What was supposed to be a simple walk to Plaza Merdeka turned into something far more meaningful for a man in Kuching.
On 20 February 2026, he shared online how a brief encounter with a stranger became a lesson he did not expect.
A question that stayed with him
While walking, he was stopped by an elderly woman who softly asked, “Is it far from here to the General Hospital?”
He checked Google Maps and told her it was quite far. She simply replied, “Okay,” before slowly sitting back down along the corridor.
He walked away. But with every step, his heart felt heavier.
“Something inside me was not at peace”
He later wrote that he could not explain the feeling, but he knew he had to turn back.
When he approached her again and asked if she needed to go to the hospital, she nodded. Her mother had just passed away.
She had just arrived from Betong and needed to get to the hospital. There was no drama in her voice. No exaggeration. Just a daughter quietly carrying grief.
At that moment, he decided to help.
He booked a Grab despite his own financial worries
Without overthinking, he booked a Grab and paid for her ride to Sarawak General Hospital.
While waiting for the car, he checked his wallet.
He was not financially comfortable. In fact, he had just told his friend earlier that he was struggling with commitments and calculating carefully just to survive the week in Kuching.
The money in his wallet was not extra money. Still, he gave what he could, including an angpao he had.
“It was not a big amount. It was not a grand gesture,” he wrote.
But in that moment, I felt something bigger than money.”
Choosing compassion over fear
Reflecting on the incident, he said he believes that sometimes prayers are answered through people.
“Obedience to a small nudge in your heart can change someone’s day,” he shared “Compassion does not require wealth. It requires willingness.”
He added that help is not measured by how much we give, but by the sincerity behind it.
The money he gave was meant to last him another week. But in that moment, compassion became louder than fear.
Sometimes faith is not giving from abundance. Sometimes faith is giving while trusting that tomorrow will be taken care of.”
Netizens were deeply moved
Many people were touched by his story.
One netizen pointed out how important his help might have been, especially in allowing her to be present for her mother’s final rites.
“You have no idea the insane kindness you just did. She would have arrived in time to see her mother, kiss her, pray, recite Yasin, help bathe her for the last time, put on her shroud, and perform the funeral prayer.”
Another even offered to compensate him.
“Can you share your bank QR? I hope I can replace a little of what you gave. That lady looks just like my mother. I wouldn’t let any mother go through hardship.”
Others praised him for showing humanity beyond race or religion.
“Thanks for being a true Malaysian, with a pure heart. Big respect.”
“Maybe the blessing was that I was trusted to help”
He said he did not share the story to showcase kindness. Instead, he shared it because he learned something important.
He thought he was just walking to Plaza Merdeka. “But actually, I was walking into a divine appointment.”
And perhaps, he added, the real blessing was not the money he gave. Maybe the blessing was that he was trusted to help.
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