TEMERLOH: A family of five has been calling an old Proton Wira their home for the past 10 months.
The man, known only as Razak, 42, said he, his wife Siti Azeryna Daud, 39 and their three children had to live in the car as they have nowhere else to go.
"Which father, husband, can bear to see his own family living and sleeping in the car, day in and day out? But with no choice or option left, we had to rough it out like this." he said.
Their predicament caught the attention of netizens after Facebook account user Edi Arjuna Pencerita shared a post about them recently.
The post, said Razak, provided a ray of hope and much needed relief for him and his family as many people have stepped up to offer help and assistance.
He said previously, he had done all sorts of jobs such as cutting grass and driving a school van, but life took a turn for the worse especially during the Covid-19 pandemic period.
He said before this, the family used to rent a house in Banting, Selangor, and later stayed temporarily at a relative's house in the Klang Valley.
However, he said they were forced to live in the car after encountering some issues and problems.
Today, Razak said he had to be admitted to Temerloh Hospital due to a growth on his neck which he noticed about a month ago. He went to the hospital after he started to experience pain and discomfort.
"All this while, living in the car, I will take my wife and children everywhere, such as Nilai in Negri Sembilan, Banting in Selangor and most recently, Karak in Pahang.
"Usually we sleep in the car. If we have some extra cash, I will make sure to take my family to stay at a budget hotel.
"Alhamdulillah, for now we are doing fine, we have not been disturbed or threatened or faced any problems or issues. In fact, the police on patrol usually look out for us and keep an eye on us to make sure that we are safe," he told Harian Metro.
To survive, Razak said tried to make a living as a roving mechanic-of-sorts but his earnings were too small for them to rent a house.
"I want to rent a house but then, once some money came in, I had to use it to buy essentials like food and other things the children needed such as milk and disposable diapers.
"Before this, I did manage to put aside some money but then the car that we rely and depend on so much got spoilt which left me dumbfounded, therefore I had to use that the cash to fix the car.
"For a while, I was selling canned drinks but I did not have enough money or capital to keep going," he said.
As for his illness, Razak said he was informed that he would need to be undergo an operation possibly this Friday.
"I hope that the operation will be smooth because I need to be healthy so that I can go out and get a job for my family," he said, adding that he has already been contacted by a representative from the Welfare Department after their plight went viral.