IPOH: The struggle of bringing up eight children in a poor household did not deter housewife Kasanah Mukkeri from raising them to succeed in their chosen fields.

Kasanah, 79, from Kampung Pauh, Behrang Stesyen received the Ammar bin Yassir Family Award for her efforts.

The award was presented by Sultan of Perak Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah in conjunction with the state-level Maulidur Rasul celebration at Hotel Casuarina here on Thursday (Sept 28).

Kasanah received a plaque, certificate and RM5,000 cash.

“My late husband worked as a rubber tapper and I was a housewife raising our children. We raised them in poverty. Alhamdulillah, I am blessed by how they turned out,” she said, adding that her husband passed away in 2002.

Three of them are teachers, while one is an executive, another a manager, two became engineers and one is the Malaysian Highway Authority deputy director.

Also at the event were Raja Permaisuri Perak Tuanku Zara Salim and Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad.

Meanwhile, 32-year-old Amar Arif Ahmad Po’ad from Ipoh received the Ibnu Abbas preacher award while the association Masyarakat Marhaen Taiping received the Non-governmental award.

Former teacher Zainall Abidin Zulkifli, 72, from Pengkalan Hulu, was presented with the Imam Mosque Officer award.

The Bilal Mosque Officer award went to Hamzah Ramli, 70, from Sungai Manik; and the Siak Mosque Officer award was awarded to 81-year-old Muhammad Noor Abd Yaseh from Kg Gajah.

NSTP group managing director Datuk Ahmad Zaini Kamaruzzaman from Kuala Kangsar received the Zaid bin Thabit media award.