JOHOR BARU: A family of nine has been forced to live in an old Proton Saga car for the past nine days after they were evicted from their rented house in Taman Perling.
Gardener Mohd Sani Bachok, 38, said his family were told to leave their rented house on the fourth day of Hari Raya Aidilfitri after failing to settle the rent for seven months.
"My rent was RM300 a month and I was behind in my payment for seven months. The landlord gave us extensions but I could not afford to pay the outstanding amount as I was previously jobless since last year.
"I recently found work as a gardener with a private company but my earnings are too little to pay for my outstanding rent," he said.
Sani has been deemed as a disabled person and has a disabled (OKU) card but has never applied for aid with the Welfare Department.
"My wife is working as a cleaner at the Sultan Iskandar Building Customs and Immigration Quarantine Complex. We have seven mouths to feed. My five children are aged between 18-months and 10 years," he said.
Sani said ever since the family was evicted, his three daughters were unable to attend school as they left the house with only the clothes they had on.
The family, for the past one week, has been living from one rest stop to another. Yesterday, they parked and used the bathroom facilities of a surau and petrol station in Kempas.
"I don't expect sympathy from people. I can't do much to help my family especially my children who are always asking for food. Sometimes they don't eat for hours." he said.
A non-governmental group, We Love Charity (WLC) JB, upon learning of the family's ordeal, has stepped forward to assist Sani's family.
WLC charity group project coordinator Anwar Miswan said the group was alerted by the family's situation through Facebook and quickly went to look for them.
He said the group managed to locate a temporary shelter home in Mount Austin here for the family and will assist to find the family a proper place to stay in a month's time.