Lorry driver Mohammad Mahhadir said with his dwindling income it has not been easy trying to take care of his family, as his trips were reduced to only once a week now.
“Covid-19 has affected my family’s life tremendously. Since I only work once a week, we have to really cut back on our food to save costs. Most of the time we only eat kampung fried rice or onion fried rice. As long as it can fill our stomachs, that’s enough,” he told FMT.
Residing in People’s Housing Project (PPR) Lembah Subang 2, Mohammad said his family relies heavily on food donations and would consider themselves lucky if they receive side dishes such as fish or vegetables from donors.
The 31-year-old said the savings that the family collects all go to their three children who need their basic necessities such as milk and diapers.
“Despite trying to save as much money as we can to buy milk and diapers for our children, it is still not enough. We still have to ration their milk because it is really expensive,” he said.
However, Mohammad said he was thankful to the local community in his area and the NGOs who often stop by to donate food items and basic necessities for his family.
“Without them, I don’t know how my family would survive. They have truly helped my family a lot and I’m just so grateful to them. Although my family is struggling, as long as my kids and wife are safe and not sick, we will be okay,” he said.
Md Nasir Abdul Ghani, 60, who also lives in PPR Lembah Subang 2 said he had not been able to find a job at all.
Nasir, a technician, said he had lost all of his customers because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The retired naval officer said his family only relies on food donations from NGOs who visit the PPR weekly.
“It’s been really hard for my family. My wife just gave birth a month ago and we have to take care of three other children. One of them has cerebral palsy.
“Without the NGOs’ help, we won’t have any food to put on our table. They only provide basic things such as flour, rice, eggs, and sardines from cans. That is what we usually eat,” he said.
Nasir said food rations were out of the question because his family does not even have enough to get through the day.
According to economist Madeline Berma, the Covid-19 pandemic has been affecting food and nutrition security as a result of economic shock, food system disruptions, and gaps in coverage of essential health and nutrition services.
Madeline, who is a Suhakam commissioner, said many B40 households could only afford to buy goods in stores that offer low prices, buy food on credit, get donations and borrow money from relatives or neighbours.
At the same time, she said they would also reduce the amount of food intake and substitute fresh food with canned food to continue their survival.
“The reduced income for B40 families has resulted in the increased consumption of cheap sources of calories (unhealthy processed foods), reducing the number of meals which could lead to unhealthy dietary patterns and deterioration in the quality of their diet. This has also caused a rise in maternal and child malnutrition,” she said.
Madeline said Putrajaya needs to support Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) especially those led by women, indigenous peoples, and family farmers with more effective government investments, policies, and built-in procurement practices that support nutrient-rich food sources locally and regionally.
She added that the government also needs to strengthen the support system for B40 communities by developing a food bank to help these people get the proper food they need.
If you wish to help the family of Mohammad and Md Nasir, send a WhatsApp message to FMT’s Helpline at 019-389-9839. No calls please, just text.