BUKIT MERTAJAM. PENANG, MALAYSIA January 4, 2026 – A year after a family of seven was left homeless and living in an old car after falling victim to a scam, Bukit Mertajam MP Steven Sim paid them a visit and shared a heartwarming update on their remarkable turnaround.
In a social media post, Steven Sim who is also the Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives recounted how he first met Hilmi, his wife Yani, and their five young children a year ago. The family had moved from Kelantan to Bukit Mertajam hoping to start a new life, but were scammed and ended up sleeping in their rundown car, using a worn tarpaulin as bedding.
Recently, Hilmi sent Sim a WhatsApp message: “Selamat Hari Natal YB, terima kasih YB bagi saya peluang mulakan hidup baru. Jika YB ada masa singgahlah rumah saya” (Merry Christmas YB, thank you for giving me the chance to start a new life. If you have time, please visit my home).
Sim made time to visit the family at their rented house in Bukit Mertajam. He was greeted at the door by Hilmi, who hugged him and repeatedly expressed gratitude.
“The man I met a year ago, sitting on a tattered tarpaulin beside his old car with his wife and five small children, today stood in front of his own house with a smile and confidence,” Sim wrote.
Now a family of eight after the birth of their sixth child a few months ago, they live in a modest but comfortable rented home that Hilmi pays for himself. The living room has a sofa, dining table and curtains; the kitchen has a refrigerator and a jug of tea on the table. The children, who once shared two pieces of chicken among seven people, now each have their own portions and eat with clear appetite.
Hilmi has secured a permanent job as a lorry driver, earning a monthly salary of more than RM5,000 — enough to support his family comfortably. Though the job keeps him away from home often, he took special leave on the day of Sim’s visit, proudly showing his pay slip and saying, “I want YB to see the results of your help. I will never forget.”
The family’s old blue Perodua Bezza has been sold. In its place is a second-hand Proton Waja, bought outright with cash. “I don’t want my children to repeat the difficult life I had before,” Hilmi told Sim.
Sim emphasised that he did not help the family to be remembered, but because he believes that lifting people out of hardship changes not only their lives but the future of their children.
He concluded his post with praise for Hilmi and Yani’s resilience and dignity: “They didn’t beg, they didn’t complain. They worked hard, they cared for their children with love. I am proud of them.”
“Jalan Terus, Hilmi!” (Keep going strong, Hilmi!), Sim wrote.
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