In Malaysia, an elderly lady from Perak became a major problem for her neighbours after hoarding all sorts of items at her home for over a decade.
According to Sinar Harian, the retired teacher from Ipoh has been hoarding garbage in her house to the point that it’s spilling out to the streets.
One glance and you’ll probably mistake it as a waste disposal site.
Hoarding Rubbish And Mosquitos
The woman in her 60s is believed to be suffering with some sort of mental disorder and will leave the house everyday on her bicycle to look for rubbish and bring it home.
The Malay daily added that the former teacher would try to ‘climb’ over the mountain of rubbish in front of her house in order to enter or leave it.
Her neighbours in Taman Bersatu, Simpang Pulai have suffered the foul stench for years and it even led to them contracting dengue due to the mosquitos from the rubbish pile.
Sik Eng, 82, and his sister-in-law Agnes Kam, 65 says they’ve tried to talk to her but ended getting scolded by their neighbour.
“She would also get angry if we touched any of her rubbish,” Agnes says.
“We always close the doors and windows tightly as we cannot stand the stench and the amount of mosquitos. Both of us are old and cannot afford to get Dengue again.”
Never Ending Woes
Agnes also revealed that her hoarding neighbour has three children but they’ve abandoned her.
“We feel sorry for her but we don’t know how to help her anymore.”
Another neighbour, Mohd Hanipah Pareeth, 67, says that countless of complaints have been lodged to the Ipoh City Council and police but the issue still persists.
“The city council took two days to clean up her garbage a few years ago but after that, she started collecting rubbish again sometimes even up to 2.30am and brought them home,” Hanipah said.
“I’m afraid that the pile of garbage will attract unwanted poisonous animals and diseases.”
We hope that the authorities will find a way to help the former teacher and solve the residents’ woes soon.