IPOH, May 3 (Sin Chew Daily) — He charged only RM1 to service the air conditioner for an old man and RM10 to replace an air con chip for a Malay woman.

Zeng Xian Feng, 38, has a heart for the poor because he grew up in a poor family in the squatter area of Menglembu without electricity and water supplies. He did not know what a telephone was.

He had never seen his father. His mother worked in Singapore to raise him and he stayed with his maternal grandparents.

Since young, Zeng was rebellious. He was involved in series of gang fights and often landed in police station at the age of 12.

He stole his grandfather's money many times until his grandfather smashed his bicycle.

Zeng started as an apprentice with an air-condition shop at the age of 13, and later became a contractor at 21.

One of the shop owners who taught him skills to service air-conditioners also charged a nominal fee if he came across poor people.

Despite being looked down by others, Zeng came across many good Samaritans in his life, he said.

"My grandparents, the policeman who reprimanded me each time I was at the police station, and the air condition shop owner," he said.

As Zeng recalled, his grandfather kept the money in the pocket for him to steal, the policeman who reprimanded him learned to speak Mandarin in order to communicate with him and his mentor who did not only teach him skills but also to be a caring person too.

Zeng did not only repair air conditioner for the old man but also forked out money to repair the roof for him. 

When the old man thanked him, Zeng said, "You have paid me."

He replaced a chip of an air conditioner for a Malay woman who could not afford to pay few hundred ringgit to repair the air conditioner.

She searched the entire home and found RM163 to pay Zeng and asked for permission to pay him later when she had the money.

"I was poor too. I could not charge her few hundred ringgit," he said. 

He has since delivered more than 50 sets of used air conditioners and washing machines to the needy. The units were traded-in by customers after buying new ones. Zeng repaired them to working conditions and gave them away to the needy.

Asked the reason for him to charge nominal fee, Zeng said, "No one appreciates free service. I would want the recipients to have peace of mind too that they have paid for the service," he said.

Zeng posted on Facebook the photos of people whom he had helped so that more people would also do the same.

"My involvement in charity does not help in my business. If I have no skills, customers would not give me the job. I post those events on Facebook for people to know that if I can use my skills to help others, they can, too," he said.