The story of a senior citizen named Zarah Ahmad caught the attention of local netizens, as it went viral on social media over the weekend.
Zarah, who’s also a resident at an old folk’s home, claimed that she was “thrown away” by her nine children while she was receiving treatment at a hospital.
“Whether I’m dead or alive, my children don’t bother to care about me. Even my sons and daughters-in-law don’t want to take care of me, because I’m the reason they find it difficult to go out,” the 83-year-old spoke to Buletin TV3. It was also revealed that Zarah has been living at the nursing home for a month.
Zarah further added that she was neglected by her children after her husband passed away three years ago. Adding to Zarah, after she was hospitalised, none of her kids wanted to claim themselves as her heirs. As a result, Zarah had to be sent to the Rumah Jagaan & Rawatan Orang Tua Al-Ikhlas nursing home.
Following that, a woman known as Normala Shamsuddin, who claimed herself to be Zarah’s daughter-in-law, stepped forth to explain the whole situation on her Facebook page. Turns out, the elderly woman wasn’t abandoned (as she previously claimed), but the opposite. Apparently, it was Zarah who dumped the kids when they were young!
“We (Zarah’s children, including the in-laws) were often verbally abused by her. Especially my husband, he got the worst end because he’s poor. It’s not that I want to expose her fault, but the statement needs to be corrected. People who don’t know the true story will sympathise with her. It’s normal for us as human beings to feel sorry for the elderly,” Normala expressed.
Seemingly upset with the daughter-in-law’s statement, Rumah Jagaan & Rawatan Orang Tua Al-Ikhlas responded by saying they’re willing to take full responsibility and care for Zarah. “It’s okay if you don’t want to take care of her. But don’t slander her. Makcik Zarah is not a wealthy person. She relies on the contributions given by the Baitulmal,” they wrote.
The admin further added in another social media post, “Based on our experience, when the media reveals about the elderly who are under our care and treatment, there will definitely be children, in-laws, or grandchildren who will issue a response. Our advice is, do not respond by shaming your parents on social media,
“InsyaAllah as long as we can afford it, we will take care of her as best we can. No matter how bad our parents are, we would never discover the world without them. Let God be the judge, we all do not deserve to blame any party. It is not our right to blame the child or the mother for what had happened,” they wrote.
Read their full statement here:
What are your thoughts about the shocking turn of events?
