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31st July, 2012
KENINGAU: After losing their house in the Greg storm nearly 16 years ago, Fung Yong Foh and his wife Mary Kintion have had to seek shelter at their employer’s “kongsi” quarters since.
Now at 61 years old and Mary at 77, Fung is worried that they may soon become homeless when they can no longer work at the coffee shop where they are employed.
“We know we cannot live at the quarters for much longer because my health is failing me. The day I cannot work, my wife and I will not be able to stay there anymore,” said Fung who works as a dishwasher at the shop in Keningau town.
The couple is hoping very hard that their application for a house under the Housing Assistance Programme will be approved before they have to leave the “kongsi”.
Although he receives monthly aid from the Social Welfare Department, Fung said they still don’t have enough to pay for rent should they decide to do so.
He has been having sleepless nights thinking of ways to find a house for both of them and regards the Housing Assistance Programme as their only hope so far.
“We don’t want a big fancy house. Just a small low-cost house will do,” he said.
Mary also works part-time at the coffee shop and she too will have to stop soon due to old age.
They have three adult children but their two daughters each have a family of their own to look after.
One of their daughters is married to a Filipino and has moved to the Philippines with her husband.
Their only son was sentenced to 20 years in jail on a drug-related offence and will only be released in seven years.
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