PUCHONG: It’s a scene like every other day. A regular food court with hawkers busy cooking up their signature dishes in hot woks and huge broth pots, and customers queueing up for temperatures checks as per the new normal.
To the untrained eye, Ramai Food Centre may seem no different from hundreds of others throughout Puchong’s bustling streets.
However, if you consider yourself a keen observer, you would notice that some of the food stalls here bear a red sticker with Chinese characters and the visual of a potato. The stickers are pasted on the right side of the stall, just below the pictures of food and the price list.
If you’re curious enough to walk up to any of the stalls bearing these red stickers, the hawker will point you in the direction of a cashier sitting in his booth.
With no questions asked, the cashier will hand you an RM5 voucher, which essentially is a ticket to redeem a bowl of rice or noodles from any of the stalls bearing the red sticker – at absolutely no cost to you.
The RM5 coupon concept was introduced at Ramai Food Court by none other than Malaysia’s champion of the poor, Kuan Chee Heng, affectionately known as Uncle Kentang. Hence, the little red potato stickers.
The 57-year-old told FMT that during the Movement Control Order, he observed that too many people were going hungry and feeling totally helpless after suddenly finding themselves unemployed.
While it is true that Pay It Forward initiatives existed in Malaysia way before the Covid-19 pandemic, it was carried out on a much smaller scale and mostly in cafes and restaurants.
With the pandemic in full swing, more people found themselves in dire straits while those already living below the poverty level were rendered even more helpless.
“Many were also suicidal,” noted Kuan, adding that the idea of the RM5 meal vouchers was to help those going hungry in these uncertain times.
Since the introduction of the initiative in November, many people strapped for cash and in need of a hot meal have walked into Ramai Food Centre, obtained a meal voucher for lunch or dinner and tucked into a hearty bowl of pan mee, or a plate of nasi kukus, char kway teow and other hawker fare. They were also served a glass of water or tea with their meal.
Ramai Food Centre supervisor, Khoon Joon You, explained that for the past two months, about 60 meal vouchers have been handed out to the needy daily.
“The voucher is not applicable to all of the stalls though – only those with the little red potato sticker on them. The vouchers also cannot be used at stalls that sell pricier dishes like grilled fish,” Khoon explained.
To sustain this Pay It Forward initiative for the long term, customers are encouraged to donate as much or as little as they can. Those who make a donation will be presented with a special ‘Uncle Kentang certificate’ as a token of appreciation.
“There is no limit to how much one wants to donate. Just head to Ramai Food Centre and donate what you can,” says Kuan.
So, if and whenever you’re in the area, you’re more than welcome to sample some of the meals here. And if you’re feeling particularly generous that day, do donate to the Uncle Kentang RM5 meal voucher initiative. Even the smallest donation can play a big part in helping to feed a fellow Malaysian who is struggling.
However, if you are unable to donate personally, you may contact Kuan’s colleague, Liew Yew Fook at 016-205 7077.
Ramai Food Centre
33, Jalan Bandar Sepuluh
Pusat Bandar Puchong
47160 Puchong
Selangor