KUCHING: Mohammad Asri Abdul Taib, a 23-year-old man from Sadong Jaya, has found a new ray of hope in the form of a prosthetic leg. After nearly a year of disability caused by a road accident, Asri can now look forward to walking again.
Expressing immense relief and gratitude, Asri received his prosthetic limb after months of waiting. It was his first prosthetic leg since losing his own last year. Wearing it for the first time left him speechless, as a mix of emotions flooded over him — sadness, happiness, and gratitude.
To Asri, the prosthetic leg represents a second chance at walking. Although it is an artificial limb, it grants him a sense of independence and the ability to take care of himself in the future.
As one of the beneficiaries of a prosthetic limb donation programme, Asri, along with others, received a prosthetic arm and foot at the Dewan Anak Seni Kampung Bandrsah in Kuching yesterday (October 17).
Losing a limb, an essential part of the body, was the most frightening experience of Asri’s life. That is why he hopes that the prosthetic leg will strengthen his determination to carry on with his daily life.
“This being my first prosthetic leg, I am still getting used to it. Perhaps, after this, I will undergo physiotherapy to adapt to walking with it. I hope that once I get used to it, I won’t need a cane to walk,” Asri shared.
“My biggest hope is to be able to work and find the motivation to start a new life, even though my condition isn’t perfect right now. It should not be a barrier for me to lead a normal life like anyone else,” he stated, his determination shining through.
Asri also expressed the desire to see similar programmes continue in the future to help those in need, as the cost of acquiring prosthetic body parts is prohibitively high.
“Programmes like this are highly beneficial, especially for the less fortunate. In my case, the cost of obtaining a prosthetic leg is RM18,000, which I certainly cannot afford,” he said.
“To cover the cost, my family sought assistance from various sources. When we learned about this programme being implemented in the Satok state constituency, we promptly applied. We were relieved when our application was swiftly approved,” said Asri, who received a below-the-knee prosthetic leg.
This initiative is a collaborative effort by five organisations with the goal of donating up to 250 prosthetic arms and legs to those in need throughout Sarawak. The participating organisations include the Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Malaysia Church, Yayasan Peduli Tuna Daksa (under the Panji Sadhu Vaswani Centre Jakarta), Persatuan Pengajian Sadhu Vaswani, Che Hui Khor Kuching, and Ming Ya Shang Ge Jakarta.
Morshidi
Meanwhile, Morshidi Bujang, a 66-year-old recipient of a prosthetic leg, shared that the loss of his left leg was due to serious health complications.
“Last year, my leg had to be amputated because of severe infection and the chronic state caused by my diabetes,” Morshidi explained.
He further revealed that this prosthetic leg is his second one, following the first one obtained through government assistance.
“I learned about this prosthetic leg donation programme from the Satok State Constituency service centre. For me, this programme is incredibly beneficial because the cost of making a prosthetic leg like mine exceeds RM10,000,” he said.
“Moreover, this new prosthetic leg is comfortable, lightweight, and softer compared to the older one. With this, I can walk as usual. I am very grateful for this gift and hope it can help more people in need,” Morshidi added.
Earlier, Satok assemblyman Datuk Ibrahim Baki handed over prosthetic arms, legs, and education funds for students in his constituency in the same building, Dewan Anak Seni Bandarsah.
In the past, individuals who lost limbs relied on canes or wheelchairs for mobility. However, with the rapid advancements in medical technology, prosthetic limbs have been developed to replace lost body parts caused by accidents, illnesses, or congenital disabilities.
