'Wait for me': McDonald's Ramadan video reuniting Malaysian colleagues with family leaves the internet in tears

"I thought it was just going to be two weeks. But now, I've been in Singapore for over a year," begins McDonald's latest advertisement.

The two minute 48 seconds long advertisement uploaded on Friday (April 16) follows Samsuri, a Malaysian who works as a McDelivery rider in Singapore.

It's been over a year since the Singapore-Malaysia border closure. For Samsuri, one of seven siblings and a father of one, Ramadan this year is a much quieter affair than he's used to.

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"I'm spending [Ramadan] alone in Singapore this year," he says in a voiceover. Though he considered returning home to his family, he understood that staying in Singapore to work was a sacrifice he had to make for them.

He's not alone in his struggle. Rozaini and Anas, too, have been separated from their family.

"Three months here feels like I haven't met them in three years," Rozaini admits in the video. The three of them were each brought into a room to talk about what life used to be, and what they hoped to be able to do if they got to see their family again.

Anas says with a smile: "Be patient and wait for me to return home."

The blank wall beside each of them then lights up, projecting a live video call with their family from a similar room in Malaysia. With the way the cameras and projection lined up, it looked as though everyone was seated around the same table.

Tears were immediately shed as parties on either side of the call saw one another, overwhelmed by emotions.

Anas' young toddler babbles happily and calls out for him, even holding up a half-eaten nugget towards the camera as if trying to feed him.

As the 'reunited' families laugh and break fast with boxes of McDonald's together, the ad ends with the tagline: "Share the spirit of Ramadan, even across borders."

The video, though short, has gathered over 500,000 views on Instagram and over 6,000 shares on Facebook. 

"I cried watching this," many netizens commented. For some, the video hit extremely close to home.

McDonald's Singapore isn't a stranger to advertisements in the form of hard-hitting tear-jerkers. The fast-food giant released another advertisement during the month of Ramadan in 2018 that won international praise after it was picked up by American media Buzzfeed.

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Since the closure of the borders, those working in Singapore with families back in Malaysia have had to rely on video calls to see their family. The closest some got to see their families in person was across the waterway, when several Malaysian families boarded a yacht to wave at their relatives, who stood by Woodlands Waterfront Park last October.

Another man was also seen standing by the jetty at the park, speaking to his family through video call as they tried to catch a glimpse of one another across Johor Strait.

"Every day I pray that I can see them soon."

ALSO READ: Singapore, Malaysia to discuss reopening of border during Muhyiddin's visit on May 4

rainercheung@asiaone.com