UMNO Youth Chief Datuk Dr Akmal Saleh had planned to perform Hajj in Mecca with his wife, but willingly cancelled the plan at the eleventh hour to help save a child’s life.
Dr Akmal explained that he had been saving money to perform the Hajj with his wife. But everything changed after seeing the condition of little Medina, who needs an urgent liver surgery in China.
“The savings were indeed enough for the Hajj expenses for my wife and me, but I chose to prioritise the child’s life”
In his Facebook post last night (11 December), Akmal said he couldn’t bear to see the child in such a condition, and during his visit to the house, he told the parents that he had some savings which were meant for Hajj, but decided to give them to the family for the cost of the surgery.
“I feel that between going for Hajj and saving a life, the latter is more important. In my savings, there is exactly RM120,000. I’m not lying.
“That RM120,000 is just enough for the Hajj travel package that costs RM60,000. For two people, it comes to around RM120,000. Maybe Allah hasn’t called me yet,” Akmal said.
Medina needs urgent treatment, but time is not on the family’s side.
Medina’s father said that the fundraising efforts currently underway are still insufficient to cover the cost of the liver transplant treatment. That’s why the RM120,000 contribution from Dr Akmal was a true relief to the family.
Dr Akmal, however, accepted that he couldn’t visit Mecca this year to perform Hajj.
In his video, the UMNO Youth Chief reassured the mother not to feel anxious and emphasised that what matters is for Medina to receive the urgent treatment she needs.
“If you want to give something to someone, give what you love the most.”
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