Compiled by LEONG SHU YIN, JAROD LIM and R. ARAVINTHAN
A SINGLE mother survived on rice and onion to save money for her dream pilgrimage to the Holy Land, Kosmo! reported.
Maimun Sarajul, 60, saved RM400 monthly from the Baitulmal aid she received for over 15 years to perform the umrah with her family, including two children with disabilities.
Touched by the story, Tik Toker Abd Jalil Abd Razak, 39, decided to sponsor her Umrah trip.
“My heart was deeply moved by her story and determination to save money for this journey,” he said.
Jalil revealed that Maimun and her family of five are scheduled to depart for the Holy Land on Jan 20, with the sponsorship totalling RM35,100.
“The sponsorship was made possible through contributions from my friends, who are entrepreneurs from Johor, Singapore and Brunei.
“Some of my TikTok followers also donated,” he said.
> Veteran rocker Datuk Nash achieved a significant milestone at 65 by earning his Master’s degree, Berita Harian reported.
Nash, whose real name is Nashrudin Elias, holds a Master’s degree in Performance Studies and now plans to pursue a PhD.
“For me, education is essential as long as we’re alive. Learning gives me personal satisfaction,” he said.
Nash admitted that time with his family is limited.
“It was a sacrifice, but everything worked out well,” he said.
> Being deaf and mute did not stop Chef Leen from making waves in the field of pastry and baking.
Chef Leen, whose full name is Nor Adzleen Abdul Karim, 41, shared that her dedication and hard work led her to become a good student and eventually a professional chef.
“I want to prove that people with disabilities can succeed just like anyone else,” she was quoted as saying by Utusan Malaysia.
The mother of two has also received various accolades, including the Successful Female Entrepreneur Award.
Her success has helped change public perceptions of people with disabilities, who are often stereotyped as solely recipients of aid.
The above articles are compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with a, it denotes a separate news item.
