14/09/2026

MONDAY | SEPT 14, 2026

5

‘Risky move to opt out of Lindung 24 Jam scheme’

Remains of heli crash victims sent home

Ű BY THESUN TEAM

transparency and cooperation between the Health Ministry, Bank Negara Malaysia and the Life Insurance Association of Malaysia. Another SCA patient, Hafizuddin Fuat, 37, a freelance groom stylist, said subsidised public services could reduce costs, but patients may still face limited testing options, long referral processes and specialist services concentrated in major centres. He called for sustained public funding for clinically appropriate genetic tests, clearer referral guidelines and a national registry to support planning. “The system should not wait until one family member develops severe symptoms. Families need earlier information and a clearer route to counselling and appropriate testing.” Lion Tein Yeah, 55, an unemployed former photo-shop assistant living with SCA in Kuala Lumpur, said financial protection must also remain affordable. “Medical, life, critical-illness and employer provided insurance play an important role. The government and insurance providers should ensure that protection is accessible to people from every background.” – By Faiz Ruzman MIRI: Five families finally have their loved ones back. After days of forensic work following the Flying Doctor Service (FDS) helicopter crash near Long Lellang, the remains of the five victims were released to their families yesterday after their identities were officially confirmed through DNA analysis by police and the Chemistry Department. At the Miri Hospital Forensic Department, the remains were released for the final journey home, bringing to an end a painstaking identification process following the tragedy. Four healthcare workers and their pilot, who died while serving some of Malaysia’s most remote communities, are now being taken to their respective hometowns. Medical officer Dr Ainul Baraah Kamarudin was flown via a Air Force aircraft to Kota Bharu in Kelantan to be laid to rest at the Seri Kedeper Cemetery in Kampung Baung, Pengkalan Chepa. Nurse Debra Moset was returned to Kuching, with burial set for today at Kampung Semadang in Padawan. Assistant medical officer Alexson Adit Henry returned to his family in Miri yesterday, ahead of his burial tomorrow at the Anglican Cemetery Lambir. Nurse Jessie Paya Jok returned home to Miri yesterday, with her final rites to be held today at the BEM Cemetery Lambir. Pilot Kapt Zainol Afiq Bee Sham was flown via Malaysia Airlines to Kuala Lumpur before being taken to his final resting place at the Forest Heights Cemetery in Senawang, Negeri Sembilan. Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said the Health Ministry coordinated the transport of the remains to their respective final resting places following official confirmation of their identities. He thanked the Armed Forces for providing the air logistics needed to bring the deceased home, as well as police, Chemistry Department, Fire and Rescue Department, Sarawak Islamic Religious Department and the Miri Hospital management for their tireless efforts from the search-and-rescue operation through to the identification and handling of the remains. “The deep concern, continuous prayers and love expressed by the public for our healthcare personnel provide a deeply meaningful boost of strength for the family members and colleagues at the ministry as we face this immensely challenging time.“ The FDS operations remains temporarily suspended pending a full investigation, review and comprehensive assessment following the crash.

expense reimbursement, funeral and benefits for dependants, rehabilitation aids and implants. Mohammed Azman said about 10,000 workers who had initially withdrawn had since returned to the scheme. He said although the withdrawal period had ended, workers could apply to rejoin at any time. He added that Perkeso would continue engaging employers and workers to explain the scheme and encourage participation, emphasising that social protection served as a safety net against poverty. Lee urged those who had opted out to take the opportunity to return. “The good news is that if you opted out, you can join again at any time by filling out a form.”

“Accidents do not wait until you are at work. A fall at home or a crash on a weekend road trip could happen to anyone.” He also pointed to the scheme’s starting contribution rate of 0.75%, urging workers to weigh the small savings from opting out against the potential financial impact on their families. Perkeso’s briefing showed that 8.5 million workers, or 87.6%, remained enrolled after the Cabinet’s July decision not to make contributions compulsory. The remaining 12.4% withdrew before the opt-out window closed on Aug 31. Between June 1 and Aug 31, the agency received 6,330 claims, averaging 69 a day, and paid RM9.97 million in benefits. The benefits included temporary and permanent disablement payments, medical

o Activist urges workers to rejoin Perkeso to safeguard financial future of families

Ű BY FAIZ RUZMAN

PETALING JAYA: Workers who opt out of Perkeso’s accident protection to save a few ringgit could be gambling with the future of their families, said Alliance for a Safe Community chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye. He urged workers who had withdrawn from Perkeso’s Lindung 24 Jam scheme to reconsider the consequences, in case an accident left them disabled and unable to earn a living. “Giving that up to save a few ringgit is a risky gamble for any family. Protecting your family’s future should not stop when you clock out for the day.” Lee was responding after Perkeso urged low-paid workers to rejoin the scheme, following findings that they made up more than half of those who opted out but accounted for a larger proportion of claims. At a press conference on Sept 9, Perkeso CEO Datuk Seri Dr Mohammed Azman Aziz Mohammed said workers earning below RM3,500 accounted for 52% of those who opted out, but 74% of those submitting claims. Lee said the figures exposed a worrying gap between the workers most likely to need assistance after an accident and those giving up their protection. “In short, the people who need this safety net the most are the ones giving it up.” He cautioned workers against assuming that private medical cards or company insurance offered sufficient protection, emphasising that covering hospital bills was different from providing financial support to dependants when a worker could no longer earn. He added that workers needed to look beyond the immediate cost of medical treatment and consider the financial support available in the event of disability or death. For Muhammad Ashrol Rani, the barrier became painfully real after spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) emerged in five members of his family. Doctors proposed sending a blood sample from his younger brother, Abdul Halim Rani, overseas for genetic testing, but the family could not afford to proceed. The decision left Ashrol, 31, without the certainty the test could have provided about the inherited condition affecting his family. “For our family, the cost of genetic testing was a major barrier to obtaining confirmation. “When my late mother first became ill, we spent thousands of ringgit seeking treatment in the hope that she would recover. “As the same condition began affecting her children, our income gradually declined and we could no longer meet treatment costs as before,” he told theSun . Ashrol, who is now the primary caregiver to three relatives living with the progressive

DOCUMENT DECLARATION ... The Immigration Department carried out checks on more than 2,500 foreign workers in Kuala Lumpur yesterday to root out individuals without permits. – ADAM AMIR HAMZAH/THESUN

Cost of tests impeding diagnoses for genetic diseases PETALING JAYA: For families battling rare inherited diseases, getting answers could come with a hefty price tag, with genetic testing still out of reach for some patients who require samples to be sent overseas. disorder, said the family initially knew little about SCA and only recognised a possible inherited pattern after balance problems persisted and several relatives became affected. are now available locally, he estimated that tests that still require overseas processing could cost patients between RM3,000 and RM5,000.

“Progress has been made and should not be dismissed, but local genetic testing remains limited to a small number of rare diseases. Whether a family benefits depends on whether Malaysia could test for that particular condition. “Not everyone wants to know their genetic status while they are still asymptomatic, especially when a positive result offers no treatment. It may also affect their future insurability, giving them another reason to avoid testing.” The issue was raised publicly in 2024 by physicians Dr Wong Tze Cheng and Dr Ng Shu Hui, and University Malaya consultant clinical geneticist Prof Thong Meow Keong. Writing in The Edge Malaysia , they said insurers could potentially use predictive genetic results to deny coverage or impose higher premiums, discouraging individuals from undergoing testing. They proposed a moratorium preventing insurers from using such results in coverage decisions, alongside clearer ethical guidance,

On Aug 25, Utusan Malaysia reported that his mother and eldest sister had died after developing SCA, while his sister Suriani, brother Abdul Halim and niece Nor Hafizah Abdul Rahman are living with the progressive disorder. Ashrol left full-time employment and began selling drinks to give him the flexibility to care for the three family members. “SCA seemed to enter our family without us realising it. We did not initially understand that problems with balance could indicate a serious hereditary condition. “We only became aware after it continued for some time and involved several family members.” For Kuala Lumpur resident Wong Chee Yean, who lives with SCA, diagnostic capacity has improved, but wider consequences remain unresolved. Wong said blood samples from his family had to be sent to Singapore when his grandmother and mother were diagnosed in the 1990s. He added that although some genetic tests