JOHOR BARU – An Instagram video by Datuk Nurulhidayah Zahid confronting an individual pretending to be her stepbrother has gone viral on social media.
According to the caption of her post, the individual in question claimed to be the stepson of her father, Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
Following her confrontation, the individual informed Nurulhidayah that he had obtained an image of her father’s identity card online and had used it to intimidate other people.
“You’re lucky that I pity you because you’re a kid. If not, you would be sitting in the lockup, child!” the caption reads.
In the video, where Nurulhidayah was having a conversation with the imposter, he could be heard admitting to the wrongdoing and apologising for the whole ordeal.
It all started with a Burmese python
The Vibes found that the individual in question goes by the name Afiq Haikal, who is a 24-year-old international relations student.
Apparently, the reason why Afiq pretended to be Zahid’s son is linked to a Burmese python.
Speaking to The Vibes, one 21-year-old Nur Balqis explained that she had given her pet Burmese python to Afiq’s girlfriend who was going to care for the animal.
“When I came back (for the snake), I tried to contact his girlfriend, but I was informed she was vacationing in Pulau Tioman, which was untrue.
What happened was my snake escaped in her house, and she blocked me on her phone,” Balqis told The Vibes.
She then made her way to the house where the snake was kept, and, to her horror, the premises which housed numerous animals were in a dirty state and had a flea infestation.
Besides rubbish and faeces everywhere, Balqis also alleged having found two dead cats in the house.
“There’s no evidence that she was hitting these animals, but this is clearly neglect, which is abuse too,” Balqis said.
Alleging that Afiq’s girlfriend takes in animals for adoption, Balqis decided to take videos and photos of the house and post them online with the intention of warning the public against giving animals for adoption to the couple.
ATTENTION TO CAT ADOPTION CENTRES/CAT OWNERS❗️❗️
— ?(بلقيس)? (@nolongerskek) May 23, 2023
DO NOT give any cats towards this person named Nia.
The house is infested with fleas. Her cat just died of fleas,yet she is looking for a replacement. Several cats died under her care just this year due to neglectful condition + https://t.co/xsXDjEQ5a4 pic.twitter.com/XyGgo4WBd8
The tweet, which was uploaded yesterday, garnered 10,400 retweets and 7,338 likes at the time of writing.
It also drew in comments from other Twitter users who claimed to have had bad experiences dealing with the couple.
In fact, a founder of a local animal shelter alleged that the couple had lied about being married to adopt a blind puppy.
Thank you for sharing this. I am the founder of Ruff Love Malaysia and have had a terrible experience with her and her boyfriend as well. They lied to us about being married and adopted one of our blind puppies.
— Gabrielle Geetha (@GabrielleG_5) May 23, 2023
However, the couple abandoned the dog at a Muslim friend’s house.
When the animal shelter’s founder contacted Afiq, he reportedly did not respond.
Balqis later claimed that the couple was never married and that Afiq’s girlfriend is underaged.
In the aftermath of Balqis’ viral tweet, she said she intends to file a complaint with the authorities regarding the alleged abuse in the form of neglect.
She also claims that Afiq started communicating in a hostile tone and claimed to be Zahid’s stepson.
‘I was just trying to scare people’
The Vibes contacted Afiq, who had admitted to falsely claiming to be the DPM’s stepson.
He explained that the reason behind his actions was to intimidate certain individuals.
“I lied about being the deputy prime minister’s stepson…it’s my fault, because I wanted to threaten people.
Nurul Zahid contacted me…I clarified the matter with her, explaining that I obtained the picture (of Zahid’s identity card) online and that I sent it via WhatsApp to scare someone.
“This is my wrongdoing, and I am at fault for that,” Afiq said when contacted.
Balqis’ claims about her Burmese python were also confirmed, as Afiq explained that his girlfriend took care of the snake before it escaped its enclosure.
Afiq also claimed that his girlfriend suffers from mental health disorders, a reason he used to explain her other behaviours as well.
He also admitted that the condition of the house is not suitable for animals.
When queried about his relationship, Afiq admitted to knowing his girlfriend was underage.
However, he could not specify the details of his girlfriend’s mental condition, and merely said her mother confirmed she has medical records at University Malaya Medical Centre.
The house is not suitable for animals. I have been to that house many times, and I have helped her clean up the place.
“But I don’t know if it’s due to her disorder…she likes things to be messy,” Afiq said.
Pertaining to the adoption of the blind dog, Afiq appears to have deflected the blame on his girlfriend, stating it was her who lied about being married to get the puppy.
Commenting further, Afiq said that he ignored text messages from the animal shelter’s founder, as he was experiencing a breakdown due to the situation. – The Vibes, May 25, 2023
