Habitual hoarder given assistance
State authorities help retired teacher declutter rubbish-filled home
A retired teacher who lives alone among garbage and clutter in her double-storey house here is a habitual hoarder.
State Health Committee chairman Ahmad Saidi Mohamad Daud said Chung Sook Khuan, 63, did not suffer from depression, anxiety or stress.
He said a medical team from the Kinta District Health Clinic, together with a psychiatrist, had run a few tests on her at her house in
Simpang Pulai.
“Her answers to all questions to assess her mental faculties were normal. Her blood pressure and sugar levels were also fine.
“The psychiatrist has defined her condition as a habitual hoarder, who just has a habit of collecting rubbish first thing every morning,” he told reporters outside Chung’s house in Taman Bersatu yesterday.
Last week, the Ipoh City Council cleared rubbish from her porch and outside her house, and her compound was also sanitised.
Also present at the inspection along with Ahmad Saidi was state Women, Family and Community Development Committee chairman Datuk Dr Wan Norashikin Wan Noordin.
Ahmad Saidi said the health department would be monitoring her mental state closely to ensure she does not start her hoarding habits again.
He explained that Chung had been collecting rubbish for recycling purposes and told them that during the movement control order she was unable to send the rubbish to the recycling centre.
“We have explained to her that it is wrong to hoard as not only her health will be affected but that of the neighbourhood as well if mosquitoes start breeding there.
“We don’t want a dengue and chikungunya outbreak to start at the residential area,” he added.
He said Chung had asked for a few days to collect and keep her personal belongings safely before the council workers started cleaning inside her house.
Dr Wan Norashikin said the state Welfare Department had been counselling Chung since last week.
“She has undergone two counselling sessions so far and her condition has shown improvement.
“We told her that it is not only important to ensure her surroundings are clean but that she must also keep up with personal hygienic,” she added.
Chung, who has been living alone in the house for the past few years, has been collecting trash for recycling.
She is often seen cycling in the neighbourhood until late at night, collecting trash.