Widow of fifth rabies victim seeks govt help to build house
SERIAN: The widow of the fifth rabies victim, Tinding Lambang from Kampung Remun Pelandok, is hoping that the state government can assist her family to build a new house as their present house is in a dilapidated state.
According to Jimmy Jangga, 42, before her late husband passed away, he had planned to build a new house on a plot of land behind their present house.
“He had planned to build a house on this site. But due to his untimely death, we are now stuck with the plan. We are hoping that the government can help us fulfil the dream of my late husband. On our own there is no way we can do it as my late husband was our sole breadwinner,” Jimmy told The Borneo Post at her village, some 10 km from here yesterday.
She disclosed that she had submitted her application form to Serian District Office for special assistance from the government to build their new home.
Jimmy’s mother Kanchi Ensawing, 76, made the same appeal to the government.
“It was built more than 40 years ago, the wooden structure is deteriorating and we are worried that the wooden structure might collapse,” she said.
Kanchi admitted that despite toiling hard on their land, they still remain poor farmers.
“If the government can help us, we would be very grateful especially after I have lost my son-in-law ( Tinding) and we are getting old so we cannot really work in the farm anymore,” lamented Kanchi.
On another issue, Jimmy also appealed to the government to expedite the monthly pension of RM470 announced by Serian MP and Minister of Human Resources Datuk Seri Richard Riot Jaem last month. The pension is from Social Security Organisation ( Socso) as her late husband was a contributor to the scheme.
“I need the pension urgently as my daughter Eliza Jane Tinding, 17, who attends Form 5 at SMK Gedong often cries as she does not have enough money for her studies. But thank goodness my brother often chipped in some money for her education,” she
He had planned to build a house on this site. But due to his untimely death, we are now stuck with our plan. So we are really hoping that the government can help us so as to fulfil the dream of my late husband. On our own there is no way we can do it as my late husband was our sole breadwinner. Jimmy Jangga
said.
Last month, she confided to The Borneo Post that she was really lost and had nowhere to turn to after her husband, who was the sole breadwinner in the family, succumbed to the disease.
To make matter worse, Jimmy’s eldest son Patrick Tinding, 19, had been diagnosed with heart ailment when he was 12.
“But I have no education and cannot find work as I dropped out of school at Form 2 and due to my health, it’s not easy to find a job,” he lamented.
Patrick said most of the time he confined himself to the house as he cannot do much due to his health and cannot afford expensive medical care if anything happens to him.
Patrick is seeking assistance from the government to take up some skills course such as hair dressing or even cake, bread and pastries making at a technical school.
When contacted, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said the government would go through Jimmy’s application form for the special housing scheme.
The government had built a house under a special housing scheme for the family of two rabies victims, aged four and five years, from Kampung Paon Rimu Bakung.
Jimmy hoped she too could qualify for the same scheme.