KUALA LUMPUR: Thanks to public donations, veteran actor Dharma Harun Al-Rashid and his two children, Siti Qurratu Aini and Muhammad Al Syafiq, can continue living in their Wangsa Maju home in Kuala Lumpur after their rent arrears were settled.
Syafiq explained that after negotiating with their landlord, they were allowed to stay despite a slight rent increase.
“We recently contacted the landlord about the rent payment because so many people had donated to help us pay it off.
“With that money, we were able to clear several months of arrears and even pay a few months in advance. “The landlord raised the rent a little, but we understood why. He also understood our story after it went viral, and he was kind enough to allow us to stay here,” Syafiq told BH Online.
Previously, Syafiq had posted on Instagram, asking the landlord for understanding while they tried to settle the payments.
Last June, Dharma’s family’s struggle to pay their rent came to light.
The hardships faced by the actor, who starred in the 1980s film ‘Adik Manja’, went viral after a video showed his declining health.
It was also reported that Dharma had not been offered acting roles for three years.
Syafiq expressed gratitude that the family’s struggles received so much attention, allowing them to remain in their home.
“I’m so thankful for the public’s donations. Most people who came to our house donated, and it really helped us.
“Now that the arrears are settled, we’ll take steps to pay next month’s rent to make things easier,” he said.
Syafiq is also happy that his father is starting to receive job offers.
“My father has received an acting offer from producer Datuk A Aida. I also have a few other acting jobs, so God willing, this will help our family,” he said.
It was reported that Aida offered Dharma a one-year, monthly job to ease his financial burden.
However, the founder of A Aida Production said that the offer was contingent on Dharma’s performance in the telefilm ‘Kisah Cinta Kau & Aku’, which is scheduled to begin filming on Aug 15.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
