Zarif Adam Hishamuddin feels a pang of envy each time he sees his peers joking and bonding with their fathers.
His father, Hishamuddin Mohamed, breathed his last at Sungai Buloh Hospital on July 14, 2021 after contracting Covid-19.
When the ambulance came to take his father days earlier, Zarif could not hug or say goodbye as he was quarantined with his mother, Rafidah Arif, and his two siblings.
From behind a glass panel at the mortuary, 13-year-old Zarif witnessed the funeral rites and joined the prayer for his father. “But I regret not being able to kiss or hug my father’s body,” he said, recalling the moment before the burial in Taman Selaseh, near Gombak.
The painful memory still lingers, and Zarif admits he sometimes feels jealous when he sees his friends go on holidays, chat, or simply walk with their fathers. That void, however, has been partly filled since he was chosen as a foster child of Yayasan Keluarga Malaysia.
The foundation is led by former prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, who is known for his compassion toward children orphaned by Covid-19.
Through YKM, Zarif joined a camp in Kuala Pilah, Negeri Sembilan, last May which taught him to be braver, more confident, and independent – traits usually instilled by a father.
“I gained new experiences, such as archery, horse riding, reciting prayers, and giving religious talks to friends. “I used to be shy but after the camp I felt proud because I managed to do all these things,” said Zarif, who is a student at SMK Setapak Indah.
Besides emotional support, the financial aid and attention which YKM provided have eased the burden on Zarif and his mother.
“I’m grateful to Datuk Seri (Ismail Sabri) for helping with my school expenses. During Ramadan and Raya, he took us shopping for festive clothes, shoes and more,” Zarif told FMT in an interview.
Joining the interview, Ismail Sabri said YKM currently supports more than 1,000 foster children, with the aim of helping them to become independent in the future.
The YKM chairman said events such as the Malaysian Family Run, first held last year, and outreach programmes have help boost support for the foundation.
“At the start we had 405 foster children under 16, and 216 above. When we went to visit orphans in Kelantan, Sabah and Sarawak, we received many new registrations,” he said.
He also welcomed more corporate support for YKM, noting that many tailored programmes have been lined up to ensure YKM’s foster children grow up self-reliant.
“In the past, education programmes were only held once a year. However, now we’re seeing good progress. Many of them have excelled in exams, so we want to organise more such programmes, which require substantial funding,” he added.
YKM was launched in November 2021 during Ismail Sabri’s time in government. It was set up specifically to assist children who lost their parents to Covid-19. The foundation provides financial support, education, and psychosocial guidance to ensure these children are not left behind in life.
