#tamakpahala

When I was still in uni, I remember vaguely that I had something in mind. Something kind. A plan to help the needy. I can't remember what prompted me at that time. I remember fantasizing about preparing meals and distributing them to all the homeless folks. This seems rather surreal now, it could have been only a dream. I don't know. But a post I read on Fb yesterday triggered this memory.

This guy by the name of Syed Azmi. You probably would have heard of him, he's pretty well known for his kind acts. I only got to know about him about a week back, and I started following his posts closely. This man, he is really special. He is inspiring. He inspires me, a lot.

So, what's the deal with this guy? He carries out many projects to help the needy. Needy, not necessarily poor. According to him, a rich man is a needy man if he forgets his wallet on that day. Well, makes sense, doesn't it? His ideas are very refreshing. He wants to instill kindness in people. He aims at painting smiles over faces, regardless of their background. He is non-judgmental, the quality above all that I respect.

Yesterday, he carried out a project called "Suspended Bazaar Ramadhan". Basically, what he did was that he picked a stall at the bazaar, paid for all the food but left them there for the vendor to give away for FREE. A notice was placed over the stall stating:

" Kuih Percuma! Jemput ambil buat keluarga. Ambil lebih sikit buat jiran, boleh? "

People who cannot afford would not go to a Bazaar Ramadhan. So, by allowing the public to take extra, they could potentially pass the food to their needy neighbors.

I was instantly enticed by the idea. I actually planned in my head of carrying out a similar deed myself, but it wasn't long before I dropped it. Just a couple of hours before that, I had an inane conversation with my staffs about opening a stall at the bazaar, selling drinks as it requires the least effort but brings big profits. My staffs told me that Muslims will not purchase from a non-Muslim vendor even if it is certified halal. They just wouldn't. I protested that we non-Muslims always frequent Malay stalls, they should probably do the same (provided it's halal). She said it's just the way they are here. They just won't.

I was excited, thinking about how it would cheer people up by giving away free food at the bazaar. I then went on imagining myself being the person handing them the free food, and how they would not have visited my stall if it wasn't for free because of my race. I desisted. My emotions changed. By this time, I was a little annoyed. The frivolous remark made by my staffs had ruined a potential good deed.

Perhaps Syed Azmi could once again instill some virtue in me. As always, I look forward to his stories.

Do check his page out, if you haven't already.

Cheers.