Rishiwant Singh (in orange turban) leading the group on his latest walk-for-a-cause. This time around, Rishiwant, popularly known as ‘The Flying Singh’, aims to collect 200 tonnes of food for the needy. — Pic credit Rishiwant Singh
KUALA LUMPUR, March 10, 2015:
On a drive one day, Rishiwant Singh noticed a troubled foreign woman talking to herself along Jalan Pudu.
Seeing the distraught woman, the United Sikhs humanitarian aid coordinator decided to take her in to his home and provided her shelter before she was taken in by a non-profit welfare organisation.
This led the radio deejay, popularly known as “The Flying Singh”, to dedicate his organisation’s efforts to raise aid for many like the woman, with the hope of providing some solace to the homeless in Malaysia, regardless of race, religion and background.
Called the Good Will Walk, the initiative will see him, along with other members, make their way on a 750km walk from Perlis to Malacca, from April 19 to May 23.
“We already have 10 walkers doing the full 750km.
“We aim to collect 200 tonnes of food for the homeless, Orang Asli and for last year’s flood disaster victims.
“We want to do it for all races and the proceeds will go to good organisations that need help,” he shared with The Rakyat Post.
The organisation has held five walks thus far, including a 300km walk from Singapore to Malacca last May, which was also dedicated to the families and passengers of those on board Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 that went missing on March 8 last year, apart from raising funds.
He said the difference with this year’s walk was the scale of the initiative and the effort to extend the collected aid to more of those in need.
Rishiwant said many had set aside their routine to join in and lend a helping hand.
In this year’s walk, Rishiwant hoped to see a larger group of participants as they walked past homes, schools, offices, police stations, army bases, community centres and various places of worship.
“Every location we pass by, we hope to get people to join us for 1km. They can also come in their cars with food they wish to donate for us to collect.
“Those unable to join in the walk can also donate RM100 for every kilometre,” he said, adding that plans were under way on how donors could do so.
“Along the way, we also hope to get the state governments of Perlis, Kedah, Penang, Perak, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan and Malacca to join us.”
There will be three main food collection centres in Penang, Ipoh and Kuala Lumpur.
There will also be lorries collecting aid along the way from donors.
His team will be walking 25km a day for one month.
The walk ends on May 23 at the Malacca Gurdwara Sahib, to coincide with the annual prayer celebrations for the late Sant Sohan Singh that attracts thousands of Sikhs every year.