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When life gives you a bounty of Durians, turn it into nasi lemak.

Although not literally, Singapore durian seller Louis Lee did use the additional income he received from a spike in sales to distribute hundreds of packets of nasi lemak to help Malaysians in Singapore.

For 2 days straight, Louis and his team generously gave out 300 packets of nasi lemak to Malaysians stranded in Singapore.

Malaysian durians are partially to thank

Louis’ profitable durian business is partially thanks to an abundance of fruit coming in from Johor and Pahang.

His frequent and informative updates about durians on his Facebook may be another reason for his success.

Despite his frequent updates on durian sales, his post announcing the free collection of nasi lemak and chicken rice from his stall was not overlooked and everything was snapped up within a couple of hours.

Malaysian Kindness In Singapore

Louis, who is actually Malaysian, told CNA that it is important for him to give back to those who are struggling. Although he considers his act of giving a “small gesture”, he hopes it makes Malaysians happier in these trying times.

Louis knows what it’s like to be away from loved ones as he has a wife and 2 young children living in Muar, Johor.

Fortunately, with the Periodic Commuting Arrangement (PCA) scheme which allows permit holders to head home after working in Singapore for 90 consecutive days, Louis managed to visit them once in 2020 in spite of border closures.

In a Malay Mail report citing the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Malaysians continue to make up the biggest group of contributing foreigners in the island republic.

In its data from 2019, there were close to one million Malaysians in Singapore, making it the biggest migrant group in Singapore at 44 per cent.

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