IPOH: It was indeed a Happy Deepavali for K. Kamalanathan and his family as they can now look forward to brighter days ahead.

       The state government has promised to look for a house in Batu Gajah for former driver Kamalanathan, who had been out of work when a fall down a flight of stairs in 2000 affected the nerves on his feet.

       The state government will also settle outstanding bills and rent arrears totalling about RM4,000.

       Kamalanathan, 63, and his family have been living in a rented home in Lahat here.

       Yesterday, Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Saarani Mohamad visited the family to deliver the happy news.

       “I promised him that once my family is settled there, we will be selling food to earn a living,” Kamalanathan told reporters during the visit.

       “I feel blessed and happy when he told me that they will help to get us a house where we don’t have to pay for the rent anymore.”

       Kamalanathan said he had to stop work in 2000 after the fall.

       “Since then, my family has been living in despair,” he said, adding that he had also previously fractured his ankle during an accident in the 1980s.

       He and his wife have two daughters aged seven and nine.

       “Following my retirement, I got a RM171 pension every month. The rate increased annually and now I’m getting RM323.

       “I also receive RM450 from the Welfare Department every month but the money is just not enough for our rent and other expenses,” he added.

       His 39-year-old wife is a part-time cleaner whose job had been affected during the Covid-19 movement restrictions.

       Saarani said the state government, through Yayasan Bina Upaya, would help settle Kamalanathan’s outstanding bills and rent payment.

       “We are looking for a permanent house for him and his family where they don’t have to worry about paying rent. It will give them an opportunity to start their own business,” he added.

       He said he decided to visit Kamalanathan since it was Deepavali.

       “He is an old friend of mine who was forced to retire due to his foot problem,” he said.

       “We also brought some food and cash aid to help him get through this difficult time.”

       On the issue with the appointment system at the state Land and Mines Department where dispatch riders and lawyers were forced to queue up at odd hours, Saarani said the state would try its best to resolve it.

       Saarani said the state had already met with the riders and lawyers to find a solution.

       “We understand their frustration but they also need to comprehend that the state is still battling Covid-19,” he said.