Built for next-of-kin of rabies victims, house completed seven days ahead of schedule

Mazlan Puzan, 36, the father of the two young deceased rabies victims from Kampung Paon Rimu Bakung in Serian, is all set to move his family into their new house which has been completed seven days ahead of schedule.

When met by The Borneo Post at his village yesterday, he and wife Elisa John, 37, and three of their children were all smiles when the contractor did the finishing touches on the new house located just a few metres away from their old house.

“There is no word to express how grateful we are to everyone who has helped us in one way or another. And of course, it goes without saying that first and foremost, we would like to thank the government for giving us a new home, and all those who have assisted us all this while.

“And we will move to our new house tomorrow (today) as we are all set and ready to start a new life. Furthermore, we can’t stay any longer in our present house as the roof is leaking,” said Mazlan, a Bidayuh Selako from Kampung Paon, Sematan. He added it was very sad indeed to lose two of his children to rabies on July 4, but vowed to start a new life and raise his four surviving children properly.

“What had happened, had happened, and we leave that to God who knows best. But for now I must bring up my four children to the best of my abilities,” he emphasised.

Two of his children, Monica, 6, and Jackson, 4, passed away at the Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) after they were bitten by rabid dogs sometime at the end of April.

The family was so poor that they could not come up with  RM40 to bring the two children for proper treatment after they were bitten. On July 4, Doria Agang, 50, Eliza’s cousin, narrated the family’s predicament to The Borneo Post and soon after the news was highlighted, the government and many other generous hearts came to their assistance.

“We are lost for words on how thankful we are for all the help that came our way. Special thanks also go to The Borneo Post and other media for highlighting our plight.

“Now, besides having a new house, my wife is also being offered a job as a cleaner in a private firm and will start work on August 15. All these blessings are from God who provides,” he said, adding that he would try his best to look for a proper job to sustain his family.

The new house built under the ‘Bantuan Rumah Rakyat Miskin’ programme at a cost of RM60,000, courtesy of Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, has three bedrooms, two bathrooms with one attached with a toilet; a sitting room and a kitchen. This is a far cry from their present home which is a two-room bamboo house with no toilet and bathroom. They have been using the stream next to their house as their toilet and for washing.

The contractor started building the house on July 14, which was scheduled for completion a month later.

Mechellina Mazlan, 10, who had said that she always dreaded going to the stream nearby, especially at night when she needed to ease herself, was all smiles because she no longer needed to do so.

Mechellina is now in Primary Four, and is attending school at SK Paun Rimu together with her elder brother Gareth, 12.

“I love to go to school now,” she answered briefly when asked how she had been coping with her studies.

Her two other siblings are Adelina, 8, and Delina, nine months old.

Source:
courtesy of THE BORNEO POST

by Peter Sibon and Wilfred Pilo

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