KUALA LUMPUR: A father’s boundless love shines as he spares no expense to turn the backyard of his house in Selangor into a mini-water park, all for the joy of his six children.
It may come across as a bit out of the ordinary, but that is exactly what 37-year-old businessman Shukrie Ab Rahim did just to make his children, aged three to 11, who love water activities, happy.
“Originally, the plot was our home garden that we built when the Movement Control Order (MCO) was implemented in 2020. We planted a variety of vegetables, including kangkung (water spinach), chillies, long beans, tomatoes and ladies’ fingers for our own consumption.
“I decided to build the water park after seeing the kids get tired of being cooped up at home,” he told Bernama.
According to him, the mini water park, measuring 21 x 15 metres, or the size of a futsal pitch, was built in stages, starting with drawing up a plan, site excavation, equipment installation, tree planting, and the overall landscape design.
Construction began in 2021 and was completed a year later, turning the area into a vibrant space with a swimming pool, water playground, water slides, a mini zoo, encircled by the natural beauty of mulberry trees, grape vines, and an enchanting fountain.
To create the atmosphere of a real or commercial water theme park, the area is also equipped with various other facilities, such as gyms, prayer rooms, toilets, cabins, changing rooms and vending machines.
Shukrie said that the mini-water park was also built to serve as a place for him to gather and enjoy quality time with his family, relatives, and about 60 employees.
At the same time, he said the water park also opens its doors to children from two orphanages that he has cared for, namely Rumah HALO Prihatin Jalinan Kasih in Cheras and Rumah HALO Prihatin Ainul Kasih House in Pasir Gudang, Johor.
“This is one of my company’s CSR (corporate social responsibility) initiatives. I want to share joy and happiness with the children and make them happy,” he said.
The TikTok video, posted by Shukrie’s wife Norashikin Nordin, 35, showcasing the mini-water park has gone viral, amassing an impressive 4.7 million views since October.–Bernama
