B40 families receive aid via free groceries initiative

The Sun

30-05-2025

GEORGE TOWN: Since January, over 300 low-income and hardcore poor families across Penang and neighbouring regions have received grocery aid through the Penang Hindu Association (PHA) and Klinik Derma Sivasanta (KDS).
On Wednesday, an aid distribution event was held at KDS in River Road, involving 60 families.
Another 10 families who could not attend due to medical or caregiving responsibilities had the aid delivered to their homes.
Since early this year, the two organisations have distributed grocery packages worth RM180 each to families in Penang Island, Butterworth, Prai, Sungai Bakap, Nibong Tebal, Simpang Ampat, Kulim and Ipoh.
Each aid package includes more than 35 essential grocery items, vegetables, milk powder for children and senior citizens, diapers, health products, face masks and a vegetarian meal.
The initiative is sustained entirely through public donations and support from several NGOs.
PHA president Datuk P. Murugiah said the charity efforts were in response to the rising cost of living, inflation and concerns over job losses.
'Some families have had to borrow money just to buy food, medicine, milk for their children and even to pay for transport to school ,' he told theSun.
Murugiah, who also coordinates operations at KDS, urged the government to carry out a comprehensive study on the current poverty situation.
However, he pointed out that such conditions may not be fully visible through official statistics alone.
Beyond food aid, the two entities have also extended support to bedridden individuals and those suffering from conditions such as cancer, stroke and kidney failure, by providing partial financial assistance to cover medical bills.
Additionally, PHA supports underprivileged students by providing laptops and partially covering academic fees.
More than 50 students have benefitted through the programme.
'None of this would be possible without the compassion and generosity of our donors,' Murugiah said.
Established in 2012, PHA is a non-profit organisation committed to the welfare of underprivileged communities in Penang and neighbouring states.
Over the years, it has been involved in community service initiatives, including funeral rites and cremation for unclaimed bodies from hospitals and care homes, providing vegetarian meals for senior citizens and assisting students in need.
KDS, a charitable medical clinic founded in 1982 as a welfare wing of the Temple of Fine Arts, provides free medical care to the public, with a focus on serving the underprivileged.
It has expanded its services to include a mobile medical unit for rural outreach and currently also offers free legal services to those in need.
This grassroots effort, now in its 27th year, continues to provide a safety net for many urban poor families.
According to a study by Unicef Malaysia in August 2024 involving 433 low-income households in Penang, 27.9% of respondents said they had to cut down on food due to financial constraints.