They will be taking along groceries that should last the family for a few months.
Gunasilan, 22, and his supervisor P. Mailvaganam, 47, were shot dead by a colleague at the Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah (HTAR) parking lot after an alleged argument early Friday morning.
His mother M. Rajeswari, 37, who is also a security guard at the hospital, found herself in financial dire straits after her son’s death as she had depended heavily on Gunasilan’s income.
It was reported that the family had not paid the housing loan for 16 months and they owed a moneylender.
Meanwhile, members of the nation’s security services industry are both disturbed and perplexed by the incident as the suspect had tested positive for syabu (methamphetamine).
Some also questioned whether the guard went through the proper screening protocol before being equipped with a pump gun.
Security Services Association of Malaysia president Datuk Shaheen Mirza Habib said the incident should not have happened, adding that the process of equipping a guard with a weapon was a long one, as it required detailed background checks.
“A security service provider must first evaluate their guards for about six months before passing their details to the police for a thorough background check. We do not want just about anyone to hold a weapon,’’ said Shaheen Mirza.
According to a manager of a security company, who declined to be named, the armed guard must have taken the drug to stay awake and be alert.
“Very often, guards are overworked, having to work a minimum of 12 hours at one stretch,’’ he said.
Several guards at HTAR, who agreed to speak on anonymity, said some of them had been working for a stretch of two weeks without a break.
He claimed that it was not easy for them to take a day off even if they needed it badly.
