But this may not be for long. The house – which is home to Talmah and seven other family members, including her two grandchildren – is on the verge of collapsing.
Apart from Talmah and the two children, the other occupants comprise her three children and the spouses of two of them.
“When it rains, water leaks from the holes of the zinc roof and walls. We have to use buckets to deal with it,” Talmah told FMT.
Even more worrying was when the floor of their bedroom almost gave way, forcing everyone to cram in the small living room for the night.
Every time it pours, fear envelopes the family.
“I’m terrified and so are my grandchildren,” Talmah, whose husband died of a stroke in 2017, said softly with tears in her eyes.
As if the fear of a collapsing house is not enough to keep them awake, there is also the threat of snakes slithering into their home at night, especially during high tide.
“On those nights, I don’t sleep as I fear snakes will come in,” Talmah said.
But the trepidation that engulfs the family is not limited to concern about their collapsing house.
Just outside is an old wooden foot bridge that villagers rely on to get around the village.
“One of my children fell through it once. Many of the wooden planks are old and rotten. Every step is a gamble with our safety, especially for the children.
“The situation is even more complicated during a medical emergency. The wooden planks which are riddled with holes make it difficult for wheelchair users,” she said.
Talmah, who is unemployed and depends on her son’s income as a transporter to buy food and basic necessities, applied for a home under the affordable housing scheme two years ago but has yet to receive a reply.
“I hope the new state government will help repair my home,” she said, adding that she hopes the Nov 29 polls will be the light at the end of the tunnel.
Talmah also expressed disappointment at the lack of development when the constituency was under the opposition.
“On polling day, I might cast my ballot for another party,” Talmah, who is among the 33,016 registered voters in Darau, said.
The constituency was previously represented by Warisan’s Azhar Matussin who won the seat with a 562-vote majority. The seat will see a six-cornered fight this Saturday.