(From second left) Lim handing a mock cheque to Pang, her son and her husband at their home in Kepong. — LOW BOON TAT/The Star
PANG Koay Ping has been living inside a cramped wooden house on squatter land in Kepong, Kuala Lumpur, for more than two decades.
She and husband Lee Chee Beng, both in their 70s, rely on their disabled son to support them.
Early this month, their electricity supply was cut due to unpaid bills totalling nearly RM10,000.
Desperate, they contacted Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng, who negotiated on their behalf for payments to be made in instalments.
They also received a RM3,000 one-off aid from Lim’s parliamentary allocation during his visit to their home located at a site in Jinjang Selatan.
Pang said the area was home to about 60 squatter houses.
Lim said the couple was among nearly 50 households classified as hardcore poor in the Kepong constituency.
A household is considered hardcore poor if they earn less than RM1,168 a month.
Lim said he planned on visiting each of the households soon to identify their needs and disburse financial aid amounting to RM1,000.
“Some households may receive more and others less, depending on their specific needs and financial situations.
“This effort is in line with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s aspiration to eradicate hardcore poverty by Dec 31,” he said.
Lim believes the actual number of hardcore poor in Kepong is higher due to some families failing to register with the authorities.
“Many households are unaware of the need to register and therefore fail to get the appropriate help,” he said.
During the visit, Pang also showed StarMetro her three- bedroom house, which was in poor condition.
She said water leaks were common during downpours, but the family lacked money to make repairs.
“My son, who is blind in one eye, is a general worker at the Selayang Wholesale Market. He earns only a few hundred ringgit a month.
“My husband used to be a factory worker but is no longer able to work after a minor stroke three years ago,” she said.
On Nov 5, StarMetro reported that about 1,000 households in Kuala Lumpur were categorised as hardcore poor.
