(L-R) Mukhtar bin Mahmud, beneficiary; Sujana Rejab, prosthetics maker; Takero Sawamura, deputy CEO of MSIG Malaysia; and Mohamad Safian bin Abdullah, beneficiary
MSIG Insurance Malaysia has partnered with philanthropist Sujana Mohd Rejab to enable him to design and build electronically controlled prosthetic limbs for victims of road accidents.
According to a statement by MSIG, Sujana, a former teacher who now runs a 3D printing business in Perak, taught himself how to build prosthetics a few years ago, after researching the subject online and investing in computer aided design (CAD) software and a 3D printing machine. He has produced over 50 prosthetic items for children in need, but these have been primarily manual prosthetics due to the high cost of making more complex, electronically controlled prosthetics.
MSIG provided Sujana with financial and material resources to allow him to build customised prosthetics for three Malaysians who had been injured in road traffic accidents. According to MSIG, its support will help make the beneficiaries’ lives better, as well as reminding Malaysians of the importance of road safety.
Two of the beneficiaries were Mohamad Safian bin Abdullah, 27, and Mukhtar bin Mahmud, 63. Both of them had lost their right forearms in separate vehicular accidents.
According to MSIG, the process of building a prosthetic limb is complicated and time-consuming. It starts with Sujana meeting the recipient and taking detailed measurements, which are then fed into the computer. It is followed by the process of producing the components using the 3D printer and assembling these into a complete prosthetic limb. A ‘fitting’ meet up is needed, so that the prosthetic limb can be tested before being refined to meet the needs of the beneficiary. The process can take several months and requires multiple face-to-face visits.
“We are delighted to be working with Sujana Mohd Rejab on this project,” said Chua Seck Guan, CEO of MSIG Malaysia. “He is an exceptionally inspirational and innovative person who cares deeply about helping people – and we in turn are delighted to be able to help him do this.”
“We hope that our support for Sujana helps highlight the issue of road safety in Malaysia,” Chua added. “There were 548,598 road accidents reported in 2018, the second highest in the region and an alarming increase of 12% since 2015. As one of Malaysia’s leading motor insurers we want to encourage vigilance and care on the roads. The consequences of road traffic accidents can be fatal and even when it is not, it can still seriously impact and damage people’s lives. While we hope that our support for Sujana will significantly improve the quality of life for the recipients, we really want to spread the message about road safety and avoid having people get into these situations in the first place.”
