Woman, 74, who died in Yishun accident, came to S'pore to teach children braille, husband, 76, still unconscious

A 76-year-old man is still unconscious after a traffic accident in Yishun three weeks ago on Jun. 1, 2024.

Aziz and his 74-year-old wife Zaleha came from Malaysia to teach braille at a charity in Singapore.

According to the family of the elderly couple, Aziz had suffered a stroke and lost control of his vehicle, which crashed into a walkway pillar.

Zaleha did not survive the accident.

Elderly couple loved kids, did charity work

The couple's youngest son, Hanif, a construction technician in Singapore, told Mothership that his parents lived in Marsiling until about 23 years ago when they moved to live in Johor Bahru.

Aziz previously held Singaporean citizenship and used to work as a policeman in Singapore before his retirement.

"My parents love kids, especially my late mum," Hanif said.

The couple kept active in retirement by doing charity work.

Zaleha would teach braille classes at the Princess Elizabeth Special Education School in JB, while Aziz served as the driver, bringing his wife around and ferrying the students around for outings to the seaside and the like.

And despite moving to Malaysia, the couple did not cut their ties with Singapore.

Hanif said that his father drives his mother to Singapore every Saturday for her to teach braille at Jamiyah Education Centre in Chai Chee. They would also take the opportunity to visit their five grandchildren.

He added that this has been part of their routine for about two decades, except for a few years when they weren't able to come because of Covid-19 restrictions.

It was on one of those weekend trips, on Jun. 1, when the fateful accident happened.

The accident

At about 10am on the day itself, Hanif managed to have breakfast with his parents at Ayer Rajah after they drove to Singapore.

"My dad even asked me at the time, why don't we all go to Kluang to take a short holiday together?" Hanif recalled.

Hanif said that he would try to book train tickets.

After breakfast, Hanif returned to work.

His parents decided to drive to Yishun to pick up some items from a friend before going over for Zaleha's braille class at 12pm.

Hanif was having lunch at home later that day when a mechanic at the workshop where he serviced his car texted him, "Hope your dad is okay, and your family."

This was accompanied by a screenshot of the accident, which had been circulated on social media.

It showed a black Malaysian-registered Perodua Bezza car that had crashed into a support beam at a walkway, with debris and plants strewn around the scene.

"I was so shocked. I thought to myself, 'Those are my parents'!" Hanif said.

Mum passed away, dad warded in ICU with stroke

Hanif quickly informed his brothers and cousin before rushing down to the hospital himself to check on his mum's condition.

However, despite the efforts of paramedics at the scene, she succumbed to her injuries in hospital.

His dad, meanwhile, was warded in the ICU, having been diagnosed with a stroke.

Apart from severe brain injuries from the stroke, the accident left him with broken ribs and internal bleeding, and he needed to be put on breathing support.

Doctors told Hanif that his father had suffered a minor stroke while driving and "could not handle the vehicle" prior to the collision.

His father had more than 50 years of driving experience, Hanif disclosed.

He also had no history of stroke.

Grief

Hanif said that it has been a difficult period for his family.

His dad remained in critical condition in the ICU from Jun. 1 to 19 while the family made arrangements to bury his mum in Singapore.

For Hanif, the loss of his mother was especially heartbreaking as they were close, and he would confide in her.

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't cry," he said, his voice shaky. "It's hard to move on."

Long road to recovery

Another concern for Hanif is his father's long road to recovery.

Aziz has since been transferred to a normal ward, where he is being monitored indefinitely.

He breathes through a hole in his throat and has to have phlegm cleared from his airway four to five times a day.

He remains unconscious and is unable to talk or eat on his own.

Some progress Hanif noted of late include attempts by Aziz to open his eyes, and movement in his right hand.

However, doctors have said that his condition remains unpredictable and could worsen with complications like fevers or blood clots.

"He could go back to ICU any time or have to go for an operation," Hanif shared.

The family's plan is to transfer Aziz to Sultan Aminah Hospital in Johor Bahru once his condition is more stable and ultimately to place him in a private nursing home there, as it would be more affordable than staying in Singapore.

But that can only happen once doctors deem him fit to be transferred.

In the meantime, Hanif admitted that the mounting hospital bills have put significant financial stress on him and his two brothers, who hold technician-level jobs.

"Trying to do right by him"

The family has put up a fundraising campaign to help pay for Aziz's hospital stay, long-term medical fees, and nursing home expenses.

They have set an initial target of S$150,000.

As of Jul. 8, the medical bills have swelled to more than S$122,000.

Hanif said that his father has been a pillar of support for the family all these years and has helped him and his siblings out in the past when they were strapped for cash.

"We're just trying our best to do right by him," Hanif shared.

"The main thing we are hoping for is that he can recover."

Those who wish to learn more about Aziz's situation can do so here.

Top image from Hanif