Stronger together: (From left, back row) Chai, Iskandar, Theivanai, Saimah and Md Hanif posing for photos with Dr Siti Hajar with the three children at their home.
KLANG: Every year during the fasting month, M. Theivanai would come down from Kampar, Perak, to Kuala Lumpur, accompanied by her 68-year-old husband Chai Chee Kong, to spend at least a week with her Muslim son and his family.
The main purpose of Theivanai’s visit is to cook Indian and Chinese dishes for her son Iskandar Chai Yoong Sang and daughter-in-law Dr Siti Hajar Md Hanif to enjoy during the breaking of fast.
She also prepares meals for sahur for them daily throughout her visit.
“They work very hard and come home tired in the evening, so for at least that one week I am there, I get to pamper my children and three grandchildren,’’ said 57-year-old Theivanai, who has two other sons besides Iskandar.
Dr Siti Hajar, 38, said her mother-in-law has never failed to visit during the fasting month even though she seldom visits during Hari Raya as they find it too taxing to travel during the crowded festive season.
“But we visit them regularly and spend Deepavali and Chinese New Year every year in Kampar with them,’’ said Dr Siti Hajar who is attached to a government clinic in Petaling Jaya.
She added that she shares a close bond with Theivanai, who had taken care of her during her last two confinements.
“My mother had taken care of me for my first child and my mother-in-law took care of me for my second and third children,’’ Dr Siti Hajar.
Iskandar’s and Dr Siti Hajar’s three children Yusuf Naufal Chai, six, Yasmin Alina Chai, four, and Yunus Anaqi Chai, two, represent the hybrid ‘bangsa Malaysia’ as they are a mix of the nation’s three main races.
“They are able to speak Malay, English, Hakka and Tamil and are also picking up Mandarin.
“We will be sending all our three children to a Chinese school so that they can learn Mandarin formally,’’ said Dr Siti Hajar.
She said Iskandar, 34, who is a medical assistant with a public hospital, in addition to Malay and English also speaks Tamil, Hakka, Cantonese and Mandarin fluently.
According to Dr Siti Hajar, her mixed marriage has given her the opportunity to experience Chinese and Tamil cultures, which she wants her three children to also become familiar with.
“There is a need for one to be exposed to the cultures and traditions of the various races as well as to also be able to speak more than one language,’’ said Dr Siti Hajar.
Dr Siti Hajar said she shares a close relationship with her in-laws because she appreciates the diversity she is able to enjoy being in a mixed marriage.
She added that both her parents Md Hanif Hamzah, 70, and her mother Saimah Aliman, 73, had always encouraged her to mingle with people from different cultures and races.
Her parents also make it a point to visit Theivanai and Chai for Chinese New Year annually.
Theivanai said she appreciates her in-laws because they had done a very good job raising their daughter.
