Malaysia Healthcare Chronicles
A Hundred Unsung Heroes: Charles Mohan a/l M. Muthiah – Chief Executive Officer Institut Onn Ja’afar
I used to be a broadcast journalist and a news anchor. In my time as a journalist, the stories about humanity were the ones that resonated with me the most. After 22 years, I realised that I wanted to contribute directly and kickstarted Institut Onn Ja’afar, after one of my heroes, missionary Dato’ Onn Jaafar.
As an NGO, we are dedicated to providing temporary relief to the underprivileged by mobilising volunteers from public and private institutions. With our ongoing signature ‘Jom Breakfast’ campaign, things ran smoothly. It ran smoothly until the pandemic hit. To say that we were unprepared would be an understatement.
As an NGO that relies heavily on the helping hand of volunteer education institutions, the first Movement Control Order (MCO) was especially tough as volunteers were not allowed to come out due to the standard operating procedures (SOPs) and regulations. This made the operating team very lean. Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) had to open a lot of temporary shelters and needed our help to feed the homeless. Moving away from our routine took some getting used to, but we eventually got the hang of it. It wasn’t easy, waking up in the wee hours of the morning, driving through numerous roadblocks and arranging all the food in boxes at the centre, but we did it nonetheless.
During this period, many concerned friends and family members told me to be extra vigilant when I was out there. I understood their worry, but I believe that at the end of the day, we have to serve. Food is vital, or else they would starve. Plus, I wasn’t too worried about myself. There are ways to keep safe. Follow stringent SOPs, ensure social distancing, sanitise, and wear a face mask all the time. In my heart of hearts, I also believe that God protected us because he knew we were doing something important.
That said, I want to say that as frontliners, people see what we do. But I want to express gratitude towards the sponsors who cooked and provided items that made it possible for Institut Onn Ja’afar to do our work.
