From collecting coins for rice and petrol to a Mitsubishi XForce

KUALA LANGAT: Syahidatul Azimah Azmi, who once collected coins with her husband to buy rice and petrol, was moved to tears when he surprised her with a Mitsubishi XForce.

According to Harian Metro, Syahidatul, 34, said the gift from her husband, Abubakar Sanusi, 30, reminded her of how far they had come since tying the knot in September 2016, and of the challenges they had overcome together.

She said she had never expected to receive the Mitsubishi XForce, as their Proton Persona, which they had used since 2012, before their marriage, had become increasingly prone to breakdowns, making daily travel difficult.

"I only asked my husband for a Perodua Axia, as long as I had a vehicle that was easy to use to get around," she said.

The couple met at Madrasah Syeikhul Ariffien in Melaka, where Syahidatul worked and Abubakar was a student.

They decided to marry after three months of getting to know each other seriously.

Although both came from financially comfortable families, they chose to build a life of their own after marriage.

Syahidatul said their limited income in the early years meant they had to be careful with their spending, as Abubakar was training as a car mechanic on a monthly allowance of RM250 while she earned RM1,000.

"Our limited income meant we had to be frugal to meet all our commitments. There was a point when we had to collect coins to buy petrol and rice," she said.

Despite their struggles, the couple remained determined to improve their circumstances.

Abubakar now runs a car workshop in Bandar Saujana Putra, enabling them to enjoy a more stable life.

Syahidatul said the Mitsubishi XForce left her surprised and emotional, as it reminded her of their journey from struggling to afford basic necessities to enjoying a more comfortable life.

"When I think about it, we have come a long way, from trying to scrape together enough money to buy rice and petrol to where we are today.

"It's not just about the car. Looking back at our journey since the beginning of our marriage, we have been through so much together.

"Alhamdulillah, I am grateful for what we have today," she said.