He Had to Leave School
A 17-year-old boy in Malaysia has been left facing his father’s funeral, unpaid medical bills, and possible eviction after months of trying to help his sick parents. According to Malaysian philanthropist Kuan Chee Heng, better known as Uncle Kentang, the teenager stopped school and started working when his father fell ill. He had wanted to study, but his family needed the money.
His 54-year-old father had been sick for months and was later treated for blood cancer. During that time, the teenager also had to travel by bus with his mother to visit his father. The family spent what they had on his treatment, but his condition did not improve.
His father was first treated at the University of Malaya Medical Centre, or PPUM, before being transferred to Hospital Ampang. He eventually passed away, leaving his son and wife to deal with what came next. The teenager later contacted Uncle Kentang to ask for help after his father’s death. At an age when he should still be in school, he is now trying to help his mother through the loss.
RM20,000 in Medical Bills Remain
The family’s money had reportedly been drained by the father’s treatment. Uncle Kentang said they still owe about RM20,000 to PPUM. The hospital bill is now another burden for the teenager and his mother after losing the person they had spent months trying to save.
Their housing situation has also become uncertain. According to the appeal, the father stopped paying rent after he became ill, and the family is now facing eviction. They are reportedly very close to losing their home. There is little left after months of medical expenses, and the teenager has had to take on responsibilities that came with being the family’s only child.
He had already put school aside to help at home. Now, after his father’s death, he is dealing with the hospital debt while trying to make sure his mother has somewhere to stay. Uncle Kentang’s appeal said the boy is struggling to cope with everything happening at once.
He needs RM9,400 for Dad’s funeral
The teenager’s next problem is getting his father’s funeral arranged. According to Uncle Kentang, he asked for help to pay for the coffin, funeral arrangements, and a niche at a columbarium. The total cost comes to RM9,400.
He had reportedly approached a large NGO for help but was told that he would need to wait at least three weeks before they could make a decision. That was difficult for a family trying to arrange a funeral immediately after the father’s death. Uncle Kentang said he had already passed the family some money, but more help was needed.
His appeal asked people to help raise the RM9,400 needed for the funeral. The amount may sound like one more bill, but for a family that has already spent most of its money on treatment, it is another cost they cannot manage alone. The teenager is also still facing the much larger medical debt left behind by his father’s treatment.
There Is Almost No Food At Home
The family is also running low on food. Uncle Kentang said the teenager’s mother told him that their house was almost empty. They had received some meehoon, a packet of rice and biscuits from a Parliament office the previous week, but those supplies were nearly gone.
The family now needs groceries while they deal with the funeral and the threat of eviction. Donations for the RM9,400 funeral cost were requested through Pertubuhan Amal Uncle Kentang Malaysia, with CIMB account 8010624732 listed under the organization’s name.
The appeal also asked for help with food for the teenager and his mother. The boy has spent months trying to help his father while supporting his mother and has now lost the parent he was fighting to save. He is left with funeral arrangements to settle, a large medical bill still hanging over the family, and a home they may soon have to leave.
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