Volunteers help clear hoarder’s cluttered house

Low (right) along with some volunteers helping Lee (standing left), clean up recyclable items inside her house.

SIXTY-EIGHT-year-old Lee Chin Lan was all smiles when a group of volunteers cleaned her house, which had been overflowing with with recyclable items.

It was be a fresh start for the year for Lee because not only was part of her house cleaned, Lee, fondly known as “Ah Mooi”, also received RM152 for a total of 266kg of recyclables bought by recycling organisation Koperasi Alam Hijau Perak Bhd (Kohijau).

Lee said she was very happy that her house was cleaned, and she promised not to collect anymore recyclable items to store in her house.

“I am hoping that once my house is fully cleaned, I will be able to bring my 43-year-old daughter who has been in the Ulu Kinta Hospital Bahagia since 2001.

“I am very thankful to those who helped me in cash and kind,” she told reporters at her house in Taman Sri Kurau in Bercham on Sunday.

Ipoh Barat MCA Youth chief Aldrich Low Guo Nan had previously brought the public’s attention to Lee’s plight, and on Dec 10 The Star reported that the senior citizen had been collecting and selling recyclables to make ends meet for the past 10 years.

According to Lee, her two daily meals consist of potato soup because that is all that she can afford. Her husband left her 40 years ago, and she has been staying alone, with no support.

Enough recyclable items to fill a small lorry were cleared from Lee’s home in Bercham.

Lee used to work as a cleaner, while her daughter used to study and work part-time when she was mentally fit.

After her plight was highlighted in the media, several non-governmental organisations such as Kohijau, Ipoh City Watch, Lions Club of Silver State, Rukun Tetangga Bercham and Bercham Residents Representative Committee volunteered to clean up her house on New Year’s Eve.

Plastic bottles, cardboard, and metal items were among the things collected from Lee’s house.

Kohijau chairman Associate Prof Dr Richard Ng said a full lorry load of recyclable items was collected from Lee’s living room.

“We need to come back and collect more items, as the bedrooms, I was told have more items ‘stocked’ up. There are many people like Lee, who has appears to have a habit of hoarding and refusing to let go of things even though it is necessary to get rid of items no longed needed,” he said, adding that he gave another RM100 to the woman as a personal donation.

Low, who is also a city councillor said after Lee’s plight was highlighted many people contacted him to offer help.

“A furniture company from Kuala Lumpur is willing to furnish her home with proper furniture, and individuals from as far as Penang came to visit her to provide cash and food items.

“However we need to make sure her house is properly cleaned first, before we can accept any furniture and so forth,” he added.