KUALA LUMPUR: Over three years after losing his sight, actor and director Muhammad Iqbal Mazlan is still fighting to rebuild his career in the creative industry.
But finding work in his field is no longer as easy as it once was.
Iqbal, 37, won the first season of the acting talent show Pilih Kasih in 2009.
He previously starred in various TV dramas, telemovies, and theatre productions. He even worked alongside renowned director Erma Fatima.
But his life changed completely in March 2023 when he lost his sight to Frosted branch angiitis—a condition he explained was caused by a Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection.
"I was actually quite healthy with no symptoms. But on the night before it happened, I felt extremely fatigued and experienced severe eye strain while finishing a documentary script, so I took a brief rest.
"When I woke up, my world was in complete darkness. It was hard to imagine life after that because the gift I used to earn a living was suddenly gone," he told Bernama.
It took Iqbal over a year to pick himself back up.
During that time, he received treatment for eye inflammation and suffered complications from fluid in his lungs, which he attributed to the side effects of his medication.
An even bigger hurdle awaited him when he tried to return to work.
As expected, several production companies he had previously worked with went quiet when he offered his services as a director, presenter, and voiceover artiste.
"Many production houses that had collaborated with me and praised my work suddenly went quiet when I fell ill. What hurt most was when industry peers started drifting away.
"One rejection particularly stands out where they told me point-blank, 'We don't have any confidence in you.' The rest just offered silence," he recalled.
To make ends meet, he currently runs a food stall with a friend selling buttermilk chicken and gulai kawah in Shah Alam.
His chance to return to his passion came when production company Art Ornament Sdn Bhd trusted him to direct the film Jay (Buka Langkah) in June 2024. The movie is set for release in January 2027.
Iqbal explained that losing his sight does not stop him from visualising scenes or giving clear directions to his camera team.
"Even though I cannot see, I must have a clear visual concept to bring the script to life, imagining it as if I were watching a movie in a cinema. I lay out the detailed visuals and shots I want to achieve to the camera operator.
"For instance, I specify the exact direction an actor should step from, along with the accompanying ambient sounds. If a director lacks visualisation, the work becomes bland," he explained.
The film's producer and co-director, Aida Othman, said Iqbal got the job based purely on his talent, with a crew helping him handle technical tasks on set.
"We should not view them through the lens of their disability, but rather by what they are capable of achieving. Iqbal's strength lies in his exceptionally clear explanation of character, emotion, and the message he wants to convey to the audience. We chose to give him this chance because we believe in his talent," she said.
Iqbal's story shows that visually impaired individuals can create great work when given the right support.
But such opportunities remain rare in the creative sector.
According to figures from the Social Security Organisation (Perkeso) between 2020 and 2026, only five visually impaired people secured jobs in the arts, entertainment, and recreation sector out of 716 total placements—just 0.7 per cent.
Although the figures are low, the data does not reveal the precise reasons for the poor placement rate.
The Social Welfare Department (JKM) reported that as of July this year, 70,135 visually impaired individuals were registered nationwide, including 37,616 aged between 16 and 60.
Musician and music arranger Lui Chee Chau, 46, faces a similar struggle.
Despite holding formal qualifications and having over a decade of industry experience, he is still searching for full-time work.
Lui began his career as a music arranger and sound engineer at a studio in Kuala Lumpur in 2003.
After the studio closed, he worked full-time for 14 years at a ringtone company.
Finding work became difficult around 2016 after he applied for sound engineering jobs and went to interviews without telling potential employers beforehand about his sight loss.
"He told me my work was good. But to make things easier for me, he said he would call if any work could be done from home," Lui recalled.
Lui later applied for three other music jobs, but only one led to an interview before he was passed over.
Although no employer explicitly said his sight loss was the reason he was turned down, the experience raises questions about how much prejudice still affects job prospects for disabled people.
"I feel that is one of the main limitations—when people restrict our choices based on assumptions without evaluating our actual capabilities," he said.
Lui now teaches piano and drums part-time, as well as running weekly music lessons at a local church.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd