Latest news with #Salmah
New Straits Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
Mistaken for mother and son, couple prove love knows no age
KUANTAN: To some outsiders, they looked like mother and son. However, to 29-year-old Mohamad Nazir Annuar, Salmah Jaya is not only his wife but also his source of strength, joy and emotional companionship. The 61-year-old mother of seven captured his heart years ago and despite a 32-year age gap, they tied the knot in April 2022 with blessings from both sides of the family. Their relationship, which began through Facebook in 2018, attracted attention after Mohamad Nazir shared a video of their affectionate moments. Many mistook Salmah for his mother or aunt, with some even questioning the authenticity of their relationship. "That is something we have become used to whenever we go out together," he said, acknowledging the curious stares and reactions from strangers. "But I am never ashamed. She is my wife and I love her deeply." Nazir, who works as a catering crew member on an oil rig, said his attraction had always leaned towards older women. Still, it was not easy winning Salmah over. She ignored his friend request for a long time and even blocked him after he managed to get her number. It took years and persistent effort before she finally agreed to meet him in 2021. Their bond grew stronger over time as they discovered shared interests, including a fondness for the colour red and the mystical. The decision to marry came a year later. While Nazir's family had no objections, the initial resistance came from Salmah's children, who were uncomfortable with the significant age gap. "Eventually, they relented because they did not want to see their mother unhappy," he said. For Salmah, marriage was not something she had considered after her husband passed away from a heart attack in 2016. She was content living alone and even rejected advances from other men over the years, many of them in their 30s and 40s. But Nazir's determination softened her stance. "What touched me most was when he braved the floods on a motorcycle just to see me," Salmah said. While they acknowledge their relationship is unconventional, both say their bond is built on mutual respect and sincerity. "I once asked him if he ever felt embarrassed walking beside me, and he said there was nothing to be ashamed of," Salmah said. Though they faced comments and criticism, particularly online, Nazir remains grounded. "This is Allah's will. I know who I married and have never regretted it." The couple also faced heartbreak when Salmah had a miscarriage during their first year of marriage but say they now focus on finding peace and happiness in each other's presence. "I just want to be the best husband I can be," Nazir said. "And I pray that our marriage continues to be blessed."
The Star
20-07-2025
- The Star
Disrupted autogates back in operation
All clear: The situation was back to normal at the BSI CIQ in Johor Baru yesterday afternoon. SEPANG: More than 380,000 foreign travellers were affected at the Bangunan Sultan Iskandar Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Complex (BSI CIQ) for two days due to an autogate technical issue, says Comm Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain (pic). The Malaysian Border Control and Protection (AKPS) director-general said the disrupted autogate system was restored on Saturday night. 'As we speak, everything is already up and running,' he told reporters at KLIA Terminal 1 here yesterday. He said the glitch was due to a technical issue related to integration between the MyIMMS system database and the database of an international authoritative body. 'This had led to the checking process being delayed,' he said, adding that the root cause is being investigated from all angles, including the possibility of a cyberattack. 'At this time, we do not think so and I do not want to give any perception that could worsen the situation. For now, let us find out what had happened.' He said all manual lanes have been opened while AKPS made an announcement about the problem to enable travellers to change or postpone their journey. 'That's the best that we can do to reduce the number of people coming into the country,' Comm Mohd Shuhaily added. In Johor Baru, checks at BSI showed that the crowds thinned out by midnight on Saturday. The disruption, described by officials as the worst in recent years, affected more than 200 autogate machines nationwide. A Singaporean visitor, who wanted to be known only as Lim, was relieved that the issue was rectified as he had to attend a funeral in Johor. 'I saw photos of the huge crowds on Friday and Saturday and it looked really bad. Imagine queuing for four to five hours. 'Today, when I entered the bus hall, the place was empty and I cleared immigration within 20 minutes,' he said yesterday. Another Singaporean, who wanted to be known only as Salmah, said it was good that all was back to normal at BSI. 'I was supposed to visit relatives on Saturday but delayed my trip after pictures of large crowd came out in the media. 'I am glad that there was no crowd just now and that immigration officers were also around to ensure everything was smooth flowing,' she said. The autogate system disruption on Friday had left tens of thousands of travellers stranded. — Photo from Johor Mentri Besar onn Hafiz Ghazi's Facebook page. Salmah hoped the authorities had a back-up plan in case of system failure. 'Many of my friends wanted to come to Johor over the weekend, but they changed their minds,' she added. The Star first reported the chaos which erupted at major entry points across Malaysia as tens of thousands of foreign travellers were left stranded for hours following a massive nationwide failure of the autogate system on Friday. Long queues were reported at KLIA and land border crossings, particularly in Johor, where many Singaporeans were caught in the gridlock at BSI and Kompleks Sultan Abu Bakar (KSAB) Customs, Immigration and Quarantine complex. At the BSI complex alone, there are 39 autogates for exit and 29 for entry, while KSAB has 12 in operation. Since June 1 last year, visitors from 63 countries, as well as diplomats serving in Malaysia and their family members, are eligible to use the autogates for faster clearance.
The Star
20-07-2025
- The Star
Normalcy restored after 24-hour autogate disruption at BSI entry points
JOHOR BARU: After more than 24 hours of chaos at major entry points nationwide, the situation has returned to normal, with almost all autogate systems functioning normally. The disruption, which began at around noon on Friday, has been resolved, with foreigners being allowed to use the autogates in stages from 4.30pm on Saturday (July 19). Checks at the Bangunan Sultan Iskandar Customs, Immigration and Quarantine complex (BSI) showed that crowds were dispersed by midnight on Saturday. This was a stark contrast to the thousands of foreigners queuing since the autogate system failed nationwide on Friday. The disruption, described by officials as the worst in recent years, affected more than 200 autogate machines nationwide. A Singaporean named Lim said he was relieved the issues had been rectified, as he was in Johor to attend a funeral. "I saw photographs of the huge crowds on Friday (July 18) and Saturday, and it looked bad. Imagine queuing for four to five hours. "Today (Sunday) when I entered the bus hall, everything was empty, and I cleared immigration within 20 minutes." Another Singaporean, Salmah, was pleased that everything was back to normal at BSI. "I was supposed to come on Saturday to visit relatives but delayed my trip after seeing the large crowd pictures in the media and online. "I am glad there was no crowd, and immigration officers were present to ensure everything ran smoothly," she said, hoping the authorities would have a backup system in case of future failures, as many of her friends delayed their trips to Malaysia. The Star first reported that chaos erupted at major entry points across Malaysia as tens of thousands of foreign travellers were stranded for hours following a massive nationwide failure of the autogate system on Friday. Long queues were reported at KL International Airport and land border crossings, particularly in Johor, where many Singaporeans were caught in gridlock at BSI and Kompleks Sultan Abu Bakar (KSAB) Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complex. Foreign passport holders were unable to clear immigration via the automated lanes, while Malaysian passport holders continued to pass through without issues. The MyBorderPass system for Malaysians also remained functional. At the BSI complex alone, there are 39 autogates for exits and 29 for entry, while KSAB has 12 in operation. Even Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi, who made a surprise visit to the BSI complex on Saturday, expressed disappointment over the system disruption, which lasted for more than 24 hours. Onn Hafiz added that such incidents not only inconvenience the public but also affect the image of the state and the nation. Since June 1, 2024, visitors from 63 countries, as well as diplomats serving in Malaysia and their family members, have been eligible to use the autogates for faster clearance.
The Star
20-07-2025
- The Star
Normalcy restored after 24-hour autogate disruption at entry points
JOHOR BARU: After more than 24 hours of chaos at major entry points nationwide, the situation has returned to normal, with almost all autogate systems functioning normally. The disruption, which began at around noon on Friday, has been resolved, with foreigners being allowed to use the autogates in stages from 4.30pm on Saturday (July 19). Checks at the Bangunan Sultan Iskandar Customs, Immigration and Quarantine complex (BSI) showed that crowds were dispersed by midnight on Saturday. This was a stark contrast to the thousands of foreigners queuing since the autogate system failed nationwide on Friday. The disruption, described by officials as the worst in recent years, affected more than 200 autogate machines nationwide. A Singaporean named Lim said he was relieved the issues had been rectified, as he was in Johor to attend a funeral. "I saw photographs of the huge crowds on Friday (July 18) and Saturday, and it looked bad. Imagine queuing for four to five hours. "Today (Sunday) when I entered the bus hall, everything was empty, and I cleared immigration within 20 minutes." Another Singaporean, Salmah, was pleased that everything was back to normal at BSI. "I was supposed to come on Saturday to visit relatives but delayed my trip after seeing the large crowd pictures in the media and online. "I am glad there was no crowd, and immigration officers were present to ensure everything ran smoothly," she said, hoping the authorities would have a backup system in case of future failures, as many of her friends delayed their trips to Malaysia. The Star first reported that chaos erupted at major entry points across Malaysia as tens of thousands of foreign travellers were stranded for hours following a massive nationwide failure of the autogate system on Friday. Long queues were reported at KL International Airport and land border crossings, particularly in Johor, where many Singaporeans were caught in gridlock at BSI and Kompleks Sultan Abu Bakar (KSAB) Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complex. Foreign passport holders were unable to clear immigration via the automated lanes, while Malaysian passport holders continued to pass through without issues. The MyBorderPass system for Malaysians also remained functional. At the BSI complex alone, there are 39 autogates for exits and 29 for entry, while KSAB has 12 in operation. Even Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi, who made a surprise visit to the BSI complex on Saturday, expressed disappointment over the system disruption, which lasted for more than 24 hours. Onn Hafiz added that such incidents not only inconvenience the public but also affect the image of the state and the nation. Since June 1, 2024, visitors from 63 countries, as well as diplomats serving in Malaysia and their family members, have been eligible to use the autogates for faster clearance.
Barnama
24-05-2025
- Barnama
TH Advises Pilgrims To Use e-Taib, Avoid Relying On AI, Google For Haj Guidance
From Nurliyana Farhah Ruslan MAKKAH, May 24 (Bernama) -- Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH) has advised Malaysian pilgrims not to rely solely on artificial intelligence (AI) applications such as ChatGPT or Google searches for guidance on the rules of haj and umrah. Instead, Holy Land haj facilitator (PIHTAS) Salmah Sheikh Hassan urged pilgrims to use the e-Taib service as their primary reference, including when at the Masjidil Haram, to obtain authentic and accurate guidance from certified ibadah guides. 'This is a matter of ibadah (worship). We want to ensure that every deed is performed perfectly so that we may attain a mabrur (accepted) haj. There have been instances where pilgrims paused during tawaf, stepped aside and contacted us via e-Taib because they were uncertain whether they had completed seven rounds or only six. 'In such situations, we (PIHTAS) advise them to consider it as six rounds and add one more to complete seven, to eliminate any doubt,' she said when met by the media here. The e-Taib system, available through the THujjaj application, allows pilgrims to submit questions to PIHTAS via their smartphones, in a format similar to the WhatsApp messaging platform. Salmah said that, on average, pilgrims received responses to queries submitted via e-Taib within five minutes, depending on the stability of the internet connection at the time. 'When the internet connection is good, PIHTAS officers are able to provide feedback within one to two minutes. On average, pilgrims' queries are answered in less than 20 minutes,' she said. According to Salmah, the e-Taib service was currently handled by four PIHTAS officers working 18-hour shifts, with operations extended to 24 hours a day during the masyair week to accommodate the expected surge in queries from pilgrims.
