PETALING JAYA: Piece by piece, Salamah Sudin would pawn her gold jewellery to ensure her children got to go to school.

       She even pawned her wedding ring, and 20 years later, she could barely hold back her tears when her daughter repaid her sacrifice with a similar gold ring.

       Norhayati Nordin, 27, said that her mother Salamah Sudin worked day and night to make a living after her father passed away from a motorcycle accident in 1995.

       “In the morning, my mother worked at a restaurant, and at night, she sold nasi lemak by the train station.

       “I could see that she slowly started to sell her gold jewellery back then to cover our living expenses,” she told mStar, The Star’s Malay language portal.

       Norhayati said her 65-year-old mother had been selling nasi lemak at the Tapah Road KTM station since 1985.

       She added that her mother pawned her last piece of gold jewellery when she started primary one in SJK(C) Phui Chen in Tapah, Perak.

       According to mStar, the TikTok video that showed Norhayati gifting a gold ring similar to the one her mother had pawned 20 years ago, received almost 10,000 views.

       “When I entered primary one, my mother pawned her gold ring. That ring was her wedding ring and she only got RM300 for it.

       “With that money, my mother bought my school uniform and books, paid the school fees and other schooling necessities.

       “Back then I was very sad as my mother had to pawn the ring, which she really loved.

       “She worked hard to ensure that I was able to attend school.

       “She would always advise me to study hard as that was the only thing she could give me,” said Norhayati.

       In 2014, she took over her mother’s nasi lemak stall after working for three years as an operator in a factory in Jalan Tapah.

       After five months, Norhayati said she was able to save up and buy a gold ring similar to her mother’s wedding ring.

       “Alhamdulilah, this year I have been doing well. With the money I received from selling nasi lemak and kuih muih, I was able to buy my mother an identical ring.

       “When I gave my mother that ring, she was shocked and wanted to cry because she was able to put on a ring that was from the hard work of her own child.

       “My mother thanked me and prayed that I would do well.

       “I was really happy then as I was able to give my mother the ring as a way to thank her for her sacrifices,” she added.

       Norhayati, who is the youngest of five siblings, said it was time for her mother to rest and for her children to now make a living.

       “My mother sacrificed a lot, working day and night just to raise us.

       “Now she is able to rest at home as we do not allow her to do heavy work as she is getting on in age,” she said.