'Angry nephew' burns down blind women's ancestral home

Three blind elderly women were left homeless when their 100-year-old ancestral home in Kampung Titi Besi was destroyed in a blaze today.

In the 4pm incident, Halijah Ibrahim, 78, Che Manai, 73, and Zainah, 67, suffered losses of about RM10,000 when their cash, jewellery, land grant and their Hari Raya clothes were destroyed in the fire allegedly caused by their nephew, who was angry after failing to borrow money from his aunt.

"He asked me for RM50. When I said that I did not have the money, he became enraged and left the house. I rejected his request because I knew he will use the money to buy glue (for glue sniffing)

"I had ironed my Hari Raya clothes and put them in the cupboard, but fate intervened," Che Manai said, adding that she had raised her nephew since he was 10 years old.

The story of the three sisters caught the attention of Perlis Menteri Besar Azlan Man who visited them, with Guar Sanji assemblyman Mohd Ridzuan Hashim.

They are now taking shelter at their handicraft workshop, which is located adjacent to their burnt-out home.

Azlan told reporters afterwards that the state government would work together with the Perlis Islamic and Malay Customs Council to build a new house for them.

Meanwhile, Perlis police chief Noor Mushar Mohamad said they had arrested the nephew and that he had confessed to committing the deed.

- Bernama