JOHOR BARU: After suffering a stroke in December, veteran singer Zaleha Hamid's health has worsened over the last two months.
The 65-year-old is now completely paralysed and can only communicate by blinking her eyes.
Her husband, Ungku Sulaiman Ungku Aziz, 55, said he had to quit his job as a security guard two months ago to care for his wife, whom he fondly refers to as 'Mama'.
Ungku Sulaiman says he now uses money contributed by Zaleha's fans to buy her milk and adult diapers.
"The stroke first paralysed the left side of her body. At that time, Mama could still talk and move her right limbs. Things started to go south when the right limbs became weak and she could no longer talk.
"She interacts with me by blinking her eyes. Before relying fully on a special milk diet being fed through a tube, Mama would make a sound like she's clearing her throat whenever she felt hungry.
"Sure, things are tough now, but I will not give up on Mama. I will give her the best care within my means, including getting her to the Sultan Aminah Hospital for her follow-up treatment," he said when met at their home in Skudai.
On Hari Raya preparations, Ungku Sulaiman said he and his children have decided to keep things simple this year. However, he has made an online purchase of a light green baju kurung for Zaleha.
Zaleha's condition has compelled actress Betty Banafe as well as volunteers of the Jom Sedekah Banafe Team to help by contributing basic necessities.
Betty said although from a different era, her brother, from the group Lela, had shared a stage with Zaleha in the 1990s.
One of Zaleha's most popular songs is the Hari Raya favourite "Inang di Aidilfitri" with the late Sudirman Arshad.