TUMPAT: "When is Qaseh's papa (father) coming home?" That is the question often asked by Nur Qaseh Qhairra Mohamad Nashriezal to her mother, Syamsherra Mat Nasir.
The question leaves Syamsherra, 35, speechless, but she eventually tells her daughter, whom she calls Qaseh, aged 6, the truth that her father, Mohamad Nashriezal Zamree, has passed away.
Qaseh's story garnered attention after Syamsherra uploaded a video of Qaseh 'hugging' her father, Mohamad Nashriezal, on TikTok.
The video was edited with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) technology.
Expanding on the story, Syamsherra said the video was uploaded just for fun, and she didn't expect it to get so much attention.
"My sister-in-law edited the video and I just shared it on TikTok, but many people were moved and asked how to make such a video.
"The video looks so real that Qaseh even asked if her papa had come back.
"It was heartbreaking to hear her words because her father died in a road accident on Feb 20, 2018.
"At the time, I was three months pregnant with Qaseh. So she never got the chance to see her father's face," she said when contacted by 'Harian Metro'.
Syamsherra said it wasn't easy living without her husband by her side and raising a child alone.
"I couldn't accept it, at first, because he was healthy before he 'left', but it was destined that he passed away in to the accident.
"But there's no point in blaming fate, so I've finally come to terms with God's will.
"Even though she grows up without a father, but many people love her and enjoy being her friends.
"However, now that she's started attending school, she has many unexpected questions, particularly about her father, with the most common one being, 'When is papa coming home?'
"But I try to explain and I often take Qaseh to her father's grave so she can understand although she is still too young to fully comprehend," she said.
Syamsherra hopes that her daughter will grow up to be a righteous and kind child, and be able to live well despite not having the love of her biological father.
"I always pray for Qaseh to be healthy, excel in her studies, and have ease in both this world and the Hereafter.
"As a mother, I have also wondered what will happen if I pass away first, though I know that my siblings love her and would be able to take care of her," she said.