EXTREME POVERTY AMONGST RICHES

Mohd Ridhuan Wong Abdullah @ Wong Ah Fatt, was wondering why life was very harsh to him and his family and that he had to eke out a living just to earn enough to take care of his family's daily necessities such as two meals a day costing less than RM 10.00 a day. He was born poor and known poverty all his 54 years of his life. He had never known luxuries and eke out a living by collecting and selling discarded old newspapers, cardboards, any recyclable items, etc, etc. He could managed to earn RM 500.00 a month before the global economic downturn where the price of old newspapers could fetch RM0.30 sen per kg. but now the price is hovelling around RM 0.10 sen per kg. This 54 years old Muslim convert had tried his best to provide the basics necessities for his family, that is, his wife, Nurul Ain Lam Abdullah and his 17 months old son who barely walks because he was born with a hole in the heart. It was double misfortune, extreme poverty and a son who was born with a hole in the heart. I had great sympathy for his family, especially his son who had a hole in the heart. As a Visitor Board for Hospital Tengku Ampuan Afzan, Kuantan, It was my duty to assist him in whatever ways in order to lighten his burden by fetching him to HTAA in order to see the relevent officer for exemption for his son's operation in IJNSB and helping him to apply for "Borang Permohonan Bantuan Zakat" given out by Majlis Ugama Islam Dan Adat Resam Melayu Pahang. We also went to Majlis Perbandaran Kuantan, to apply for the "Program Pembasmian Kemiskinan MPK but unfortunatedly it was freezed in the month of April, 2009, but the Director told us to come back by June 2009 that it may be opened by then. We also went to Pusat Khidmat DUN Teruntum to apply for welfare assistance from Jabatan Kebajikan Masyarakat. This application form had been endorsed by YB DUN Teruntum and Encik Abdul Rahman Haji Ismail, Ketua Kampung for JKKK Kg.Tengah/Kg. Jawa, Kuantan. The completed application forms were returned back dued to some technical problems and it is in the possession of our Ketua Kampung who will personally hand out to the relevent authorities.
When I visited Mohd. Ridhuan one day outside his shack, he greeted me sweating profusely all around his upper body dued to very hot weather that day. I was shocked when I saw such abject poverty amidst the so called well-to do residential area of Taman Zurina, Lorong Seri Teruntum 96, 25100 Kuantan.
His wooden shack measuring 10 feet x 10 feet which is covered with zinc roof with one simple airless window and a big wooden door with no electricity and water supplies. He had to make do with oil lamp to brighten the interior wooden planks at night and for water supplies, he had to fetch water from the nearby unmetered water pipe which had been abandoned by the previous owner. The family had to cook outside the dirt compound of the wooden shack. He had to buy takeaway food when it rains and the family had to incur extra expenses just to have two meals a day. I personally see with my eyes how poor that he is that he only bought a loaf of large sized bread to take home to feed his family of three during lunch time.
During this hot spell, Mohd Ridhuan had to take out his shirt or tee shirt wearing only long pants when he is in his so called little lovely home for there is no electricity supplies to power the electric fan, (if any), to cool the air in the zinc covered shack.
I reported to the Committee Members of the JKKK Kg. Tengah/ Kg. Jawa during the last meeting and we agreed to pay the family a visit on the 18th. April, 2009, with adequate food supplies and monetery gifts in order for them to survive these difficult months.
Our Ketua Kampung, Encik Abdul Rahman said that he needs help both physically and spiritually after presenting cash and daily neccesities on behalf of the JKKK Kg. Tengah /Kg. Jawa, Pemuda UMNO Kg. Jawa and MCA Cawangan Kg. Jawa.
You can help Mohd Ridhuan's family by contacting Encik Rahman at 016-9349033 or Mr. T.M.Ngoh at 019-9875393. May God bless you all for helping our poor neighbour!