KUALA LUMPUR: There was a time when 63-year-old Mat Daud Seman of Maran, Pahang, was blessed with the company of a loving wife and 10 children. But that time is long gone.
The names of his children are lost in memory or stored away, along with the pains and regrets of another time.
Today, Mat Daud lives alone in a shack built on a piece of government land.
His home does not have electricity or water supply. His house is a ramshackle shack and he shares it with insects and sundry pests. It is hot in the day, and cold at night.
Mat Daud suffers from various illnesses that have made it impossible for him to earn a living. He receives no benefits or aid from the government, but that's no surprise as his house does not even have an address.
Mat Daud eats what he can find. On lucky days, he may get a meal from his neighbour, Ahmad Razali, who comes over often to make sure he is all right.
His caring neighbour, and possibly only friend, is not that well-off, either. Ahmad, who is self-employed, earns an average income of RM400 a month to feed his wife and children.
Ahmad, too, belongs in the hardcore poor category, so feeding Mat Daud is a luxury he cannot afford too often.
Ahamd, moreover, has his family and wants a brighter future for his children. He has hope guiding him.
But for Mat Daud, though, decades of living in poverty has taken a toll. And hope is not part of his vocabulary.
Yet Mat Daud can be given hope, and Ahmad can be helped if the public is willing to support the Tabung Maybank Sejahtera.
The Tabung Maybank Sejahtera is a collaborative effort between Maybank, Yayasan Sejahtera, which is part of Khazanah Nasional and the New Straits Times.
The fundraising drive runs from Aug 13 to Sept 20. The money will be used to support people throughout the nation.
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