KUALA LUMPUR, July 5 — Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi underwent eye surgery recently after suffering optic nerve damage, daughter Datuk Nurulhidayah Ahmad Zahid said.
In the comments section of one of her posts on Instagram, Nurulhidayah addressed concerns left by her followers about her father’s recent appearance.
“Yes, his optic nerves were not functioning properly, so that is why his eyes appear to be drooping,” she wrote in reply to one comment.
She also denied that her father underwent surgery for cosmetic purposes, saying that he had no reason to do so.
“He is not a superstar, why should he need to change his face? Since it involved his optic nerves, which were causing him harm, this had to be addressed.
“But it is only natural that people like to spread lies more than knowing the truth,” she added.
Nurulhidayah further said that her father is still recovering but did not want to be away from work for too long.
Previously, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said that Zahid was on leave for two weeks but did not elaborate further.
The deputy prime minister’s first public appearance after returning from leave was on June 26 at a Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy Associates (FBINAA) event, where he donned sunglasses.
A few days later, Zahid, who is also the rural and regional development minister, attended a programme at his ministry, this time without sunglasses, but his visibly swollen eyes caused a stir among social media users.
