Living in a community comes with its perks, and having friendly neighbors is one of them. But when a kind neighbor goes of out of their way to care for their fellow neighbor in need, now that’s not something you hear everyday!
Kind M’sian family treats disabled neighbor as one of their own
According to Sin Chew Daily, Chen Lanfeng, 44, was living with her father and brother in a rented house in Miri, Sarawak. However, a fall caused Chen to suffer from a spinal injury, leaving her wheelchair bound.
Chen was later struck with the tragic loss of her father who passed away from a cardiac illness in 2020. From then on, she could only depend on her brother to look after both of their welfare. Sadly, her brother passed on in his sleep just last month.
Neighbors for over 10 years, but treats her like family
Speaking to Sin Chew Daily, one of the Malay neighbors revealed that his family had established a deep bond with Chen’s family over the course of more than a decade, considering her as much a part of their family as their own members.
Prior to her injury, they said that Chen would often come over to watch television with them but could no longer do so. “Knowing that she loves to watch TV, all of us pooled some money and bought her a tablet and smartphone so that she could watch shows at home,” he explained.
Besides purchasing her appliances, the neighbors would often bring food over to Chen, never once seeking any compensation in return. They would usually turn on their phone flashlights to indicate to Chen that her food was here, and purposely bought food that was not spicy which was to her liking.
Despite that, Chen continues to face hardships in her life
In spite of all what a good neighbor can do, Chen’s life is still far from easy. Unfortunately, due to her father’s death, she was left with no means of income and a huge stack of outstanding rent payments.
The landlord shared that while he had no intention of removing Chen from the house, he has to support himself too. “I hope to refurbish the apartment before leasing it out again. But if anyone is ready to settle Chen’s rent, I’d be more than pleased to let her continue residing here,” he said.
Leslie Lau, the youth secretary councillor of the Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) branch, expressed his intention to investigate Chen’s eligibility for the Sarawak Rental Assistance Scheme (SRAS). If Chen qualifies for all criteria, then she could receive a RM200 monthly allowance for 3 years.
It’s always glad to see our communities looking out for one another, and hopefully, Chen’s predicament will show for the better.
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