Selangor—One of the very best things we can do for each other in hard times these days is not only to help each other, but also to draw attention to those who need more help than ever.
A Facebook user in Malaysia going by Lucas Onexox Dealer took to the social media platform on Friday (Oct 23) to highlight the plight of a street food vendor endeavouring to make ends meet for his two young daughters.
In his post he wrote about a man who sells you tiao (deep-fried dough cakes) from a food cart. The vendor pasted a note on his card appealing for customers to buy his wares in order for him to pay for rent for a place for his two daughters to stay.
According to the note, the food cart is named “Good Father You Tiao”. It also says that the man hails from Johor Bahru (JB), and at the moment, is homeless.
The netizen obviously saw the man, and instead of merely buying some you tiao, he went the extra mile and went online with the man’s story. His post has been shared over 6,600 times.
The netizen wrote that the food cart is located near South City Food Center at Selangor. The you tiao is available in lemon, bean paste, sesame, and other flavours, and costs RM1 (S$.30) each, which the vendor starts selling at 7:00 in the morning until it is sold out at midnight.
And because of the pandemic, the man has had “completely zero income” and that his “pockets are empty.”
He added, “Dad has to look at two daughters alone. The oldest daughter is 10 years old and the younger daughter is 6 years old. It’s not that simple for a man to take care of two daughters.”
He posted photos of the father and his two girls with their meagre belongings, although it is uncertain where the family sleeps at night.
The good news is that many people responded to the netizen’s post, and long lines have been seen around the Good Father You Tiao cart.
A day later, a photo of the hardworking dad busily cooking you tiao was posted, along with queues of socially-distanced customers waiting in line to buy the treats.
For those who are interested in helping out, the food cart can be found at Restoran Peng Chu13, Jalan SP 2/3, Taman Serdang Perdana, 43300 Seri Kembangan, Selangor. —/TISG