Help us stay together, plead orphaned kids

Orphaned siblings (from left) Peathananthini Ilanganthil, Thanesh, Legenthiran
and Seshashni with Negri Sembilan MIC chairman Datuk T. Rajagopalu.

SEREMBAN: The fate of four orphans remains uncertain after their parents committed suicide in March last year.

The greatest fear for Peathananthini Ilanganthil, 17, Legenthiran, 16, Thanesh, 14, and Seshashni, 12, is that they will be separated and placed in different orphanages.

"I fear that we will eventually lose contact and be separated altogether if we are placed in different homes.

"I am the eldest in the family and confident that I will be able to look after them," said Peathananthini, who will be sitting for her Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia examination this year.

Currently, the siblings have been placed under the care of their uncle, who also has a family of his own. Their school fees and stationery are being paid for by the state MIC.

State MIC chairman Datuk T. Rajagopalu said the children's parents, Ilanganthil Annmalai, 41, and N. Jayaletchumy Nallapan, 38, who died in Malacca, had earlier bought a house in Seremban Jaya near here.

"However, they failed to make the monthly instalments totalling RM43,500. I appeal to the bank to waive the outstanding amount on humanitarian grounds for the children's sake who want to stay together as a family and are in need of the house.

"The four are still schooling and unable to raise the sum. They also rely heavily on contributions from the public for food and other payments," he told the New Straits Times.

Rajagopalu also said a trust fund was set up under Peathananthini's name for anyone who wished to help the siblings, as they need RM1,000 monthly for daily expenses.

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