“As long as I can do it, I will,” Miri noodle stall owner offers free meals to those who can’t afford to eat

It needs no repeating that the cost of living in Malaysia has grown exponentially over the past few years. And if anything, it has only been made worse by the looming prediction of a potential recession striking a still weakened post-Covid.

As such, many everyday laypeople have been left with little choice but to find ways to make their Ringgit stretch for as long as possible, with some willing to skip a meal or two in order to afford keeping abreast of their expenses.

Sarawak stall owner offers free noodles to those who can’t afford a meal 

With that said, one noodle stall owner decided to help lessen the burden faced by his customers by offering free meals to those who cannot afford to fill their bellies! His initiative recently gained widespread attention after photos of his banner advertising free meals made the rounds across local social media circles in the country.

“If you are facing difficulties and are hungry, you can come to my stall. Just tell me you want to order a bowl of ‘We Will Meet Again Noodles’. Once you’re done eating, feel free to just leave. Don’t feel ashamed or guilty.

I just hope that in the future, when you are in a position to do so, you will also help others who are in need. Thank you.” his banner reads in both Mandarin and Bahasa Melayu.

In speaking with local newspaper Sin Chew Daily, the stall’s proprietor, Mr Qiu Kongyuan [transliteration], says that he hopes that in doing so, those who are down on their luck and may not have money to spend on food can still have access to a hot meal at no cost.

The banner, which was written by his wife, has attracted quite a number of people who have ordered his free noodles since the day it was displayed. In fact, he claims he has given away as many as 10 bowls of noodles to date.

Inspired to do so by a frequent customer

30-year-old Qiu, who has been running his stall for six to seven years, said that he was inspired to do so after providing meals to a frequent customer of his who appears to suffer from a learning disability. Occasionally, he would pay RM2 for his noodles, and sometimes he would forget to pay and leave outright. Yet, Qiu never once asked him to pay the full amount due, as he assumes that he could not afford it.

With the economy now in poor shape, he adds that there may also be other diners just like his frequent customer who may be facing similar hardships, which led to him to kickstart the initiative.

When asked if he was worried about losing money, Qiu said he will continue his efforts for as long as he can.

“I do this so I can give back to society. As for how long I can afford to keep giving away ‘free noodles’, I will continue to do so as long as I still have the ability to do it.” he said.

His efforts have won the support of his friends as well as his customers, many whom continue to frequent his stall for his delicious and affordable noodles. In fact, each bowl is only priced at RM4.50, which is a slight increase over the original price of RM4.00 that he used to sell it at, owing to higher operating costs.

For those looking to show the stall some support, you may find it at the following details:

Address: First Cafe Noodles, Lorong Desa Senadin 2C-1, Desa Senadin, Off Jalan Lutong-Kuala Baram, 98000 Miri, Sarawak

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Also read: Bentong hawker sells chicken rice at just RM4 per plate, says he knows what it’s like not being able to afford to eat