SHAH ALAM - Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's son, Datuk Mohd Nazifuddin Najib, has paid an emotional tribute to his late mother, Tengku Puteri Zainah Tengku Eskandar, remembering her sacrifices and unconditional love in raising her children despite the challenges she faced.
Nazifuddin, who is also Langkawi Umno division head and former Secretary-General of the Olympic Council of Malaysia, said his mother had taken on the roles of both mother and father when her children needed her most, often putting their needs ahead of her own.
In a heartfelt tribute on Instagram, he reflected on the sacrifices she made to ensure her children could build their own lives, start families and pursue their ambitions.
“In this life, many things may happen, but our mother was the one who gave us life when we had nothing. When we needed everything, she took on the roles of both mother and father, sacrificing her own needs to ensure that her children had everything they needed.
“She made countless sacrifices so that we could live our lives, build our own families and pursue the paths we wanted. She taught us to distinguish right from wrong and never stopped loving us, not even for a moment.
“Despite not having the life she deserved as a mother and facing expectations from others, she always gave her best for us,” he wrote.
Nazifuddin also expressed regret over not having had enough time to repay his mother for her sacrifices, saying she never got to enjoy the life he believed she deserved.
He reflected that she had not had the opportunity to enjoy life as the wife of a person who held one of the country's highest positions, while her children had also been unable to give her the life they had always wished for her.
He added that his mother had once dreamed of owning a home where she could live close to her beloved children, but passed away before that wish could be fulfilled.
“For everything we did not get the chance to give her in this world, I pray that Allah replaces it with something far more beautiful in the hereafter. Indeed, Allah loves mothers more and I hope that in heaven, she will finally enjoy all the love she deserves.
“May Allah place our beloved mother among the highest ranks in Jannatul Firdaus, surrounded by those with hearts as kind as hers, who were rich in love in this world and rich in rewards in the hereafter.
“May Allah always bless her. We will miss you forever, Mother. Al-Fatihah,” he said.
Tengku Puteri Zainah, Najib's former first wife, died on Nov 5 at the age of 70 after being admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) at Gleneagles Hospital Ampang.