What started as a simple goodwill gesture became a nation-wide donation drive in Singapore to help Malaysian victims of the devastating floods.
More than 200,000 people were evacuated with many families losing their homes over the Christmas-New Year period. Kelantan, Terengganu, Kuantan, Pahang and Johor were among the states worst hit after torrential rains drenched the nation.
LionsXII fan group Exclusinga rallied their members to come together on Saturday at block 547 in the Pasir Ris estate in eastern Singapore to help collect donations. They will be sent directly to Malaysia -- as relief for victims continues to pour in from all over the world.
Explaining the decision to hold the donation drive was Exclusinga leader Syed Faris. He said: "It all started when the group saw a photo of six kids who lost their parents in the flood. We discussed it and decided to do our part.
"Together with help from Football Association of Singapore (FAS), we started this morning around 7am and the donations have not stopped pouring it. It is actually beyond our expectations and we will have to spend the night sorting it out in time for the delivery on Sunday morning."
As Singaporeans from all walks of life came by to drop off donations, LionsXII captain Isa Halim, along with teammates Sufian Anuar and Faris Ramli, arrived to offer a helping hand.
"We knew the fans were doing this and we wanted to contribute and come by to show support," Isa said. "When I found out about this donation drive, I gathered the team together and asked if they would like to do their bit and everyone was in agreement to render help.
"We decided to take out a sum of money and buy some daily necessities like rice and instant noodles to contribute to the cause. The boys are still asking if more can be done. We are so happy to have fans who are not only supportive of us but are so willing to come out and spend their precious time helping our neighbours.
"It is a wonderful sight to see everyone coming together to pack the stuff and put in a team effort. This is what football is about and I applaud each and every one of them for their efforts." Isa spoke to ESPN FC as he helped unload donations from cars that had dropped into Pasir Ris.
An estimated five tons of rice were collected, along with baby essentials like diapers and clothing. FAS President Zainudin Nordin was seen arriving with his family and a lorry loaded with over 50 bags of medical supplies and donations.
Speaking to ESPN FC, Mr Nordin explained: "This was a fan initiative and we at FAS were ready to facilitate it so that our friends in Malaysia could get some relief as soon as possible. When I arrived, I was overwhelmed to see the amount of donations and it shows what football can do. It unites and binds everyone together and credit has to go to the fans who voluntarily spent their entire weekend just to bring some joy to the people in need.
"This is also a fantastic opportunity for everyone to come together and bond as we await the new Malaysian Super League season in the coming weeks. Our fans always travel up for the away games across the Causeway and this is a good way to show our support for them off the pitch. My family is just glad to be here to help and do our part."
The LionsXII are due to kick off their campaign on Feb. 7 against Azman Adnan's PDRM FC at the Jalan Besar Stadium before an away game the following week against George Boateng's Kelantan FA.