Penang NGO: Old Folks' Home Owner Had Residents Chained To Their Beds At Run-Down Place
The now-defunct home has abandoned the residents, leaving them outside the NGO's office in Perai.
By Sadho Ram — 06 Nov 2024, 01:40 PM
A group of elderly and mentally ill residents from a now-defunct old folks' home in Kedah reportedly suffered harrowing mistreatment at the hands of the home's owner, including being chained to their beds
According to Malaysian Tamilar Kural, a Penang-based NGO, the former residents were found abandoned outside the NGO's office in Perai yesterday, 5 November.
Recounting the issue in a video, the NGO's head, P David Marshel, shared that his team had located the former residents in a dilapidated warehouse at an oil palm estate in Sungai Karangan, Kulim, Kedah.
The conditions they found were deeply troubling: several residents, including five mentally challenged individuals and a blind double amputee, had reportedly been chained to their beds in the run-down facility.
"It is shocking to find five mentally challenged people and a blind double amputee among the very old and ill people just left at a terrible warehouse in the middle of an oil palm estate," David said.
The NGO had monitored the old folks' home in April this year following allegations of assault against its residents, leading to a probe by the social welfare department and the facility's subsequent closure
However, despite the closure, David said the owner failed to make proper arrangements for the displaced residents, instead allegedly relocating them to the run-down warehouse where their plight only worsened.
FMT reported David as further stating that his NGO tried to confront the caretaker after discovering the residents' plight and offered help to rehome the individuals, who were found living in appalling conditions.
"Now they have taken it one step further in shirking their responsibility and leaving these people outside a shophouse," he said, adding that multiple cars dropped off the residents before speeding away.
Among the 21 victims, two are Chinese Malaysians and 19 are Indian Malaysians.
Following the incident, David reached out to Penang EXCO members for health and social welfare Daniel Gooi and Lim Siew Khim
After being notified, officers were quickly dispatched to assess the former residents' needs.
Five of the abandoned residents, who appeared to be mentally challenged, were transferred to health ministry facilities, while the remaining residents are now under the social welfare department's care.
David has since lodged a police report over the incident at the Perai police station, urging authorities to investigate the old folks' home management's alleged mistreatment and abandonment of the residents.
