A family in Simee, Ipoh, is living in dire straits after the breadwinner lost his job after having had his left leg amputated because of diabetes. As a result, Ahmad Kamal Arippin, 47, and his wife, Halimaton Saadiah Haron, 52, along with their 11 children now only depend on the RM450 monthly stipend from the Perak Social Welfare Department.
To add to the couple’s burden, their youngest child, aged 5, is suffering from speech and vision problems.
Ahmad Kamal said, “I’ve stopped work for six months now. My wife is unable to work because she has to look after our children. One of our children, 16, was once suspended from school for skipping classes, as he had to stay home to take care of me.”
Halimaton Saadiah added, “The financial support from our eldest child who’s working, plus the monthly aid we receive from the welfare department are used for household expenses and schooling needs of four of our children. We also pay a monthly rental of RM250 for this house.
“I used to work as a washer. Now that the children are older, particularly the one with special needs, I’ve to stay home to look after them. One of my children has been put up for adoption.
“My husband has been a diabetic for so long. A small wound, which got worse over time, caused his leg to be amputated.
“He’s unable to follow through with his medical review because we don’t have transport. My youngest child is also in need of medical attention because of his eye problem. He requires an eye surgery to restore his vision.
“At this moment, he goes to the hospital for a review every six to 12 months. Thankfully, there’s no cost incurred from the surgery,” she told a delegation from Yayasan Bina Upaya Darul Ridzuan headed by its CEO, Hairul Anwar Mohamed Noor, at their home in Kampong Simee recently.
Hairul Anwar told Ipoh Echo that the foundation will be assisting Ahmad Kamal in getting claims from the Social Security Organisation and the Employees Provident Fund.
“We’ll see the children through their education and look into better housing for the family. We’ll be speaking to the welfare department to continue with the monthly aid because from what we understand, the assistance will stop at the end of this year.”
Readers wishing to donate to the family can do so by depositing your money to Ahmad Kamal Arippin’s Maybank Saving Account No: 158024794104. He can be contacted at 012 552 4152.
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