Ex-lecturer with health issues hoping to land a job

HARNIZA Abd Razak, a former lecturer at a public higher education institution in Kuala Terengganu, is facing a life-threatening battle after she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), Kosmo! reported.

Despite her health struggles, the 45-year-old is determined to overcome her challenges and is seeking an opportunity to work, not only for financial support, but also to inspire others.

Harniza, who holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in English Studies, has been grappling with severe health issues for the past six years.

Her ordeal started in 2017 when she suffered a stroke, which left her physically disabled and reliant on a wheelchair.

“The stroke made it impossible for me to work under pressure. I made the difficult decision to resign from my job as a lecturer,” she said.

Her health woes took a turn for the worse a year later when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, leading to the removal of one of her ovaries in 2018.

As if that wasn’t enough, Harniza was struck another blow when she was diagnosed with SLE, an autoimmune disease, last year.

However, with her determination and perseverance, she completed her PhD studies at the International Islamic University of Malaysia in August of that year.

Now, Harniza finds herself at a crossroad, needing employment to sustain her livelihood and cover her mounting medical expenses.

Her family relies on her husband’s income as a mosque imam, and she hopes to secure a job that would not only alleviate their financial burden, but also provide for her ongoing medical needs, including buying diapers.

> Budding actress Siti Hariesa, 24, is no stranger to controversy following a social media storm sparked by a scene in the drama, “Perempuan Itu”.

She is charting a thoughtful path forward, grounded in lessons learned from her debut journey, Harian Metro reported.

“I chose silence to not fan the flames of controversy,” Siti said, reflecting on her decision to retreat rather than retaliate.

“Coupled with the harsh online comments, dealing with public opinion and speculation became a lesson in wisdom for my future career,” she said.

● The above article is compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with this ' >'sign, it denotes a separate news item.