Abandoned In HKL: Madam Soh’s Silent Cry For Family
Madam Soh Swee Yong, an 80-year-old senior citizen, was abandoned at Hospital Kuala Lumpur. Despite having family and siblings, she lies alone, receiving no visitors since her admission.
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Time moves differently in hospitals.
Between the mechanical beeps and fluorescent lights, social activist Kuan Chee Heng walks these corridors where thousands of stories intersect daily.
Today, he shares one that strikes at the heart of Malaysia’s changing social fabric – a story that begins with a name, Soh Swee Yong, and unfolds into a mirror of our society’s evolving values.
“If she were a Puan Sri or Datin Seri, many would come visit her,” Kuan observes, his words cutting through the pretence of modern prosperity.
But Madam Soh is just herself – an 80-year-old woman from Setapak Jaya, now lying alone in her Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL) bed.
The Price of Progress: Our Elders Left Behind
When Kuan met her, the story she shared was heartbreakingly simple.
Yes, she has siblings. Yes, she has family. But since her admission to HKL, not a single visitor has darkened her doorway.
Her words, as reported by Kuan, carry the heavy burden of abandonment – downcast, disappointed, deeply sad.
Now, as Malaysia races toward development, another elderly citizen slips through the cracks.
Madam Soh’s next destination: an Indian non-governmental organisation (NGO)-run home in Batu Caves. “Most probably she will end her journey of life there,” Kuan notes with characteristic directness.
For family members who might still harbour a flicker of conscience, Kuan shares her future address: Pusat Jagaan Orang Tua Cahaya Maju No. 2, Jalan Melati 1, Taman Sri Melati, 68100 Batu Caves, Selangor (Contact: Saravanan, 018 2623023).
His parting shot lands with prophetic weight: “As our country progresses into an old, aged country, we will see more of this kind of case. BE PREPARED.”
READ MORE: 11YO Boy Walks 20KM With Paralysed Grandma After Getting Evicted In Kelantan
READ MORE: ‘Every Time Raya Comes, There’ll Be Elderly Folk Left At Hospitals’
READ MORE: The Malaysian Responsibility Struggle: Caring For Aging Parents
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