Muhammad Mageswaran, 48, was forced to stop working last year following numerous surgeries on his right foot after suffering from chronic diabetes for nearly 20 years.
The surgeries have left him with a huge gash on his foot, and he is only able to walk with the help of a walking frame.
Registered with the welfare department as a disabled person (OKU), Mageswaran has been issued an OKU card.
However, he has been left frustrated with doctors’ refusal to sign off on his social security organisation (Socso) invalidity pension application as they say he is still fit to work because he can still walk.
“My application has been rejected for the third time after only two of the three doctors signed off on it,” he told FMT. “They said since I can walk, I cannot qualify.
“My diabetes doctor knows I can’t work and my orthopedic doctor knows I am in severe pain when I walk, and I need to use a walker or a wheelchair for the rest of my life. I don’t know how they expect me to work in this condition.”
Left without a source of income and having depleted his savings, he now lives with his 72-year-old mother in Taiping on his father’s pension of RM1,100 a month.
He said his Bantuan Prihatin Rakyat (BPR) and MySalam (takaful insurance scheme) applications have been rejected as he does not have the required paperwork, and he has also been unable to claim any aid from the welfare department because of the same reason.
Faced with having to fork out money on quality food and supplements to boost his haemoglobin level, which will help him in his battle against diabetes, he also has to spend on materials to dress his wound, which he does twice a day.
“It’s free if I do it in a government clinic, but I can’t afford the transport to get there. Things are really tough,” Mageswaran said.
“I’ve lodged an appeal for the doctors to re-hear my invalidity pension application, and I hope I will get a date soon.”
Those who wish to help Mageswaran can make a donation to his Bank Simpanan Nasional account at 0822-8290-0033-2755 or contact him at 010-3827795.