TNB's Baiti Jannati initiative brings cheers to single mother, children

IPOH, Jan 14 -- It was joy and happiness for a single mother and her three children after getting a new house courtesy of the Baiti Jannati programme organised by Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB).

Norismah Ismail, 49, said that for 50 years, they lived in a dilapidated inherited house infested with termites which almost caused the building to collapse in Kampung Tersusun, Sungai Terap, Batu Gajah.

“When the new house was ready, we moved in three weeks ago," she said after the official handover ceremony of the house which was officiated by state Infrastructure, Energy, Water and Public Transport Committee chairman Datuk Mohd Zolkafly Harun and TNB president and chief executive officer Datuk Ir Baharin Din.

The new house was built close to the family's old house, thanks to TNB's Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme which aims to provide more comfortable housing to the poor, single mothers and dependents.

Norismah also shared a sad episode when her late husband Norazam Abdul Rahman, 49, died last October due to a stroke missed moving to a new house by just a few months.

"While this house was under construction, the deceased could not wait to move to a new house and had planned to decorate the living room of the house with our children, Norfatihah Norazam 19, Noralif Norazam 16, and Norannisa Norazam 12.

"Our family had to rely on help because I could not work at that time and had to take care of my husband's needs. After suffering for six years, my husband passed on," she added tearfully.

Meanwhile, Baharin said a total of 128 houses had been built in Perak under the programme with an allocation of about RM5.7 million last year to help the less fortunate.

"At the national level, a total of 879 houses have been built with an estimated allocation of about RM40 million since 2017. CSR projects continued in 2019 and 2020 with an allocation of around RM8 million despite having to face various challenges with the pandemic," he said.

-- BERNAMA