Amputee walks tall on prosthetics
Accident victim refuses to give up despite losing leg
KLANG: Despite losing his right leg in an accident 21 years ago, security guard Muhajer Sunthra Lingam diligently patrols his employer’s premises in Seremban in his prosthetic leg.
Once he is done with his shift, he goes around town in his modified car to deliver fresh milk doorto-door.
“It hurts a bit at the bottom of my stump as the bone there is not strong,” he said.
But for a slight limp, few can tell that Muhajer, 49, is walking with the help of a prosthetic limb after his right leg was amputated below the knee in 1991.
Since the traffic accident, he had dabbled in direct sales and catering before switching to his current job as a security guard.
“I don’t like an office job. I have to be up and about,” he said.
He refused to give up despite losing a limb.
“I believe in myself. Others may give up, but I want to move on,” said Muhajer.
He has changed the prosthetic leg three times since the accident due to wear and tear, with the current limb sponsored by the Bandar Sunway Rotary Club.
In collaboration with the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital in Klang, the Bandar Sunway Rotary Club started a “Leg for Legless Project” in 1996 which has benefited about 200 amputees.
The club provides the technicians and equipment for measuring and fabricating the limbs, while the hospital handles the medical support.
Project chairman Datuk M. Ram Nair said the legs, made with PVC pipes and reinforced rubber, are lightweight compared to metal prosthetics.
“They are also more flexible. One can squat or fold his legs to squeeze into a bus seat like a normal person.
“For Muslims, they can even get into a kneeling position to pray. Our objective is to get people to return to a normal life,” he said.