TUMPAT:Wan Ahmad Nabil Wan Abdul Wahid from Kampung Kutan Sungai here started working as a masseur since he was 18 to support his big family.
But since the Movement Control Order (MCO) began last year, the fifth of 14 siblings lost his source of income.
This forced the now 30-year-old, who is also a disabled person, to work as a rubbish collector.
Ahmad Nabil said he decided to find a new job to continue supporting his parents and four siblings, aged between 15 and 20.
"My father is a former school van driver and his income at that time was not enough to support our big family.
"Due to poverty, I only attended school until Form Three and since then, I started picking up odd-jobs in my village.
"When I was 18, I become a masseur to support my family. Now, some of my siblings have married and they now work elsewhere, leaving my parents, four siblings and I at home. Altogether, we have 16 people in my family," he said.
Ahmad Nabil said he offered the service to collect rubbish house-to-house using a second-hand three-wheeled motorcycle.
"I will go to my customers' houses three times a week to collect their garbage and later, I will throw them away at nearby rubbish bins.
"So far, I have 50 customers living in several areas in the Tumpat district.
"I do not mind working as a rubbish collector as long as I can earn some pocket money. Lately, I have to save up as I need to repair the bike.
"Its condition has not been good of late, since I have been using it a lot and there is wear and tear. I plan to buy a new motorcycle so that I will not need to spend more on repairing the old one," said Ahmad Nabil, who earns about RM1,500 a month from collecting rubbish.
Meanwhile, housewife Nafisah Ahmad said she started to hire Ahmad Nabil early this month after reading about his plight on social media.
"It is really sad to know that a person who has been supporting his elderly parents and several siblings lost his job due to the pandemic.
"Therefore, my family and I decided to pay him RM70 a month for the job. Having him disposing off our garbage has reduced our burden. Before this, we have to throw the rubbish at a spot far away from our house," said Nafisah, 72, when met at Kampung Pasir Pekan Hulu here today.