Worker with cancer gives back to S'pore before going home
Bangladeshi worker Fazley Elahi, who is battling terminal cancer, is using his final days to give back to the Singapore community that has become his second home.
Before returning to Bangladesh to spend his remaining time with his family, the 37-year-old is organising one last foreign worker cultural event this Sunday (June 16), reported Tamil Murasu.
Mr Fazley has always found ways to contribute to the community, even while supporting his family back home. In 2017, he started a library to promote reading among fellow foreign workers. The following year, he launched an annual cultural event to showcase their talents.
But now, he is forced to step back from these initiatives. Diagnosed with terminal cancer that has spread from his colon to other parts of his body, Mr Fazley has a limited time left – doctors have given him three to six months to live if left untreated.
"The cost of continued treatment in Singapore is high, so I'm returning to Bangladesh on June 23," said Mr Fazley, who is going home to his wife and son.
Mr Fazley hopes to receive treatment at CMC Vellore Medical College in Tamil Nadu, India, but he admits that he may not be able to afford it.
“I spent all my savings on my father’s medical treatment,” he said. “I don’t have the money for my own treatment.”
He is particularly worried about his son’s future, wondering who will look after him.
Mr Fazley has set up a fundraising page to help with his medical expenses.
Despite his condition, he remains hopeful. “I still dream of returning to Singapore one day to see my friends. I hope that foreign workers will have better food, more medical benefits, and a better life here."
Mr Fazley’s journey to Singapore started in 2009 when he left his hometown in Noakhali District, Bangladesh.
His family could not afford to pay the agent to take him to Singapore, so he had to borrow money from multiple people. It took him four years to repay his debts.
“My family was struggling financially after I graduated from college. Coming to Singapore at a young age and shouldering family responsibility was a tough decision, but it was the right thing to do,” he said.
Mr Fazley arrived in Singapore expecting the electrician job he was promised, but was instead assigned cleaning and carrying heavy loads. After work, he shared a cramped living space with 10 other workers.
In 2022, he lost his job after receiving cancer treatment. Fearful of losing another job, he did not disclose his condition to his new employer and therefore could not use its medical insurance.
Former Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) Anthea Ong raised concerns about the plight of foreign workers like Mr Fazley.
“They work hard for us, but what happens when they fall ill?” she asked.
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