This Malaysia Day, We Recall Six Moments That Restored Our Faith in Malaysians

It's easy to get caught up with all the negativity in the news every day, but staying up-to-date isn't always a bad thing though. We believe that we should all play our part as citizens to be aware and updated of what goes on around the country we live in.

In spite of that, it is also understandable that sad occurrences can be a bit of a downer, especially if they happen so frequently.

This is why we light up and latch onto feel-good stories and heartwarming news whenever they pop up - because it reminds us that through all the cloudy days, we are still Malaysians at heart.

And as Malaysians, we celebrate the joy that people around us bring - be it through racial unity, being an inspiration to others, and gestures of kindness, both small and big, that can truly change someone’s life for the better.

In light of the recent Malaysia’s Day, we’d like to take you on a ride down memory lane on these six moments that united Malaysians regardless of race, religion and culture.

They definitely tugged at our heartstrings and made us tear, but we were also filled with so much hope right after. Talk about a rollercoaster of emotions!

1) Coming together to help a father who washes cars for a living

Image Source: SAYS

Earlier on in the year, Malaysians were already off to an inspiring start when the story of how a father who washes cars to buy school books for his daughter went viral and for all the good reasons, too!

Facebook user Adi W. Kamal stumbled across their family's ordeal when he was in Section 9, Shah Alam. A young primary school-going girl knocked on his car window and asked if he wanted to have his car washed.

He denied her offer but realised not too long after that there was a man walking around the area with a pail of water and washcloth on his shoulder - whom he presumed to be the little girl’s father.

Humbled by the experience, Adi proceeded to share his story on Facebook together with the bank details of the father, Sukumaran Sanmugam.

In less than three hours, the post reached thousands of users with a handful of them making donations to the family and even offering permanent jobs for the man.

2) Commuters who showed compassion to an elderly man

Image Source: Twitter

What was supposed to be an ordinary LRT ride for Twitter user @nellynonoi turned out to be a heartwarming experience when she came across an old Chinese man who was having trouble descending a flight of stairs.

Recounting her story via a Twitter thread who has amassed to a whopping 22,000 retweets as of now, Maryamah shared how she decided to assist the old uncle down upon being told that he had poor vision. She continued to hold his hand and made sure that he was safely on the train as they were both on the same line.

The tale did not end there though, as Maryamah observed the small acts of kindness shown to the old man by other commuters on the LRT who took note of his condition, too. She shared that she was not expecting people to give way and offer their seats almost immediately as soon as they saw him.

Another commuter who stood nearby the old man helped him out of the train when it reached the man’s designated station. Not only that, Maryamah wrote how two girls rushed to help the man onto the escalator once he was at his stop.
A lot of us clearly swelled up with Malaysian pride upon reading this, as it’s such a relief to hear how compassion and kindness is still in every corner.

3) Helping a man find a job in time for Raya

Image Source: Twitter

What was supposed to be a cheery festive season for those celebrating Hari Raya turned grim for Grab driver Muhammad Al Hakim Mustafa Kamal who was filled with worry after he got suspended from work shortly before the Raya season.

He shared about his misfortune in a tweet explaining how his suspension stemmed from a misunderstanding from a Grab user who issued a complaint because he did not arrive at the pick-up point and hastily canceled the ride.

Muhammad defended his case saying that the hailer did not show up at the place.
In a critical need to support his family, Muhammad pleaded Twitter users to inform him of any job vacancies available, even those that required him to start immediately. That single tweet alone resulted in 5,568 retweets accompanied by dozens of job offers or news of job openings.

Bowled over by the support shown to him, Muhammad expressed how he was incredibly thankful and hoped that those who are also looking for a job can bask in the opportunities given to him.

4) Chinese Grab driver buys food for Muslim passenger to break fast

Image Source: World of Buzz

When Nur Aqilah Syazwina Mustaffa got Wong Zhen Wei as her Grab driver, she could have never predicted how what was supposed to be a normal journey back to her house would evolve into an unplanned bazaar trip when they realised it was almost time to break fast.

If that act alone did not melt your heart, Wong insisted on paying for all the food that she bought. “I did not spend a single cent!” Nur announced. Upon reaching her house, Nur invited him to dine with her family but he declined her offer.

Nevertheless, she expressed how a non-fasting Chinese guy who willingly accompanied a total stranger just so that she can get some food to buka puasa touched her tremendously. We feel the same way, girl!

5) Chinese family taking pictures for a Malay family during Hari Raya

Image Source: Twitter

Among the many things that we take pride in as Malaysians, one of the most commendable aspects would be how a melting pot of so many races, religions, cultures and ethnicities can live harmoniously together.

This is exemplified during this year’s Raya season when an image of a Chinese family helping a Malay family take a picture in their Raya outfits went viral on Twitter with an outstanding 27,868 retweets courtesy of user @WanShazwan6.
The simple but powerful caption stated, “This is Malaysia! This is the real Malaysia!”, brought on a throng of replies with netizens also sharing their own Raya pictures. Most of their posts consisted of different races coming together and celebrating the festivities in true Malaysian form.

6) Passer-by tending to accident victim

Image Source: World of Buzz

Nothing unites Malaysians more than moments of celebration and sorrow, and in this case, we’re glad to see our people being there for one another in difficult times.

In a Facebook post written by Mohd Farouk, he shared how he witnessed an accident on Jalan Loke Yew. A teenager fell off his motorbike and was bleeding from his wounds. Farouk proceeded to call the ambulance as anyone would, but while waiting, a lady stopped by and started tending to the victim’s injuries. According to Farouk, she managed to stop the bleeding until the ambulance arrived.

Did all these stories warm your heart as much as it warmed ours? We sure hope you’ll be inspired by these, and continue on to spread your own acts of kindness to remind each other what it truly means to harbour the Malaysian spirit.