[Watch] Uncle Eating Grass At Kuching Traffic Light: A Story That Broke Hearts

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At a busy traffic light in Padungan in Kuching, Sarawak, a scene unfolded that left many locals shaken—an elderly uncle was spotted eating grass, a sight that nobody should have to witness in modern times.

“There he was, sitting at the traffic light, actually putting grass into his mouth. You could see he was struggling to swallow it,” shared an influencer, Joy Lim Hui Ying, who first spotted him while in a car.

My heart just dropped. I immediately wanted to help, but the traffic light was about to change.

She quickly asked the driver to pass him the money.

Lim later shared her inner conflict: “I started wondering – what if he’s just pretending? What if he’s tricking people?”

It’s a thought many of us might have, especially at times when we hear about scams.

Between Compassion and Caution: A Roadside Dilemma

But as Lim says “Even if he was trying to trick me, I’d rather be kind than ignore someone who might really need help.”

Afterwards, Lim couldn’t contain her emotions in the car and even cried.

She couldn’t help but wonder: “Whose father is he? Whose grandfather? How hungry must someone be to eat grass?”

While her heart remained unsettled, she also questioned herself: “Could he be a scammer?”

Fortunately, we didn’t give him RM100. If we had, I worried he might rely on this method to exploit people’s sympathy.

When Kindness Matters More Than Questions

What makes this story even more real is that when Lim went back to check on the uncle later, he was gone.

Maybe he’d used the money to buy food, or perhaps he’d moved to another spot, she thought.

Lim left a simple message.

If you’re around Padungan and you see this uncle, please help if you can. Even if it’s just some food or water. You don’t have to give money if you’re not comfortable – but please, do something.

Sometimes, we get caught up in wondering if people are genuine or not.

But as this story shows, when someone’s eating grass at a traffic light, maybe that’s not the most important question.

What matters is that we still have neighbours in our community who need help, and small acts of kindness can make a big difference.


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[Watch] Uncle Eating Grass At Kuching Traffic Light: A Story That Broke Hearts
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