Retired army personnel receives aid

BUTTERWORTH: A retired army personnel who needs 30 cans of milk weighing 400g each per month as daily meal, today received aid from various parties through the Ziarah 1Pesara programme.

Bedridden Abdullah Salleh, 69, who suffered paralysis and bleeding in the head due to an accident on Sept 15 last year, expressed his gratitude to the government for the assistance.

The gratitude was expressed through his wife Maznah Yayaha, 60, when met by reporters at her house in Kampung Permatang Pauh, Penaga here after receiving contributions handed over by the director-general of Public Service Department (PSD), Tan Sri Mohamad Zabidi Zainal.

Also present was Penang State Secretary Datuk Seri Farizan Darus.

Abdullah also received a ripple mattress, hospital bed, suction machine, standard wheelchair and 'Ensure' milk from the Penang State Secretariat Office.

Elaborating more, Maznah said since the accident her husband could not consume any solid food and could only drink milk every three hours.

"Now he is trying to swallow and eat solid food but he is only allowed two spoonfuls," she said, adding that her husband had served in the State Secretariat for 30 years.

Maznah also expressed her gratitude to Mohamed Zabidi for visiting her husband and for not forgetting the contributions of pensioners who had served the government.

Meanwhile, Mohamed Zabidi said the welfare programme for government retirees was to ease the burden of pensioners who had health problems with high medical expenses.

He said, the government always paid attention and was concerned about issues raised by the pensioners, especially regarding their welfare.

Besides Abdullah, two more retirees who received contributions were Abu Bakar Awang, 80, from Kampung Lembah, who received a wheelchair, while Adnan Md Ali, 65, from Jalan Bawah, Penaga received a Winner Motorised Wheel Chair, both from the PSD. — Bernama