A Malaysian man’s regret over feeding the homeless instead of struggling uni friends sparks mixed reactions and debate among netizens online.
IT’S easy to glorify charity — but not so easy to admit when good intentions miss their mark.
A Malaysian man has sparked debate online after confessing that he regrets spending his university years feeding the homeless instead of helping those closer to him who were actually in need.
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“The dumbest thing I did in university was joining clubs that gave food to the homeless,” he wrote.
“But my own friends in university were living in hardship. Some had to starve while studying.”
He shared how, as a student, he believed volunteering with groups distributing food to the homeless was the best way to give back.
But with time, he began to notice a painful irony — while he was handing out meals in the city, some of his own friends were skipping theirs to afford rent and tuition.
According to him, even his housemate struggled to survive, covering every expense alone.
The experience made him rethink the meaning of charity and who truly needed help.
His reflections struck a nerve online, with many Malaysians echoing his observations.
“Once, we were raising funds for a programme in Batam, Indonesia. We went around asking students at cafés for donations, and some of them asked, “Why not help people in Malaysia? There are many poor people here too.” I didn’t know how to respond,” one user called atinchuu shared.
“True. Maybe it’s time to diversify food charity efforts in Malaysia — not just for the homeless and orphans, but also for the urban poor and university students,” mimieyd suggested.
However, one user offered a more thoughtful and balanced perspective, saying, “Not stupid. At least they made an effort to help others.
“If your intention is to help, then just help — that’s their blessing. If you feel there are others who deserve help more, then you can start that kind of initiative yourself — many universities are already doing it.
“Not everything should be viewed from just one direction,” gymrat.capt wrote.
