This made my day: Johor police officers buy groceries for needy family during MCO

When Malaysia announced a movement control order (MCO) that took effect on March 18, it sparked a mad rush.

Many Malaysians dashed across the Causeway so they could continue working in Singapore while others flocked to supermarkets to stock up on daily essentials.

However, a couple in Johor could do neither because they have trouble making ends meet.

Days after the lockdown, police officers spotted them sitting on a bench in the park with their toddler in tow.

When the officers told them to head home, they didn't expect the woman to burst into tears.

Her family had run out of food at home and she didn't have money to buy groceries because she had no income since the lockdown.

She could only fill her 14-month-old daughter's milk bottle with milo.

[embed]https://www.facebook.com/PolisJohor/posts/3303107936383364[/embed]

Without a work permit, her husband could not return to his part-time job in Singapore. To make matters worse, her job as a dishwasher was suspended as regulations did not allow people to dine at eateries.

After hearing about their plight, the officers gave the couple surgical masks (safety first!) and took the family to a nearby grocery store to pick up daily essentials, paying for the items out of their own pockets.

They also escorted the family back to their rental flat.

Their kind deed was shared on Facebook by Polis Johor on March 26, garnering thousands of comments commending the police officers' actions.

Many Facebook users also took the chance to thank the police for working hard to keep Malaysians safe during the Covid-19 pandemic.

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The family is not the only one going through a tough time since the MCO kicked in, other needy families have shared their struggles making enough money to feed themselves.

A 53-year-old trishaw rider in Penang told The Star: "I have been waiting at the Goddess of Mercy Temple for someone to deliver free meals but nobody came."

"I cycle to all the places that they used to deliver food but they have stopped doing it. I am so hungry now."

Meanwhile, charity groups have said they have problems finding people to prepare and deliver food to the needy during the lockdown.

Supermarkets were also unable to donate leftover food as their supplies were wiped out by panic buyers, they added.

lamminlee@asiaone.com