Malay woman wins hearts with Tamil fluency

The Star

10 hours ago

Compiled by C. ARUNO and RAGANANTHINI VETHASALAM
NURUL Shazreen Shamrin Maniam is proud of her ability to speak fluent Tamil.
A video of the 28-year-old, who is of Malay, Chinese and Indian heritage, conversing in Tamil with her parents went viral recently and captured the hearts of many.
In the clip, Nurul Shazreen is seen chatting warmly in Tamil with her father, Shamrin Maniam Abdullah, 56, and her mother, Rosni Lee, 57.
Her father is of Indian-Chinese descent, while her Malay mother is also fluent in the language.
The couple hails from Perak, although their children were born and raised in Kuala Lumpur.
According to Nurul Shazreen, her father taught her to speak the language from an early age.
'There are five of us siblings, and all of us are fluent in Tamil,' she told Sinar Ahad.
She explained that being multilingual has given her added advantages.
'In a country like Malaysia, where there are many different races and cultures, being fluent in multiple languages makes communication easier and also opens up more opportunities, both professionally and socially.
'Understanding and respecting the languages and cultures of other ethnic groups is a bridge that strengthens unity among Malaysians,' she said.
Social media users widely praised Nurul Shazreen and her family for their ability to speak Tamil fluently, as well as the way the family embraced cultural differences as a source of strength.
> All is well in PU Riz and Neelofa's paradise, with four years of marital bliss under their belt.
The independent preacher recently expressed gratitude for being blessed with the 'best wife'.
PU Riz, 30, whose full name is Muhammad Haris Mohd Ismail, said his marriage to celebrity and entrepreneur Neelofa remains harmonious, adding that the strength of their relationship is rooted in spirituality.
'She is an understanding wife. If there's ever a problem, we will perform prayers together,' Kosmo! quoted him as saying in a TikTok video that has since gone viral.
'That's how we deal with our issues – spiritually and calmly.'
In the same video, Neelofa, whose full name is Noor Neelofa Mohd. Noor, 36, shared tips for couples who feel that their marriage has lost its spark.
'I think if the spark is gone, the couple needs to have a polite and respectful discussion,' she said.
PU Riz and Neelofa, who tied the knot on March 27, 2021, have two sons aged two and four.
The above articles are compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with a, it denotes a separate news item.