Moved by the plight of a single mother and her children more than 20 years ago, Chew Song Kong began delivering weekly groceries to them.
He never imagined that small act of compassion to grow into the Charity Food Basket Society Klang, which now supports 160 families every month.
For his noble efforts, Chew is named as one of the 10 winners of the Star Golden Hearts Award 2025, an annual award by The Star that honours everyday Malaysian unsung heroes.
00:00Hi, my name is Chew Song Kong and I'm one of the winners of the Star Golden Hearts Award 2025.
00:08Some of the best we have to dismantle because the electrical board system all kaput, they cannot be used.
00:3367-year-old Chew Song Kong shows us a workshop of Charity Food Basket Society Klang that he is operating out of a premises tucked away at a neighbourhood in Klang.
00:43The premises is where they conduct maintenance and repair works on hospital beds, wheelchairs and other equipment which are later list out for free to those in need.
00:54It is also where food provisions are given out to about 160 families each month.
01:00Chew said 13 to 15 food item provisions including rice, instant noodles, biscuits and sardines are handed out every first Sunday of the month.
01:10We started in 2016, started with one hospital bed. Someone donated a hospital to us. So we lent it out.
01:19After a while, people asked for more hospital beds. So from there we raised money to buy.
01:27From 2016 to now, we have about 500 old hospital beds. Some of the donations goes to repairing of the beds.
01:34We repair ourselves, paintings, cleaning, sanitiser, or we do in-house, including wheelchairs. Everything is in-house.
01:42Actually, this centre is fully run by volunteers. The whole community does not get paid.
01:48Outside volunteers, we have about 10 to 12 of them. And then they help us to leave the hospital beds, collect hospital beds.
01:56They go and do retail work, maintenance, help us out. Some of them, they come one month once to pack onion, potato and garlic.
02:04Some of them, they're packing for the monthly, before they store inside. One month once, they come and collect.
02:10About 10 to 12, we send to their house. They are too old, handicapped, and very far away.
02:21These are the colors where our food recipients are.
02:25Roughly where they stay, we know.
02:28Chew's act of compassion began more than 20 years ago after he was moved by the plight of a single mother and her children,
02:34where he began providing weekly groceries to them.
02:37Actually, it started not on purpose with one family.
02:42They want the row size, and then with a few children.
02:45So, I took pity on them.
02:48After that, I saw the second family. It grew and grew and grew.
02:53Once I reached a certain amount, I cannot afford it anymore with my salary.
02:57So, we looked around for friends, donors to keep in.
03:02It grew beyond my imagination.
03:05In the beginning, we don't have a warehouse.
03:08I used my car as the car boot as the store.
03:12So, after work, I could buy some provisions and distribute.
03:17As cases grew, things grew, I used my house.
03:20Then, also, it outgrew my house.
03:23Then, we bought a container behind my house.
03:2740-foot container. I think this is the container, original container in my house.
03:31Yeah, we found this land, I think 15 years ago.
03:35The kind Indian lady let us use this for free.
03:38Chew said a thorough vetting process is carried out before registering a recipient.
03:43And applicants must fill up a form containing their personal and family details,
03:47utility bills, and related documents.
03:50The criteria is very easy.
03:52If their income is 2,000 or 1,500, what are their expenses?
03:57If their expenses are higher than their income, then we go to interview them at their house.
04:05Then, we will issue them a card.
04:07Every month, we have this system called drive-thru.
04:11They come in, they show the scan, then they collect, then they go off.
04:16And then, if our 160 quarter is full, they have to wait a few months.
04:20Because if it's urgent case, immediately, no need to wait for the quarter.
04:25Some of them are very grateful. They terminate themselves.
04:28They say their children are big, really working.
04:31They need to give it to other property to others.
04:34Some of them thought they donate back a little bit of cash to us every month.
04:39So, they say to help others.
04:41I don't believe in getting famous.
04:46It's not my style.
04:48When I started this, I used to know what, maybe it was a hobby.
04:51To now, it might be a hobby and it keeps me alive.
04:55Every day, I have something to do.
04:57To Chiu, his charity work gives him a purpose of life,
05:02and seeing the smile on the recipient's faces gives him sheer happiness and satisfaction.
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