Man in need of skull surgery overwhelmed by smoked beef order surge

JITRA - Muhammad Sufi Abdul Aziz, whose fundraising story for a skull implant surgery recently went viral on social media, now has his hands full with an overwhelming number of smoked beef orders from the public, much to his delight.

The 36-year-old physiotherapist, when met at his home in Taman Jitra Indah, expressed his gratitude and was visibly moved by the support shown by the public.

"Alhamdulillah, there were so many orders that I couldn’t handle them by myself, so I asked my mother, Noraini Ishak, 71, to help me out.

"Yesterday, I finished preparing 32 kg of smoked beef from orders placed two days ago,” he told reporters today.

Earlier, Sufi received a visit from Sungai Petani MP Dr Mohammed Taufiq Johari, who donated RM5,000 and daily essentials to him.

Sufi’s plight also caught the attention of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who contributed RM15,000 to cover his treatment costs.

"I’m truly thankful for all the support, from those who ordered my smoked beef to everyone who liked and shared my video, making it go viral,” he said.

Meanwhile, Sufi shared that he had to stop accepting smoked beef orders today after learning that his skull implant surgery at Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital (HSB) in Alor Setar had been rescheduled for Feb 25.

"The surgery was initially scheduled for March 9, but yesterday I received a call from the hospital informing me that it’s been moved to this Tuesday. I’m thankful it’s happening so soon.

"I will go ahead with the surgery, thanks to the RM15,000 donation from the prime minister,” he said.

Meanwhile, Taufiq said he would look into other ways to help Sufi, including covering the cost of post-surgery treatment.

"I will assess what kind of assistance and supplies he needs after this...we’ll see what else we can offer...perhaps we can assist him in securing funding from agencies like TEKUN (the National Entrepreneur Group Economic Fund).

"We pray for his swift recovery so he can return to a normal life and, one day, become a successful entrepreneur,” he said.

Sufi’s life took a dramatic turn in December 2023 after his motorcycle skidded in Tanah Merah, Jitra, causing severe brain bleeding that led to the removal of part of his skull. - BERNAMA