The 35 OSK Property volunteers and Epic Homes team with orang asli villagers in front of the newly built house for Bah Mat and his family.

AN ORANG asli family in Gopeng, Perak, received a new home funded by OSK Foundation in collaboration with Epic Homes, a social organisation that focuses on the welfare of Malaysia’s indigenous people.

The home for Bah Mat and his family of seven, with better living conditions, was built in three days.

The six-module home includes a living room, foyer, kitchen, ceiling storage and three bedrooms.

According to the Orang Asli Development Strategic Plan 2011, 82% of the total population of 180,000 orang asli communities in peninsular Malaysia are in need of proper housing and about 12,000 families current living in shoddy conditions.

“We took the step to share the responsibility to improve things for them,” said OSK Property chief executive officer Ong Ghee Bin.

“All of us have the ability to bring hope and make a difference in someone’s life.

“Participating in this meaningful home-building programme allows us not only to help the community, but also take a step back to reflect and remember our core responsibility as a developer building homes, not just houses,” he added.

“Adequate living conditions bring stability, well-being and safety. We hope that providing a new home to Bah Mat and his family will help them improve their quality of life.

“Through these initiatives, we hope to foster an environment of comfort that will help them in their growth and in the development of their children and community while upholding their heritage as natives of Malaysia,” said Ong.

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