Long-Lost Malaysian Childhood Friends Marry After 51 Years Of Being Apart
Zabidah Abdul Aziz's mother stopped her from dating Abdullah Saleh when she was in secondary school.
By Yap Wan Xiang — 06 Nov 2023, 04:19 PM
A Malaysian childhood friends recently got married after spending 51 years apart
Abdullah Saleh, a 68-year-old retired government employee, tied the knot with 65-year-old Zabidah Abdul Aziz in a wedding ceremony in Tambun, Perak on 28 October. The wedding was attended by their families and children, reported Harian Metro.
Abdullah revealed that he had been friends with Zabidah since she was 14 years old. They even lived in the same area and attended the same secondary school in Kampung Gajah.
However, their friendship eventually came to an end, leading them to part ways. Both of them moved on, marrying other partners, and they admitted that they never crossed paths or communicated, even when they returned to their hometown every year.
A video of their wedding ceremony went viral on TikTok late last month, with a caption that reads, "God's secret match. My mum was in Form 2 and my (step)father was in Form 5.
"They were separated because my grandmother told my mum to study first and not to be in a relationship.
"Who would have thought that 50 years later, they would cross path again and get back together?" wrote Zabidah's daughter.
Abdullah said their six children gave them their blessings for their marriage, despite their old age
"I can say that Zabidah was the first woman to ever touch my heart, but at the time, we were still young and could not continue our friendship. We led separate lives with our respective spouses.
"As fate would have it, our spouses had passed away first. My late wife died four years ago, and I tried to locate Zabidah, whose husband died before we got back in touch in August," Abdullah told Harian Metro.
Describing their union as "destiny", he said he was delighted to meet his former schoolmate again.
"I can still drive, and thankfully, we have no health issues, so we can go sightseeing together," said the retiree.
Nurul Ashiqqin, one of Zabidah's children, said that she and her siblings warmly welcomed her stepfather into the family. She said she even helped with her mother's wedding preparations.
She added that initially, she did not expect her mother to remarry after her father's passing seven years ago. However, she was delighted to see her mother happy and grateful for the company she now has.
Abdullah Saleh, Zabidah Abdul Aziz, and their family members.
Image via Nurul Ashiqqin Mohamad Yunus via Harian Metro