PETALING JAYA: A man left his engineering job to take care of his mother, who is bedridden due to anaemia and a brain tumour.
Although he hired a caregiver, Mohd Amiruddin Ahmad Moktar, 38, continues his care routine for his mother, Latipah Ibrahim, 69.
Amiruddin, from Pendang, Kedah, and now living in Kota Damansara, said he studied engineering in Japan before returning to Malaysia in 2011.
He got job as an engineer and worked for four years before quitting in 2015 as his mother's health began to decline.
"I returned to Malaysia in March 2011, and that November, my father died from a lung infection.
"My mother was still healthy then, but gradually she became weaker, and last year, the doctor confirmed she has a brain tumour.
"It was hard to believe the news, so I took her to a specialist hospital for a second opinion before proceeding with a VP Shunt surgery (a procedure to drain excess fluid from the brain).
"She was frequently admitted, two to three times every few months, though her condition is stable now," he told "Harian Metro".
Now selling perfumes, he said that despite having a caregiver, his mother is more comfortable with him than with an outsider.
Because of this, he rented an office close to home, so he could quickly return if needed.
"If I'm not home, the caregiver will take over. But my mother is very attached to me.
"So if she doesn't want to eat, I have to come home to encourage her. I also help bathe her and assist her with going to the toilet or cleaning her on the bed.
"You could say I'm like a doctor and nurse at home. Late at night, I do livestreams to sell my perfumes because that's when my mother is asleep."
He said caring for a sick mother isn't easy, requiring physical and mental preparation, with patience being the most essential quality.
"It's not just about managing her meals and changing her diapers.
" I also have to handle her changing emotions, as she can go from cheerful to moody quickly since she now has dementia symptoms.
"But the reward is having her always in front of my eyes, and I am grateful to Allah for allowing me the experience of taking her to the Holy Land three times, in 2017, 2018 and last year."
As her son, he sees what he does as a gesture of love rather than just fulfilling an obligation.
"If I thought of it as just a duty, I might feel burdened. Instead, I do it out of love for my mother and Allah.
"My siblings help and visit, and my sister took care of our mother while I was in Japan, though now they all have their own families.
"I'll never be able to repay my mother's sacrifices. I consider myself blessed because of her prayers.
"I'll keep doing my best for her as long as I can."
He shares videos on TikTok hoping to inspire others to care for their parents.