Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said Saravanan, who won the men’s 50km walk gold medal at the 1998 Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games, is a sports icon who deserves attention.

“If there is a need, we will provide the appropriate response.

“It’s important for us to pay attention to sports figures who are going through the ageing process so that they remain healthy,” he told reporters after an event at Universiti Malaya here, Bernama reported.

Ahmad Farhan Fauzi, who is political secretary to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, visited Saravanan yesterday at the Universiti Malaya Medical Centre to offer a donation and words of encouragement on behalf of Anwar and his wife, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

Saravanan, a SEA and Commonwealth Games hero, was diagnosed with MND in 2021 while he was a coach for junior walkers in Penang.

He sought treatment after his speech became slurred. He experienced difficulty in swallowing food and was often in agony after frequent cramps in the right foot at night.

He was told his life expectancy was unlikely to stretch beyond five years.

On a separate issue, Dzulkefly said the Pre-Hospital Care Bill – to protect members of the public who assist in emergencies from legal repercussions – is expected to be tabled in Parliament in the last quarter of 2026.

He added that the bill is currently being scrutinised by the ministry’s medical development division and legal adviser’s office.