3 Kuantan Kids Found Living In Garbage-Strewn Shoplot with a Turtle, ‘Musang’, Bird & 13 Dogs

By Karissa Lund  •  22 Sep 2020 in News

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According to The Star, three sisters were found living in the upper level of a shophouse in Kuantan filled with filthy random trash and animal feces. The school which they attended reported the living conditions of the children aged 9, 10 and 12 to the Social Welfare Department (JKM) to intervene last Sunday.

Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina (SJKC) Taman Tas parent-teacher association chairman Yeoh Kok Bin stated that the sisters seldom attended school and would give excuses such as oversleeping when asked why they were absent. Teachers had also noticed that they were behind in their studies due to this.

In fact, the school’s headmistress had visited them last month and was shocked to see that the girls were living with layers of animal waste on the floor, enveloping the whole space in a noxious smell. The filthy conditions were amplified by the presence of 13 dogs, a civet, a turtle and a bird the girls were keeping.

He offered them mattresses and pillows but it ended up being chewed up by the dogs.

It is believed that they are under the care of their uncle as their mother had disappeared for three years and their father worked in Kuala Rompin.

“The father rarely returns home and it is difficult to reach him. The girls live with their uncle who is out the whole day and only comes back at night. They eat instant noodles in the afternoon and in the evening, either the eldest sister will cook or their uncle brings home takeaway food,” Yeoh said yesterday.

He also stated that the school administration had contacted the girls’ uncle numerous times to discuss their living situation but the uncle would always avoid meeting them.

Teruntum assemblyman Sim Chon Siang said the girls required immediate attention as they must not be allowed to continue living in such a situation. After talking to them, the girls and their uncle agreed to send the three to the Rapha Children’s Home as a temporary arrangement.

According to NST, Sim was joined by the Department of Social Welfare (JKM) while visiting the house and escorting the girls to their new stay.

“I brought the sisters to my service centre and ordered lunch for them. After lunch, I took them to buy new school uniforms as they only relied on one set of uniform. Before sending them to the children’s home, I took them to the hair saloon for a neat hair cut. I arranged for them to stay at the home and they seemed happy with the new environment,” he said, adding that the school would make transportation arrangement so that the sisters would not miss their lessons.

As for the uncle, JKM has given him time to clean up their living space and provide a suitable bedroom for the children or find a new home before they can be allowed to return to live with him.