Malaysian couple defy norms, celebrate love despite disability

New Straits Times

3 days ago

KLANG: "I don't look at physical appearance; what matters is the heart, because I want to be married for a long time and go through good and tough times together."
This was said by Salasiah Sazali, 33, regarding her decision to accept Muhammad Khairul Hibatullah Fitri Omar, 32, as her life partner, even though her husband is a person with disabilities (OKU) due to a facial disfigurement and blindness in his right eye.
The couple's story garnered attention from netizens after Muhammad Khairul Hibatullah Fitri uploaded a video with photos of him and Salasiah before and after their marriage.
Salasiah said she met her husband through a chat application on social media five years ago before they became close and decided to marry in 2021.
"My husband initiated the conversation on that chat application. He said he wanted to be friends, and at first, I didn't even see his face because he used a picture of his hand.
"Then we continued messaging on WhatsApp, and not long after, my husband shared his picture, and I was fine with it.
"We never met, even though we both lived in Perak. When he said he wanted to be closer friends, I asked my husband to meet my mother. I didn't expect my husband to come with his mother to propose three months after we met," she said when met by Harian Metro at her residence in an apartment in Taman Sentosa Perdana, here.
According to Salasiah, her family did not object and instead gave her the option to decide on her life partner.
"The physical aspect was not an issue, but my mother advised me that even if my husband and I argued, I should never bring up his physical appearance.
"My family truly accepts and loves my husband, but when we go out, people do stare at us. To me, what's so strange about it? It's just his face that looks like that; everything else is normal," she said.
Salasiah said that every individual has strengths and weaknesses, and she accepts her husband as he is. She added that she is happy living her married life, especially after being blessed with a child, Muhammad Arif Luqman, who is now two years old.
"I don't care what people say because, no matter what, he is my husband, and so far, he treats me well; he is not fierce with me at all.
"I hope and pray that our relationship will last until the end of our lives," said Salasiah, who works as a production operator at an electronics factory.
Meanwhile, Muhammad Khairul Hibatullah Fitri, who works as an administrative assistant, said he does not dwell on his physical shortcomings as he has been an OKU since birth.
"I never really thought about finding a soulmate, because if it happens, Alhamdulillah, and if not, life still has to go on.
"But I am grateful that my wife accepts me, and I feel my life is complete with a family and a job that provides a stable income," he said.
Regarding his condition, Muhammad Khairul Hibatullah Fitri said he had undergone several surgeries, including one in Australia when he was four years old, to improve his facial structure.
The former lecturer of computer networking at a private college also used to have examinations every six months at Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz (HCTM) in Kuala Lumpur due to his condition but stopped in 2016, as he saw no need to continue.
"Actually, it was worse before, and my face now is much better after several surgeries.
"Because I've been like this since childhood, it doesn't affect my confidence, although I was teased in primary school. It didn't affect me much because my family and friends gave me a lot of encouragement.
"My wife also accepts me because she said she doesn't look at my physical appearance but at my sense of responsibility. Recently, I shared our photos on TikTok, and I didn't expect such a high number of views. There was one comment saying we didn't look happy, but I just ignored it because more people were praying for us," said Muhammad Khairul Hibatullah Fitri, who also uses his skills to repair laptops for a fee.