By Vincent D’Silva

JOHOR BAHRU: In a city where the price of a simple meal can quietly decide what a family eats for dinner, Dr Gary Ko has chosen to stand between hardship and hunger with something humble, nourishing and deeply Malaysian — fresh fish.

The Johor-born medical doctor, better known to many as Dr Ko, has become a familiar name among low-income families, orphanages and old folks’ homes in Johor Bahru, not merely because of his profession in medicine, but because of his compassion in the marketplace.

Through his family’s wholesale seafood business, he has been donating hundreds of kilograms of fresh fish to those who need it most — a gesture that began during the dark and uncertain days of the Covid-19 pandemic and has since grown into a quiet mission of mercy.

Dr Ko, who runs a private medical practice in Bangkok, found himself stranded in Malaysia in 2020 when travel lockdowns brought the world to a halt.

While many were counting losses and waiting for borders to reopen, he saw another kind of suffering unfolding around him — families in flats and low-cost housing areas struggling to put proper food on the table, children in orphanages needing nutritious meals, and the elderly in care homes facing the pinch of rising food prices.

It was then that he turned to his family’s wholesale seafood business not only as an enterprise, but as a lifeline. Fresh fish such as snapper, pomfret and grouper began making their way from his distribution centre to the kitchens of the poor, the elderly and the abandoned.

From that moment, what started as a response to crisis became a continuing act of service. Dr Ko regularly donates between 80 and 100 kilograms of fresh fish a day to needy communities.

During festive seasons such as Deepavali, Chinese New Year and Hari Raya, when families long for warmth, dignity and celebration, his donations have risen to as much as 1,000 kilograms, bringing cheer to homes where abundance is often only a dream.

His contributions have reached residents in low-cost housing areas and flats across Johor Bahru, including Sri Stulang and Plentong, as well as orphanages and old folks’ homes that depend on goodwill to care for their residents.

For Dr Ko, charity is not an occasional performance. It is a daily discipline, as steady as the tide and as practical as a warm meal.

Recently, he extended that mission further by opening a simple cafeteria at his fish distribution factory, where people from the surrounding area can come for freshly cooked meals at a price deliberately kept within reach.

Fish, prawns, chicken, vegetables and other dishes are prepared on the spot, allowing customers to enjoy a nourishing meal without the fear of a heavy bill.

“You may take any amount of fish, vegetables or anything and you only pay RM9.90,” Dr Ko said during an interview here.

At a time when food prices have climbed and the cost of petrol has added pressure to traders and consumers alike, Dr Ko said he did not want ordinary people, especially the poor and B40 families, to feel crushed by the rising cost of living.

“We don’t want to burden the people and hence we have come up with this idea of having a cafeteria,” he said.

“In such a way, the people will not feel the burden and the poor and B40 will not have the pressure,” he added.

The cafeteria, located within the premises of his fish distribution factory, was designed for convenience and affordability. It allows workers, nearby residents and families to obtain fresh seafood meals without having to pay restaurant prices.

Depending on the type of fish chosen, prices may vary, but Dr Ko said the principle remains the same — to keep food affordable and honest.

Behind this generosity lies a business that is not untouched by economic realities. Dr Ko said fish prices have continued to rise as wholesalers and fishermen increase their rates. Much of his seafood comes from Endau and Sedili, while some supplies are also sourced from Kuantan, Perak, Penang and Indonesia.

“Most of my fish comes from Endau and Sedili and the prices keep increasing, but I don’t, as I know the people will suffer if I do increase,” he said.

His decision carries weight. Dr Ko employs about 100 staff, and like many business owners, he must manage operational costs, supply challenges and fluctuating market prices. Yet he remains firm that the burden should not be passed blindly to those who are already struggling.

He said some seafood items, especially those brought in from farther sources, can be expensive. Still, he tries to maintain low prices because he understands that for many families, fish is no longer a casual purchase but a careful decision.

“I know it’s difficult for them to buy fish as the price goes up always but I will maintain my price,” he said.

In his story, there is a rare joining of two callings — medicine and food. As a doctor, Dr Ko understands that health begins long before a person enters a clinic. It begins in the kitchen, on the plate, in the quiet dignity of a family being able to eat properly. His work with fish, therefore, has become another form of healing.

For the orphan who receives a warm meal, the elderly resident who tastes fresh fish, the mother who can feed her children without fear of overspending, and the worker who walks into his cafeteria with RM9.90 and leaves full, Dr Ko’s kindness is not measured in kilograms alone. It is measured in relief, in gratitude and in the soft restoration of hope.

In a world where prices rise faster than wages and many acts of kindness are quickly forgotten, Dr Gary Ko has chosen to keep giving from the sea to the city, from his factory to the forgotten, and from his heart to the hungry.

And each day, as baskets of fish are cleaned, cooked, packed and shared, his mission continues quietly — proving that compassion, like the tide, can still return faithfully to the shores of human need.