SEVEN months into the movement-control order (MCO) and single mothers are still struggling to survive and adapt financially.

The Malaysian Insight previously reported how the lockdown had impacted on single mothers who relied on government aid and handouts from volunteer groups to get by.

The situation, however, has not improved much for them even after the country has gone into the recovery MCO phase, which allows most businesses to operate like usual.

Single mothers The Malaysian Insight spoke to are facing growing financial concerns as relief assistance like bank moratoriums cease at the end of the month.

Aisyah, a mother of two, said she will most likely not pay her electricity bill, car, and house loans when the time comes because she simply cannot afford them.

“I’m already struggling to get by, but even more so now, because we have to start paying for our bills.

“I’m going to need to find money to cover all these backdated bills,” said the 34-year-old from Shah Alam, Selangor, who does not get financial help from her former husband to raise their children.

Aisyah has had to pawn her gold jewellery but with her current financial situation, she does not know if she will be able to redeem the items.

She has also taken one of her children out of preschool as she can no longer afford the fees.

Before the pandemic, Aisyah was a full-time personal shopper, travelling to China, Indonesia, and Vietnam to buy goods for clients.

However, after Putrajaya closed the borders during the lockdown to break the chain of coronavirus infections, Aisyah, like many others, found it difficult to survive without a proper income.

She started selling various things on the internet and through WhatsApp, from fish to corn, leng chi kang and pillows.

Now, Aisyah sells mostly clothing and accessories on her Facebook page.

She depends entirely on her online business but does not wish to disclose the amount.

“I only prioritise my children’s insurance and the rest goes for food and other basic items. I can’t afford to save as I need the money to roll,” Aishah said.

A survey by the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) on the impact of Covid-19, Families on Edge, found that 76% of female-headed households were unable to save money during the MCO.

Among female-headed households, the survey also found that only five in 100 have enough savings to last more than three months. 

Aisyah said she is currently trying to get a loan for her small and medium-sized business to grow so that she would be able to generate more income and then settle her outstanding bills.

Cake seller Norbiyah Anwar, 40, from Kuala Lumpur, told The Malaysian Insight since the RMCO began, she has continued selling cakes and set up an online business selling cookies.

The mother of two used to be able to make at least RM2,100 monthly but now she can only make RM1,500 from her online business.

The monthly income is also unstable.

The instability was also revealed in the Unicef survey which showed that female-headed households who were able to make RM1,000 in 2019 dropped to RM675 in 2020.

Due to this, like Aisyah, Norbiyah said she will delay paying some of her bills or try to pay it in instalments.

Both of Norbiyah’s children, ages 17 and 12, are under her care and receive no financial aid from their father, which makes Norbiyah the sole breadwinner and caretaker.

Norbiyah said she will also not be able to pay for one of her children’s boarding school fees which amount to RM500 yearly.

“My inability to pay for my child’s boarding school fees may result in him not being able to sit for SPM examination, or the school may withhold his results until I settle the fee,” she said.

Meanwhile, Hafisah, a 44-year-old seamstress from Keramat, Kuala Lumpur, said she has not been able to pay for her bills, including rental for her shop, as her income is too low for the past few months.

“My income is still slowly picking up and because I run a tailoring shop, it all depends on customers’ orders but with the current situation, many people are not doing well, which puts me in a very tight spot.”

Hafisah needs a minimum of RM2,000 every month to survive but in the last few months, she has only been able to earn RM500.

Under the RMCO, the only aid Hafisah receives is the Bantuan Sara Hidup scheme which is handed out three times a year.

During the lockdown, Hafisah survived on RM20 a day because three out of four of her children were retrenched. She also received the Prihatin cash aid along with help from a civil society group.

Hafisah said she is still struggling to get by and most likely won’t settle her outstanding bills, such as electricity, water, and rent.

She hopes the government will look into extending the moratorium on electricity and water bills. –  September 15, 2020.