KUALA LUMPUR – Deepavali is usually joyously anticipated as an occasion to revel in cultural merriment, spiritual reflection, and communal goodwill by the Indian community in Malaysia every year.
However, this year has been especially daunting for lower-income families who are observing the festival while struggling to make ends meet during the current economic downturn.
Despite the dismal circumstances, many are determined to make the most of the festival with their kin and friends.
According to Penang Hindu Association (PHA) president P. Murugiah, there are numerous impoverished families from the B40 socioeconomic group who are still enduring financial difficulties, causing celebrations to be less than exuberant.
Murugiah said B40 families, especially those with single parents, struggle economically because they rely on sole breadwinners.
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He said families with only a single person earning wages find that it is not enough to pay off debts and other dues. Furthermore, inflation and excessive pricing make it difficult to celebrate with ease.
In such situations, they have little choice but to borrow money from ah longs (illegal moneylenders) and thus, they struggle to pay off their debts even more.
He said some are forced to even stop their children from going to school at one point because they cannot pay for their education and other needs.
Murugiah expressed concern about poor students who need educational support in the form of academic fees or laptops to facilitate their studies. He said PHA regularly helps such students, and to date, all the recipients managed to complete their studies successfully.
The PHA has been collaborating with other sponsors to locate and assist such B40 families as much as possible in order to bring light and happiness to them during Deepavali.
Through the generosity of donors and sponsors, PHA and Klinik Derma Sivasanta were able to help 95 extremely low-income families during the festive season.
They arranged for food baskets with 30-plus items worth RM150 to be given to affected B40 families in Penang.
“RM50 also was handed to each household in advance to help families prepare for Deepavali and RM5 for the children,” he said, adding that the families were also given breakfast and lunch during the day.
Murugiah conveyed his gratitude towards Datuk Ashok Kumar Poduval and V. Thanasekaran, owner of Umayal Textiles Sdn Bhd and Chennai Silk Palace respectively, who both sponsored more than sixty B40 families with Deepavali dresses.
As the 15th general election is just around the corner, he also suggested that the new government come up with more plans to assist the B40 group in a better way by employing more targeted social workers.
He also said that surveys should be done to identify the B40 families in each state so that they can be helped better. Those in the B40 group need help and should be treated well. – The Vibes, October 23, 2022
Additional reporting by Subashini Sivasankar
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