English Channel hero Malik takes the plunge

BY S. ARULLDAS

KULIM: After successfully swimming across the English Channel, Datuk Abdul Malik Mydin has decided to take a different kind of plunge.  

He tied the knot with his manager Rahayu Ahmad, 27, at her Taman Seluang home near here yesterday. 

The akad nikah ceremony, held around noon, was a private affair that saw the couple exchanging rings before their family members and close friends. The ceremony was solemnised by Ahmad Zahid Abd Hamid, the Imam of Sungai Ular mosque. 

Abdul Malik and Rahayu Ahmad.

In accordance with Malay customs, Abdul Malik, 28, gave his bride 15 trays of gifts, RM11,111.11 as wang hantaran (monetary gift) and RM333 as mas kahwin or dowry.  

While the groom looked suave in white baju Melayu with gold trimmings, the bride was resplendent in her light yellow kebaya.  

Abdul Malik said Rahayu would quit as his manager to become a housewife. 

“I’ve known Rahayu for five years even before she became my manager, and I love her for her strong character,” he said.  

Abdul Malik, who became the first Malaysian and Southeast Asian to make an epic swim across the English Channel, added that Rahayu had also offered much moral support during the challenge. 

Rahayu, an accountancy graduate from Universiti Utara Malaysia, said Abdul Malik had a “good heart” and that they shared similar hobbies.  

The newlyweds will attend a dinner reception today at Dewan Datuk Haji Ahmad Badawi in Butterworth hosted by the groom’s family. 

Abdul Malik said they planned to have another dinner reception for VIP guests in Putrajaya soon.  

The couple have yet to decide on the destination for their honeymoon.  

Malik conquers the English Channel