By Olivia Miwil
KOTA KINABALU: The first day of Hari Raya Aidilfitri took on a deeper meaning for Sepanggar member of parliament Datuk Mustapha Sakmud when a struggling single mother he met recently secured employment.
Rohana, a 27-year-old from the Bajau Samah community, left a lasting impact on him since early on during Ramadan after learning of the hardships she faced raising three young children alone.
She was abandoned by her husband in 2023 and has since been caring for her children aged 10, 6 and 3 without a stable source of income.
"She has no permanent job and only takes on occasional work such as cleaning houses or washing clothes.
"Sometimes she earns as little as RM300 a month to support her family.
"What moved me the most was that her youngest child has never had formula milk. It is not because Rohana does not care, but because she cannot afford it.
"The child has only been given sweetened condensed milk mixed with warm water since birth," he said, adding that the family has been staying in a makeshift shelter converted from a former chicken coop, with no proper facilities.
Despite the challenges, Mustapha said Rohana remained resilient and committed to her children's upbringing, ensuring they attended school and learned to read the Quran.
Moved by her situation, he said, efforts were made to help her secure employment as a more sustainable solution.
"Alhamdulillah, today she has started work at a mini market in the city with a salary of RM1,700 a month. It may seem small to some, but for her, it changes her life completely," he said.
He added that the income would enable Rohana to better provide for her children, including affording basic necessities that were previously out of reach.
Mustapha said witnessing Rohana's transformation served as a reminder that meaningful change can begin with helping one family at a time.
"Sometimes we cannot change everything, but changing the life of one family is already very significant," he said.
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