Accident, Jobless & Homeless

The streets of downtown Kuala Lumpur are home to many. They depend on soup kitchens and services provided by NGOs and philanthropists to survive.

This is a story of one man, served by the Teddy Mobile Clinic which provides health services to the homeless and urban poor every Wednesday. Once a family man, he shares how a bus accident changed his life forever. He requested that his face is not shown, as his family does not know that he is homeless.

“The bus accident changed my life. I was a bus driver for Plusliner, but after the crash, I lost my job and my ability to do work and am now living on the streets. The accident happened at Machap, Malacca. The tyre exploded and the bus crashed into the telephone pole and divider.

The air system also failed, and a bus relies on the air system for its brakes and to open the doors - without it I couldn’t do anything. As we crashed, the cars at the back also hit us. The front mirror and side view mirror cut my face, my lips, and my tongue. My backbone was also injured. And two passengers died that night as well.

That was when I realised I cannot work any more.

The thing is, it’s hard to have a family when you cannot work and have no income. My wife works at a prison at Seremban and her pay is not enough for the family, what more I am just a bus driver who now is out of work. So I was forced to leave home, and I made that decision.

Within the first six months, I couldn’t do much jobs with my condition so I took up security guard jobs. Last time as a bus driver I would get RM1,800 but as a guard, it’s terrible, it’s only RM700-RM800 a month. The rent for a room is already easily RM400 - the money simply isn’t enough.

Not long after, my wife asked her sister to meet me and get the divorce papers signed. Her sister shouldn’t have become involved, but that’s how my wife wanted to communicate, she was asking for a divorce. So it happened and the process was automatic.

The worst part about jobs now is that you work three or four months but in the end they don’t pay the salary. And we can’t protect ourselves - it’s up to them if they want or don’t want to pay. 

It’s not that I don't want to work, there is just no chance to work. I would do any odd jobs for people - paint for them, wash clothes or clean a stall - and I’m okay, especially if accommodation is provided. I’m now 58 years old, I’m not young any more. Old people can’t do as much as young people.

When I was younger at 30, I wasn’t like this. I was busy looking for money, I bought a house, a car... but now I gave it all to my children, and I decided I should just not be a burden and leave (home).

I know that I’m old but I don’t want to be depending or asking people or my family and sons for help, I have to stand on my own.And my sons... you know lah, they are closer to their mothers than their dads.

During Ramadan I still fast, and I break my fast at the mosque and I’m thankful there’s food but it’s so little, and it's the only thing I eat for the day. Sahur (pre-dawn meal) was harder as there’s not much food going around.I’m already old, it’s hard to find jobs and be paid after doing it and I don’t want to be a burden to my family.

I will be happy if I could have a job where there’s an accommodation, and a place to stay even if it pays RM 1,000. But for now, for now I am on the streets.”