Three computer science students from the Multimedia University have developed a web application that helps people find locations of food banks, and locations of households with white flags they can send help to.

The trio - Sidharrth Nagappan, Shaun Mak, and Corneluis Pang, developed the app called Sambal Sos, in just about four days. It complements the recently launched #BenderaPutih campaign which aims to help those in need during these trying times.

"If you see someone who needs help, you can snap a photo in front of the house, without any faces in the photo, add the location and write a brief description.

"After that, it goes through a review where we check whether the information breaches privacy, whether faces are shown or if it's spam. We review, edit and approve. After that, it shows up on the map," Sidharrt reported told Free Malaysia Today (FMT).

Users have to login through their Google account to get into the platform at https://www.sambalsos.com/.

According to the report, almost 80 food banks across the country are listed on the platform. Calls for help come from as far as Perak and Sarawak, said the report.

The trio, aged between 18 and 21, initially launched the app as the Bendera Putih app, but later renamed Sambal Sos.

Sidharrth admitted that the app is constantly upgraded as bugs frequently surface, due to the short time taken to develop the app.

The #BenderaPutih campaign was launched last week to help those suffering from financial hardships after losing their source of income during the COVID-19 lockdown.

It encourages those who are struggling financially to reach out for help without fear or shame by displaying a white flag in front of their home as a sign that they need immediate help.

You can check out the list of food banks and help-needing Malaysian at the Sambal Sos here.


Source: FMT
Photo source: Sambal Sos and Astro Awani