#SHOWBIZ: Dharma Harun's son disappointed, offered indecent work for RM1k

New Straits Times

7 days ago

PETALING JAYA: The second son of veteran actor Dharma Harun, Muhammad Al Syafiq, 36, revealed he once considered dropping out of the National Academy of Arts, Culture and Heritage (Aswara) to find stable employment.
However, Syafiq said he abandoned that idea because he was unwilling to work with only his Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) qualifications, and also due to moral support from various parties urging him to complete his studies.
"Honestly, I thought about quitting my studies many times. But the dean, lecturers, and everyone else told me the same thing. They said I was different, that there was value in being at Aswara, which made me hesitate to quit.
"My friends also told me it would only take a short while more, and if I quit, I'd be earning an SPM-level salary. I've managed to support my family by working while studying all this time," he said.
Syafiq admitted he was embarrassed to publicly discuss his family's financial struggles.
But he was desperate as his earnings from part-time work while studying were insufficient to support them.
"Do you want to know the sad story about why I shared the post? The landlord told us to move out. The landlord was kind, but there were debts.
"My salary was small. I truly hope the 'Deko Ibadah' programme could be aired on TV so we'll have financial resources.
"Because things weren't going well, the landlord asked me to vacate within a month. I tried to find another house. But when they heard we'd be paying with help from Baitulmal, people weren't interested.
"Whether I liked it or not, I decided to tell the public about our hardships. Thank God, after that, some aid came in, and the landlord said as long as I could pay, we could stay. I could use any donations for that purpose, but I did not stop working," he said.
Earlier, Syafiq expressed his displeasure at criticism from netizens who accused him of being idle and hoping for his 69-year-old father, Dharma, to return to work to support the family.
Syafiq clarified that he had undertaken numerous part-time jobs as a barista, model, and actor to support his family all this time.
However, his monthly income of less than RM1,000 was simply not enough.
Syafiq also revealed that he had received various indecent job offers that compromised his self-respect. Among them was an individual who brazenly offered RM1,000 for sexual favours.
"I received all sorts of offers. For example, someone wanted to 'rent' my body for RM1,000. I just got that message early this July. There were even worse offers, but I don't think it's appropriate to share them publicly," he said.
He admitted he wasn't surprised by such an offer, given his work as a model. According to him, the offer might have stemmed from posting photos from his portfolio on social media.
Yesterday, producer Richard Ung organised a special screening of the action film 'Felai Fx', starring both Dharma and Syafiq, while also channeling donations to their family.
Ung said that the event, held at the National Film Development Corporation (Finas), was primarily to help collect donations for Dharma due to their difficulties, rather than to promote the 'Felai Fx' film.