Family in hardship hopes for repairs to home

Khairudin Mohamed Yusuff with his wife and daughter.

GEORGE TOWN: The movement control order (MCO) has made life a lot tougher for a family of three adults living on welfare in a dilapidated house in Kampung Melayu, Air Itam.

They still receive food aid from the local assemblyman’s office, but not as frequently as before the MCO came into effect, according to the 46-year-old daughter of the family, Noraini Khairudin.

But that doesn’t seem to bother them much. What concerns them most is the state their house is in. It is breaking apart.

“We can survive on bread and Milo,” Noraini told FMT. “My worry is the house.”

Khairudin in his makeshift room under the house.

It’s not that they cannot move out. “We’ve offered them a nice government flat many times, but they have refused,” said Air Itam assemblyman Joseph Ng.

Noraini said her parents didn’t want to leave their friends in the neighbourhood and did not like the idea of living in a flat.

They hope to repair their home of 30 years and continue living there for the rest of their lives.

Khairudin at his home of more than 30 years.

But the current lockdown means it’s impossible to start on any repair, even if they can find the funds to do so.

There are no jobs available for Noraini, the only able-bodied member of the family.

Her father, Khairudin Mohamed Yusuff, 85, cannot do much because he has been in pain since his right hip was operated on. Her 76-year-old mother, Sabar Bee, has had surgery on her stomach and cannot work either.

Noraini and her mother in their hall.

“That leaves just me to work, to be a good daughter to find some money,” Noraini said.

They have utility bills to pay as a well as a monthly rent of RM140 on the land on which the house stands. “For those, we use my father’s pension,” Noraini said.

“But I’ll still have to find work so we can get the house repaired. But I’m unable to walk much because I recently injured my feet and am in pain. Anyway, how can I find work with this lockdown?”

Sabar Bee in her room.

The 20ft by 20ft house is built on stilts and Khairuddin lives on the ground beneath it since the pain in his leg makes it difficult to climb into the house.

Ng said he had previously applied to the rural development ministry for a grant to repair the house but was unsuccessful. He also said representatives from the village security development council have been on daily patrols to ensure that the people receive food items on a daily basis.

He added that he had sought help from Tenaga Nasional Bhd since it has a programme to build houses for kampung folk. This was before the MCO came into effect and he is still waiting for a response. - FMT