While it’s never wrong to offer help to those in need, a recent viral video has made many Malaysians question how long such aid should be extended to a certain community.
In two TikTok videos, a woman shared her efforts in distributing chicken tenders, donated by the public, to the homeless community in the Chow Kit area of Kuala Lumpur.
Advertisement
However, what was supposed to be a simple and wholesome moment turned tense when a homeless woman became upset over the amount of food she received.
Image Credit: @tend.onect | TikTok
The homeless woman, known as Hawa, reportedly threw a fit after her request for two packs of chicken tenders was denied.
“She (Hawa) asked for two packs, one for her kittens. But I couldn’t give it to her as there were others who needed it more."
"Then she started asking for money, which neither I nor my team gave her. She began throwing a fit and tossed away the food we had just given,” the woman wrote in a post.
"She’s the only strange one."
According to her, she had seen Hawa in videos shared by others before, but was taken aback by her reaction when she didn’t get what she wanted.
“This is my first time meeting someone like her. I’ve met other homeless people before, and all of them could say ‘thank you’. She’s the only strange one. I tried not to record her further to avoid escalating the situation, as she didn’t seem to be herself at the time," she shared.
"She hurled all kinds of words at us as we left. Then, another homeless person approached us to apologise on her behalf.”
As of this article, the short video has garnered over a million views. Many social media users took to the comments section, urging others and NGOs to reconsider how food aid is distributed to the homeless to avoid wastage.
“I’m sorry to say, as someone who grew up in the Chow Kit area, every time I come home from work over the past five years, I see many packed meals thrown on the roadside. I hope NGOs stop giving food to the homeless. Give them job opportunities and let them learn how to live.”
Image Credit: @tend.onect | TikTok
“To all Malaysians and NGOs, if you want to donate food, I think it’s better to give it to students at IPTs or schools. It’s such a waste to give everything to the homeless. It kind of motivates them to stay homeless, because to them, they don’t need to work, they just lie around and wait for free food,” commented another.
Image Credit: @tend.onect | TikTok
Watch the video below:
@tend.onect tunaikan infaq hrtu. tp kena maki sebakul dgn dia. allahu. sabar jelah. #infaq #fyp #homeless ♬ original sound - Tend.One
Featured Image Credit: @tend.onect | TikTok
