For more than four decades, Chung Soon Yap has learned to live with uncertainty.
At 32, she lost her husband in a car accident. Overnight, she became a single mother to two toddlers, with no stable income and little certainty about what the next day would bring.
Since then, life has been a continuous exercise in endurance, with Chung taking whatever work that was available, stretching every Ringgit, and carrying on quietly for the sake of her children.
“I did whatever I could,” said Chung. “I sold food, worked as a nanny and cleaner, and later became a bus ticket seller. Sometimes friends would recommend odd jobs. I even resold prawns and fish from Lundu to customers in Bau and other places.”
After the passing of her husband, she stayed briefly with her parents-in-law in Bau, but eventually returned to Lundu, the coastal town in Sarawak she calls home. There, she rebuilt her life piece by piece, determined that her children would one day stand on their own feet.
That resolve was tested again years later when her son, Bryan Lee, now 49, was partially paralysed due to a car accident while returning from Brunei for Chinese New Year. Since then, Chung has been his primary support, managing daily life with limited means and quiet perseverance.
Today, at 75, Chung lives in a humble, well-worn house in Lundu. Her daughter works in Kuching and sends pocket money whenever she can. She also receives a small monthly government allowance. And in her yard stands another source of support, a Brazilian crystal longan tree planted years ago.
The tree towers about 20 feet high. Its branches spill over the roof, offering shade from the tropical sun. When in season, it bears delicate, golf-ball-sized longans.
“Their skin is thin,” said Chung. “If I don’t handle them carefully, the whole batch can go bad and attract worms. When they last, I can sell each kilogramme for RM42.”
For decades, the tree has borne fruit at least three times a year. The harvest may be modest, but, combined with her daughter’s support and her allowance, it is enough to cover daily necessities and care for her son.
“Life is never easy,” she said softly. “But I am thankful for what I have.”
Earlier this month, the fragile balance was eased slightly.
On February 8, Yayasan PETRONAS reached out to the Lundu community through its Uplifting Lives programme, distributing food baskets to 250 underprivileged families.
The baskets contained essentials such as rice, cooking oil, sugar, dried mushrooms, canned food, condiments and locally produced tea, helping to reduce household expenses, especially with Chinese New Year approaching.
Chung was among 250 beneficiaries, and the support provided a small yet meaningful boost to her daily life.
“For people like us, this kind of help means a lot,” Chung said. “It gives us some breathing space.”
The programme was spearheaded by Yayasan PETRONAS, organised in collaboration with the Lundu District Office and the N3 Tanjung Datu service centre. It is part of PETRONAS’ broader commitment to support communities across Malaysia, ensuring that even those facing hardship receive timely assistance.
For Chung, the support does not erase decades of struggle. It affirms that her quiet resilience has not gone unnoticed.
Beneath the shade of her longan tree, she continues to tend to her corner of life, caring for her son, stretching her resources, and facing each day with gratitude and quiet determination. — DayakDaily
