OKU CENTRE APPEALS FOR DONATION TO HELP REBUILD BUSINESS

21 OCTOBER 2020

BY WARTAWAN NABALU NEWS

KOTA KINABALU: Pusat (Amal) Latihan dan Amali OKU Sabah has appealed for donations from public to help rebuild their furniture-making business which was destroyed by flash flood following a torrential downpour on October 5.

Founder Haji Azman Saidin, 38, said the centre suffered a devastating damage amounting to RM50,000 due to the flood, including RM30,000 cost of furniture that were either swept away or submerged in flood water.

Azman

The furniture was built by the people with disabilities (OKU) community who work at the centre which was set up two years ago. The centre located in Kg Selaud, Tuaran was established to provide training and job opportunities mainly for OKUs.

And now that a lot of the furniture were gone and beyond repair, customers who placed orders for the furniture had asked for refunds.

“I had to sell my rabbits from one of my entrepreneurial projects – Taman Pencinta Haiwan – that I have worked on in the past two years, just to cover the cost of the damage.

“It was the second time this year that the centre had to endure such damage … We are now in desperate need of fund so that we can rebuild all of our customers’ furniture,” he said when contacted by Nabalu News on Tuesday.

Apart from the furniture, the flood also damaged other items like their machines and daily essentials. The centre, he said, was also a home for him, his 85-year-old father and seven-year-old daughter, as well as six other OKU workers.

“Even our basic necessities like food, water filter and beds were damaged by the flood. Now that we have lost everything and our home is still covered in mud, we had no choice but to rent a homestay for our temporary stay.

“With the inter-district travel ban still ongoing, no one could help us clean the mess even though a lot of people wanted to help us. We can’t do much since most of us are physically disabled,” said Azman.

According to him, a police report has been lodged on Oct 8 for the loss of the built furniture that amounted to RM30,000.

Back in 2013, Azman was involved in an unfortunate accident at work and had a total knee replacement. Since then, he needs to use a cane to help him walk. Being an OKU has then forced him to discontinue his service as a paramedic.

He is also a single father who lost his wife during the delivery of their daughter.

Members of the public who wish to donate can bank-in to Pusat (Amal) Latihan dan Amali OKU Sabah’s Maybank account at 560072580310. Azman can also be reached via his phone number (014-3628585).