TELUK BAHANG: A husband and wife couple said they have not turned on the ceiling fan in their house for the past couple of years because of their son's extraordinary height.
"It has been a few years since we last turned on the ceiling fan in our house because of our son's height which has almost reached the same level as the fan.
"With a height of 198 centimetres (cm), our son is often the centre of attention and attraction when we are out and about in public." said Junaidah Jamil, 44, who shared this about her son, Muhamad Haziq Khairul Annuar, 16, a teenager who is head and shoulders taller than just about everyone else.
She said when Haziq was just five years-old, her one and only child was already much taller than other children his age, being as tall as an average teenager.
However, she and her husband, Khairul Annuar Mohamad Saberi, 52, did not suspect that Haziq was actually suffering from Marfan Syndrome (a genetic condition that affects connective tissue, which provides support for the body and organs), which is quite a rare condition.
"When he went for a medical examination last year, the doctor confirmed that he was at a height of 198cm and he can continue growing even taller before he reaches 21-years-old.
"Even though being tall does have its advantages, Haziq faces difficulties especially when he wants to get on the bus, get into a car or get on a motorcycle, in fact we have to place special orders for his clothes and shoes that have to be specially made for him.
"My husband constantly takes measurements of Haziq's height by asking him to stand by the door and then marking his height using a pen," she said when met at their home in Jalan Hassan Abbas here.
Word of Haziq's extraordinary height gained traction and appeal online after it was shared by Tasek Gelugor Member of Parliament, Datuk Wan Saiful Wan Jan via his Facebook account recently.
According to the Facebook post, Wan Saiful was visiting the Teluk Bahang Ramadan Bazaar when he got excited to meet with the towering teenager.
Junaidah said that she did not know that Haziq posed for pictures with the people's representative so much so it went viral and she was informed by a friend of what had happened.
The homemaker said that apart from Marfan Syndrome, their son also has a heart related ailment since he was five years-old but thankfully it is not serious.
"However Haziq's ailment and condition means that he get tired, exhausted quite fast and therefore he is unable to be active in sports at school even though he seems to like the high jump discipline," she said.
Meanwhile Haziq shared that at school he has been given the moniker, nickname 'galah panjang' (long pole) by his peers.
"As expected, what I can tell you is that those who are quite tall end up getting 'special tasks', such as cleaning parts of the classroom which are closer to the roof," said Haziq.
