The Malaysian Artistes Association (Seniman) recently admitted that the COVID-19
pandemic has made it difficult for them to keep in touch with fallen actor
Benjy, who is currently serving his time in an Indonesian prison.
The
association’s secretary general Mohd Hafiz Mohd Nafiah told Astro AWANI that
they could only communicate with the actor through the phone and WhatsApp chats
as they were not able to visit him at the Tanjung Gusta Prison in Medan,
Indonesia.
“Benjy really needs the support, not just financially, but
morally as well. As we all know, he is suffering from asthma, and the inhaler
that he needed costs a lot of money,” he said.
Hafiz stated that Seniman
had previously purchased the inhaler that was priced at RM300 for his use, as
that particular type of inhaler was not available in prison.
“Our
communications are mostly about his health problems and financial needs for his
medication,” he said.
He also expressed concerns over Benjy’s mental health
after three years of imprisonment, adding, “The prison there is different
compared to the facilities and treatment that we have here in Malaysia.”
Benjy,
real name Khaeryll Benjamin Ibrahim, was nabbed by the authorities in Indonesia
back in 2017 after he was found to be in possession of 4.5 grams of
methamphetamine. He was sentenced to 11 years in prison by the Medan District
Court after being found guilty.
In his previous defence, Benjy
stated that he started selling drugs to pay for his mother’s cancer treatment.
His mother was the late veteran actress Azean Irdawaty, who passed away in
2013.
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| Benjy was a renowned actor beloved by many prior to his downfall |
(Photo
Source: Cinema Online)