{
  "id": 13713576,
  "title": "Sabah TV3 cameraman hopes Hawana fund will continue helping media workers in need",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/11/sabah-tv3-cameraman-hopes-hawana-fund-will-continue-helping-media",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-11T12:19:57.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/news/regional/2026/10/1553227/sabah-tv3-cameraman-hopes-hawana-fund-will-continue-helping-media"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "KOTA KINABALU: After consulting nine doctors to pinpoint the source of his enduring neck pain, TV3 cameraman Mohammed Fairuz Yazeer is thankful for the help he received from the Tabung Kasih@Hawana fund to alleviate his medical bills. The 35-year-old, who has worked for Media Prima Bhd for 17 years, said his neck pain began around the 2022 Sabah election and intensified during the Kinabatangan by-election two months later. I initially believed the discomfort was due to my sleeping position. I saw nine doctors, who initially suspected high blood pressure, before a neurologist confirmed I had a slipped disc, he explained. The father of two said the condition has impacted his daily life, affecting his ability to drive and sleep. Fairuz, from Putatan, is now attending physiotherapy sessions twice a week. He is set to undergo a medical review on October 23 to decide if implant surgery is required if his condition does not improve. He received support from Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching during a handover ceremony at the Bernama office. I appreciate the assistance from the Hawana fund to cover my treatment costs. I hope it will keep supporting other media colleagues who genuinely need it, he said. Other recipients of the fund were RTM's Floris Philip and Kamarudin Abdullah. Teo mentioned that the fund was established to assist journalists and experienced media workers dealing with illness, financial hardship, and other challenges. Since its launch in 2023, with support from Telekom Malaysia, the fund has helped 864 recipients, with total assistance surpassing RM2.5 million. Bernama chief executive officer Datin Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin was also present.",
  "summary": "KOTA KINABALU: After consulting nine doctors to find the cause of his persistent neck pain, TV3 cameraman Mohammed Fairuz Yazeer is grateful for the assistance he received from Tabung Kasih@Hawana to help ease his medical expenses.",
  "key_points": [
    "TV3 cameraman Fairuz Yazeer suffers from neck pain due to slipped disc",
    "Received financial aid from Tabung Kasih@Hawana fund for medical bills",
    "Fund aims to support media workers facing illness or financial hardship"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}