ALOR STAR: During Ramadan, 23-year-old Nurul Fatin Hanani Azman usually prepares nasi ayam with her mother for iftar with their family.
But this year, the once cherished tradition now only evokes deep grief for Nurul Fatin Hanani.
"My mother loved cooking nasi ayam. It was everyone's favourite.
"This Ramadan feels different. It feels lonely and bleak. It's like there's no happiness at all because my parents aren't here. The atmosphere is just different," she said when met with her brother, Adam Irfan, here today (March 25).
Nurul Fatin Hanani, a Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) student, said Hari Raya Aidilfitri this year would not be the same for her family.
"We now live with our grandmother in Sungai Petani. Without our parents, it's not going to be as festive."
On Jan 11, Nurul Fatin Hanani and her four siblings, Aida Batrisya, 17, Alya Batrisya, 16, Adam Irfan, 15, and Adib Ieman, 8, were orphaned after their parents died in a motorcycle crash while trying to evade a wild boar.
Their father, Mohd Norzianal Mohd Ainol, 46, and mother Suhana Othman, 43, died on the spot from severe head and body injuries after crashing into an electric pole near the Kuala Muda police headquarters.
Today, Nurul Fatin Hanani and Adam Irfan are among 123 beneficiaries of the Ramadan Kita programme at the Kedah Zakat Board, receiving cash aid and gifts.
The programme is a collaborative effort between E-Idaman Sdn Bhd, Irdeco Group Sdn Bhd, Kelab Media Elit Kedah and the Kedah Zakat Board.
E-Idaman contributed RM 27,000 and gifts for all recipients. Each recipient received RM200 and three families were given RM1,000 each.
Beneficiaries also received food baskets from Irdeco.
Nurul Fatin Hanani said she and her brother were grateful for the assistance and found solace in the support they received.
"It has been very sad since the start of Ramadan. This aid doesw bring relief to me and my siblings," she said.
Another recipient of the aid, Mohd Alif Irfan Riduan, 17, said he would use the cash aid to buy Aidilfitri clothes for himself and his siblings.
Alif and his three siblings lost their father, Ridzuan Salleh, 42, and mother, Rosmawati Ismail, 40, in an accident on Sep 4 last year.
"It has been very challenging. Usually, my parents would break fast with me and my siblings, but now it's just us.
"I'm trying my best to cope. I accept that it is God's will. This cash aid helps a bit, Alhamdulillah," he said while holding his 6-year-old brother, Mohd Ridz Danial.
E-Idaman chief executive officer Zaki Abdul Aziz Daud said the programme aimed to alleviate burdens and spread joy among the less fortunate, especially during Ramadan and Aidilfitri.
