To survive without money, Terengganu undergrad says drinks only water ‘for several days’

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 9 — An undergraduate in Terengganu has claimed to survive only on water for several days at the end of each semester when her funds run out, Harian Metro reported today.

Fatin Farhana Azwa Rasdy, 20, said she would usually eat only biscuits or bread when her money runs out, but would turn to drinking water only when she finishes her food supplies at the hostel.

“It has already become a norm, each semester there are times when I only drink boiled water for two to three days without eating because I have not yet received loan money or ran out of money at the end of the semester,” the second-year Information Technology diploma student at Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA) was quoted telling the Malay-language paper.

Fatin said she was used to hunger and does not mind even if she has to drink only water because she was used to a difficult life, which she said drives her on to study to attain success.

“I have never cried for not being able to eat, but my tears have flowed before when some individuals tease me for my poverty and for not being worthy to be their friends,” she said.

Harian Metro said Fatin did not ask for financial aid from her family, also reporting that she said she would send home some money to support her six younger siblings — aged six to 18 — that are still in school.

The money sent home is taken from the usual remainder of around RM1,000 after her course fees are paid off, Fatin said, with the same amount used for the purchase of food, books and study materials.

Fatin said she receives aid from UniSZA in the form of a laptop, money from a zakat fund, food aid and pocket money, Harian Metro said.

Fatin’s father Rasdy Daud, 48, works as a security guard with a monthly wage of RM900 and takes on additional work such as farming and selling old items found, while her elder brother Ahmad Idhlan aged 23 also works to supplement the family income, Harian Metro reported.

Yesterday, Harian Metro reported that National University of Malaysia (UKM) student from Sabah named only as Nur claimed to have a punctured intestine and vomit blood due to starvation since her foundation days.

She claimed that she was unable to afford food as she was left with just RM150 for an entire semester after she used her National Higher Education Corporation (PTPTN) study loan of RM3,000 to pay for her fees and preparation costs.

Hers was not the only case of impoverished students reported by Harian Metro, who also met another student named Shakira who claimed she had to miss classes due to the gastric attacks that she developed due to not being able to afford food with only a RM30 budget a week for food and study essentials.

Incidents of students struggling to cope with rising cost of living were highlighted last year, after some complained to then deputy finance minister Datuk Ahmad Maslan about the impact of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on their finances.

Ahmad had then advised them to cook their meals in their living quarters to minimise the burden of the consumption tax, prompting backlash from the students.