Holding on

Prime Minister Hun Sen said yesterday that his father, Hun Neang, whose health took a turn for the worse in February, is being kept alive via assistance from feeding and oxygen tubes.

Speaking at the inauguration of national road 68, which runs 117 kilometres from Siem Reap province’s Kralanh district to Oddor Meanchey province, Hun Sen said this was the first time he had felt comfortable enough to leave the capital since his father’s health worsened.

Hun Neang, 91, was admitted to the hospital in Singapore late last year for medical treatment, but his condition deteriorated after returning to Cambodia.

“A month ago, we were completely hopeless, and we had already prepared everything [for his death],” Hun Sen said, adding that due to his father’s health situation, he had cancelled a trip to the provinces.

“With this situation, no matter how long it will take, we have to cope,” he said. “We have to cope with this difficulty as it is the duty of the children.”

Hun Neang’s wife, Dy Pok, died in 1998.