6 children, countless sacrifices, and a mother who won’t quit

2026-03-21 - 01:11

Noor Syahida Suyud and her children relive the memory of her late husband through photographs in their family album. PETALING JAYA: Every day feels like a race against time for Noor Syahida Suyud — balancing school runs, kuih orders and household responsibilities as she single-handedly raises six children after losing her husband to Covid-19. For the 43-year-old, life changed in an instant after her husband, Khairul Syakirin Abdul Wahab, died of the viral infection on March 10, 2022, while the family was on holiday in Langkawi. After the tragedy, Syahida moved from Kemaman, Terengganu, to Kampung Tok Muda in Kapar, Selangor, to be closer to family. But the real challenge began when she had to figure out how to raise six children without a steady income. Her children Isma Daniel, 19, Isma Darius, 18, Isma Darwish, 17, Nur Damia Wafi, 15, Nur Dhiya Wafi, 14, and Isma Daris, 8, are still pursuing their studies. Guided by her late husband’s advice for her to continue the efforts they once built together, Syahida now takes on various jobs — selling kuih, meeting food orders and continuing the herbal oil business that he started. “Sometimes it feels like I’m doing three or four jobs at once. In the morning, I send the children to school and then prepare kuih. At midday I pick them up, and in the evening, I continue running the business and managing the household,” she told FMT. Noor Syahida Suyud gets a hand from one of the children as she prepares some kuih for sale. Although life is no longer the same, Syahida said losing their father has made her children more mature and understanding of the family’s situation. “They rarely ask for things that are not necessities. Some of them even try small business ventures themselves because they know their mother works hard for them,” she said. One of Syahida’s proudest moments came when Isma Daniel scored 10As in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination and is now pursuing his studies at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) in Gambang, Pahang. Meaningful assistance Syahida said Isma Daniel’s achievement was also made possible with support from Yayasan Keluarga Malaysia (YKM), which adopted her and her children as a foster family in 2023. Initially, YKM provided one-off schooling assistance and Aidilfitri contributions before introducing monthly financial aid to help cover the children’s education expenses. “The assistance has helped signficantly, especially for tuition and school expenses. My son used the aid for tuition classes and his results improved until he became the top student in his school,” she said. Yayasan Keluarga Malaysia, led by Ismail Sabri Yaakob, delights Noor Syahida and her children with some Hari Raya goodies. The achievement has also made YKM chairman Ismail Sabri Yaakob proud. When establishing the foundation, the former prime minister hoped to see children orphaned by Covid-19 become self-reliant in the long run. “Education is the key to securing their future. If they succeed, they will not only be able to take care of themselves but may also support their families. “As promised, YKM will support him (Isma Daniel) until he completes his first degree,” Ismail Sabri said. He said YKM provides various forms of assistance, including a monthly allowance of RM250 for recipients aged 16 and above and RM200 for younger children, as well as online tuition and motivational programmes to help students prepare for examinations. The foundation also provides special Aidilfitri assistance to ensure orphaned children can celebrate the festival like other children. For Syahida, Aidilfitri is now celebrated more modestly without her husband, but still, she said seeing her children grow up well and still pursuing their dreams gives her the strength to carry on. “As long as I am able, I will keep striving for them,” she said. Syahida is not alone in this journey, as YKM will continue standing by the family and providing support to safeguard their welfare.