Vietnamese in Malaysia deliver warm support to fellows hurt by COVID-19

Ngo Sy Tuyen (first, right), Director of paint producer KOVA Malaysia – a member of KOVA Vietnam, hands over reliefs to the Liaison Committee of Vietnamese People in Johor. (Photo courtesy of the Liaison Committee of Vietnamese People in Johor)

Kuala Lumpur (VNA) – Volunteers from the Liaison Committee of Vietnamese People in Johor, Malaysia, hit the road every weekend to deliver foods and other essentials to aid their Vietnamese fellows who are struggling to make ends meet because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In response to the Embassy of Vietnam in Malaysia’s call to help pandemic-hit people, the liaison committees of Vietnamese people in many Malaysian states have organised various charitable activities to help those in need.

Their spirit has struck the compassionate chord with many Vietnamese across Malaysia and drawn the engagement of many enterprises, such as Vietnamese painter producer KOVA in Malaysia.

Head of the Johor committee Nguyen Nhu Hao and his companions have kept in mind a motto “giving love to receive happiness” when they ride together to bring aid to affected Vietnamese fellows.

Like many other people, they all have a life. On weekdays, some are workers at factories, some run their own grocery stores. On weekend, they spend their precious time, which should be for families, doing charity work.

The volunteers have become busier than ever since the COVID-19 epidemic spread in Malaysia, turning the country into a regional hotspot with rising cases.

After Malaysia imposed a national lockdown and enforced a Movement Control Order (MCO) to stem the spread of the coronavirus, more and more Vietnamese expats in Malaysia are having tough time making a living amid the pandemic, particularly those in the state of Johor where a large number of Vietnamese live.

To support those affected, members of the Liaison Committee of Vietnamese People in Johor have together raised funds from enterprises and individuals and looked for those in need. All donated money has been used to buy rice, eggs and instant noodles to send to these people. Meanwhile, volunteers doing the work pay all the expenses, like transport or meals, by themselves.

Head of the Liaison Committee of Vietnamese People in Johor Nguyen Nhu Hao (left) presents aids to a stranded Vietnamese tourist named Le Dinh Viet. (Photo courtesy of the Liaison Committee of Vietnamese People in Johor)

“We were lucky to receive support from the Embassy of Vietnam,” Hao said, “as the MCO was put in place, the embassy has issued an official note to facilitate our delivery of relief goods.”

“About a month ago, we presented more than 60 aid packages to affected people, and this time, under the sponsorship of KOVA Paint Group, we continued giving away another 200 packages, including a pack of rice, a carton of instant noodles and a carton of eggs each,” he said. “Though small, they are expected to help needy people through difficulties.”

Le Dinh Viet, a Vietnamese tourist stranded in Malaysia since early March, was among recipients of the aid packages on May 31 morning.

The 32-year-old man, from the central province of Ha Tinh, arrived in Malaysia on March 5 and planned to return Vietnam on March 29 but has remained stuck after lockdown was imposed on March 18.

He said he was deeply moved by the kind gesture of fellow countrymen in Malaysia, who offered him a place to stay and gave him support.

Head of the Liaison Committee of Vietnamese People in Johor Nguyen Nhu Hao (left) presents aids to Pham Thi Dung, a 36-year-old Vietnamese female worker living in Johor province who is in critical health conditions. (Photo courtesy of the Liaison Committee of Vietnamese People in Johor)

Vietnamese Ambassador to Malaysia Le Quy Quynh highly appreciated the charity work by the Vietnamese liaison committees during the pandemic. The embassy has served as a contact point among local Vietnamese charity groups and affected people.

The embassy has also launched a campaign to call for donations for these people, he said, adding that support has been delivered to hundreds of people in Kualua Lumpur, Kuantan, Penang and Johor./.