Rita: Education must come first


ALTHOUGH she supports her children’s interest in pursuing any field, including sports, actress Rita Rudaini said academic achievement remains the top priority, reported Harian Metro. The 50-year-old star, whose full name is Rita Rudaini Mokhtar, said both her children understand and respect this.

“I have no objections, but I stress that if they want to become athletes, they must also be smart and excel academically.

“Education must come first.”

She said her eldest son Airit Rayyan Rizqin has recently shown a strong interest in engineering and wished to further his studies abroad.

The single mother also stressed that being busy earning a living is never an excuse for neglecting her children’s emotional needs.

“Work is important, but I manage my time well. Children also need attention.”

Rita Rudaini married footballer Aidil Zafuan Abd Razak in 2008, and was blessed with two sons, Airit Rayyan and Airit Qaqa Arjuna. They divorced in 2013.

> Utusan Malaysia reported that a mother of four, who is battling stage 4 ovarian cancer, has continued to persevere by running a small food business in Arau, Perlis.

Suzana Saibon, 46, sells drinks, laksa, cakes and ice cream from a cabin in Kampung Tebuk, earning between RM700 and RM1,000 a month.

Her husband Muhammad Harzizi Nordin, 47, formerly an electrician, is suffering from a slipped disc following a workplace fall, leaving him unable to perform heavy labour. He now helps out at the stall.

Two of their children, aged 10 and 18, have Down syndrome and learning difficulties.

Both are also living with thalassemia and require regular blood transfusions.

Due to the family’s financial hardship, the couple’s eldest son, Muhammad Zulqarnain Haziq, 22, gave up his dream of pursuing further studies and now works at a wholesale shop to help support the family.

Suzana was diagnosed with cancer in 2024. She underwent nine cycles of chemotherapy, which were completed in July the following year. She also had her uterus and both ovaries removed.

  The above article is 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 this ' >'sign, it denotes a separate news item.

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