Do you want to know...?

 

“Uncle, are you doing well?”

Do you want to know what MCO does?

Last Sunday, I followed my mom to pasar malam (night market) to get some groceries for the week. I am happy to be able to go to pasar with my mom after months of not doing so. At the pasar malam, I went to the soya stall. I have not seen the uncle for months as well. I grew up drinking his soya because his soya is one of the nicest and cheapest in Subang. I can't wait to taste his soya again after so long.

Upon reaching there, the first thing that shocked me was how empty his stall was. Before MCO, you will have to wait 5 minutes to order your drink because that's just how many people crowd around his stall every time to get a taste of his soya. This time, I could just reach the stall and order my drinks.

As he was preparing my drink, I decided to ask a question. 

“Uncle, are you doing well?” (Uncle, 你還好嗎？)

He stopped making my drink, looked at me, and shook his head. “I’m not good.” 

"I'm struggling to make money. Back in March when MCO was implemented, I thought that I could not make it. I have a family to feed. I usually open three places to sell soya, now two places still can't open due to SOP reasons. Here, business drops more than half my usual earning. It was beginning to come back, but thanks to CMCO again, my business dropped."

I could only stand there and listen to his woes. 

“When you have a family next time, then you will understand the stress when you can’t provide for the family. It's difficult times now."  

He then started to tell me his life story of how he had done many jobs before eventually settling down to sell soya. He found his niche in making soya, hence why he sold it until this day. He then also asked a little on my life update. I shared some of my life progress. I thanked him before I left and took a picture of his stall to promote on my Instagram story.

Over my mom's side, my mom is close to the vegetable seller because my mom has been buying vegetables from her for decades. She was also telling how they are all struggling from this pandemic, and this CMCO is ruining their sales. They had to hike the vegetable price just so that they have enough money to live. As we move from stall to stall to buy the groceries, many of them also said the same thing. Some are already on the verge of ending their business because they simply just can't afford to go on anymore. It does break my heart to see this.

Not too long ago, we have heard on how a chicken rice seller from Jenjarom that has to travel to Subang every day to sell chicken rice was fined RM3000 because he had more than two passengers in the car which defies the SOP. I know friends who lost their jobs or had their income cut due to this pandemic. I have personally known friends who lost their jobs because of this pandemic. I have personally known a friend who is struggling to stay at home because his/her environment is toxic.

It irks me knowing that this third wave of Covid-19 was mainly contributed by greedy and power-seeking politicians who thinks they're above the law. The front liners have been working endlessly and the rakyat obediently followed the SOP. 

Then politics came.

You have some people wishing for MCO to happen again. Do you not know the impact that MCO brings? 

You have people who are currently struggling to feed himself.

You have people who are dying from this disease. 

You have people losing their minds.

You have family and friends affected by losing their loved ones from this virus. 

You have people getting abused in their household.

You have people looking at their bills and thinking that it is their end.

I'll say it once, and I will say it again. If you are one of those who wishes MCO to happen again for your own benefit or because you liked it, it's either you're so privileged or so ignorant. Just for a moment, open your eyes and see what it means for so many more people who are struggling to even survive from this. 

Selfish. Just hear yourself saying “I want MCO” again.

While I can, I will try my best to stop buying from big companies and will go full-on buying local products. Small businesses and local peeps need our help the most. 

Nasi lemak from that mak cik opposite school? Go! Buy it!  

Mamak? Yeah, eat it.

McD? No, that can wait.

For now, that's all I can help. Support your small local businesses. I try to work something on this. Hope this reaches out to people. 

This is my soya uncle. He sells in SS13 pasar malam from 2 pm onwards. Help him out. His soya is cheap and delicious! Look out for "Sky Sun".

Edit: Many spoke out about my point when I call people who want MCO to happen as "selfish". I've edited it to "people who want MCO for their own benefits". I have no say in your true intention of wanting MCO, but I am highlighting the fact that MCO brings devastating effects to millions of Rakyats. I accept that even I am privilege that despite MCO, I am still able to live comfortably. I am blessed. Some people are not, and seeing this because of political games, makes me very broken and angry. That is why the least I can do is to reduce their burden by supporting their products while I am still able to.

My objective from this post still remains one, to encourage each other to support small businesses. Big companies do have their fair share of problems, I admit. However, I personally feel that they have many layers of cushion to fall on before eventually going really broke. For these people who depend on daily sales, some have already fallen on their last cushion. 

The best way is to still practice SOP. Social distance, wash your hands and wear a mask correctly (not with your nose dangled out).

Edit 2: I visited the pasar again today and I was overwhelmed by the support of so many! For those who are looking for ways to contact the uncle to help, unfortunately, he does not want to reveal his phone number. Meanwhile, continue to practice SOP even when buying the soya. We don't want a "kluster soya" to come out. Kudos to everyone who practised social distancing while I was there. 

To those who still want to defend my statement regarding those who want an MCO, I hope you don't get me wrong. 

The very fact that we all can agree on is that MCO will devastate the economy and puts many citizens into a real struggle for money. You may say it's for 2 weeks, but some people can't afford 2 weeks. It is a fact and we all know it. 

However, in the end, if MCO has to be done to stop the spread of the virus, then it has to be done. 

Therefore, let us do our part to stop the spread and not resolve to MCO as the last resort to stop the spread. If we want to think for these people, we do our part to slow and stop the spread.

Thank you so much for sharing out my story to reach out to others! I hope that my message of supporting the small businesses reach out to everyone who reads this! The soya uncle also extends his thanks to everyone who supported him today!

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