Ahmad Azlan Abd Aziz, chief executive officer of Kompakar eHealth Tech, is father of three. The eldest is 19 (just completed his matriculation, going to start his first year at the International Islamic University Malaysia studying law), the second is in Form Four in boarding school (SM Sains Seremban) and the youngest is a girl (Year Six).
When his younger brother passed away five years ago, Azlan decided to help support his nephews and nieces as well as try to take on some sort of father figure role.
“When my younger brother passed away he was only 43. His widow now takes care of their five children. The eldest is now in Form Five, the second in Form Three, the third is in Form One, the fourth is in Year Six and the last is in Year Three.
“They live in Temerloh, Pahang. I used to visit them more often but not so much now because we go to Seremban to visit my younger son every weekend now.
“Their home is near my mother's house. In addition, I have an elder brother and a sister who also live in Temerloh and can keep an eye on them and help out if needed.
“For growing up kids, they need a fatherly figure. They may have their mother there but it's different. So, when we can we take them along for holidays,” says Azlan.
Two years ago, the children joined his family on a holiday to Bandung, Indonesia. And, before that, it was a holiday to Penang.
Azlan has a unique way of looking at his role as “father”.
“We are parents not only to our own kids but also to all the children from the next generation.
“I feel that we shouldn't be so selfish in just taking care of our own kids because there are people who may not have the opportunity like my late brother's children. It's not asking too much for someone to be a father figure not only to our own kids but to others' kids, too.
“Some people might feel this is not your responsibility because they are not your children.
“Although they are strangers, these children will one day be our leaders. If we don't develop them right, what future do they have in society?
“That's why, with the support of my wife, I decided to be involved in the schools' PTAs (Parent-Teacher Associations). Some weekends I have to go for meetings. I spend some time doing these kinds of things which I enjoy,” he says.
The pressure of having dad on the school PTA has helped his children do well in their studies.
So far, he says, he and his wife have managed to guide their children to be successful.
“They have achieved very well academically. But now I want to extend the success to the rest, especially my nephews and nieces as they no longer have a father and they are not too well off, either. To a bigger extent, I also want to help the kids at my daughter's school where I am involved in the PTA. We try to instil in them the meaning of success.
“There is no shortcut or hard and fast way in dealing with challenges.
“I wish that parents can take good or better care of their kids. If everybody plays their part as expected it should be okay.”
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