Kota Kinabalu: While Muslims celebrate Hari Raya Aidilfitri with their families, Team Amal continues to provide free funeral van and ambulance services to those in need.
Since the first day of Syawal, the volunteer group has received a steady stream of calls, highlighting the ongoing demand for such services even during the festive season.
Its founder, Masrul Guding, 36, said that by the third day of Syawal, Persatuan Amal dan Jariah Sabah had handled at least five requests for funeral van and ambulance services across several locations.
“In the early hours of the first day of Syawal, we received two emergency calls from different locations requiring immediate assistance. In Kota Kinabalu, a family requested a funeral van to transport a deceased person from Queen Elizabeth Hospital (HQE) to Sepanggar.
“Meanwhile, in Lahad Datu, we received a call for an ambulance to transport a patient from Lahad Datu Hospital to their home in Taman Aman,” he said.
He said that this reflects the constant need for welfare services like those provided by Team Amal, regardless of time or occasion, including festive periods.
Masrul also expressed appreciation for the volunteers who sacrificed time with their families to assist others.
“I am deeply moved by volunteers who step forward to help bereaved families on the morning of Syawal. In Kota Kinabalu, our team assisted in transferring the deceased to Sepanggar, while in Lahad Datu, volunteers helped send a patient home from the hospital.
“Such humanitarian values are invaluable and should be embraced by all Malaysians,” he said.
He added that the strong volunteer spirit reflects a caring community and shows that the culture of helping one another remains alive, especially in times of hardship.
The association, a non-governmental organisation, has been operating for nearly six years, providing free funeral van and ambulance services in Kota Kinabalu and Lahad Datu.
