Elderly woman living in rubbish heap rescued by welfare dept

 

An elderly woman who had been living in a makeshift shelter built from piles of rubbish in a thicket along Jalan Kempas Baru near Taman Setia Tropika here for the past two weeks has been rescued by the Social Welfare Department. Pic courtesy of Social Welfare Dept

JOHOR BARU: An elderly woman who had been living in a makeshift shelter built from piles of rubbish in a thicket along Jalan Kempas Baru near Taman Setia Tropika here for the past two weeks has been rescued by the Social Welfare Department.

A department spokesman said the Enforcement Unit of the Johor Baru District Social Welfare Office went to the location this afternoon and found the woman in a poor state amid heaps of rubbish near a bushy area.

He said officers attempted to communicate with her but faced difficulties as the road nearby was busy and noisy.

The situation forced the team to descend a roadside embankment and find an alternative route to approach the woman.

"Several attempts were made to communicate with her, but she did not respond well when questioned about her background and identification details.

"The Fire and Rescue Department personnel were later called to assist in persuading and rescuing her from continuing to live in the rubbish heap," he said when contacted tonight.

The department lodged a police report, while firemen took the woman to the Emergency Admission Unit of Hospital Permai for treatment.

It also contacted the National Registration Department (NRD) to request biometric verification through her fingerprints.

"Biometric confirmation identified her as Siti Sumsiya Muksin, 62, with an address in Teluk Kerang, Pontian. She is a permanent resident originally from Indonesia.

"She has been given preliminary treatment at Hospital Permai. Efforts are under way to trace her family members," he said.

Earlier, the New Straits Times reported that the woman's presence had raised concern among motorists and residents in the surrounding area.

Her act of piling up rubbish at the site was feared to affect the area's image and could lead to health risks, including the breeding of mosquitoes and flies. - NST