Zahid carrying Noor Batrisyia as her parents Ramlan (second left) and Alis (left) and Ting (right) look on. — Photo by Muhammad Rais Sanusi
KUCHING: Young cochlear implant candidate Noor Batrisyia Ramlan yesterday received financial aid from Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
Zahid, who is on a two-day working visit to the state, handed over the aid of RM50,000 to Noor Batrisyia’s parents Ramlan Abdul Hamid and Alis Rama Afendi upon his arrival at Kuching International Airport (KIA).
He said: “I was informed that the funds raised for the child was insufficient. Thus, a concerned member of the public asked me to hand this donation to her.”
Zahid added that it is vital that Noor Batrisyia go for her cochlear implant as soon as possible.
According to Piasau assemblyman Datuk Sebastian Ting, the fund for the implant has now amounted to RM117,000, making it possible for the procedure to be carried out.
“I am thankful to all those who have donated to the welfare of Noor Batrisyia.
“We can now schedule the procedure which is depending on the availability of the doctor. But we are expecting it to be carried out in Miri by end of this month or next month,” said Ting.
Prior to this, donations from the public, including from family members, relatives and corporate bodies, for the toddler amounted to RM67,000.
Noor Batrisyia’s father Ramlan, 24, thanked Ting for starting the fundraising drive.
“We are very grateful to everybody especially Datuk Sebastian (Ting) who was with us from the beginning up until now,” he said.
Ting, who is also president of Sarawak Cochlear Implant Society (SCIS), thanked Zahid and all those who had contributed to the fund for two-year-old Noor Batrisyia’s cochlear implant.
Previously, SCIS sponsored the surgeries for two children, Ivan Ling and Athena Kho Yuan, in 2014 and 2015 respectively.
Present at the KIA VIP terminal to welcome the Deputy Prime Minister were State Legislative Assembly speaker Datuk Amar Mohamad Asfia Awang Nassar, Minister of Local Government and Housing Datuk Dr Sim Hui Kian and Assistant Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Datuk Lee Kim Shin as well as community leaders.
During his two-day working visit here, Zahid is slated to meet up with the families of rabies victims and visit Sri Aman today.