PETALING JAYA: With the conditional movement control order (CMCO) extended by another month, the blind are pleading for financial aid from the government, especially for both visually impaired spouses and the self-employed.
Chairman of the presidential council for the Society of the Blind, Wong Huey Siew, said many of its 5,000 members are self-employed and are unable to fend for themselves.
“Most of them sell tissues and work as masseurs. They were unable to earn a decent amount of money as businesses were closed.
“They had a bit of savings but during the six-week MCO, this ran out,” he told FMT.
Before the MCO was imposed on March 18, he said they earned between a few hundred ringgit and RM2,000 a month, adding that they do not have cash left for their daily needs now.
“We would be thankful if the government can help, especially where the couples are both visually impaired. They are badly affected.”
Wong said such groups need money to pay utility bills.
Wong said many of the blind did not fill in the forms for government special aid as there was no one to help them during the MCO.
“Some of them managed to get volunteers to fill them but others may not have applied,” he added.
As for food supplies, he said the blind had been lucky and thanked NGOs for delivering food to them daily.
“We have been very lucky because people have been donating food to our doorstep.
“We thank them. Because of them, most of the blind did not go to bed hungry,” he added.
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