BEYOND the towering skyscrapers and gleaming cityscape, life in the hustle and bustle of Kuala Lumpur is not entirely idyllic. The homeless population, who have made small, dark alleys their home, have countless stories of their joys and sorrows.
Well aware that the homeless, or those known as 'Street Friends', also need care and attention, entertainment and lifestyle portal mStar - together with the KPJ Healthcare Berhad team - went down to the found to support the community around Jalan Belia, Chow Kit on Monday night (April 1) in a corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme through the mStar Baek segment.
mStar’s editor-in-chief Niezam Abdullah said this is a special project with KPJ Healthcare to support the homeless who need care and attention, especially in the blessed month of Ramadan.
"This collaboration is mStar's second project in the mStar Baek segment after the success of a similar programme carried out last year in collaboration with beauty product manufacturer Noir Beauty Health & Beauty.
"The collaboration between mStar and KPJ Healthcare Berhad this time is also more interesting because it has a broader scope. It is not only focused on artists and celebrities, but instead the homeless and others who live in suffering," he said.
To make the program more attractive, KPJ Healthcare also opened the Waqaf An-Nur clinic to enable the homeless to get free health checks.
KPJ Healthcare Berhad president and managing director Chin Keat Chyuan said charity programmes like these need to be expanded in the future not only to help the homeless, but also to foster a compassionate society.
"It was a humbling experience to witness the suffering of others after participating in the mStar Baek programme. We think our lives are hard, but it's even harder for ;Street Friends’ who face various challenges just to survive every day.
"We can learn a lot through tonight's programme which heightens our awareness. I believe that the (homeless) community near here, which has been marginalised for so long, has many stories of joys and sorrows that can be shared with us," he said.
Apart from Chin and 46 volunteers, KPJ Healthcare Berhad was also accompanied by KPJ Damansara Specialist Hospital paediatric specialist Datuk Dr Mohammad Iqbal Mohamad Sarwar and chief human resources officer Norhamijah Mohd Hanafiah, Star Media Group's mStar team and executive editor (content design) Tung Eng Hwa.
A total of 500 Hygiene Kits and bread were distributed to underprivileged groups to promote hygiene upkeep and personal health.
"Tonight we are helping homeless people who cannot walk and cannot afford their own health care. We are providing these health and convenience kits as a community service for them.
"I was touched to see a team of KPJ volunteers helping out even during the fasting month, including Datuk Dr Iqbal who cared for homeless patients. Thank you to mStar as well for the invitation to collaborate," Chin added.
The mStar Baek programme was published for broadcast on all mStar video and social media platforms, and was broadcast every Thursday from October 5 last year - Jaafar Onn was the first celebrity and artist to receive a team visit.
Selected participants also received RM3,000 in cash for daily expenses, a medical card for 12 treatments and a complete medical aid kit.
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