Magnetic. Warm. Vivacious. Loved by all. It is testament to Muhaini Mahmud, better known as Mui to the legion who admired her, that the same words keep cropping up in tributes to her after her tragic passing on Sunday. The entrepreneur and mother, 44, was rescued during the swim leg of the Langkawi Ironman event and was rushed to the hospital in critical condition on Saturday. She died the following day, and was laid to rest at Tanah Perkuburan Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur, yesterday.
Love, Passion and Positivity
“Mui was always the glue that kept people together. Always with a zest for life, with a vigour that is rare to find in people. You always got a sense that she loved to make her friends happy,” said her friend Danni Rais. Saying no to her was also difficult, he added, as “her enthusiasm radiated brightly.” She was also a very supportive friend, and never asked for anything in return, he said.
“Most recently, I remember her screaming out my name as I was jumping into the water at an Ironman event in Desaru. All caught on camera, she was screaming my name with utmost enthusiasm and excitement to the brink of losing her voice. Turning back and looking to my right just to see her cheer gave me that energy to continue. That was her in a nutshell – her euphoric energy rubbed off positively on others.”
Presenter and actor Nazrudin Rahman, who has known Muhaini since secondary school, said she had a knack for connecting people, and people who met her would be instantly attracted to her nature. “She would lead, and others would follow. She had a zest for life, and in later years, she would squeeze every last drop of it, and in the process, inspire those around her.”
Communications strategist Yan Lim said it had been a real privilege having a friend like her, personally and professionally. “She was a kind and compassionate soul whose positive energy and vibrant spirit never failed to lift anyone’s mood as soon as she walked in,” she said.
Danni said Muhaini was always very dedicated to all her passions and pursuits, which included triathlons – she trained very hard, even waking up at 4am for training sessions. Like many others, he was in awe of her dedication to everything else in her life.
Indeed, her close friend Datuk SM Faisal Nasimuddin said she was a remarkable individual, “effortlessly juggling the roles of a devoted mum, a thriving entrepreneur, and a dedicated athlete.” Her vivacious spirit was contagious, and her zest for life was an inspiration to all who knew her, he said.
Muhaini was a former actuarial consultant at Actuarial Partners Consulting, and then the director of corporate affairs at the Weststar Group for over eight years, before co-founding Kiddocare – an on-demand babysitting platform that connects parents with trained and vetted Malaysian babysitters – in 2018.
Making a Difference for Malaysian Mums
So many people highlighted her work with Kiddocare as her ultimate legacy, providing thousands of families with crucial childcare services, as well as opportunities for women to generate income as babysitters. Muhaini co-founded the company with her partner and friend Nadira Yusoff, who came up with the idea of helping fellow working mums with childcare.
Here at makchic, we were big fans of Kiddocare from day one. Our contributors and readers used its services since it first launched, and I personally used Kiddocare several times for my own children, with one very sweet Kiddocarer wearing my baby girl to sleep in a baby-carrier while I was busy with a makchic meeting. As mothers in the trenches, we were always grateful for the efficient and professional services of Kiddocare, and were not surprised at all when it continued to thrive, most recently raising seven-figure funds from prominent investors to continue its growth.
makchic contributor Nadia Azhar said she “wouldn’t have survived” without Kiddocare’s babysitting services. “Back in 2018, professional babysitting services were unheard of, and it was fate that I chanced upon Kiddocare. My father had a medical emergency out of the country, and my mother, my sons’ caregiver while I was at work, had to fly out to tend to my father,” she added.
Nadia said Kiddocare tackled the dilemma working parents faced when they needed extra help now and then. “You (Muhaini) addressed every bit of uncertainty we had in the back of our heads, leaving us with zero doubts when leaving our children in the care of a total stranger. Gaining the trust of a mum is no easy feat!” she added.
“My boys are all grown up now, and I continue to recommend your service to my mum friends. I am proud to see how far Kiddocare has come. You’ve left a legacy, and I will forever be indebted to you for saving me and my sanity when I needed it the most,” she said.
A ‘lifesaver’ is also how others in our makchic community of parents have described Kiddocare. Former broadcast journalist Azreen Zaharin said she jumped on the service as soon as it launched, and “it was truly lifesaving”. “My kids loved the kakaks and I was very impressed with the service, everything that we mums always worry about when we leave our kids to nannies was covered. (Muhaini) had thoroughly prepared an authentic solution provider business. May Allah grant her Jannah for her contribution in making life easier for hundreds of parents,” she shared.
When we last interviewed her in July 2022, Muhaini said through Kiddocare, she also wanted to empower Malaysian women with a viable income, combined with training and professional development as childcare workers. Many women from the B40 community (B40 representing the bottom 40 per cent of income earners in Malaysia) who first joined the company now earned at least RM2,500 a month, she said.
“It’s a win-win. We want to empower working women, and at the other end, we also want to give better income opportunities to babysitters,” Muhaini shared.
Most of all, Muhaini was a loving mother, and was especially devoted to her son, Mateen Maliq, and family. She came from a respected family dedicated to public service; the proud daughter of Prof Datuk Dr Mahmud Mohd Nor, who set up the first Department of Paediatric Surgery and was the first Malaysian surgeon to successfully separate a set of Siamese twins in 1988. Her mother, Tan Sri Dr. Sharifah Hapsah, was the first female vice-chancellor of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and the President of the National Council of Women’s Organisations from 2014 to 2016.
Her best friend of over 25 years, Dr Natasha Ayla, said Muhaini was a very driven woman and always gave 110% to everything she did, whether it was her work with Kiddocare, organising events or focusing on her son.
“She was a very organised person and fantastic multitasker, making her a wonderful friend, daughter, sister, and of course, a devoted mum. She loved spending time with her son every morning and entertaining his chats, and always making time for him despite her busy schedule. And so, he has become this very intelligent child who can speak about science, animals and also name every single flag (in the world) and the capital of each country!”
At the heart of it, Muhaini was a very giving person who would “bend over backwards for anyone close to her.”
“One thing about Mui was that she would always call you when she hadn’t heard from you in a while. She would never not stay in touch, even when she was busy,” she said.
A life of real success
There is a quote often misattributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson, but its actual genesis comes from writer Bessie A. Stanley. It goes like this:
To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know that even one life has breathed easier because you lived. This is to have succeeded.”
Kiddocare did not just allow many mothers to breathe easier, it allowed us to hope and to thrive in our work and personal lives. With her life’s work and the impact she has had on the people around her, there is little doubt that Muhaini found the keys to success and shared its joys often and generously.
Muhaini Mahmud leaves behind a son, a family in grief, and a community of mothers, parents and women grateful for her legacy.
By Laych Koh
