More than half of this sum came from FMT readers.

The family of Thinesh Kumar Chigasamy, 40, thanked all those who had contributed to make the urgent surgery possible.

Thinesh’s wife, Devasundari Rajoo, said she was relieved that enough money had been raised.

“I want to thank the good-hearted people who helped us during these difficult times. There are some who donated generously without leaving their names.

“We feel blessed. We’ve enough for now,” she said.

Devasundari also thanked Bangi MP Ong Kian Ming, Selangor exco member Ganabatirau Rao Veraman, Kajang councillor Sangeetha Chandra Mohan and NGO leader J Karen Kasturi, who first started the fundraiser for him on Facebook.

Thinesh has suffered from diabetes since 2019 but his condition took a turn for the worse in the middle of 2020.

He lost his restaurant business in 2020 and relied on his wife to sell food to a government hospital canteen.

He was admitted for surgery on June 11 at Selayang Hospital but the operation did not take place due to the high number of Covid-19 cases there.

He was told to consider admitting himself to the private wing of the same hospital.