BUTTERWORTH – The Seberang Prai Utara district police have come to the aid of a grandmother taking care of her four special needs grandchildren after her daughter and son-in-law were arrested for drug offences last year.
Seberang Prai police district chief Assistant Commissioner Noorzainy Mohd Noor said the police, along with NGO Yayasan Restu Penang, helped Shahrom Din, 53, who is caring for her four grandchildren, who all suffer from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
“Shahrom’s daughter and son-in-law were arrested for drug offences in March and May last year, and left their four children aged between 3 and 11 years old in her care.
“We understand that she is having difficulty taking care of them as she is not working as she has to focus on their needs,” he said at the Ampang Jajar flats here today.
Noorzainy said SPU district police officers presented Shahrom cash donations, rice and daily necessities to the family.
He added that Shahrom, who suffers from diabetes, also faced eviction by the state government as she had rental arrears dating back almost three years.
“We can only help as much as we can. We pray for their family affairs to be expedited and their livelihoods to get better.”
Meanwhile, Shahrom said she took on the responsibility of raising her only daughter’s four sons, despite facing difficulties.
She said, currently, she only receives assistance from the state of between RM200 and RM400 from the Welfare Department.
“If there is not enough money to eat or pay the bills, my siblings help out. I am very grateful that there are parties who are willing to help us as a family,” she said. –The Vibes, February 16, 2021.