Although the hotels in Johor continues to be badly affected by the extension of the Full Movement Control Order and multiple lockdowns since March last year, several hotel owners and their management rallied to join the white flag movement by setting up foodbanks for desperate individuals and families who had raised white flags at their homes.
Suasana Suites mobilised their own delivery vans to disburse food parcels to 25 families or to homes where the white flags are hoisted. The initiative is for the entire month of July to benefit 25 different homes every day.
Hotel Sentral in the city centre also started a foodbank at the entrance of its hotel with a table laden with food parcels for the desperate people around the city area to pick up until 31st July 2021.
In line with Marriott International’s ‘SERVE 360 Doing Good in Every Direction’, Renaissance Johor Bahru distributes food packs with side dishes on a daily basis from 5.30 pm to 6.30 pm at the hotel’s premises until further notice. The food packs are to cater to needy members of the public in the areas experiencing a shortage of food.
Sand and Sandals Desaru Beach Resort and SPA is working with local NGOs to distribute food parcels to approximately 150 – 200 families in Desaru and Teluk Sengat areas that have raised the white flag.
“I salute hotels that are still helping others even though they themselves are trying to keep their businesses and employees afloat. Heroes are born during challenging times. We are trained to place our guests first. Now is the time to place our country first by helping those who need basics to survive,” said Ivan Teo, the Johor Chapter Chairman of the Malaysian Association of Hotels. He thanked the hotels for setting examples of what hospitality is all about.
The White Flag Movement is a nationwide initiative that encourages those who are struggling financially to reach out for help without fear or shame by displaying a white flag in front of their homes as a sign that they need immediate assistance, in light of the worsening COVID-19 health and economic crisis in the country.
