Changing mindsets: A National Transplant Resource Centre staff member arranging exhibits on organ donations in Wisma Sejarah, Kuala Lumpur. — AZMAN GHANI/The Star
Thousands of transplant patients biding time despite donor pledges
PETALING JAYA: Kevin Hng is a retired accounts clerk but for the last few years, his retirement has been all about waiting for a call that has yet to come.
He suffered a kidney failure three years ago due to long-term diabetes and has been on the waiting list since.
The hardest part, he said, is not knowing whether you will be able to find a potential donor.
“You don’t know if a call will ever come. You wait, but you also don’t want to pressure anyone. It’s a strange position to be in,” he said.
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While his condition is stable, he knows a transplant would significantly improve his quality of life.
“A kidney transplant would mean freedom – freedom from machines, from constant exhaustion and from worrying whether my body can keep up,” said Hng, who welcomed efforts to strengthen policy, governance and national coordination of transplant services.
“When people trust the system, more may come forward to donate. That hope is what keeps patients like me going,” he said.
Kevin added that public awareness about organ donation should also highlight the importance of saving lives.
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Over 400,000 Malaysians have registered as donors but over 10,000 patients are still on the waiting list due to various reasons.
Dentist Wee Sze Ling, 35, knows how important saving lives is. She decided to become an organ donor after religious considerations.
“I realised that I would not be using my organs once I am no longer around, so it would be a waste if I did not donate it.”
“I went through the Silent Mentor Programme organised by Universiti Malaya and Tzu-Chi University of Taiwan, where I pledged my body in front of medical students, professors and religious teachers, and went through traditional rituals such as meditation.”
Meanwhile, company manager Jien Wong, 38, also said he agreed to become an organ donor because of the good it would bring.
“It was as simple as ticking a box. I ticked ‘agree’ for no other reason than I’d like my organs to benefit other people in the case I get into a fatal accident.”
He said the values that his family instilled in him from a young age encouraged him to make the choice himself.
“I was raised with the belief that we should help others when possible.”
However, there are also those who reject organ donation for religious reasons.
Abdul Rahman Ismail, 52, a self-employed mechanic from Shah Alam, said he decided to decline a kidney transplant because of unresolved religious concerns.
Diagnosed with end-stage kidney failure three years ago, Abdul Rahman undergoes dialysis several times a week but is hesitant about receiving an organ transplant.
“I understand a transplant can improve my life, but I am not sure if it is the right decision according to my faith.
“My family worries about my health, but they also respect my beliefs,” Abdul Rahman said.
He said clearer explanations from religious authorities and public education could help patients like him reconsider.
