That’s the daily message for 100 inmates of the Rumah Persatuan Pengasih drug rehab centre before they tuck into their breakfast.

Each day for the past seven years, Misah Nor, now 63, has been listening to the cheerful words of thanks from the inmates of the rehab centre at Bukit Tunku here who appreciate the effort she puts in to prepare the 6-item menu for them.

Without fail, throughout these years, the mother of three children who is fondly called “mama” by the centre’s inmates wakes up as early as 6am and travels from her house in Jalan Ampang to Bukit Tunku to get the morning meal ready.

Misah is not your ordinary homemaker who cooks for her family and now former addicts.

For 20 years, she had lived in London where she had owned and operated Satay House, a restaurant serving traditional Malay food.

However, in 2007, she sold her restaurant and decided to return to Malaysia.

“There’s no difference cooking for a restaurant and Rumah Pengasih. We do it full-heartedly and with love,” she said in an interview with FMT recently.

Her dishes are said to have the touch of a mother, so much so she was invited by the Malaysian High Commission in London to run its canteen in Malaysia Hall for three years.

Apart from cooking for Rumah Pengasih, Misah opened Kasih Kitchen a month ago and is collaborating with welfare NGOs to prepare food for the homeless in Kuala Lumpur.

“Kasih Kitchen also receives orders for outside catering, so we have recruited four former residents of Rumah Pengasih as full-time workers who are assisted by those still undergoing rehabilitation.

“Our customers are all happy with what we are doing and they give their full support to the inmates of Rumah Pengasih to continue their work and receive exposure to the food business,” she said.

Collections from the catering business go back to Rumah Pengasih.

Kasih Kitchen’s customers include famous people and acquaintances of Misah, and even St Andrews Church at Jalan Raja Chulan here.

“We don’t make much from catering but the little we collect goes into the fund for Rumah Pengasih,” said Misah.

She said Rumah Pengasih needs about RM130,000 a month to keep it going.

Kasih Kitchen chef Nazaruddin Ismail, 33, went into Rumah Pengasih seven years ago to kick his habit and now contributes his service to help the centre.

Hooked on drugs when he was 13, the reformed Nazaruddin said he does not want to leave Rumah Pengasih because he believes he can help those who, like him before, took the wrong step.

“It’s very hard to find another place like Rumah Pengasih, former addicts helping addicts. Because of this environment, I made up my mind to stay on and contribute here,” he said.

Nazaruddin says  that customers of Kasih Kitchen  know the workers are former addicts who want to change and they are very supportive of our efforts.

“The social stigma that follows drug addicts will never change unless we ourselves change,” he added.

For Misah, her responsibilities at Rumah Pengasih are not limited to being its cook, but she has to act as the “model mum” to the inmates.

“They miss their mothers. Because of that, I am here for them, to talk to them, give them advice and encourage them.

“These people are not animals, they are just ordinary human beings who took a wrong turn. So we should give them the chance to change,” she said.

Rumah Pengasih itself is now faced with the uncertainty of change as it may be evicted from its present site where it has operated for nearly 30 years.

The association has been taken to court by STLR Sdn Bhd, the owner of part of the 4.8ha land on which the centre is located.

STLR, a subsidiary of Khazanah Nasional Bhd, owns 1.45ha while the rest belongs to the Federal Land Commissioner.

Pengasih president Mohd Yunus Pathi said STLR has offered a new site to build the rehab centre together with the proper facilities and infrastructure.

“They promised to develop 5.85ha in Kampung Cinta Manis in Bentong, Pahang, for our new centre.

“But when we inspected the site, we found it not safe with wild animals such as wild boars and dogs roaming the area. It would not be safe for our inmates,” he said.

He said that apart from frequent landslides, the site was also not fenced and the ongoing infrastructure works made the place unsafe to live.”

He estimated Rumah Pengasih would need about RM14 million to build and equip the facilities at the new site.

Apart from the inmates, Rumah Pengasih will also have to relocate its 15 employees who are all former addicts.