Living with snakes and hoping for better next Deepavali

Far from the hustle and bustle of Tanjung Malim town stand several old houses – the only human mark in the midst of the forest and wilderness.

One of them, a rickety wooden building, is home to P Paramasivam. 

Paramasivam, 55, built the house on a plot of land belonging to his brother. There, he lives with his wife and three children.

From the outside, the structure appears sound. On the inside, though, two of the three rooms are unusable.

"The roof there has leaked for years," he said. "Over time, water has accumulated and it is no longer safe to sleep in those rooms."

Long ago, the rooms were used by Paramasivam's sons. Now, though, the boys sleep in the living room and the rooms are used as storage space for old furniture and bits of wood.

And among the broken tables and chairs lurks the ever-present threat of snakes. Over the past eight years, Paramasivam and his family have found at least two nests.

"Normally, I take the baby snakes and release them in the forest," he said.

"Sometimes they go into the living room but I don't have the heart to kill them. They are like family members too, even if they are dangerous. So far, they have never hurt us."

One of the rooms was used by his older brother long ago. However, it fell into disrepair after his brother's death.

The other one has no running electricity and has instead become home to mice.

The kitchen and toilet are also in bad shape, but Paramasivam cannot afford much in the way of repairs. His health does not permit him to work, and even walking is difficult. He moves about with the aid of a walking stick and must also take medicine for a heart condition.

His wife works as a cleaner while his oldest son works as a security guard at a nearby school.

Two other children work as dishwashers at a restaurant in Johor while another two are still in primary school.

The family's only mode of transportation is a motorcycle. If they want to go out, they have to rent a car from one of their friends.

"But the furthest we ever go is Tanjung Malim," Paramasivam added.

This year, there are no Deepavali celebrations for the family which is also mourning the death of a close relative.

Usually, they go out and buy new clothes to mark the occasion, but this year there is nothing.

"Of course I don't want my house to stay like this forever," Paramasivam said.

"I hope this is the last Deepavali that my family and I have to live in such a rundown place."