Termite infestation, poor foundation force sole Chinese family in Kg Gita’s Taman Mawar to evacuate home

KUCHING (Oct 8): A severe termite infestation and unstable foundation have forced the Chung family to abandon their house in Taman Mawar, Kampung Gita, Petra Jaya here.

The only Chinese household in the village left the house after experiencing severe shaking and frightening cracking noises last week.

Ah Ping, 40, said he and his 72-year-old father as well as 69-year-old mother began hearing unsettling sounds on Thursday and Friday, followed by wobbling in their home.

“We noticed some planks in the sitting room had come apart,” he said, recalling the first signs of trouble.

By Saturday, the situation worsened as the main door became crooked and could no longer be opened after sagging from the doorframe.

Worried for their safety, he convinced his parents to flee and they spent the night at a friend’s house.

Ah Ping then rented a room in a nearby shophouse for RM350 a month and began cautiously moving the family’s belongings out, worried that the house could collapse at any moment.

Desperate for help, Ah Ping reached out to Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Kuching chairperson Datuk Lily Yong.

Yong visited the house on Monday with councillor Nicholas Wung, as well as kapitans Bernadette Geikie and Lucas Yong to assess the damage.

Residents of the kampung, familiar with the Chung family’s struggles, guided the group to the house.

Supporting planks were seen bracing every corner of the house, which had slanted due to foundational issues, while some of the wooden walls had cracked from the pressure.

After seeing the conditions firsthand, Wung deemed the house was beyond repair.

“There is no way the family can stay or renovate this house. The foundation is too poor, and termites have infested it. The only solution is to rebuild,” he explained.

He said they would work with the area’s elected representative to see how best they could help.

“As he is an odd job worker and his parents are not working, they have no choice but to rely on any assistance rendered to them,” added Wung.