KUCHING: “Thank you, Gabungan Party Sarawak (GPS) and Sarawak government for helping us in times of need!”
This was what some of the recipients of “Program Penambahbaikan Rumah Rakyat Miskin Sarawak) in Satok said today.
One of the recipients is Michael Tugat Dagang, 69, from Kampung Kudey Baru (Iban). A disabled, he lives alone, accompanied only by the sounds of the old radio in his house.
“I live here alone…I wasn’t like this before. Years ago, I was involved in an accident which took away my capability to move.
“I am not sick or too lazy to work…It’s just that I can’t seem to move these legs of mine. They seem to be stuck together though I’m lucky to have these two pairs of hands that are moving. I wonder if they would freeze due to old age,” he said.
He said he was happy that the state government would be helping him to repair part of his 40-year-old house.
“Although I am alone, occasionally I do have visitors…my grandchildren.
“As I can’t provide for myself, sometimes I do receive welfare aid from the Hope Place Society and support from the Welfare department,” he said.
According to the Kampung Kudey Baru (Iban) Village Chief, Sangi Abu, 43, the community would help Michael from time to time.
She added that although Michael lived alone, he could rely on the other villagers as well.
Beforehand, reporters on the scene visited around 19 dilapidated houses consist on Kampong No 3, Kampong No 5, Kampong No 6, Kampong Kudey Lama, Kampong KudeyBaru (Malay) and Kampong KudeyBaru (Iban)
Another recipient, Dayang Selbiah Awang Sejili, 78, from Kampung No 3, is excited to receive the MRP-PPRRMS grant that would restore part of her century-old house.
“The rooftop is leaking, the ceiling is about to fall down and the pillars are unstable but this is where our family of seven live,” she said.
“Thank you, Sarawak government and also GPS for providing the funding to repair this old house of mine inherited from my father,” she added.
