Filial piety is the best gift we can give to our parents. When you become a parent, you will feel the appreciation they felt when you were obedient and loyal children to them. Kids who are raised well by their parents are most likely from a harmonious family, and filial piety entails.
6 years ago, a boy merely 10 years old, was seen selling food to help his mother, who supports the family on her own. He decided to help her in their small family business. Lately, the boy was discovered by a popular YouTuber by the name of FS Channel, who helps people with small businesses. Lately, they learned that the little boy is now 16 years old.
The teenage boy’s name is Ilham, who still sells grilled glutinous rice and nasi lemak for 6 years at the same spot at the bottom of the stairs in Rapid KL Light Rail Transit (LRT) Setiawangsa station. “Almost 6 years in business to help his mother because he felt sorry to see his mother struggling to do business to pay rent and bills,” FS Channel said about Ilham.
Brother Ilham, as people know him, said that his mother cooks the grilled glutinous rice and carefully maintains the quality of the texture and taste of the rice cake so they may continue selling them at an affordable price. “Grilled glutinous rice is only US $.25 (about RM1.00), and the texture is dense and is very tasty. Mother cooks the roasted glutinous rice filling for 4 to 6 hours,” said Brother Ilham.
Brother Ilham has expressed appreciation since he has been supported by the public for the 6 years he has been in the small business. He has earned enough each day selling at the LRT station.
“Brother Ilham thanked the teachers at his school who often help lighten the burden on his family by buying large quantities of grilled glutinous rice and nasi lemak,” FS Channel said. Good luck came to Brother Ilham that day when the YouTube Channel staff bought all the items he was selling and donated US $155.00 (about RM 700) to his family, courtesy of the channel’s viewers and subscribers.
“I have never held this much money,” said Brother Ilham, wiping his tears with the back of his hand. Anyone who frequents the Setiawangsa LRT station is welcome to support Brother Ilham by buying some of the food he is selling, whether it is grilled glutinous rice or nasi lemak, which starts at 4:30 PM until they are sold out. Business is closed on the weekends.
According to the news company BuzzKini, they have located Brother Ilham’s older brother, who is now 20 years old. His name is Firdaus Muhd Fazil. He claims that he had to drop out of secondary school during Fifth-Form and was not able to take his Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) exams since he had to help his mother take care of his 3 younger siblings. Firdaus also helps his mother while cooking for the sales of the day. He explained that his younger siblings still go to school and only help with selling their items after they come home.
Firdaus revealed that his mother is not a Malaysian citizen. She came from Medan, Indonesia, and currently, the family of 5 lives in a single-room house in Keramat that they rent for US $89.00 (about RM400) a month. The monthly income the family earns from their business is only around US $330.50 (around RM1,500) to cover all their needs.