GOOD TIMES: Riang and Asiah during their wedding ceremony at the home in 2010.
SIBU: About two years after they tied the knot at Sri Kenangan Old Folk’s Home, residents Mohd Riang and Asiah Abdullah both passed away, two months apart.
Asiah lost her battle against lung cancer at the age of 72 on May 6, 2012 at the home.
Two months later, Riang passed away while still grieving the passing on of his wife.
“I think he missed her so much. He was very quiet, he was not as happy as before, and talked very little,” a spokesperson from the Home said.
Added the unnamed source: “He lost his best companion. And sadly, on July 24, 2012, he had a stroke and died at the age of 79.”
The couple registered their marriage on April 13, 2010 after they had been together for about a year.
It was not ‘love at first sight’, but the act of kindness and respect, which gradually turned friends into soul mates.
Shortly after both entered the home in 2009, Riang became Asiah’s ‘eyes’, leading her everywhere she wanted to go.
Glaucoma had impaired Asiah’s sight for a few years before she decided to enter the old folk’s home. Initially, she struggled with life rather piteously, finding it especially difficult to move around though people at the home were helpful and kind to her.
She spent most of her time alone. Her case was particularly distressing in the eyes of Riang, who, in fact, was the first resident of the home to actually offer her his full attention.
“She had great difficulty moving around. Often she couldn’t get the right direction without help, so I helped her,” Riang told The Borneo Post when interviewed in 2010.
Since then, they spent most of their time together. They talked, walked, and even ate at the same table.
With him around, life for Asiah became a lot easier.
Although the relationship between them got close, they could only be seen together during daytime because of the house rules of the home – male and female are not allowed to be together at nighttime unless they are married.
The headmistress of the home at that time felt that limiting their ‘togetherness’ was not good, and thus asked them if they wanted to get married.
The couple’s immediate answer was a big ‘yes’.
Asiah was happy to have Riang in her life, while Riang on the other hand, was happy with his new responsibility as a husband.
For him, it would be a chance to take better care of his wife.
Their marriage ceremony on April 30, 2010 at the home was attended by more than 200 family members, friends and well wishes.
They were the first couple to have their wedding reception at the home.
Asiah was Riang’s third wife.His first two wives, with whom he had seven children and one adopted son, passed away many years ago.
Before entering the home, Riang earned his living as a farmer.
Asiah, on the other hand, had three children from her first marriage. Her husband died more than 10 years ago.
Although living away from their families, the couple had once said they were happy living in the home.
“We have nothing to worry about here. They give us everything we need. This place is a home to us now,” they said.
Both were buried at the Sibu Islam Burial Site.