KUALA LUMPUR: It was a heartbreaking sight when a four-year-old boy was found living in a house overflowing with garbage due to his family members' drug addiction.
The situation is made worse as the boy was forced to sleep on a mattress surrounded by a pile of trash.
According to a report by Buletin Utama, the boy's predicament came to light when a team from the National Anti-Drug Agency (AADK) visited a village in one of the districts in Kelantan as part of a programme to reach out to the community.
An AADK spokesman said the team became concerned and suspicious when they heard the sound of a child crying from inside a house that appeared abandoned from the outside.
"The house was unlocked, and the team was shocked to find that every part of the premises, including the kitchen, was filled with trash.
"They then discovered the boy inside the house, looking distressed and in a neglected state," the spokesman said, adding that the boy was living with a woman and her 18-year-old child.
The spokesman added that the team later contacted the Welfare Department to provide assistance to the family and rescue the boy.
"Further checks revealed that the boy's older brother had tested positive for drugs, and his mother was dealing with emotional depression due to her divorce.
"Following this discovery, the agency initiated support for the boy's brother through our community-based treatment and rehabilitation programme.
"We also collaborated with the Welfare Department to clean the house and ensure it was a safe place for the family to live," he said.
The sad state of the house was shared by TikTok user @shanizam9910, who took to his social media account to highlight the condition of the premises.
The clip shows the house in a disorganised state, with a four-year-old child living in these conditions.
"It is heart-breaking to discover a four-year-old child sleeping near a pile of garbage.
"With the assistance of friends, I reached out to the Welfare Department to get help for this family.
"At AADK, we are here to support and provide treatment, not to punish," the user said.