Fire and rescue personnel from the Sri Hartamas Fire and Rescue station receive chocolates from Malaysians in Kuala Lumpur May 26, 2018. ― Pictures by Firdaus Latif

KUALA LUMPUR, May 26 ― Hundreds of Malaysians delivered tonnes of chocolates to both police, fire and rescue personnel across the country today, in a campaign started by lawyer and activist Siti Kasim.

Spurred to support local authorities following allegations that police officers who raised the residences of former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had helped themselves to chocolates from his fridge, more than 20 Malaysians turned up today despite heavy rain at the Sri Hartamas Fire and Rescue station to deliver chocolates by the boxes.

They had initially planned to deliver the sweets to the Sri Hartamas police station, but switched venues after being told that the Kuala Lumpur police were under instructions not to receive the chocolates.

“Since they already sent directives to police stations not to accept the chocolates, and since we already had a lot of chocolates, we decided why not we give it to Bomba,” she told reporters.

A fire and rescue personnel from the Sri Hartamas Fire and Rescue station receives chocolates from lawyer and activist Siti Kasim, May 26, 2018.

She said there is a general feel good factor about the appreciation gesture among those who participated.

“The Bomba (fire and rescue) said thank you, they are very happy,” she said.

However, many other Malaysians elsewhere managed to hand over chocolates to police personnel, including in Perak, Selangor and Penang.

In some locations, such as Petaling Jaya and Damansara, people also handed chocolates to both police and fire and rescue personnel.

In the Facebook page created for the event, over 3,600 people had said they were interested in participating in the event.

Siti Kasim had asked all participants to post pictures of them delivering chocolates at their local police stations in the Facebook group for the event.