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As the political situation in Malaysian grows more uncertain and the COVID-19 daily new case numbers hit all-time highs despite the total lockdown, more and more citizens are faced with difficulties. As of the time of writing, there have been over 400 suicide cases early this year due to family pressure, loss of income, and depression due to the repeated and seemingly endless lockdowns.

In true Malaysian spirit, Malaysians have begun to recognise fellow Malaysians’ plights and have started to take care of each other. Picking up on the #Kitajagakita movement from the first MCO, Malaysians have now moved on to the White Flag Movement.

In the White Flag Movement, those who are in need can set up a white flag outside their homes and the public who spots it will immediately take note of the home, visit the family, and send them care packages.

However, there are many who are still trying to cling on without hanging out a white flag and they are barely just managing to scrape by. For these souls, should they need a helping hand, the public has been donating food staples such as rice, eggs, cooking oil, sugar, potatoes, noodles, garlic, salt, cream crackers, sardines, sanitary napkins, and so forth to organisations who will then place them at specific spots where those who need them can pick them anonymously.

These spots are generally empty of people, so visitors can enter and pick up the needed supplies anonymously. No words need to be exchanged, no records need to be made, and no one ever needs to know where the food and staples went. The only thing that the donors know is that the food and staples went to those who need them.

The number of food and staples storage sites has increased as the movement control order shows no signs of ending, and listed below are some of the most convenient spots for those in need to drop by and pick up their supplies.


Petronas Petrol Stations

Petronas is currently one of the biggest assistance providers in Malaysia for the White Flag Movement. They are running food banks at almost 200 of their petrol stations nationwide, providing almost literally “drive-thru” assistance to those who need it. The complete list of participating Petronas petrol stations can be found at the Petronas official Facebook page.


Shell Petrol Stations

The Shell brand of petrol station has also joined the movement to provide assistance during these difficult times. Currently, there are about 50 Shell petrol stations participating in the movement. It is however noted that they will be adding more stations to the list soon.

Participating Shell petrol stations have “Community Food Boxes” where donors can drop off food items, and those who need them can pick them up. The complete list of participating Shell petrol stations can be found at the Community Food Box, Sudut and Kotak Komuniti official Facebook page.

More information on the food bank initiative from Shell can be found here.


BMS Organics

BMS Organics is another one of the major chains that have jumped in to provide assistance to those in need. BMS Organics has 5 Caring Bins in the Klang Valley, located at One Utama Shopping Centre, Setia City Mall, Puchong Jaya, Petaling, and Central Point. Donors can drop off their care packages there, where with the help of the Muhibbah FoodBank Malaysia, the food will be distributed to families in need.

On top of that, BMS Organics also provides free vegetarian bento boxes from Tuesdays to Saturdays at their Bandar Puchong Utama branch. Donors who wish to participate in this initiative can choose to purchase “Giveaway Bento” vouchers which for every voucher purchased is equivalent to one vegetarian bento box for those in need.


Big Pharmacy

Big Pharmacy has also started its food bank initiative. They have 24 participating outlets with 10 located within the Klang Valley, 7 in Johor, 1 in Negeri Sembilan, and 1 in Pahang. Those who wish to donate are able to drop by the pharmacy anytime during their operating hours, and those who require the care packages can also drop by anytime during the operating hours. The list of participating Big Pharmacy outlets can be found on the Big Pharmacy official Facebook page.


kEATchen

Image source: says.com

kEATchen is a cloud kitchen located in Petaling Jaya, operating from 4pm to 6pm daily. As an F&B business, kEATchen understands all too well how hunger can be painful. As such, they have recently launched a food bank where food donors can drop items of daily needs, and those who require them can visit the centre to pick up the care packages.

Address: No. 8, Jalan PJU 1a/14, Taman Perindustrian Jaya, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor

Operating hours: 4PM - 6PM


Where Else Are The Food Banks Located?

Above is the list of shops, businesses, and centres where you can donate to, or pick up care packages should you need them. Do note that this list is not exhaustive, and there are many more local shops and businesses that are not listed in this article.

Aside from these big names in Malaysia, a lot of local businesses have also started their own initiative of helping the locals in their area. Do keep an eye out for them as they may be much closer to you than the other food banks.

There are also notably more food banks in Cheras, Puchong, and Sri Petaling, many of them unadvertised online. Should you be in the area, you can check out some of the more popular cafes in Puchong, food outlets in Cheras, or cafes in Sri Petaling to see if they have joined the movement. Even if they have not, the majority of the businesses in these areas are food-related, so the chances of finding a food bank in these areas will be higher.

Food bank at Emira Residence. Photo courtesy of Ms. Ng, a resident of the said property.

In fact, even some condominiums have begun to join the White Flag movement. Of note is Emira Residence in Shah Alam. The Joint Management Body (JMB) of Emira Residence has set up a space on the Ground Floor of the condominium, where residents can donate supplies to and where those who need them can pick them up. Kudos to them.

As Malaysians, let us reach out and help our own fellow Malaysians during this time of need. Stay safe and stay strong at home!

For more guides like this, visit the PropSocial’s article page.


(Written by Isabelle, 16th July 2021)

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It's good no words exchange, so ppl will go get what they need and not feeling bad about it, but all these also subject to possibility of abuses which we have read in the news, so don't really need it but plain lazy....