Video of Malaysian family's reunion after months-long border closure warms viewers' hearts

The last time Mala Kalaimugilan saw her husband was seven months ago, thanks to the travel restrictions imposed between Malaysia and Singapore due to the pandemic.

So when her husband, Kalai Mugilan, made his way back home without informing the family, it definitely took them by surprise.

The heartfelt reunion on Oct 3 was documented in a video and shared by Mala on her Facebook page. 

Instead of her, it was the children who first noticed their father as he entered the house.

In the video, their daughter clasped both hands over her mouth at his surprise return. Kalai also had a gleeful look on his face as he approached his youngest son. 

Unaware of what was to come, Mala had been in the kitchen whipping up a meal for the family. It was only when her husband inched closer to where she was did she realise his presence. 

Gripped by her emotions, Mala stepped back and froze temporarily when her eyes landed on Kalai. She looked at her husband from head to toe as though to ascertain that it was indeed him, before she went in for a hug.

Kalai proceeded to give Mala reassuring pats on her back and even grinned widely when she affectionately held and kissed him.

The moment was indeed a cause for celebration — their youngest son even did a mini celebratory dance to welcome his dad back home.

As Kalai broke from his wife’s embrace to greet his other children, she was seen wiping away her tears. The dad went on to embrace his daughter and carry his youngest son.

Kalai’s older son was no different when he saw him and was overcome by big emotions. He sobbed and buried his head beneath his father’s chin. Kalai proceeded to comfort his son by giving him the same reassuring pats and eventually landed a kiss atop his head.

These precious moments are perhaps one that the family will never forget for a lifetime. If anything, the video has taught us that we should always cherish our loved ones when they are by our side.

This article was first published in theAsianparent.