TongSim Senior Citizens Care Center

Care taker : Uncle Cheong (012 2081539)
Address : 19E, Jalan Lapangan Terming Lama, 50460 KL

Type: Old Folks home
Total : 55 pax male and female (mainly from GH and welfare department)

Items required: Milo,sweeten creamer, biscuit, salt, sugar, cooking oil,onion, garlic, rice, cane food, eggs, medical (anti bat cream, paradox), diapers, dry noodle, bee hoon, soya sauce, fresh milk, mosq coil, spray, garbage bags.

Important notice: please call Uncle Cheong to check what is the items needed the most a day before visit. This is to avoid over supply and expiry of foods.

First of all, I must apologies officially to all volunteers of 1M1C, as I hibernates since 12 June till 17 Sept due to very serious personal matters to be reconcile. I would like to thank all members that continues support this group in our objective to help those who needed.

On 18 Aug, when I called, below questions cross to my mind after the conversation with the care taker.
1. What is your first impression of an old folks home that has 55pax of abandon senior citizens from GH & welfare department?
2. What do you think when you get to know that the care center is located inside chinese cemetery?
3. How do you feel if the care taker told you that the seniors stays at the care center which is located above a coffin shop?

It sound scary and feel spooky when the first time I heard that over the phone with Uncle Cheong. When I was there this noon 18.9.2011 1230pm, the place really looks like a III class ward in General Hospital. The condition is bad, partial organize and smell bad!

Uncle Cheong told us that he has built another home at Kampung Salak South and for the last 12 months, he is still waiting for his bloody local council approval on a CF in order to move in. The condition is much better there and he need racks, shelf and equipment in the new center later.

Overall, Uncle Cheong is paying RM7,888 as rental of the current center to the cemetery foundation, contract will end in 2013 while the food and necessity are donated by general public from time to time. He have 6 foreign workers as helpers to clean the seniors (some can't walk and depend heavily on diapers). Uncle Cheong allow them to eat what ever food they like as he feel no points restrict them to enjoy the meal even thought some food like ducks are not advisable to be consumed by seniors. Uncle Cheong work his own way out to buried those who passed away (uncle is a coffin seller), with his network and relationship with the Sg. Besi Kong Tong Yi San, he sometimes pays small fee to buried the seniors and when his own economy is bad, he does not pay..and the staff in the cemetery understood it.

Uncle Cheong also set up a Chinese medical center within the senior care center with the aim to get their own panel of Chinese sensei to look after the seniors' medical need. He welcome all sort of donation and trying to avoid cash. He said that volunteer and general public are allow to give ang pow to the seniors (55 + 5 workers). The ang paw will be kept by the seniors themselves.

He encounters some individual volunteer who so call helping at the center, but at the end turn up to be thief and steal away the medicine, Milo and goods from center. These culprits kept the valuables in the dustbin bags and pack home then.

Uncle Cheong does not accept any abandon seniors near the road unless it is from authority such as General hospital, welfare department, political parties with the conditions of an official hand over letter and documentations. He encounter some conman who claimed themselves as the next kind of the seniors and accused that him of trying to cheat their monies by kidnapping their parents to the center. There are few cases reported in the press on his center and Uncle Cheong is very mad about it. Hence, he does not allow walk-in seniors or abandon ones without proper documentation from authorities to avoid his name to be incriminated.

Our group, delivered two cars of goods, special thank to Ms. Sanddie and family who donated at the own capacity of rice, Milo, creamer, washing powder, cooking oils, dustbin bags, detergent, and etc. 1M1C funded $M390.84 (oats, cooking oil, Milo, creamer, toilet rolls, dettol, cough syrup, bee hoon, sugar, mosquito spray, etc).

We intend to contribute the TTF rack to this home when they obtained their CF later. Ladies & gentlemen, stay tunes with 1M1C again. We hope we are allowed to rob more the rich and help the poor and needed in the future.

THANK YOU to all donors and volunteers of 1M1C.