Too embarrassed to ask for much-needed help

Compiled by FATIMAH ZAINAL, LIEW JIA XIAN and R. ARAVINTHAN

FEELING too embarrassed to seek help after losing his job and being unable to pay rent, a man and his family moved into an old hut in a banana plantation as they did not want to trouble anyone, reported Harian Metro.

The man, in his 30s, used to work as a draughtsman with a private company before being laid off, and started selling kuih with his wife but due to the most recent lockdown, they were unable to operate.

This was revealed by Pahang Social Welfare Council honorary secretary Salamon Ali Rizal Abdul Rahman, who recently went to meet the man, who was living in the hut with his pregnant wife and their two-year-old child.

He added that the man had initially contacted him to ask to borrow RM100 for his family’s needs. But when pressed, he finally revealed his situation and Salamon went to visit him.

Salamon said that when the man was visited by authorities, he repeatedly expressed that he was embarrassed as he did not want to ask anyone for help or sympathy as he is healthy and could work.

“The man hopes that he will be able to find a suitable job soon. He has a diploma in engineering,” said Salomon, adding that they were helping his family to pay their rent and had also given him RM800 for daily expenses.

> Since 2019, a single mother in Kampung Sering, Kota Baru, Kelantan, had no choice but to work cleaning chicken at a restaurant in order to support her three sons, one of whom is suffering from depression, reported Sinar Harian.

To get to work, Mek Zah Mat Hassan, 56, whose husband passed away in 2019, wakes up at 5am daily and walks to her workplace about a kilometre from her old wooden house.

“I clean chicken and also do other cleaning work around the restaurant for two hours. I get paid RM10 daily and my employer is also generous and gives me food to take home,” she said.

Mek Zah said previously, her 27-year-old son worked as an assistant cook in Kuala Lumpur but returned to the village three years ago as he was suffering from depression.

She added that he does not receive an allowance from the Welfare Department as he had no medical record.

Those suffering from problems can reach out to: Mental Health Psychosocial Support Service (03-2935 9935 or 014-322 3392); Talian Kasih (15999 or WhatsApp [phone]); Jakim’s Family, Social and Community care centre (WhatsApp [phone]); and Befrienders Kuala Lumpur (03-7627 2929 or www.befrienders.org.my/centre-in-malaysia for a full list of numbers and operating hours).

The above articles are compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with a >, it denotes a separate news item.