By ROBERT KENNETH
KUCHING: Tears ran down her face. Her two daughters, Fasillah, 17, and Liza, 15, hugged her and cried while her three-year-old son hugged her legs, although he didn’t understand why her mother and siblings were hugging each other.
Those present were all silent, obviously sharing Rosmah’s plight and her three children.
A 41-year-old single mother, Rosmah Anak Sija was touched by the visit of Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) Supreme Council member Captain Zainuddin Tan Sri Haji Hamdan who together with the protem committee members of SPDP Mambong branch visited the family at their depilated home at Kampung Garung, Jalan Puncak Borneo, 40 kilometer from Kuching yesterday.
Life started to be hard for Rosmah when her husband died of liver cancer in 2007. Her eldest daughter, Fallisa who was in form two then, has to leave school to take care of her younger brother while Rosmah went to work at a food stall in Mile 13th, Jalan Puncak Borneo.
Her second daughter, Liza is now in form three at SMK Penrissen.
Rosmah said her eldest daughter had to leave school due to the hardship she and her children faced after the death of her beloved husband in 2007.
“Life was so hard for us after the death of my husband. I couldn’t afford to send my daughter to school and she has to leave school when she was in form two. Later I found myself a job at a food stall at Mile 13th canteen (near to Institut Latihan Kesihatan).
“I need to work to earn some money to feed my three children but it was also sad that my eldest daughter had to leave school to take care of her younger brother,” Rosmah said, and wiped her tears.
She said she was paid just a little bit more than RM10 a day for working at a food’s stall, the amount barely enough for her family’s expenses.
Rosmah grows banana and some vegetables on a piece of land near her house and sell them to earn extra income for the family.
Last year Rosmah was diagnosed with breast cancer and was removed in Mac this year, but it developed again and on September 27 she will be going to the Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) for the ultra sound check-up.
Rosmah said her expenses to seek treatments both at a private clinic and the Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) was too high, which she can’t afford.
“I really pity my children. They do not have enough food to eat. Most of the time we were only had tapioca leaves and wild jungle produces for lunch and dinner. I can’t afford nice food for them,” he added.
The family received RM165 monthly assistance from the Welfare Department but still that wasn’t enough to cover the high cost of living these days.
Rosmah also applied for the e-Kasih scheme but up to now she received nothing and was wondering why she did not get the assistance under the echeme.
She thanked Capt. Zainuddin and SPDP members for their concern and cash donations presented by Capt. Zainuddin to her family.
Capt. Zainuddin said their immediate action to help reducing the family burden was to get relevant authorities assistance like the Jabatan Kemas and the Education Department.
“We will seek for funds to built Rosmah’s new house and when the money is ready the house will be built on a gotong-royong.
“I will also discuss with the party’s chairman Dato Sri William Mawan on how best the party can help the family,” he said.
The house where the Rosmah and her three children are staying in now is really in bad shape, not decent to call it a house.
He said a fund-raising dinner will be held to collect funds for the family.
Capt. Zainuddin said he will personally meet the State director of education and the minister in-charge of education in Sarawak Datin Fatimah Abdullah on how to enable Rosmah’s eledest daughter Fasillah to return back to school.
He also also called for public donation for the family, saying those intend to donate can either come straight to the family or call him at 013-3500279.
Capt. Zainuddin also pledged his personal monthly contribution to the family and will open a bank account under his name and the ATM card will be given to Rosmah to enable her to withdraw the money.
Also present during the visit was KEMAS Community Developer Tori Gerok who advised Rosmah to fill in the single mother form and apply for e-kasih scheme.
Tori promised to help Rosmah with the process and forward her application to the relevant authorities.
