OLD folks’ homes and welfare centres are struggling to stay afloat, with costs rising and donations falling.  

The privately run homes told The Malaysian Insight they are finding it difficult to find donors and hope they will not have to shut down soon owing to financial constraints. 

Jue Ning, who manages Yu Shan Disabled Welfare Centre in Johor Baru, admitted that obtaining financial assistance was difficult these days, given the economic situation. 

“Sometimes, we don’t achieve the monthly target because donations are less and recently, we can see that the numbers of visitors and donors have reduced. 

“We have a committee whose members are helping to fund the centre’s monthly commitments using money from their own pockets,” Jue Ning told The Malaysian Insight. 

Jue Ning, who has been working at the centre for four years now, said the monthly expenditure has increased by almost 10%, which she said is huge for the centre, which offers its services for free. 

“We rely on donations, be it money or goods. 

“Previously, the monthly expenditure was about RM25,000 monthly but now it is around RM28,000,” the 40-year-old caretaker said. 

Founded in 2018, Yu Shan Disabled Welfare Centre has a total of 25 disabled people under its care now, comprising 16 males and nine females. The youngest at the centre is aged five, while the oldest is 52. 

Jue Ning said the centre also sends representatives to attend charity dinners where they will be given some financial assistance. 

“Even if people don’t want to donate in terms of money, we will accept food items, groceries, pampers, and other necessities,” she said. 

Malaysians are feeling the pinch of increasing prices and the weakening ringgit. Besides inflation and the rising cost of living, many are also burdened with the increasing overnight policy rate, which results in higher loan payments. 

Meanwhile, Pertubuhan Kebajikan Orang Tua Wen Xin’s coordinator, who only wanted to be known as Lim, also said the current economic situation has taken a toll on donations for the centre. 

“We accept whatever is given to us, but even we feel the amount now has reduced, be it financial aid or even items,” she said. 

With 22 elderly people in the six-year-old centre, Lim said managing finance is extremely difficult given the current situation. 

“We have tightened our belts. Sometimes we operate with the donations given to us in the previous months. We try to manage with that,” Lim, who had been with the centre since its establishment, said. 

“At times, we will even forgo our salaries because we know the situation,” she added. 

Lim said some Buddhist temples would help the centre obtain funding.  

“At times, some Buddhist temples that are familiar with our cause will tell devotees to do good deeds by donating cash or goods to us,” she said. 

“This is how we get donations or goods from unknown people. 

“Sometimes, we will get things like pampers and medicines from those whose family members have died,” she added. 

Lim said they were doing everything within their means to keep going. 

She hoped that people would continue helping old folks’ homes and welfare centres. – June 20, 2023.