THIRTEEN years ago, Lorhasima Said, 43, moved into the Ampang Jajar people’s public housing (PPR) in Permatang Pauh, Penang, with her husband and their three children.

With its low rent of RM100 per month, the flat was a great place for her to raise her children as her husband earned little as a lorry driver.

But now, with her children all grown up and one married, that cosy three-bedroom flat is home to eight people, including her son-in-law and three grandchildren.

“My son-in-law works in an iron mill for 12-hour shifts, but makes less than RM1,000 a month.

“My daughter doesn’t work, she cares for the kids at home with me,” she told The Malaysian Insight recently.

Lorhasima said her husband earns about the same each month, and sometimes, the salary fails to reach RM1,000 as his pay depends on the number of trips he makes as a lorry driver.

However, having her children and son-in-law living with the family is not a burden as Lorhasima sees it as a responsibility to help them.

“It’s normal for children to live with us, I don’t see it as a burden.

“Before this, I just relied on my husband’s salary, but now, my children also chip in to help with the expenses.”

Lorhasima’s situation is not unusual as seven other families at the Ampang Jajar flats are also forced to live with three generations under one roof.

During the interview with The Malaysian Insight, they all shared that their children wish to be independent after marriage, but because of their low wages, they are forced to live with their parents.

Although the parents have reached retirement age, they are taking care of their children and grandchildren.

The Ampang Jajar PPR flats are rented out at RM100 per month. The nine-storey flats have 250 units.

Tenants pay their rent to the Seberang Prai Town Council (MBSP) and need to renew their lease every five years.

Costly children

The same problem of extended families living under one roof is also evident at the Desa Wawasan PPR in Bukit Mertajam.

Here, almost 20 of the 918 units available are occupied by more than one family.

Among them is a single mother, Noor Ikzaurdi Mohamed, who divorced three years ago.

At 43, she works as a kitchen hand at a 24-hour restaurant, six days a week.  She has five children, and lives with her mother and brother in the tiny flat.

With only three rooms, some of her children have to sleep in the hall, and the others share her room.

The rent is RM100 a month as set by the Penang government.

“My salary can be up to RM1,200 or RM1,300 per month, but I have to work six days a week.

“Although I am a full-time worker, I earn an hourly rate of only RM5. My salary can reach RM1,700 if I work overtime.”

Her 63-year-old mother is still working as a cleaner for just RM1,000 a month.

Ikzaurdi’s mother works in the morning and evening until late night, as they take turns taking care of her five children who are still schooling.

“I don’t want to trouble her, she’s old and still working. I really want to be independent and lead a separate life, but I can’t afford the cost of raising my kids.

“I can’t afford to rent or buy a house. I have applied to get my own PPR flat but was rejected twice. I have applied for the third time, but I don’t know the outcome of my application,” she said, adding that she receives zakat payments of RM400 a month.

Financial pressure

The chairman of the Desa Wawasan residents’ association, Muhammad Sanusi Ahmad, 53, said although the government has set minimum wage at RM1,100, there are still companies that ignore it.

In fact, there are some jobs that require over eight hours of work to achieve minimum wage.

He said for this reason, children need to live with their parents to save.

“Due to financial pressures, they are unable to move out. Many are working and earning under RM1,100.”

In Penang, at least one in eight Penangites lives in poverty.

Data from the Statistics Department and Khazanah Institute of Research showed that 13% of 53,362 families are living in relative poverty in the state.

The issue of poverty is in the limelight after a report prepared by UN special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights Philip Alston said the poverty rate in Malaysia is 15% and not 0.4% as officially claimed by the government. – November 17, 2019.