Recently, it was reported that there is a family in Ampang, living in a house that was on the verge of collapse. Not only were they in a difficult situation financially, but they could, at any time, lose their lives as their whole house could cave in.
Thankfully, there are good, kind people out there who have stepped in to help.
Lansson Sim and Ong Xing Kai spoke to World of Buzz in regards to their plan to build the family a new house, as the structural integrity of their current house are not stable enough to be fixed. They also managed to bring in a legal team to help the family with the issue of the land that they are staying on.
It all started with a refrigerator.
Lansson had initially come across the family when he was looking to sell his refrigerator.
“An acquaintance mentioned that one of his staff needed a new refrigerator but was unable to afford one. I decided to just give it away to the family. When I went over to deliver it, I was shocked by what I saw, even from the outside. I asked if the family would allow me to take a look inside their house as the movers carried the refrigerator in.”
Upon seeing the condition on the house, Lansson contacted Xing Kai, who is a project manager at Scale Space Works.
“The front door was hanging off its hinges. Wooden walls ravaged by termites. The rusty tin roof had large sections blown away over the years. Water gets in when it rains, as mould-ridden stains marked the ceiling throughout the house. In some rooms, planks of wood are positioned as makeshift support beams to keep the roof from falling, but parts of the house were already crumbling.”
After looking through the house, Xing Kai decided that only one section of the house could be renovated and would be safe to live in, but the rest of the house was unable to be salvaged. His renovation firm was willing to do the renovations at cost price, but the family is still unable to bear the expense.
“Mrs Chin, 53, works as a kitchen helper and earns just over RM40 a day. She rides to work on a bicycle as the old Proton Saga in the driveway is beyond repair. She works in order to support her husband, now 63-years-old, and their young son who is soon turning 13,” shared Lansson.
“Mr Chin used to work as a factory worker, but after having a stroke years ago, he has since developed problems with his vision and now requires a walking stick to get around. Mr Chin has been unable to find another job at a factory since. With barely enough money for themselves after paying the bills and Mr Chin’s hypertension medication, it is unlikely that they will be able to save enough to fix the house in any capacity.”
And that isn’t the only problem.
They were also having issues with the land that the house was built on.
“Since starting this campaign, we have received questions regarding the house and land ownership. Please be assured that we are also working together with legal advisors who are willing to help pro bono, so the Chin family may continue to stay on this piece of land.”
Help keep a roof over their heads.
Hence, with all that being said, they’ve started fundraising to appeal to the general public to help raise enough to cover the costs of the renovations. All donations are made straight to the family’s bank account.
Their target is RM65,000 and they’ve already managed to raise RM15,829.
With everyone’s help, this family will be able to sleep at night without worrying about their roof collapsing on them.
Anyone interested in donating can check out their Simply Giving page, and you can also get a better understanding of the house’s condition through their video overview:
It is understandable that not everyone can donate large amounts, but in cases like this, even the smallest of contributions can make a big difference.
We’d also like to give a special thank you and kudos to Lansson and Xing Kai for taking the initiative to help this family. The least we can do is help make this campaign a successful one and change this family’s life for the better.
“At the end of the day, our main priority is to provide a safe living space condition for the Chin family.”
What do you think about this? Let us know in the comment section.
Also read: This Aunty Sells Chicken Rice For RM3.50 & Donates Them To Melaka Old Folks Home Weekly
