Bedridden and having difficulty speaking fluently, Jamal said he was happy to see his friends who took time out of their busy schedule to give him moral support.

“I just started learning to speak again. My friends are also taking good care of me,” Jamal said in a video posted by Ng.

Jamal’s health had deteriorated lately as the cancer has reportedly spread from the lungs, forming a 3cm brain tumour. He is undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Ampang.

Ng, who is vice-chairman of DAP and assemblyman for Sekinchan, said he prays for Jamal’s recovery so that he can return to politics and contribute to Sekinchan’s development.

“We fought (as rivals) in the past, but now we have become friends,” Ng said.

They were bitter rivals until Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Harapan became partners in the unity coalition government.

In July 2023, Jamal and Ng buried the hatchet when the Umno leader sang praise for Ng when campaigning during the Selangor state assembly elections.