GEORGE TOWN – The Covid-19 pandemic has made many families here homeless, said the Penang Hindu Association (PHA).
Its president, P. Murugiah, said at least 30 families are now living in shelters.
Many of these people had their salaries cut, and later, found themselves out of work, leading to zero income.
The pandemic has left odd-job labourers, food-stall helpers, hoteliers and the self-employed in the lurch.
Murugiah said he is aware of families who were doing well before, but are now suffering.
He said PHA provided food packs to 30 needy families every week during the movement control order (MCO) that started on March 18, and gave items like rice, sugar, milk, Milo and biscuits to the needy.
The association has identified more than 100 families who lost the roof over their heads.
“Many poor families who were renting were ordered to vacate when they failed to pay rent. We settled the rental for these families, and we are aware of families who lived in low-cost government flats and hardcore poor housing schemes that received eviction notices due to non-payment.”
During the MCO, the association undertook five aid programmes for the poor, to provide food, and powdered milk for infants and senior citizens; medical help, including cash to buy medicine and equipment; education aid, to settle college fees and rentals; and, assistance to pay electricity and water bills.
“We are currently helping a family of five in Butterworth, as the mother was asked to vacate after not paying rent for six months. It is RM250 a month, and we settled RM500, which is two months’ rental, a week before Deepavali.
“The woman’s husband is in jail, and she has children aged between 3 and 9. The woman and all her children have no documents, and she could not find a job.”
He said PHA is making arrangements to place the woman’s five children at a welfare home and find her work as a domestic helper.
Those who wish to help can contact the association, he said.
Meanwhile, aid trickled in for dishwasher K. Selvarani, 57, and her son, Emmanuel Joseph John, 28, after their plight was highlighted in the media.
They have received RM9,327.54 from donors.
The two are living in a room behind a barber shop in Jalan Tan Sri Teh Ewe Lim here.
Selvarani lost her job after she fainted at a food court in Sg Pinang and was taken to hospital, where doctors said she suffered from vertigo.
However, her employer did not take her back as he feared that she might have contracted Covid-19.
Emmanuel is disabled, and finds jobs hard to come by. – The Vibes, November 20, 2020
