But for wheelchair-bound Nageswary V Sangaran, it takes an excruciating 45 minutes as she is forced to walk down multiple flights of stairs before reaching the ground floor.
The 58-year-old said she takes slow “baby steps” to make her way up and down the fifth floor of her walk-up apartment in Taman Sri Endah, relying only on her cane and railings for support.
At the bottom, tucked behind the staircase is a wheelchair which she uses to get to the bus stop near her flat to sell newspapers for seven hours.
“It takes me about 30 minutes, depending on how well I feel, to go up and down,” she said of the many times she has to take the stairs for work or to visit either the hospital or clinic.
You see, Nageswary suffers from a myriad of ailments. Apart from her arthritic knees, she has diabetes, urinary incontinence and high blood pressure.
She has also been suffering from frequent migraines since the car accident she was involved in 14 years ago, that took the life of her younger brother.
Nageswary takes slow ‘baby steps’ down multiple flights of stairs from her apartment on the fifth floor using her cane and the railings for support.
“My health is pretty bad most days, but I have no choice…I have to work to live,” she said, adding that she could not depend on her family as most of them have passed away. She has also lost touch with many others who are still alive.
Come rain or shine, Nageswary can be seen seated on a bench at the bus stop, waiting patiently for customers to buy newspapers so she can earn a commission of RM0.20 on each.
“Not many support my business these days. I can earn around RM10 a day,” she said.
Her meagre income, she said, was not sufficient to pay her rent (RM900), utilities (RM150) and monthly necessities like diapers which can cost up to RM100.
“I have financial problems. Staying on a higher floor is within my budget and is cheaper,” she said.
Nageswary said she plans to lease out two rooms in her apartment to cover costs and has no choice but to be frugal with the money she earns in addition to the RM450 she gets from the welfare department (JKM).
She expressed her gratitude to friends from the community who have been kind enough to lend a hand whenever they could.
Asked if she ever considered finding a better paying job, Nageswary said she had tried repeatedly, but many employers were not inclined to hire her due to her poor health.
“They will ask me if I can work and when I say ‘yes’ they don’t want to try. They just tell me they will call me if there is a vacancy,” she said.
As for her long-term plans, she said that if her health permits, she hopes to open a convenience store that sells more than just newspapers.
“That way I don’t have to keep asking people for help and I will be able to sustain my livelihood,” she said.
Those who wish to help Nageswary can send a WhatsApp message to FMT’s Helpline at 0193899839. Please do not call.