Community

White Flag Saves the Day for Edmond

SUBANG JAYA, JULY 6 2021: Edmond Lasal is a burly but soft spoken tuition teacher leading a decent life taking care of his parents pre-pandemic. But 16 months of enduring a pandemic was slowly chipping away his savings.

This last round it broke the camel’s back. Down to the last hundred ringgit and with no money to buy medicine for his two elderly parents or put food on the table, Edmond broke down and cried for help.

This was his plight just a week ago.

Edmond attending to a member of the public at the post-vaccination observation area

Today, Edmond, 32 has secured employment which will tie him over the current spate of lockdowns. He started work as a Reward crew at Sunway Pyramid Convention Centre’s post-vaccination observation area.

He is elated at having the opportunity to earn his keep once again.

“It’s a blessing. We needed help and it came. I am young and I am willing to work.”

“I was happy this morning. I was going to work after having been redundant for the past month,” he said.

Edmond posing for a photo with Hoey Theen at the SPCC Vaccination Centre

Sunway Malls General Manager of Marketing and Deputy Head of Business Innovation Loo Hoey Theen who had a job opening to fill said she was just as excited with the opportunity to help a young man from the community.

“We are all here and ever willing to help the community. We will do what we can and we are happy that in Edmond’s case, we made a difference for him and his family,” she said.

Edmond summed it up to the point, “The White Flag has given me a lifeline! I will do my best to meet the expectations of my new job.”

He recalled how he suffered sleepless nights watching his four figure savings dwindle to three figures.

“There was no end in sight to this lockdown and I was worried about how I am going to take care of the loan for our family home, my ageing parents who need medication, the utility bills and putting food on the table for our meals,” he said adding that he continued to help his SPM students despite the latter being unable to pay him tuition fees.

Look out for your neighbours. If you see a white flag raised at their gates, pop over and offer some assistance. It might make a world of a difference with your intervention.