Angel of Light for Deepavali

The Festival of Lights – or Deepavali – was celebrated by Hindus the world over and here in Malaysia, on Wednesday. 

Many Malaysians chose to commemorate the auspicious occasion by cleaning and decorating their homes and offices.

Others, as usual, bought new clothes, participated in special prayers and held open houses for their families and friends.

But for some people in particular, this year's festive event took on a more significant meaning of the true spirit of the season – exemplifying victory of light over darkness, good over evil and hope over despair.   

ML, 40, has elephantiasis. The incurable condition has caused the right leg to swell to a massive proportion.

It is also a painful disability which has made her unable to walk permanently.

Elephantiasis has not only robbed the mother of three school-going children of mobility, but she also finds herself constantly depressed and lonely.

She suffers stigma from what others in her neighbourhood think about her and is now virtually trapped in poverty.

ML became a single mum when her husband died three years ago.

She is now being cared for by her elderly mother who lives with her. ML's mother cooks and looks after her children.

Fortunately for the family, who live in Klang in Selangor, they are being helped by an "Angel of Light".

The service centre run by Sri Andalas assemblyman Dr Xavier Jayakumar in Taman Seri Mewah 4 has been providing them with a variety of aids, from immediate needs to long term.

These include food provisions to schoolbooks and uniforms and monthly bus fares for each of ML's children who live about 5km from the school.     

Another key assistance is in providing transport money for taxi fares.

This is to ensure that ML doesn't miss any of her regular medical check-ups. She visits a specialist at the University Malaya Medical Centre in Petaling Jaya.

Her regular trips are also to collect her medication.

ML's monthly rentals for her low-cost flat are also taken care of by the assemblyman's office.

Although all she can do now – because of the condition – is to sit in a chair all day, ML feels a great sense of relief that many of her basic needs are met, thanks to the help she and her family are receiving from the Sri Andalas service centre.

SF, 35, is another woman whom the centre has also been assisting.

Born blind, she is a mother of four children – the eldest being 16 and the youngest six.

SF lost her husband in 2006. He died in prison, leaving behind his loved ones with the loss of the only breadwinner (as a driver) in the family.

To make matters worse, SF and all her children had no birth certificates at the time. And things only got off from the frying pan into the fire.

A so-called "good Samaritan" offered to help SF get their legal documents. The situation, however, ended up with the "kind man" taking advantage of her situation and raping her.

He was never seen again after that.

The family approached the Sri Andalas office in desperation in 2010.

Then began the long and arduous journey to help SF and the family to get the documents they needed.

First, a death certificate of the father was obtained.

Then it took countless trips to Port Dickson's (PD) government hospital in Negri Sembilan where SF was born.

The trouble was in tracing documents that were already 30 years old and no longer recorded.

SF had to make a number of trips with the help of the assemblyman's office to the various departments in PD just to keep the authorities "serious and interested" in their mission.

This took nearly a month to accomplish.   

All the hard work and persistence paid off. Everyone got their birth certificates last September – including the identity card for SF's 16-year-old son.

Last year, on November 8, was the first Deepavali the entire family celebrated having their official documents with them.

This year as many as 500 people in need received a RM100 voucher each to shop for their basic needs. Both SF and ML were among the recipients.

For more information, please contact: Pejabat Perkhidmatan Wakil Rakyat, Dun Sri Andalas, No 15a, Jalan Mohd Tahir 8, Taman Seri Mewah 4, off Jalan Sungei Jati 41200 Kelang. Telephone: 03-3373 4595 & 3374 4595.

The office is open on weekdays from 9am-5pm. On Saturdays, 9am-1pm. It is closed on Sundays and public holidays. – October 26, 2014.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.