(From right) Fauziah and Jamil talking to Mas Imran at the couple’s home in Taman Desa Mutiara, Johor Baru.
WITH just RM600 to live on every month, Jamil Zaman and his wife Fauziah Mat Nor have to stretch their income.
Jamil, 58, said they were dependent on monthly Welfare Department allowance of RM450 and pension payments of RM150 as he could no longer work after losing his eyesight six years ago.
“Before that, I had glaucoma in my right eye for over 20 years but was still able to work, as I could see through my other eye.
“However, in 2018, my left eye was also affected by the same condition, causing me to lose my vision almost completely,” he told the press when met at his People’s Housing Project (PPR) unit in Taman Desa Mutiara, Johor Baru.
Jamil served in the army at the Majidee Camp between 1987 and 1990.
Following that, he was employed as a general worker at Johor Baru City Council (MBJB) and later on, as a lorry driver before vision loss left him unable to work.
“I am getting a RM150 pension each month as a former civil servant at MBJB.
“This money and the Welfare Department monthly allowance are all we have to sustain our life.
“My wife is taking care of me full time.
“But she is also in poor health and cannot do too much heavy work,” Jamil said, adding that Yayasan Bandaraya Johor Baru was also helping them pay their rent.
Fauziah, 51, shared her hopes of being allocated a ground floor unit at the PPR.
“Currently, we are staying on the fourth floor which makes it hard for us to move around, especially since my husband can’t see.
“I hope that we can be relocated to the ground floor as soon as possible to make life less challenging for us,” she pleaded.
She also said that their limited income was not enough to cover Jamil’s medications costing about RM800 a month.
“He has to take several medications and there are some that are not available at the government hospital.
“We need to buy them from a pharmacy with the doctor’s prescription.
“The medications are very costly, and we cannot afford to buy them every month.
“As such, my husband has been skipping most of his medications, hoping to make each batch last as long as possible.”
Fauziah said it was also difficult for them to get to the hospital as this meant spending on transportation.
“Sometimes, kind-hearted people take us to the hospital for free but we cannot always depend on others.
“We have been missing a lot of medical appointments because of this, and at one point, my husband had to skip his appointments for almost a year,” she added.
The couple shared their woes during a visit by Econsave Cash and Carry Sdn Bhd general manager Mas Imran Adam.
The visit saw Mas Imran presenting the couple with food items, a pillow, mattress and electrical appliances.
