Left in the Rain: A Melaka Couple’s Unseen Struggle
Married in hope, now living without water, electricity, or a safe roof — and ignored by those they begged for help. Even a crowdfunding campaign has yet to receive a single donation.
MELAKA, Malaysia — In a crumbling leasehold house on the outskirts of this historic city, a husband and wife cling to each other and to the rainwater that keeps them alive. He is 64. She is 48. They have been married since 2022, and for four years they have endured conditions that most people would not believe still exist in modern Malaysia.
🔹 Key facts about their living situation:
- Water and electricity supply were cut off in 2019, long before they moved in.
- They rely entirely on rainwater for bathing, cooking, and drinking.
- The roof leaks badly; the structure is deteriorating and increasingly dangerous.
- The house is part of a bitter family inheritance dispute that complicates any solution.
- Also living there is an elderly relative with intellectual disability, who is manipulative and frequently bathes naked in the garden when the wife is outside, adding to her distress.
Every time dark clouds gather, the couple’s hearts sink. “When it rains, we are forced to catch every drop – it is our only water source, but it also reminds us how broken our home is,” the wife wrote in a message filled with both despair and a stubborn flicker of hope. The roof no longer protects them; instead, it channels rain into buckets and pots scattered across the floor.
What makes their isolation even more painful is the long list of doors they have knocked on – all of which remained firmly shut.
They reached out everywhere – and were met with silence or insult
The couple have contacted well‑known Malaysian TikTokers, state water company SAMB, electricity provider TNB, a DAP elected representative, the Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO), the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development (KPWKM), and even shared their plight in various Facebook support groups. Instead of compassion, one Facebook group member shouted them down as “scammers.”
Desperate for any kind of lifeline, they also turned to Tzu Chi. The husband, 64, is actually a registered recipient of Tzu Chi’s monthly food aid, and for that they are deeply grateful – it has literally kept them alive. But beyond the food pack, no further assistance has come, and their calls for help with the collapsed living conditions have gone unanswered.
Visits that brought cameras, not help
There have been visits – but they only deepened the hurt. A delegation from a political party came. So did officers from the Social Welfare Department (JKM). Both groups spoke only to the elderly intellectually disabled man who shares the house, treating him as the sole resident. The political entourage even posed for photos with him, uploaded the pictures to their Instagram accounts, and left. No one spoke to the suffering couple. No one inspected the leaking roof or asked where they get water.
“They took selfies with the retarded uncle and went away. They didn’t help us. It was like we were invisible,” the wife recalled, her words heavy with abandonment.
For four years since their marriage, this man and woman have been slipping through every safety net. The husband, already in his mid‑60s, is unable to work. They have no savings, no income, and no family willing to intervene. Every night they pray that someone – a rescue group, volunteers, ordinary Malaysians with big hearts – will come and witness their suffering with their own eyes.
A desperate new step: crowdfunding, but still no help
Having exhausted every formal and informal channel, the couple recently turned to the online fundraising platform GoGetFunding. They created a campaign and began sharing the link, hoping that kind‑hearted donors might finally offer a helping hand. But since the link was circulated, not a single donation has been made. The silence online mirrors the neglect they face in real life.
🌐 Their crowdfunding page:
https://gogetfunding.com/?p=9628501
“We are waiting for generous and compassionate donors. Until now, no one has contributed. We still have hope that someone will see our suffering and save our lives.”
The wife continues to write messages full of longing, addressing herself to “rescuers,” to “volunteers,” to anyone who might read their words and feel moved to act. She wants the world to understand that they are not just a case number – they are two human beings who married late in life believing they could build a small world together, only to find themselves trapped in a forgotten corner of Melaka.
They beg not for pity, but for presence. For someone to walk through their leaking doorway, see the buckets of rainwater, smell the mildew, and recognize that survival here is an act of daily courage. If you can donate, share their campaign, or connect them with a reliable aid organization, please take a step. Let’s prove that no one should have to live like this, unseen and unheard.