PETALING JAYA, Oct 21 — The Methodist Boys School Kuala Lumpur (MBSKL) is a place full of fond memories for Yum Kin Choong and his friends from the class of 1987.
When they found out that their beloved alma mater was in need of assistance—to keep up with the Covid-19 health safety procedures—Yum and his friends jumped in to help.
“Everyone that comes out of MBSKL is very proud of their school. I feel like being at that school has helped all of us a lot in life and it has taught us many good values and morals.
“So when they are having a tough time, we feel like we have to do something to help them out,” said Yum in an interview with Malay Mail.
The 50-year-old, and his team of former MBSKL boys, banded together to raise funds to purchase temperature scanners, hand sanitiser dispensers and any other equipment the school needed.
“Some of our seniors reached out to us when they heard that we were helping out MBSKL.
|They donated 760 litres and 240 litres of AnGuard hand sanitiser and shampoo respectively.
“The problem was that the school had trouble making the sanitiser accessible to everyone,” he said.
“So, we decided to raise the money and get the dispenser machines for them.”
Yum, who is the Palm Garden Golf Club marketing manager, added that he and his friends purchased 60 wall-mounted hand sanitiser dispensers and installed them in every classroom earlier this week, to help keep over 1000 students and teachers at the school safe.
Since the start of the movement control order (MCO), Yum and his friends have also donated over 1,500 face masks, five temperature scanners, two floor stand sanitiser dispensers and have even helped to personally disinfect the entire school building.
It isn’t just their former school that they’ve helped out either, as Yum and a group of his associates have also actively sought to help out underprivileged communities around Kuala Lumpur that have been affected by the pandemic.
“Since the first day of the MCO, we’ve been trying to help as many underprivileged people that we can,” said Yum.
“I used to work at a children’s home for eight years, so I know the struggles they go through.
“If breadwinners had a tough time during the lockdown, what more places like orphanages or homeless shelters? There’s no way they could have surviv on their own.”
Yum added that this thought led him to initiate the “Donate Mask” project, with the aim of donating 2,000 face masks to underprivileged communities around his home in Cheras.
“Within three day of reaching out to people, I received 3,000 face masks and donations from my friends and the public.
“So I decided to keep doing this and get more people to help out to donate in any way they can, whether it be in cash, in-kind or with their time.”
Yum and his team of around 50 people—made up of his former schoolmates, church friends and neighbours—also donated hand sanitisers, floor disinfectants and daily provisions to the homes.
He also said that they have assisted more than six children homes and old folks homes including Yayasan Sunbeams Home, Pertubuhan Kebajikan Yesuvan Mahligai in Kajang and Desa Amal Jireh orphanage in Semenyih, and have helped to disinfect the buildings of over nine homes around Selangor.
The “Donate Mask” group also helped out at six temporary homeless shelters located in Cheras, Sentul, Gombak and Setiawangsa, donating daily provisions like toothbrushes, soap and face masks.
According to Yum, his movement has raised and donated over 20,000 face masks and over 900 litres of hand sanitiser to date.
Yum said that he doesn’t plan to stop helping people any time soon either as he will continue to “do what he can” to aid those in need.
“I won’t let anyone or anything stop me. If we can extend our help or lend a hand to people, even during tough times like this, it makes a world of difference to those less fortunate than us.
“So, whenever my friends and I meet for a drink, I’ll make sure we all take out some money and plan on what we can do with it to help communities and people that are struggling.”
If you’re interested in joining Yum’s cause or want to help out in any way, you can contact him at +6012-228 6643 or surf over to the “Donate Mask” Facebook page.
