Woman spends $50 on bubble tea to treat workers after seeing them help cyclist who fell

The New Paper
November 24, 2022

When she saw a group of migrant workers helping a person who had fallen off his bicycle, Mellisa Abdullah felt compelled to reward the men for their kind act. 

In a TikTok video published on Nov 23, Mellisa, who was watching from a distance, said she saw a man fall off his bicycle. 

Several workers nearby then "scrambled to help him up", the 27-year-old said. According to the clip, the men were working along Jurong West Ave 4.

Touched by the act, Mellisa ordered and distributed several cups of bubble tea to them – to "show (her) love for their kindness". 

"Every act of kindness creates a ripple with no end," she said. 

Speaking to AsiaOne, Mellisa shared that she had grown up watching her mother perform similar acts of kindness towards migrant workers. 

"She was the one who taught me to share what we have with those who have less than us," Mellisa said, adding that her mother used to stock up on drinks and buns at home to pass to migrant workers who washed their HDB block. 

@sermangkok Grew up watching my mum did the same exact thing for our migrant workers #fypsg #sgtiktok ♬ original sound - Sermangkok

Several netizens praised her act of kindness in the video’s comments section. 

However, Melissa said that some commenters – on her Instagram – also questioned how she could afford all the bubble teas considering she’s currently unemployed. 

"Yes, I did buy 12 bubble teas… but it only cost me $50," she replied. 

"Some of you are willing to drop $200 on a pair of shoes. I'm not that person, I only spent $50 yesterday to buy 12 bubble teas and I can do it three more times to make it $200, which is the price of your shoes.”