The state government of Kedah wants to relocate a family living in a three-storey hut made of lightweight materials in the rubber estate in Kuala Nerang.
Their simple home’s floor is entirely made of bamboo strips, the roof is covered by blue tarpaulin sheets, while the walls of the toilet and bedroom are made from a combination cardboard, plywood and black plastic bags.
However, 26-year-old rubber tapper Mohd Ridzuan insists on staying as their hut is close to where he works and he can conveniently gather wild bitter beans (petai) to sell. He lives there with his six-month pregnant wife Nur Hidayah Roslizam (23), along with three kids age one, four and six.
The father revealed that he started constructing the hut in 2016. Although they get their water from a nearby well and a generator provides electricity, the nearest tarred road is three kilometres away.
“This is my grandfather’s land. We are happy and feel blessed with no problems. There are no mosquitos at night but we have to watch out for the occasional wild boar or snake,” said Mohd Ridzuan, who earns RM700 per month.
Initially, the family had lived with Mohd Ridzuan’s mother in a different home. But they relocated due to limited space, as there are other family members residing there as well.
“We rented a house (thereafter) but we stayed there for hardly a month as we had decided to stay here,” noted Nur Hidayah.
Meanwhile, Kuala Nerang Assemblyman Datuk Badrol Hisham Hashim tried to persuade the couple to move into a People’s Housing Project. Although he wasn’t successful in convincing the family, he plans to discuss the matter with the Zakat Board and the state Welfare Department.
“We’ll see if we can help them build a safer house at a better site,” said Badrol Hisham Hashim, who is also the chairman of the local government and housing committee.
If the government wants to help, Mohd Ridzuan hopes to get a few bags of cement to make his hut stronger.
“We do wish for sturdier walls. But we are happy here and don’t wish to leave,” he added.
Image sourced from The Star.
This article was edited by the editorial team of PropertyGuru. To contact them about this or other stories email editorialteam@propertyguru.com.my
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