#MYStayHome: MCO a 'blessing' for newlyweds Aiman Hakim and Zahirah MacWilson

The couple tied the knot on February 20 before the MCO took effect on March 18.

Drama actors Aiman Hakim, 31, and Zahirah MacWilson, 25, have been married for only about a month when the MCO kicked into effect.

But the newlyweds, who initially planned to spend their honeymoon in Europe, choose to see this unexpected turn of events as a blessing. “Anything that happens, happens for a reason, ” Zahirah offered.

Indeed, this newfound abundance of free time has allowed the two, who are usually bogged down by their respective filming commitments, to deepen their relationship. “She always remembers God and that’s beautiful, ” Aiman said, about the one surprising trait he learned about Zahirah recently.

The couple fill up their time doing simple activities together. “We cook together, ” Zahirah said. “He’s my sous chef. I’m the head chef. He has really good taste buds so if there’s a certain ingredient missing, he’ll spot it and suggest that I add this or that in.”

The two also spend time making content for their YouTube channel together, besides indulging in TV shows like Stranger Things, When They See Us and Shark Tank.

On the professional front, both Aiman and Zahirah had their projects temporarily halted due to the MCO. Aiman was in the midst of filming a local drama while Zahirah was promoting her film, Bulan Dan Pria Terhebat.

“I actually started practising social distancing when I was filming on set two weeks before the MCO. I felt bad at first because I knew some people might get offended. About two or three days before the MCO, I decided to take a step back from filming altogether, ” Aiman said.

Meanwhile, Zahirah was excited for audiences to see her film debut on Bulan Dan Pria Terhebat, which spent less than a week at the cinemas before the MCO came into effect.

“It was upsetting at first because it’s my first movie, but what has happened is for the better and I’m hoping we’ll come back stronger.”