Man goes through a rubbish bin, presumably to find food


The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the livelihoods of millions of Malaysians in countless ways. As businesses shut down, the workers that they used to hire also lose their only source of income.

Those who depend on a daily wage to make a living are also hit hard by the swirling effects of the pandemic. Amid all the hardship, as people fall through the cracks, a video of a man collecting waste from a bin has gone viral. And it has netizens stepping up to tell fellow Malaysians to look out for each other during these hard times.


Man tries to scavenge food from a rubbish bin


Car in front of house
Image credit: 我们是马来西亚人 We are Malaysians

On 27th June 2021, the Facebook page 我们是马来西亚人 We are Malaysians uploaded a 41-second-long video of a man collecting waste from a rubbish bin placed in front of a house. The man, whose identity is unclear, can be seen taking bags of discarded items from the bin before he exits the frame.

The heartbreaking video was also accompanied by a bilingual caption which states that the man was searching through the bin for food, presumably leftover KFC or scraps of rice from takeaway containers, though this cannot be confirmed as the man can only be seen carrying plastic bags away from the bin.


Malaysians tell themselves to look out for each other


The viral video has garnered over 100,000 views and more than 500 shares since its posting. Many netizens who commented on the post said that they felt sad about the incident but there are also those who said that the person who recorded the video should have offered help to the man.

man collecting waste screenshot comment
Image credit: 我们是马来西亚人 We are Malaysians

One netizen suggested that the person behind the camera should offer some food to the man instead of filming the act.

man collecting waste screenshot 2
Image credit: 我们是马来西亚人 We are Malaysians

Meanwhile, another netizen told Malaysians to help people who are struggling to make ends meet. “If you see someone’s having a hard time, please try to ask them what’s going on and do what you can to help them,” they said.


Viral video of man scavenging waste from rubbish bin


After more than a year of hitting our shores, the pandemic has affected many people’s livelihoods and mental health. While raising awareness about the plight of the underprivileged online can help them, we should try to extend a helping hand to those who need it, if we can. We hope the man in this video doesn’t go hungry, and is able to meet someone who can help him tide over this tough period.

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Cover image adapted from:我们是马来西亚人 We are Malaysians

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