyota Hilux overtook them, they over tooked us, gave us the ‘2 honks’, we responded in the same manner and off we go on our own ways doing volunteering works.
Volunteerism is alive in Malaysia, with the rakyat(citizens) helping the rakyat and NGOs working in harmony, it is heart-warming to see such collaboration. One up for NGOs!
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I am not too sure whether this ‘2 honks’ gesture signalling comradeship amongst volunteers/NGOs but I have tried this ‘signalling’, especially in Malaysia and it works all the time, with the other party responding accordingly.
Not too sure whether this is an international gesture amongst volunteers?
Off the tagent here a little, that day on Christmas day, I wrote about ‘A working Christmas day’ and I got these responses:
“James, this is the true Christmas spirit”.
“James, you are a walking church”.
“Reading your account of how you spent Christmas day makes me feel awfully poor, not so much in terms of money, but in terms of not having the magnanimity of heart like you, Mr. Ho, who spends his Christmas day in inclement weather to meet the desperate needs of the poor and hungry.
You, Mr. Ho, is God-sent saviour where the desperately poor and needy are concerned.
God bless!”.
What a day spent, going to another state(Selangor) to help, serving them with Lve & Humility!