Then, thanks to the kindness of FMT readers, strangers and Penang officials, the family in Balik Pulau have had their best Hari Raya in years.

The family of four’s plight was highlighted by FMT after they found themselves in a dire situation when the breadwinner, garbage truck driver Rosman Darus, met with an accident that left him seriously injured.

They were so short on money that they could not afford to even buy a pack of instant noodles, let alone new clothes for Hari Raya, as they had to buy medication for Rosman on a RM350 monthly welfare income.

However, their lives changed on the eve of Raya when their plight caught the nation’s attention.

Rosman’s wife Suzana Mansor said they managed to buy clothes for their daughters, aged five and eight.

“So many people from all over the country called to ask how they could help. They also asked what I needed but I was too afraid to ask. I am not used to this overwhelming generosity.

“This Hari Raya was the most memorable for our family,” Suzana said.

She added that there were so many donations deposited into her bank account that it was frozen for nearly a day. She said she burst into tears in disbelief when she saw her bank balance was close to RM10,000.

On the first day of Raya, they bought a fan, fridge, washing machine and cupboard. The children were also given their first-ever bicycle, which they had been wanting for a long time.

Suzana, who sells poultry, said their Hari Raya meal included prawn sambal and vegetables, as well as chicken and fish dishes. She said it was impossible for her to cook hot meals before as she never had a proper refrigerator.

Her previous fridge was a rickety ice-cream cooler salvaged from a landfill and which had been fixed by her husband.

“My daughter said that even if we sold 5kg of chicken, we would not be able to afford this (meal),” she said. She used to make RM2 from every chicken sold.

Suzana said that with the donation, she wants to open a “jagung rebus” (sweet corn) stall near the Sungai Pinang police station, about 100m from her home in an oil palm plantation.

She was also hopeful that the “abang polis” would not mind her trading there.

She said she also plans to buy a 26-year-old used car for RM3,500, as she has to send her husband to Penang Hospital for his regular physiotherapy sessions.

She added that a car would help them travel safely too, especially when they need to transport the chickens to the market.

“My husband is eager to go back to work, although his ankle is still swollen. He has been asking if he could cut grass despite being on crutches. I told him to rest, he does not want to listen to me,” she said.

Suzana also thanked Pertubuhan Kebajikan Wanita Prihatin Pulau Pinang chief Sharifah Nooriati Syed Amiruddin for helping the family throughout the years and the Penang welfare authorities as well.

“My sincerest thank you to all FMT readers and I hope all of you ‘dipermudahkan rezeki oleh Allah’.”