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Where Most People Would See Only Mud, A Bunch Of Malaysians Saw A 'Golden' Opportunity

We're equally amazed at their farsightedness and willingness to turn dirt into "gold!"

Cover image via Naga DDB

The flood that marked the end of 2014 was the worst case of flooding in Malaysia since 1971, leaving East Coast in utter ruins

Flood aftermath of Kuala Krai Image via Siakap Keli

Image via themalaysianinsider.com

A child helping his family to clean up their house in Kampung Manek Urai Lama.

Image via themalaysianinsider.com

Flood aftermath in Kemubu Kuala Krai.

Image via Panggilan Pertiwi

Flood aftermath in Kemubu Kuala Krai.

Image via Panggilan Pertiwi

However, as the floodwaters receded, it left behind a whole lot of mud, leaving many parts of East Coast completely covered in it, including a small kindergarten in Kg. Pulau Tawar, Jerantut

A basketball court and play area covered in mud, all dried up!

Image via Naga DDB

The floods brought mud in a scale never seen before

Image via Naga DDB

While the floodwaters wrecked homes...

Image via Naga DDB
Image via Naga DDB

Mud got everywhere, making areas uninhabitable!

Image via Naga DDB

Everywhere the floodwaters went, it left behind mud, covering everything from utensils to verandah and spoiling anything that it came in contact with from books to furniture to football fields

Image via Naga DDB
Image via Naga DDB

With so much of it, while most saw only mud, a bunch of Malaysians saw a golden opportunity to bring Malaysians together this CNY for flood relief efforts in the East Coast

Image via squarespace.com

How exactly, you ask? By turning all of that mud into "gold!"

Image via Naga DDB

Well, kind of! Here's the thing about all that mud:

The kind of mud that the floodwaters had left behind is called "wangnee" in Chinese, which means "yellow mud", the group's website explains. "But, the pronunciation also sounds like ‘the arrival of prosperity’. This gave the mud a greater meaning."

Image via cilisos.my

So under a project called Mission #wangnee, the group, who are from Naga DDB, cleaned up the mud from the site, and brought it to a pottery workshop called A Touch of Clay in Segambut, according to Cilisos.

Image via squarespace.com

Once there, the mud was mixed with other substances to make it suitable for molding, since pure dried mud is extremely fragile, explains Cilisos. Why? To make Chinese "gold" ingots, that would go on to look something like this:

Image via squarespace.com

The idea of molding the mud as "gold" ingots came about as CNY was just around the corner, and what better than Chinese "gold' ingots to symbolise prosperity during the CNY period!

Here's how the final "gold" ingots made from mud looks like

Image via cilisos.my

Wait, it's not in gold? Yeah, it's not painted in gold because as Naga DDB's creative director Alvin Teoh explained:

The choice to keep the original appearance is to remind donors where the ingot came from and to stand as a tribute to all Malaysians who have come forward to help.

"What we have done is nothing, but we used our platform as storytellers to pay tribute to Malaysians from all walks of life coming to help. They organized themselves to help out."

cilisos.my

Watch this short video that explains Mission #wangnee in detail:

Interested in getting one? The ingots are now up for sale!

Image via squarespace.com

You can check out their website or click here for the online store where you can pick up your own ingot for RM88, RM128, or RM168.

Funds will be used to purchase materials such as schoolbooks, furniture, and other items that will help them resume their lives. Excess funds will go to NGOs working in Orang Asli outreach.

cilisos.my

Did we mention there are only 500 pieces available? HURRY!

Image via cilisos.my

Meanwhile, one man from Ipoh is trying to help rebuild the lives of Orang Asli villagers in Kelantan and Pahang using solar lights

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