KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 2 — Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) has given homes to 38 families facing economic hardship in Kuala Lumpur through their Baiti Jannati Keluarga Malaysia 2021 programme.
The programme is a collaboration between TNB and The Federal Territories Ministry (KWP), Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) along with Yayasan Wilayah Persekutuan (YWP).
The programme is a continuation of TNB’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives which are the Projek Baiti Jannati (PBJ) and Projek Mesra Rakyat (PMR) that was introduced in 2007.
A total of 30 families has been given keys to their homes through the PBJ initiative with a sum of RM1.5 million for the housing units.
Eight non-Muslim families have received housing units through the PMR initiatives amounting to RM400,000, with contributions from YWP.
According to TNB chairman Datuk Seri Hassan Ariffin, the PBJ initiatives also includes home restorations, home building and even home financing for the poor such as single mothers, elderly, the urban poor and also the B40.
“Since the programme was introduced in 2007, a total of 879 homes across peninsular Malaysia have either been restored, rebuilt or financed which has cost over RM39.22 million.
“These projects were funded using TNB’s annual zakat business income which was returned by the state’s Islamic Religious Council.
“TNB is always concerned about the wellbeing of the local community and hopes that this assistance will help the beneficiaries to live a more comfortable life,” Hassan said at the TNB’s Baiti Jannati house handover ceremony in Beringin PPR’s community centre.
Meanwhile, 52-year-old Kaniapan Gohkulan, a PMR beneficiary, expressed his relief and gratitude towards TNB for helping him with his home.
Kaniapan has been working as a security guard at a clinic for one year now after being jobless for almost three years.
He is the sole breadwinner in his family and a single father taking care of his four children who are still in school.
“I’m very happy and I really want to thank TNB and YWP for choosing me and helping to ease my financial burdens,” he told Malay Mail.
For security supervisor, Wong Kok Hoo, the good news couldn’t have come at a better time.
Hoo said that he used to supply shoe materials to a local shoe producer but after the producer opened a factory in Vietnam, he had to close shop due to lack of demand.
Hoo has since been working as a contract security supervisor earning less than RM2,000 per month while having to take care of his wife and two children.
“We had to live on a tight budget, especially during the movement control order (MCO). We didn’t go anywhere, just me going back and forth to work.
“We security officers don’t earn that much. Let me ask you, RM1,800 per month, is it enough to support a whole family living in KL?
“I’m grateful to my sister who has been helping us with food and other essentials during the MCO.”
Father of eight, Zaini Zaman Maphors is grateful to be among the lucky ones to be listed under the PBJ programme.
Zaini who lives at the Pantai Dalam PPR with his eight children and a wife, has been jobless since the first MCO.
The 54-year-old said that he had tried to apply to be a postman and a few other jobs but was denied due to his age.
In order to support his family, Zaini has resorted to a series of daily jobs such as grass cutting and chopping down trees.
“All of my children are still studying, so I am supporting them with my wife, plus, my wife is an army pensioner, so we also have that as a source of income.
“But her army pension money has become the sole source of income for us since the MCO as I couldn’t find many daily jobs.
“That’s why we’re grateful for receiving this house. At least we don’t have to worry about paying rent anymore.”
Lee Chuen Hwa, 56, from the Air Panas PPR in Semarak was in a joyous mood when talking to Malay Mail as she said the house was a pleasant surprise.
“At first, when they called me to say that they wanted to give me some donation, I thought it was a food basket or daily essentials.
“I was dumbstruck when they told me they were giving me the house. I couldn’t believe it,” Hwa said.
Lee lives with her bedridden husband and three children with one of them already working to support the family.
Despite being in a wheelchair due to her leg condition, Hwa is committed to taking care of her husband who’s also a person with disabilities.
“My husband is bedridden due to a stroke and he’s also a person with disability who also has low blood pressure, so I can’t just sit still. I need to take care of him.
“This home is really a big present. I still can’t believe it, I just felt so lucky and surprised.”
The TNB Baiti Jannati Keluarga Malaysia 2021 event was attended by the Federal Territories Minister, Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim.
Shahidan revealed that there are over 3,000 families listed under the housing programme for the hardcore poor (PPRT) and they will continue to help these families.
“The urban poor issue in this state is serious. We need to help them through aids and houses which they could not afford by themselves.
“I’m confident with the collaboration from multiple organisations, the goal to have zero hardcore poor next year could be accomplished.”
Apart from the Baiti Jannati programme, TNB also contributes to other CSR programmes such as in education.
Through the Yayasan Tenaga Nasional (YTN), TNB has spent over RM1.2 billion in scholarships and variable loans to help over 18,000 students in Malaysia since 1993.
