KLANG, Jan 7 (Bernama) -- The National Athletes Welfare Foundation (YAKEB) is exploring potential collaborations with private hospitals to assist in the recovery process of former motorcycle racer Muhamad Zamri Baba, who was involved in an accident while representing the country nine years ago.
YAKEB chairman Datuk Noorul Ariffin Abdul Majeed said the foundation plans to contact several hospitals to gather information on available psychological experts and relevant corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives that could aid the former motorsports athlete.
“I hope other related agencies will also step forward to help Zamri. We, together with Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Adam Adli, visited him in October to assess his condition.
“Following that visit, we reached out to Zakat Selangor, and thankfully, in December, they provided assistance in the form of adult diapers and medications to ease the family’s burden,” he said during a visit to Muhamad Zamri’s residence here today.
Based on observations, the 42-year-old former racer is in good health, although he can only move by crawling or using a wheelchair after being involved in an accident during the second round of the Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC) at the Sentul Circuit in Indonesia in June 2015.
During the visit, Noorul Ariffin also presented a wheelchair and a subsistence allowance of RM300 per month, which will be provided for six months, to ease the daily expenses borne by Zamri’s wife, Fazlina Ahmad Fauzy, 42, who is the family’s main breadwinner and caretaker for their two children, Muhammad Haiqal, 15, and Muhammad Farish, 11.
Noorul Ariffin said last year, YAKEB organised 119 programmes and assisted 350 members, 25 of whom received subsistence aid.
Meanwhile, Fazlina expressed her gratitude for the wheelchair contribution, which will facilitate her husband’s mobility. Zamri suffers from paralysis in the lower body due to spinal and brain nerve injuries and also experiences memory loss.
“When it comes to expenses, we need over RM1,000 monthly for Zamri’s personal care. My siblings and I take turns looking after him, and his injuries have caused memory loss, which poses additional challenges. We are thankful for the help offered by various parties,” she said.
Fazlina said their daily expenses are now covered by income from the family’s food stall, ‘Warung Zamri,’ located at Jalan Astaka, Bukit Raja.
“Initially, it was tough as Zamri could not remember me or the children and needed constant reminders. However, we have come to terms with the situation and continue to help by conducting regular physiotherapy at home to ensure his condition remains stable,” she said.
-- BERNAMA
