Mohamad Saifullah Mat Zani is only 18, but his responsibilities weigh heavily on his shoulders.
In 2009, his mother was killed when snatch thieves grabbed her handbag, which was slung over her shoulder, causing her to fall off her motorcycle and get hit by a car.
His father earned a small income, and Saifullah had three younger siblings who were still in school.
Three years later, his father remarried, followed by his elder sister a year later.
Saifullah stopped going to school four years ago after his father remarried, as he wanted to earn money to ensure his younger siblings continued their schooling.
He took up a job as an assistant to a vegetable seller, earning RM500 a month.
“Life has been difficult. After he remarried, our father continued supporting us, but his small income from odd jobs in the village was not enough to support us all the time.
“And now, he has another family to take care of. So, I made the decision to sacrifice my studies.
“A villager offered me a job, and I have been helping him sell vegetables near here (Bachok) and at the 24-hour Wakaf Che Yeh market in Kota Baru,” said Saifullah.
He said there were times when he was able to set aside some money as savings, but such times were few and far between.
“Most of the time, the money is finished within two weeks because I have to pay for daily expenses and my sisters’ schooling.”
His sisters, Nurul Akma Elisa, 12, and Nurul Najwa, 9, are studying at SK Kandis.
His 15-year-old brother, Mohd Syawal Nabil, however, has been forced to stop attending school.
Syawal Nabil left school last year as Saifullah could not afford to pay for his studies.
Saifullah said the death of their mother was a nightmare for his siblings, especially his sisters.
“When we miss our mother, we go to our grandmother’s house in Kampung Kok Bedullah in Tumpat.
“My grandmother, Hasimah Hussin, who is 62, is always there to give us a hug, especially Nurul Akma Elisa and Nurul Najwa.”
Hasimah said she could not afford to take care of her grandchildren with her meagre income, which she makes from collecting empty cans to be recycled.
“As their grandmother, of course, I feel that it is my responsibility to take care of them. But, Saifullah told me not to worry and that he could take care of his siblings,” she said at her home.
Saifullah’s mother, Saripah Mohd Nor, who was 34 years old and four months’ pregnant at the time of the incident, was riding her motorcycle on a busy road near Kampung Padang Raja in Melor, Ketereh, when two men on a motorcycle rode up from behind.
One of them tried snatching her handbag, which caused her to lose her balance and fall in the path of a moving car.
The incident, which made the headlines of national newspapers, saw many coming forward to offer financial aid to the family. However, the money has dried up.
Saripah was not the first victim of snatch thieves who lost her life, nor would she be the last, with statistics showing that the number of street crimes is on the rise.
Though the majority of victims are not killed, many sustain injuries when snatch thieves grab their handbags or valuables.
Those who are not injured can consider themselves lucky.
A corporate communications executive at a company in Kuala Lumpur, who did not wish to be named, said she had fallen victim to snatch thieves twice over the years.
She said in the first incident, the crime was committed by a person in the front seat of a car, which is rare as most cases involve those who are on motorcycles.
She said she was lucky to have escaped uninjured, as all that happened was that she spun around and bumped into a parked car.
In the second incident, which occurred several years after the first, she was about to put her infant daughter in the car when a motorcyclist grabbed her bag as he sped past.
“I was so thankful that nothing happened to my baby. It pains me to imagine what could have happened if I had dropped my little girl.”
She said more should be done to deter snatch thieves or, at least, make it harder for them to prey on people.
“I understand that police can’t be everywhere all the time. But, the presence of policemen needs to be increased.”
She said she understood that everyone should do their bit to ensure public safety.
“Local authorities need to do more. Setting up railings to separate pedestrian walkways from the road is a good idea, as it makes it difficult for snatch thieves to act.
“Having closed-circuit television cameras all over the place is also a good deterrent.
“A snatch thief is less likely to grab a woman’s handbag if he knows Big Brother is watching.
“There needs to be more streetlights, and brighter ones, too, especially in back lanes. LED lights are good and supposed to last longer.
“Police and local councils should also consider setting up emergency telephones in public areas so that victims can immediately call for help.”