Kind Penang man buys young street vendor a real watch after seeing him wear one made of paper

PETALING JAYA, Jan 14 — Having your own watch may seem trivial to most.

It’s such a common item that many people may not give much thought to the timepieces on their wrists. 

But for some, owning a watch is more of a luxury, just like the young street vendor in Facebook user Mfa Bob’s post from just over a week ago. 

Bob said in the post that he couldn’t control his emotions after meeting the street vendor and his wheelchair-bound uncle, as he was stunned to see the young boy wearing a watch that was made from a piece of cut paper. 

Bob added that the boy explained that he has always had a liking for watches, and since he couldn’t afford one as they make a living by selling keropok (crackers) at local markets, he chose to make his own instead.

“No matter how bad things are for us, there are those who have it worse. This boy loves watches so much that he made his own out of paper,” he said in the post.

After hearing this, Bob — who is a watch-fanatic himself — decided to make the kid’s day by taking him to a nearby shop to buy him a real watch to replace the paper one on his wrist. 

The boy and the uncle were both teary-eyed when Bob bought the watch. — Picture via Facebook/Mfa Bob

“I told the boy to pick any watch he wants and I’ll pay for it. He couldn’t believe it and even offered keropok to me as compensation because he couldn’t afford to pay the full price. But I said it was okay, I can pay for it,” said Bob. 

“When the boy put on the watch, his uncle began tearing up. They kept asking me ‘Are you sure you want to do this?’ and when I said yes, the boy started to cry as well.

“After that, I suddenly began crying too. I haven’t felt this sad in a long time.”

Bob’s post has since garnered over 2,400 likes on Facebook, with many social media users praising him for his kindness and willingness to make the street vendor’s dream of having a watch come true. 

Many social media users said that they hope more Malaysians can be like Bob and spread kindness during this difficult time. 

Some users also pointed out that the boy, known as Adik Danial, and his uncle also went viral a couple of years ago on social media, as they declined to receive ‘handouts’ from strangers.

Social media users uploaded photos and videos of them vending at the Bukit Jambul Complex in Penang, as the boy actively told people that he was not interested in getting donations and would rather earn an income by selling the keropok instead.