KUALA LUMPUR – The late Mohd Kamil Affendy can now rest easy in eternal slumber, knowing that his “community plea” on Facebook for financial assistance before he lost his battle with Covid-19 has granted him reprieve from multiple sources.
Yesterday, his widowed 74-year-old mother, Aminah Ibrahim, received nearly a dozen guests offering assistance, including Nashriq, the son of newly minted Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
After Kamil’s death at Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL) early Thursday, Aminah now lives alone in a three-bedroom, single-storey, corner-lot house with about 30 rescued cats.
Although it had been less than 48 hours since her son’s death, Aminah was warm and welcoming to her numerous visitors, making sure they were comfortable while she told stories about Kamil.
Naughty son full of sweet surprises
“Kamil wasn’t a bad person, but he was naughty. There’s a difference between being bad and naughty. Living with him was beautiful, and he was full of surprises.
“On one of my birthdays, he bought me a very expensive box of ice cream. I’m not even sure how to pronounce the name,” Aminah told The Vibes as she brought out the Häagen-Dazs ice-cream bag while sharing her sweetest recollections of her late 39-year-old son.
“He wanted me to have all of it, so he never said anything or asked for any of it. It was so delicious that I finished eating it in one sitting. I didn’t even realise I ate the whole tub. When he saw that, he pretended to be sad and said, ‘Mak! Why didn’t you keep some for me?’”
“He wasn’t serious, he was just teasing me.”
Aminah, who was married at the tender age of 15, gave birth to seven children, but only four survived. The three elder kids were all girls, with the oldest now 57 years old.
She said Kamil, her youngest child, was her pillar of support, including financially, despite him losing his eyesight in February. He then found himself jobless due to his blindness.
As she entertained her guests, the septuagenarian presented a calm and strong exterior. There were, however, moments when her emotions got the better of her, and she would sob for a bit before composing herself with a smile.
Mysterious financial benefactor
Given that she is now alone, there are concerns about Aminah’s financial stability, particularly her bills, rent and the funds needed to care for her rescued cats that she fondly referred to as her “children”.
Her monthly rent stands at RM900, and the cost of feeding the cats comes to about RM250 a month. On her utility bills, the tough and feisty widow said she pays a minimum of RM50 for electricity and RM40 for water.
“Under Kamil’s name, we get RM400 a month from Baitulmal for rent, and my son would top up the rest. However, it was strange. Even when he lost his job, he managed to find money. There was a mysterious benefactor that helped our family.
“I don’t know his identity, and neither did Kamil. It seemed that this mysterious benefactor would bank in enough money for us to cover our rent and survive every month. I asked Kamil many times, and he always said he didn’t know.
“He even joked that it could be from some man in Australia.”
With Kamil’s passing, Aminah has applied to receive his aid under her own name, which she is confident will be approved.
‘Allah will provide’
As she chatted, it became clear that Aminah has strong faith in the Almighty, reflected not only in her stoic demeanour, but also when it comes to the adversity she potentially faces now that her son is gone.
She said she has never worried about making ends meet, as she believes “rezeki” (income) is granted by Allah.
“I don’t worry. I mean, I worry about my children, but I never worry about how I am going to survive. Allah is caring and generous. As a child, I never went hungry in my kampung. I farmed padi with my parents. We had bananas, durians and other fruits, and vegetables that grew around our house.
“I won’t worry about this (income). Allah will provide, as He is caring and generous. I never asked for help, but people care and have been coming to help me. Look at today: a lot of people have come to help me. You (referring to The Vibes team) have brought me some food.
“Earlier, other reporters passed me some money to help me survive. And also, you just told me that there was someone from the local mosque who’s here to give me donations. Inshaallah, He will take care of me.”
Bonding with the DPM’s son over cats
During her conversation with Nashriq, it was clear that the two shared something in common that they rapidly bonded over: their love for cats.
Kamil and his mother are well known in their neighbourhood for rescuing, feeding and fostering injured or abandoned strays.
Similar to Aminah, Nashriq, too, referred to his cat as his child, and lamented to her that he could not keep more than one as he lives in an apartment.
He said Aminah and Kamil reminded him a lot of his mother, Datin Seri Muhaini Zainal Abidin, who has about 30 cats.
“My mother is the same; when she sees an injured stray cat, she will bring it home to care for it until it is adopted. The thing is, while caring for the cat, she will grow fond of them, and will not want to give them up. That’s why she has so many cats,” Nashriq told Aminah with a chuckle.
Being an animal lover, Nashriq heads an animal rights group called Suara Haiwan Malaysia. He promised to send Aminah some bags of cat food.
He also handed her RM2,700 to help cover three months’ rent, and stressed that she can always call him if she needs help buying cat food or any other kind of assistance.
Nashriq told Aminah that he was alerted to her plight after reading about her son’s story in The Vibes.
When he learnt of Kamil’s death and that The Vibes was heading to Aminah’s home to speak to her and render aid, Nashriq requested to tag along so that he, too, could give assistance.
‘I always see your dad on TV!’
At the end of their conversation, Aminah quietly asked if it is true that Nashriq is Ismail Sabri’s son.
“Someone whispered to me that you’re the son of our deputy prime minister. What’s your father’s name again, young man?” Aminah asked.
“Ismail Sabri,” said Nashriq.
“Oh! I always see your father on television. He talks about Covid-19 all the time. My daughters will be so surprised when I tell them about this! Thank you very much for coming and showing your concern,” gushed the grandmother.
The two of them then began exchanging celebrity gossip on Nashriq’s brother Gaddafi, who shot to fame as a contestant on Akademi Fantasia, and fashion-designer sister Nina, before Nashriq had to leave.
Earlier this week, The Vibes reported on Kamil’s plight. At the time, he spoke from HKL’s Covid-19 ward.
Kamil was not only battling a Stage 3 infection, but he also suffered from diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, and had been diagnosed with bipolar I disorder.
At the depth of his despair, Kamil, who also struggled with suicidal thoughts, had taken to social media to ask netizens for help finding a job so that he could better care for his mother.
Before he could witness the outpouring of aid, Kamil died about 4am on Thursday. – The Vibes, July 10, 2021
Additional reporting by Azril Annuar and Zaidatul Syreen Abdul Rashid
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