For ten years, while the rest of Penang’s skyline sparkled, a small house in Batu Maung near George Town told a different story.
Inside, 54-year-old S. Selvih and her grandson lived a life that belonged more to the 19th century than the 21st—their nights were illuminated only by the trembling flames of candles and oil lamps.
Think about that: through every monsoon, every festival, every homework assignment, every meal preparation – while their neighbours’ homes hummed with the sound of air-conditioners and televisions, they huddled around flickering flames that barely pushed back the darkness.
It took a village to bring them into the modern era—the compassion of a Hindu organization, the intervention of a politician, and the services of Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB).
Penang PKR’s Facebook page thanked First Deputy Chief Minister and Batu Maung assemblyman Mohd Abdul Hamid, TNB and the Malaysia Hindudharma Mamamdram for helping Selvih’s family get electricity supply.
Power to the People
According to an earlier report by The Star, Selvih works as a cleaner at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) and lives with her 11-year-old grandson Solomon in their house in Batu Maung.
Malaysia Hindudharma Mamamdram spent RM4,000 to install electrical wiring, sockets, lights, and other electrical fixtures.
At the same time, TNB finally flipped the switch last week, ending a decade-long dance with darkness that no child in 2023 should have had to endure.
TNB’s timing with the meter installation was poetic, if not painfully ironic – just in time for Deepavali, the Festival of Lights.
The Bigger Picture
When interviewed, Selvih expressed that this was a dream come true and that they’d finally experience the holiday as it was meant to be.
The arrival of electricity has brought more than just light – it has illuminated Solomon’s path to education.
The SJK (T) Ramakrishnan student’s primary concern wasn’t television or gadgets but rather the ability to read and complete his homework without straining his eyes in candlelight.
But here’s the real heartbreaker: how many more Solomons are out there, doing homework by candlelight, just a few thousand ringgit away from the 21st century?
The fact that such basic infrastructure required the mobilization of multiple parties in 2024 Malaysia speaks volumes about those who slip through society’s cracks.
