KOTA SAMARAHAN: Financial assistance under the Tabung Kasih@HAWANA initiative has brought much-needed relief to TV3 regional correspondent, Kadir Edison, as he copes with mounting medical expenses for his wife, who has been battling diabetes and a lung infection.
Kadir, 44, was among six media practitioners in Sarawak who received assistance through the fund.
The contribution was presented by BERNAMA’s Chief Executive Officer, Datin Paduka Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin, during a visit to his residence at Taman Uni Garden, Jalan Muara Tuang, today.
Speaking after receiving the aid, Kadir said the contribution would help ease the cost of essential medical supplies, particularly insulin needles and glucose test strips that must be purchased regularly.
“The assistance may seem modest, but it helps reduce our financial burden. My wife needs insulin needles and glucose test strips on a regular basis.
“The test strips have to be purchased every two weeks, while insulin needles are also a recurring expense,” he told the reporters after the presentation ceremony.
He explained that his wife has to monitor her blood glucose at least four times daily, requiring several bottles of test strips each month.
Kadir said his wife was diagnosed with diabetes after she was admitted to hospital at the end of January this year when her condition suddenly deteriorated.
“Her blood sugar level reached a dangerously high 31 mmol/L, requiring four days in intensive care before she spent another eight days in the general ward. Her condition was further complicated by a lung infection,” he said.
Kadir, who has served with Media Prima since 2015, said applying for the assistance was never on his mind as the family was focused on his wife’s treatment.
He said his regional editor encouraged him to submit an application, which was later processed through the Tabung Kasih@HAWANA initiative.
Reflecting on the support, Kadir said the fund demonstrated that media practitioners are not overlooked during times of hardship.
“People often think those in the media have glamorous careers and earn high salaries, but they do not see the challenges behind the scenes.
“We are always helping others, so initiatives like this remind us that someone is also looking out for us when we need help,” he said.
Meanwhile his wife, Jenny Chieng, 40, said she was surprised and grateful to receive the assistance.
“We never expected it. We have always seen others receiving aid, so we did not imagine we would one day benefit from it ourselves. We are truly thankful,” she said.
Jenny said she had stopped working in 2020 and was later diagnosed with sciatica in 2023 after experiencing numbness in her legs, severe back pain and reduced mobility that eventually required the use of a wheelchair.
She said her limited mobility affected her overall health and was believed to have contributed to the onset of diabetes, while her long-standing asthma further complicated her condition.
Earlier, Nur-ul Afida visited Kadir’s home to present the contribution under Tabung Kasih@HAWANA X TM, an initiative funded through Telekom Malaysia’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) allocation to provide greater assistance to media practitioners in need.
The fund, which began disbursing assistance in June this year, has benefited 34 media practitioners nationwide.
Since Tabung Kasih@HAWANA was introduced by the Ministry of Communications through BERNAMA in April 2023, a total of 800 media practitioners across the country have received assistance.
