KUALA LUMPUR: Ina Naim said the absence of her second son, Sallman Elkhoyri, 14 at her wedding ceremony was because he had fallen asleep, and not because he disapproved of her marriage.
During a live TikTok session, Ina, accompanied by her new husband, Mohd Khairul Rizal Shukor, 41, said Sallman had also kept himself busy helping out with tasks outside to avoid the media.
"Many people asked about Sallman. On the first day, he was busy carrying trays and food to avoid reporters asking him questions," she said.
"He was afraid of being chased by reporters. While I was getting my makeup done, he told me, 'Mum, there are so many reporters."
Ina added that her other children speculated Sallman might have visited his late father's grave.
"After that, Sallman went to the mosque and then returned home. I thought he was sulking, but it turns out he went to his room and fell asleep," she said.
Previously, there were claims that Sallman did not approve of his mother's marriage, as he was not seen in any wedding videos from the ceremony held at Felcra Sg Ara, Kota Tinggi, Johor, last Friday.
Ina said Sallman was not as confident in facing the media as her eldest son, Ehmad Hadie Elfardie, 16.
"My two daughters weren't asked any questions, but Hadie is always prepared, whereas Sallman is too shy to speak," she said.
In the same live session, Ina expressed her happiness, noting that her new husband shares similarities with her late husband, Suhaimi Saad, a nasyid singer, including his habit of surprising her with flowers.
"My husband loves giving flowers, just like my late husband.
Even the day before our wedding, he gave me flowers," she said, adding that Mohd Khairul also gifted flowers for Suhaimi's grave.
"There were so many flowers that I had to throw some away. The similarities between my husband and Suhaimi make me feel that Allah is truly generous," Ina remarked.
Ina and Mohd Khairul, an engineer, connected through social media after he reached out to her in May.
A widower with two children, he had admired Suhaimi's approach to raising children with strong religious values.
Ina became a widow after Suhaimi, a former member of the nasyid group In-Team, passed away from a lung infection on Nov 15 last year.