PUTRAJAYA, April 29 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob today accompanied 54 orphans and asnaf children under his care to shop for new sets of clothes for Hari Raya Aidilfitri at a shopping mall here.
With ease, Ismail Sabri who calls himself Atuk (Grandpa), brought smiles to the children’s faces who looked very excited to see him from as early as 9.30 am.
Pure happiness was obvious in the children’s smiles as they were allowed to pick their own Raya outfits and shoes according to their preferred colours and designs.
Speaking to reporters later, Ismail Sabri said the shopping trip was his annual routine with the orphans, who have also become his adopted children, ahead of the Aidilfitri celebration.
“I just want to make them happy to celebrate Hari Raya.
“Although we rarely see each other, I always make a point to see them at least once a year. If I’m holding a breaking of fast event, I will surely invite them,” he said.
One of the children, Nur Auni Syafia Jefri Mohd Zain, 11, admitted that she was so excited to go shopping for Raya outfits with ‘Atuk’.
“Ibu (guardian) told me that Atuk will take me and my sister (Nur Syamimi, 12) shopping today. I woke up at 6, too excited to see him,” she said.
Nur Auni and Nur Syamimi are two of the four children of Jefri Mohd Zain and Noorsalawati Ibrahim who were killed when the motorcycle they were riding was hit by a sand-laden lorry in Cheras in 2014.
Meanwhile, as a token of love and appreciation, another pair of siblings Nur Firuza Amira Fairuz Nizam, 13, and Nur Firuza Aqilah, 10, also took the opportunity to present ‘Atuk’ with their home-made Raya cookies.
“We brought home-made Raya cookies for Atuk. We made the ‘chocolate moist’ and ‘Cadbury tart’ ourselves last night,” said the siblings whose parents Fairuz Nizam Husain and Nova Safitri Azhari were also killed in a road accident in 2015.
Describing Ismail Sabri as a caring and friendly person, the two sisters also prayed for him to continue to be blessed with long life, wealth and sustenance.
“Atuk has never forgotten about me and my sister. I wish him good health and success in this world and the Hereafter,” Nur Firuza Amira said.
