KUALA LUMPUR: Smiles of relief and heartfelt gratitude marked the Ziarah Kasih Asnaf Bersama MAIWP programme, as asnaf residents of the Sri Perak Public Housing Complex here received aid from the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Council (MAIWP) today.
For the recipients, the aid extended beyond material support, offering hope and assurance that their struggles had not gone unnoticed.
Four individuals received various forms of basic necessities and medical assistance through the programme, which was also attended by MAIWP deputy chief executive officer (management) Mohd Fauzi Abidin and Zakat Distribution Division deputy manager (social wellbeing) Wan Maizatun Wan Hassan, along with several MAIWP officials.
One of the recipients Noorhaini Zainal Abidin, 54, said the assistance had somewhat eased the burden of caring for her youngest son, Harmie Razali, 21, a final-year student at the Indera Mahkota MARA Professional College in Pahang, who sustained a serious brain injury in a road accident in April last year.
The petty trader said her son was completely bedridden and fully dependent on respiratory support and special milk, which came at a cost of about RM2,800 a month.
“Initially, I paid for the treatment myself, but his recovery took time. Eventually, I could no longer afford it, so I reached out to MAIWP again, and they provided physiotherapy assistance at home,” she told reporters.
Noorhaini said things began to change when MAIWP stepped in to provide assistance to those in need from June last year, which included essential items such as disposable nappies, special milk and medical equipment.
She said MAIWP also covered the cost of her son’s physiotherapy treatment, amounting to RM150 per session, to help speed up his recovery.
Noorhaini said the process of applying for MAIWP assistance was simple, with applicants only required to submit the necessary documents to the office, and aid approved and delivered to recipients’ homes within a month.
Another recipient, Siti Zuhaili Idris, 31, expressed her gratitude, saying the assistance had been invaluable in helping her care for her five-year-old daughter, Nur Arissa Sabrina Mohammed Zulkarnain, who suffers from a perforated heart.
The mother of two said Nur Arissa Sabrina was diagnosed with the condition while still in the womb and was now fully dependent on special milk and intensive home care, with monthly expenses amounting to nearly RM1,000 for milk, nappies and other medical needs.
“Alhamdulillah, things are easier now as MAIWP gives me two boxes of milk (12 cans), nappies, RM600 in assistance and another RM300 every month,” she said, adding that the application process was straightforward and could be completed online without having to leave her child.
Meanwhile, Wan Maizatun said MAIWP always strived to channel aid based on the actual needs of each asnaf family.
“We understand that each family has different needs, so they can inform us of what they actually need through our WhatsApp hotline, and we will do our best to meet them,” she said.
At the same time, she dismissed viral allegations of aid misappropriation, stressing that all assistance was distributed in full compliance with the standard operating procedures and procurement guidelines set by the government.
