“WHERE there are cars, that’s where our family’s livelihood might be,” said a person with disabilities (OKU), Ahmad Fairul Azwan Che Abdullah, 41, who earns a living washing cars.
Fairul, who became disabled following a road accident four years ago, said he relies only on an empty bucket and a piece of cloth to earn a small income by washing cars.
“My movement is limited because I need to use a walking stick. I have to rely on people’s sympathy just to earn a little money.
“Even though I don’t know how much I will be paid, I still wash the cars—even if I only receive RM3,” he said when met after receiving a visit from the Pertubuhan Kebajikan Masyarakat Marhaen (PKMM) together with KPJ Taiping Medical Centre.
Also present was the Chief Executive Officer of Taiping Medical Centre, Nurhazni Khir Jauhari, reported Harian Metro.
Fairul said the money he earns is used to support his wife and their three young children, who all live together in a small rented room in Taiping.
He explained that this is the only type of work he can do because employers have refused to hire him after his leg was fractured in a road accident while he was working as a gas truck driver.
“Since the accident, I became disabled and lost my career because I was bedridden for several months.
“With no other source of income, we had to move from place to place—from Kuala Kurau in Perak to Kulim in Kedah—and now we are renting a small room for RM300 a month,” he said.
He added that he had tried various types of work but failed, leaving him dependent on the uncertain income from washing cars, which depends entirely on what people are willing to give.
“For each car I wash, I earn between RM3 and RM20. Sometimes people don’t pay at all.
“There were several times when I was chased away or got into arguments with parking attendants because I entered areas under their supervision. But I have to accept it because of my physical condition.
“Not everyone likes what we do, and not everyone is comfortable seeing my children or me touching their cars,” he said.
In addition, Fairul also cares for his wife, Aini Shahira Ahmad, 41, who has learning difficulties, while raising their three young children aged between three and eight.
Despite the hardships, he said he remains determined to send two of his children to school.
“Previously, I used to walk more than five kilometres to send my children to school. But seeing our difficult situation, a kind-hearted person donated a motorcycle to help us move around more easily.
“Sometimes when the motorcycle breaks down, I don’t complain and have to send two of them to school on foot,” he said.
Meanwhile, Aini Shahira said the family receives RM300 a month in assistance from the Social Welfare Department (JKM), but it is still not enough to cover their needs.
“I take on work folding clothes and earn between RM15 and RM30 per hour.
“My only intention is to help my husband. I also hope we can return to our hometown in Bagan Serai during Hari Raya to visit my father’s grave,” she said.
According to her, she and her husband are in urgent need of a better place to live for the comfort of their children, as well as a stable job for her husband. – March 16, 2026
