Compiled by SALMA FAIRUS, C. ARUNO and R. ARAVINTHAN
SINGER Zizi Kirana is currently on a mission to Gaza and has shared a poignant message with her younger sister, Nurul Nazielah.
In her Instagram story, the 40-year-old – whose full name is Nur Fazelah Mad Tahil – urged Nurul to care for their family should anything happen to her during the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) convoy, reported Kosmo!.
“Should anything happen to me, she will take my place as the eldest. Kakak Ela (her nickname), thank you for the love we’ve shared since childhood. We never argued, and the thought of being apart – even for a brief moment – would bring us to tears.
“I know you are a strong woman, though sometimes a little emotional. Take good care of yourself and our family. Be a good example to our younger siblings. Please look after our mother and siblings, shower them with boundless love. May Allah always protect you all. I love you, Kakak Ela,” she wrote.
Zizi, along with volunteers from 45 other countries, has entered the yellow zone about 300 nautical miles from Gaza.
Her team also thanked Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for supporting the GSF initiative.
> A teenager from Gali, Pahang, faces a difficult decision as she leaves behind her ailing mother to pursue her studies at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Alor Gajah, reported Utusan Malaysia.
Halimaton Shadiah Yudi, 19, an only child, said she worries about the health of her mother, Rosni Pejor, 58, who suffers from schizophrenia.
“My mother has been battling mental illness since my father left when I was six. We don’t know where he is now. It was an immense struggle for us. With her condition, we lived at my uncle’s house, and I relied on a friend for rides to school,” she said.
Despite the overwhelming hardship, Halimaton excelled in her studies, scoring 9As in last year’s SPM, and has been accepted into UiTM’s Academy of Language Studies for a diploma in English.
She hopes to later pursue a degree in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL).
She managed to prepare for her studies by saving money from monthly aid provided by the Social Welfare Department and zakat contributions from the Pahang Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council, which helped her buy school clothes, a bag and study materials.
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.
