Late singer Siti Sarah's mother-in-law raises eyebrows with talk of future wife for her son

KUALA LUMPUR • It has been only five months since Malaysian singer Siti Sarah, 36, died from Covid-19 and her mother-in-law has raised eyebrows by openly discussing a future wife for her son.

Siti Sarah's death in August triggered an outpouring of support in Malaysia, as it had occurred merely three days after she delivered her fourth child.

She and her husband, comedian Shuib Sepahtu, 36, have three other children aged six, eight and 10.

In a video posted on the late singer's Instagram account on Dec 30, her mother-in-law, Madam Salamiah Jalani, is seen speaking to her grandchildren and Siti Sarah's stepmother, Madam Siti Fatimah.

Madam Siti, who took the video, is heard off-screen saying: "(Siti Sarah's daughter) Talita is asking for a younger sister."

Madam Salamiah replies: "You're asking your daddy to remarry? You want a stepmum?"

Upon the girl's confirmation, Madam Salamiah proceeds to list the required traits for her son's future wife: "If someone wants to marry your daddy, first, she must know how to cook because he's a big eater. Last time, your late mum had to cook at 2 to 3am. Would anyone be willing to do that?"

Madam Siti then asks: "What else, ma? What about having to put up with you?"

In reply, Madam Salamiah reiterates that her son's future wife should be a good cook: "I'm not that bad to put up with... To take care of your husband's heart is through his stomach. That's all I ask."

The video has garnered nearly half a million views and hundreds of comments. Some netizens said it was too soon to talk about a replacement for her late daughter-in-law, and a few pointed out that it was strange to be posting such content on Siti Sarah's account.

Others said the older woman's comments underlined how good a mother and wife Siti Sarah was.

"The kids need a mother's love and Shuib needs a partner by his side. It won't be the same as Sarah but we can only pray for the best for Shuib and his kids," said one user.

Another said: "Remarrying does not mean you forget about your old love... Maybe it's a bit too early, but let's pray for the best."

Shuib has yet to weigh in on his mother's comments.

On New Year's Eve, he posted a video with his youngest child, Ayash, who is five months old, calling 2021 "the year that will be remembered the most".

He added that he plans to explain the significance of Aug 9, 2021 - the date of Siti Sarah's death - to Ayash when he grows up.