Khairy: Pak Lah is suffering from dementia

 

Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, for the first time, shared that his father-in-law, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, suffers from dementia, and does not remember his family members anymore. - NSTP file pic

KUALA LUMPUR: Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, for the first time, shared that his father-in-law, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, suffers from dementia, and does not remember his family members anymore.

Khairy said that Abdullah, better known as Pak Lah, started showing signs of cognitive impairment shortly after retiring as the fifth prime minister in 2009 and has since progressively worsened.

"I have never shared this before. Many asked where is Pak Lah? He has dementia and that is why you do not see him in public anymore. It is a cruel condition. The body is there but the mind is not. He is wheelchair-bound.

"He cannot function normally anymore. He does not remember my name, my wife's name. The only reason I know he recognises me is the through the flicker in his eye when I visit him.

"There are more bad days than good. So have him in your prayers and we hope for better days ahead," said Khairy at the launch of the Malaysian Conference of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Practice Guidelines on Management of Dementia and Schizophrenia today. - NST