Eatery gives away 100 packets of cooked food daily

(From left) Soh receiving a thumbs up from Wong and Choy for his efforts in feeding the needy.

AFTER reading about people’s plea for help, especially during the White Flag movement, a restaurant owner in Ipoh was moved to start his own food aid programme.

Every day, Gary Soh Kam Thong, 56, gives away 100 packets of cooked food to the needy for lunch.

The food distribution that started on July 3, he said, would last for at least three months.

“With help from some sponsors, we decided to do our part by providing food to the needy,” he said when met at his restaurant.

Showing support for his good deed were Ipoh Timur MP Wong Kah Woh and Canning assemblyman Jenny Choy.

Soh said he felt compelled to do his part after reading about people’s plight.

“After being retrenched from a multinational company in Kuala Lumpur last year, I took over the restaurant from my mother-in-law.

“Together with my brother-in-law who had to close down his restaurant in Genting Highlands due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we refurbished the current restaurant,” he added.

Soh said his target was to provide free food for at least three months, but if there was a need, he would extend it.

The food is provided daily from 11.30am onwards, and includes fried rice or fried noodles with chicken and vegetables.

“I have asked Choy to help distribute the food to anyone in her constituency who cannot come to the restaurant due to age or transportation problems,” he added.

Wong said he appreciated the effort by business operators who had come forward to help the needy.

Since the first movement control order last year, he and his colleagues had distributed food baskets and cooked food to the needy.

“So whether there is a white flag or otherwise, people can always come to our service centres and we will definitely help them,” he added.