Construction worker Sultan’s new house is a dream come true

0
File photo shows the old dilapidated wooden house. — Photo from Datin Lianey Chia

File photo shows the old dilapidated wooden house. — Photo from Datin Lianey Chia

The newly-built house for Sultan and his family.

The newly-built house for Sultan and his family.

Liu (front second right) symbolically hands over the house key to Sultan. Also seen from right are Chia, Breakthrough Network Centre Bhd director of operations Lau Yeo Koo, Breakthrough Network Centre Bhd chief operations officer Alfred Phua and Sultan’s wife Dijah Jungap.

Liu (front second right) symbolically hands over the house key to Sultan. Also seen from right are Chia, Breakthrough Network Centre Bhd director of operations Lau Yeo Koo, Breakthrough Network Centre Bhd chief operations officer Alfred Phua and Sultan’s wife Dijah Jungap.

KUCHING: Part-time construction worker Sultan Geragan, 54, used to live in a dilapidated wooden house with his wife, nine children, a son in-law and four grandchildren.

Thanks to the United People’s Party (UPP) and non-governmental organisation Breakthrough, which is dedicated to helping the needy, Sultan can now call a 720-square foot brick house with a living room, three bedrooms and two bathrooms their home.

With a monthly income of about RM500, it was impossible for Sultan to even dream of such a home until good Samaritans approached them around two months ago.

“I have lived here for 16 years. The house was too run-down and I am just so happy that they are able to help me with rebuilding the house,” he told reporters before receiving the key to the new house from UPP Batu Kawa chairman Pemanca Liu Thian Leong in Desa Wira yesterday.

Construction began on June 18 and was completed on July 25 at a total cost of RM50,000.

Liu donated RM20,000 to the project while the Kuching Evangelical Church contributed RM5,000.

Liu said he is aware many more Desa Wira folk require financial assistance, adding UPP would contribute in every way it could but the government also needed to pay more attention to the needs of the poor.

He suggested the use of the acronym ABC: “Adopt a poor family, build for the homeless and care for the people. This is my ABC.”

Kuching Evangelical Church representative Datin Lianey Chia said the church has been active in social concern work involving outreach to the needy in Desa Wira.

She said they met Sultan and his family in 2009 and have been giving them food and other assistance since then.

“We saw their needs. Initially, we gave them food and parcels once in every two months and as the situation improved, we gave only during festive seasons. The church is also helping with his children’s school work and tuition,” she explained.

Penghulu Baia Aba pointed out that six other families in Desa Wira III are in dire need of having their houses reconstructed.

UPP and Breakthrough have identified Voon Joong Phiaw, a resident at Jalan Stapok, as the next recipient of their housebuilding project but require another RM25,000 to begin construction.