A SURAU secretary in Nyior Setali, Kedah, has touched the hearts of many Malaysians after a video of his compassionate act towards a distressed Indian woman and her infant went viral on social media.
Shamshul Anuar Aziz, 44, of Surau Madrasatul Huda, has been widely lauded online, with numerous TikTok users expressing their gratitude for the help he extended to the mother and her child who had nowhere else to turn.
“I helped the woman and her child sincerely, on the basis of humanity and a sense of responsibility towards fellow human beings,”Sinar Harian cited Shamshul saying when met at the surau on Wednesday.
Recalling the incident, he explained that his cousin had informed him about the woman seen behind a house near the surau shortly after Maghrib prayers.
“I was still at the surau and asked my cousin to check first. I then joined him, and with the help of an Indian friend, we tried to speak with her.
“She looked very distressed and seemed unsure of where to go, so we brought her into the surau to offer temporary shelter,” he recounted.
The woman told Shamshul that her husband was currently serving a prison sentence, and she had been staying at a friend’s house roughly 200 metres away. However, following a misunderstanding, she left the home with her baby.
“We gave them food, drinks, and milk for the baby. We genuinely sympathised with their situation,” Shamshul said.
Wanting to assist further, Shamshul took to TikTok to post a video appealing for help to find the woman’s relatives. His effort succeeded when the woman’s brother, who lives in Penang, was contacted.
“Her brother asked us to send her and the child to the KTMB station in Alor Setar. Thankfully, we managed to purchase the last ticket to Butterworth for the 10.18pm train,” he added.
He and a few friends stayed at the station until the train departed, watching the woman wave and smile — a sign of relief and joy.
“I hope to meet them again someday, just to know how they are doing,” Shamshul said.
The story follows earlier reports of the woman being found in a state of panic near the surau, with nowhere to go and hoping not to be turned away. Her story, and Shamshul’s gesture, have since become a symbol of interfaith empathy and kindness in Malaysia. - May 28, 2025
