BAIDURI president Datin Aezer Zubin posing for a photo with CSM chairman Zuraini Kamal and the CSM Icon Award recipient.

IPOH, 2 January 2021 - The Malaysian community’s awareness of cancer and the importance of early screening is still at a low level.

To date, there are cancer patients who take the matter lightly until it is are too late for treatment.

Worse still, there are some patients who do not get the support they need from people closest to them, especially family members during and after the treatment process.

Welfare Organisation for Wives of Perak Elected Representatives (BAIDURI) president Datin Aezer Zubin said that the community actually wants to help, but they themselves do not know how to do so.

"Awareness of the cancer disease needs to be extended to everyone. When we are all aware, we will be called upon to help this group of people.

"Some members of the public do not know how to help, because we who are healthy do not know the feelings of the sick person," she said during the ‘I Want to Live’ Discourse#CSM Programme.

Datin Aezer, who is the Perak Menteri Besar’s wife, stressed that a complete explanation can make the public be aware that every individual is capable of doing something for the patients and cancer survivors.

Meanwhile, Cancer Survivors Malaysia (CSM) chairman Zuraini Kamal clarified that the association is still actively conducting various community awareness campaigns besides continuing to encourage all those affected.

"Apart from hospital treatment, they need 'supporters' for them to undergo long, painful and tiring treatment, for if they give in, they will not succeed," she said.

She highlighted that many cancer patients still choose alternative treatments and only come to the hospital after the disease is at a critical stage and difficult to treat.

Clearly, it is more worrying when patients do not go for follow-up treatment in the hospital but instead seek traditional and alternative treatments until they experienced severe complications due to delay in getting specialist treatment.

The "I Want to Live" Discourse Programme by CSM will go on a roadshow throughout Malaysia with the hope of helping to raise the community’s cancer awareness.

Source : Corporate, SUK Perak.