Disclaimer: In Real Life is a platform for everyday people to share their experiences and voices. All articles are personal stories and do not necessarily echo In Real Life’s sentiments.
It is tough to make ends meet for B40 Malaysians, but even among the B40, there are some who are really in dire straits. IRL reached out to one such Malaysian, Muggnisuari a/p Bathumalan, a 28-year old former fruit seller from Shah Alam, to interview her and this is her story.
Muggnisuari worked as a fruit seller making RM1000 a month
Muggnisuari is a 28-year old woman living in Shah Alam. Before the pandemic, she worked as a security guard, but unfortunately was laid off during the MCO.
Muggnisuari has been married for over 10 years, but sadly her husband turned to a life of crime a few years ago and is currently behind bars for petty theft.
He has not been working or contributing to feeding the family, hence Muggnisuari has been the sole breadwinner and provider for her 5 young children and his mother.
As a single mother, she turned to selling fruits by the roadside to make a living. She currently is taking care of her 5 young children, aged 3, 5, 7, 8, and 9. She also takes care of her mother-in-law, who is bedridden and uses a wheelchair to get around.
Muggnisuari’s family lives in a house with no windows, a leaking roof, and no running water
Image: In the children’s room, there are no windows. When it rains, the roof leaks. The water supply has been cut, forcing them to drink from the neighbor’s pipe water.
Muggnisuari lives with her mother in law and 5 young children in a decrepit house, located in a rural area near the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah airport in Subang.
Speaking to Maneesha, a volunteer social worker who is overseeing Muggnisuari’s case, IRL was shown pictures of how the house was in disrepair from many years of no upkeep.
For some time now, they have stopped using gas tanks to cook their food and are only using the portable gas canisters meant for camping to cook their food.
The water bill has not been paid for over 4 years, with arrears leading up to RM7000 in overdue payments. Last month, their water supply was cut.
Muggnisuari and her children have resorted to drinking pipe water from their neighbors pipes, which is unclean and could give them waterborne diseases.
Living in a rural area, there is a high risk of snakes entering the house and attacking the children at night.
To make matters worse, Muggnisuari was recently involved in a traumatic road accident
Image: Muggnisuari received 49 stitches in her face, head, leg, mouth and ears. She currently requires changes in bandages and swabs to heal her wounds.
Unfortunately, on 16 September 2023, Muggnisuari was involved in a road accident where she was hit by a road vehicle.
She was sent to Sungai Buloh hospital for an emergency operation, where her face had to be reconstructed. She received 49 stitches in her face, head, leg, mouth and ears.
Muggnisuari is currently recuperating from her injuries. Having lost her job as a fruit seller, she has run out of money to pay for her children’s food.
Jobless and injured, Muggnisuari cannot feed her 5 children and is in desperate need of financial aid – at least until she is fully recovered.
No aid from family or relatives
Image: They have no possessions, aside from the sofas which were left behind from when Muggni was first married.
When she was working as a fruit seller, Muggnisuari was able to make RM1000 a month, while her mother in law received RM400 in aid from the government. Now jobless, they are slowly running out of food, and are in urgent need of financial aid.
Muggnisuari does not have any relatives or family members who can support her. Sometimes, her relatives buy food for her children, but she receives no further aid than that.
Her neighbors used to take pity on her and help her when they could, but most of them have moved out, leaving her to fend for herself and her 5 children.
Since she has no savings, she is unable to take out a loan from the bank. Her husband is in prison, so there is no one else to be her guarantor if she were to apply for any loans.
Despite their dire living situation, Muggnisuari hopes her kids will get a proper education
In contrast with their living conditions, Muggnisuari’s children are energetic and playful.
Jayalakshmi and Devashini, the two youngest, love riding bicycles but don’t have any to play with. Thanushree likes gathering veggies and mushrooms and likes to play at being a chef.
Navin has an interest in repairing cars and wants to be a mechanic in future, while Pavitharan has shared that she wants to be a doctor when she grows up.
Sometimes, Muggnisuari buys nasi goreng from the mamak to share with each of her 5 children and their grandmother, as they rarely get to eat gerai-bought food.
However, only two of them are able to go to school, because the others lack proper birth certification due to their father losing his IC a few years ago.
When asked to share her thoughts on her situation, Muggnisuari said:
“Yes, my situation is very bad. As a mom, I went through so much pain, but I’m living today just for my kids.
I want my kids to go to school and study well and be a good person, because that’s the only future they have.
Thanks to everyone who helped me even though everyone has their own problems too. Please pray for me and my family.”
What You Can Do To Help
If you are moved by this story, please share it to friends and family so that it may help her get noticed by the media.
Here is Muggnisuari’s information if you would like to help her out financially.
Name: Muggnisuari a/p Bathumalan
Contact number: 011- 26295328
Address: 13, Jln Sungai Buloh, U 9, 40150 Shah Alam, Selangor.
Bank account number: 7057156885
Bank account owner name: Maneesha
Bank name: CIMB
Maneesha, the volunteer social worker, shares: “I will update bank statements daily and post receipts on Facebook to show that the money is being used to pay for groceries, food, and utilities so that there is accountability. Please help in any way you can.”
Help Muggnisuari get back on her feet by sharing this story.
Have a personal experience to share? Drop us an email at hello@inreallife.my and we may feature your story.
Read also: Former Paralympic Gold Medal Athlete, Mogan Subramaniam, Needs Assistance Getting His Home Back
Help! Ex-Paralympic Gold Medal Athlete, Mogan Subramaniam, Needs Assistance Getting His Home Back
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