Elderly man chooses a life of solitude after heartbreak

PASIR PUTEH – A heartbreak from his teenage years led 83-year-old Che Ahmad Dollah to choose a life of solitude, never marrying after his love was rejected.

The woman he loved married another man, leaving him heartbroken. Unable to move on, Che Ahmad distanced himself and lived alone ever since.

Originally from Temangan, Machang, he spent his later years as a homeless man, sleeping in mosques around Kota Bharu. To survive, he worked as a dishwasher in exchange for meals.

Plus, Che Ahmad also received a monthly aid of RM500 from the Social Welfare Department.

Recently, he suffered a fall in the bathroom, resulting in a fractured right thigh and now relies on a walking stick.

Che Ahmad repeatedly expressed his wish to be buried near his eldest sister, known as Safiah.

Seeing his struggles, a kind-hearted man, Hafiz Ibrahim, along with his friends, decided to help. They built a hut for Che Ahmad in Bukit Tanah, Selising, fulfilling his wish to live near the grave of his eldest sister.

“When Hafiz and his friends asked me where I wanted to stay, I told them I wished to be near my eldest sister’s grave in Bukit Tanah, Selising.

"They agreed and brought me here,” Che Ahmad said.

Hafiz (second from the right) and his friends were determined to bring Che Ahmad (second from the left) home to care for him, pooling their money to build a hut complete with toilet facilities.

Hafiz, who had seen Che Ahmad frequently at Masjid Guchil Bayam, felt compelled to assist him.

“He had been there for almost a year. When I asked the mosque congregation, they told me that Che Ahmad had no family. Seeing his condition, my two friends and I decided to bring him home and care for him.

“We pooled our money to build a hut with toilet facilities and take turns delivering food. If necessary, I personally bathe him, depending on his health condition,” he said.