New Year brings new hope for hard-up family in Ampang

Less than a week ago, Chin Kim Choy was worried that the roof of his tumbledown house in Kampung Baru Ampang would collapse on him and his family if the wind happened to blow too hard.

Today, though, they are ushering in the New Year secure in the knowledge that their home will be rebuilt and made whole within the next few months.

MalaysiaNow had reported on the plight of Chin, his wife Koo Yok Kian and their son Kok Ming who all depend on the small salary Koo earns from her job as a kitchen worker.

Their story was met with an outpouring of help from all quarters.

Ampang Chinese community representative Fong Teck Keong said the family had agreed to temporarily relocate to another house at the end of the month to allow their home to be torn down and rebuilt.

Work is expected to begin on March 1.

“Koo’s employer has agreed to provide them with a house where they can stay while waiting for their home to be rebuilt,” Fong told MalaysiaNow.

“That house is close to Koo’s place of work, near the yong tau fu restaurant.”

Koo earns RM40 a day, enough to keep the family afloat but not enough to pay for the cost of overhauling their home.

Chin used to work as a carpenter until he suffered a stroke three years ago.

At the moment, the family is living in the only room in the house that is habitable.

But Fong said the rebuilt house would be furnished with two bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen and dining area as well as a bathroom.

The entire process will take about two months.