Patrick meets Puan Jainabbi
“I have interacted with refugees since November 2007 because I sympathized with the refugees who suffer difficulties in their home country and are forced to leave for a better life.
I got to know Yante Ismail from UNHCR and she introduced an elderly Rohingya refugee Puan Jainabbi Sadek to me.
After knowing about Puan Jainabbi’s tough life in Malaysia, I decided to contribute a little amount of money every month to support her financially. I have been contributing since November 2007 until today.
I personally feel that the refugees, especially the elderly, need the support from society as they have no family to support them and they are not able to work to earn a living. I feel sorry for being unable to contribute much to them but I hope I can contribute more to the refugees who are in serious need of help.
I met Puan Jainabbi during a press interview in 2009, which was arranged by UNHCR. The woman who is over a hundred years old, stays in a shabby rented room in a small shop lot shared with 10 other people in Selayang. She could not walk far as she was asthmatic and got tired easily. Her husband died fighting as a soldier while her two sons are missing. Her life was tough and nobody could help her, until, she got assistance from UNHCR. I was touched when I met her in her little room which is the size of an average wash room, where it is smelly and stuffy. I feel that I should do more for these needy people. This experience with Puan Jainabbi is the most unforgettable experience in my life.”
Name: Tan Tzu Chun, Patrick
Nationality: Malaysian
