KUALA LUMPUR – When Mr Hisyam Mohamad woke up and coughed out blood-streaked phlegm one morning in 2023, his instinct was to ignore it, instead reaching for cough syrup and painkillers . However, his condition deteriorated.

The 42-year-old oil palm smallholder from Pekan, Pahang, lost more than 30kg in less than one month. He constantly felt cold and shivered, and was exhausted and short of breath.