After images of a man, sitting in the back of a white car with two children, holding a poster offering to donate a kidney went viral on the Facebook page Penang Kini, a Bandar Perda area man is clarifying that he would like to sell his organ to pay off a loan shark.
In the photo, the gentleman whose name is Saiful, adds that he is blood type B, and included his phone number.
Speaking to Malay-language daily mStar, he explained that he had chosen to use the word “donate,” as he was worried that passers-by would confuse the placard as offering to sell his children, who were with him at the time. The car, he explained, belonged to his father-in-law.
Saiful fell on to hard times after taking out an RM3,000 (US$750) loan from local ah long (loan sharks), to start his own hawker stall selling fried chicken. The 31-year-old lives with his wife and two children, aged two and three, on the mainland side of the state. However, he found himself over his head, as his daily profit only ever came to between RM50 and RM60 (US$12.50-15), whilst also having to repay his debtors RM36 (US$9) daily.
Having previously been on the receiving end of government relief in the form of RM100 (US$24), Saiful explained that he has lost his MyKad (identification card) three times already, and can no longer get aid, as he cannot afford the RM1,000 to replace his lost card.
When asked how much he was willing to sell his organ for, Saiful said he did not have a number in mind, but was mostly concerned with paying off his debts.
He told the daily that he does not want to ask family members for help, and would rather sell his organ.
