Crammed into a one-room flat at a people’s housing project
in Sentul, Kuala Lumpur, Abdol Wahab Musa’s family of 16 offer a glimpse of how
the urban poor in the capital city make ends meet.
The 53-year-old father of 15 has been living at Projek
Perumahan Rakyat in Sentul for the past four years, making a living from
selling drinks, snacks and fruits – illegally – near Dataran Merdeka.
Space is so scarce that the family sleeps in shifts, taking
turns to get some rest when other family members are out working.
Wahab’s extended family total 36, including sons and
daughters-in-law and grandchildren. For a short period after he secured the
flat four years ago, all used the tiny apartment as a base.
- Most of them moved out three years ago, and the hawker now has 15 people living with him, including his wife Ruslelawati Mohd Ali, 43.
- Wahab used the RM700 he receives monthly in aid from Baitulmal, the state Islamic treasury.
- Each night, they push three to five trolleys full of goods to the Sentul LRT station where they board a train to Masjid Jamek, and set up shop at Dataran Merdeka nearby.
- “My children will start work selling every night from 10pm until six in the morning. After that, some of us – my sons will sleep for a while before going back to work in the daytime,” he told The Malaysian Insider during a recent visit to his home.
Source: The Malaysian Insider...More...
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