Doing what she can to help those in need

Nor Ahikin (in black) wasn't prepared for the devastation she saw when she went down to the flood sites. Photos and footage on the news didn't prepare her for the extent of loss faced by victims. Photos: Nor Ashikin Ahmad

Helping those in need has always been a priority for Nor Ashikin Ahmad, 49, who runs a restaurant in Puchong with her sisters. But their aid work had always been ad-hoc – cooking and distributing meals to the less fortunate in Chow Kit and other areas in the Klang Valley.

However, when the pandemic hit the country last year, she found a new purpose in her aid work. With the help of her family and friends, she began helping residents of the PPR flats around where she lives.

“During the pandemic we saw how badly people were hit, especially those in the PPR flats who were mainly day-wage earners. All of a sudden, they had no work and therefore no income. So, my sisters, my cousin from Johor, some of my good friends and I decided to do what we could to help.

“I went down to the flats and spoke to the leaders there to let them know of our intention to help. Then, I did my own bancian (survey). I went door to door to find out what the needs of the families were. I realised many of the residents were single mums and older folks who depended on their kids, many of whom had lost their jobs. They were in bad shape, really. There were also Indonesian workers with no work.

“So with donations from friends, we would buy groceries for them. And, during the fasting month, we gave them rice and dry rations and my sisters and I would cook a couple of lauk and a dessert for them every day throughout the whole month. All they had to do was cook their own rice and prepare their own drinks,” says Nor Ashikin, adding that she’d upload what she did on her Instagram accounts, to share what they were doing and to show how the funds collected were being used. This would often also bring in more donations which enabled their efforts to go on.

As she’d already built a relationship with the community, Nor Ashikin could continue to assist the flat dwellers throughout the pandemic, always checking in with the leaders to find out what help was needed the most.

When the flood hit two weeks ago, she and her group of friends sprung into action once again.

They’ve been helping with providing dry rations to flood-affected families in several of the flood-hit areas and also with the clean-up efforts.

“It’s devastating the damage that the floods have caused,” shares Nor Ashikin. “You can’t really see how bad it is from the photos on social media or even the footage in the news. When you are on the ground, you see how much of a disaster it is, how high the water level was and how homes and cars have been destroyed.

While the devastation was heartbreaking, the willingness of all Malaysians to come forward and help was heartwarming, says Nor Ashikin.

“In Hulu Langat, it is almost like a small tsunami hit the area. I saw a house that was swept away by the flood... all that was left was the cement steps. There are old folks who don’t know where their children are. I don’t know how these folk are going to rebuild their lives,” she shares.

But, as devastating as the damage was, Nor Ashikin says that witnessing the Malaysians come together to help has been heartwarming.

“You see all Malaysians working together – Malays, Chinese, Indians and other races working as one. This is who we are. This is what Malaysia is, the Malaysian spirit that I grew up around. I think our education system should emphasise these values of unity and service so that we remain united, not just during a crisis,” she says.