Compiled by Sira Habibu,C.Aruno and R.Aravinthan



FORMER award-winning actress Puteri Balqis Aziz now has to bear with hunger pangs for days at a time due to financial hardship, reported Harian Metro.

The 13-year-old, who once dreamed of starring in Hollywood movies, was even forced to take to the streets with her mother to sell her book 38 Poems Of Puteri Balqis.Balqis, whose best known films include Upin & Ipin: Jeng Jeng Jeng!, Makrifat Cinta and KL Special Force, won the prizes for the Best Actress and the Best Actress for Drama at the Asian Television Awards 2014 for her role in Balqis.

However, her dreams were shattered after she was diagnosed with cancer and heart ailment last year.

“When we were rich we could buy expensive bags and shoes. When we suddenly fall, we are grateful to God for reminding us not to forget who we are.

“We are grateful to God for testing us. It makes us stronger, ” she said.

Balqis, who is an only child, had chosen to stay with her mother Norashikin Aziz following her parents’ divorce four years ago.

Her hardship was recently highlighted on TV3’s Bersamamu programme for the destitute, during which she revealed that she had gone without food for several days when they ran out of cash.

They had also been evicted from their home and were currently staying in a rented unit without water supply for the last four months.

Balqis’ book, which is a compilation of poems reflecting challenges in life, was published with the help of her mother’s friends.



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.