Better known as Mok Teh Semek, the 71-year-old moves through her day with a steady rhythm – tapping rubber in the morning, tending to her padi field and vegetable garden in the afternoon, and, when needed, offering massages to customers later in the day or at night.
For her, slowing down has never been an option. “There’s no such thing as rest in my life,” she said with a laugh. “If I don’t work, I feel unwell – like I have a fever or body aches.”
It is a mindset shaped over decades. After her first husband passed away when she was 45, Jawiah found herself raising 12 children on her own.
“I had to work hard to support my family. Over time, I got used to it, and now I can’t sit still,” she said.
Today, she is a grandmother to 45 grandchildren and a great-grandmother to six. Yet her days remain as full as ever – not out of necessity, but by choice.
Her children often urge her to slow down, but she insists on staying active. “If I stop working, my husband and I can still manage because the children help every month.
“But I don’t want to depend on them completely. They have their own families, and I can still work,” she said.
Jawiah manages a 2-ha padi field and a 1.4-ha rubber farm, although in recent years she has begun hiring workers to help maintain the land using drones – a faster and more efficient approach than doing everything manually.
Even so, her schedule remains packed. “In the morning, I tap rubber until almost noon. After Asar, I go to the padi field and vegetable garden. After Zohor or at night, I give massages if there are customers,” she said.
At home, she also looks after her 89-year-old husband, Noh Ismail, who has several health issues, balancing caregiving with her daily work.
Despite her demanding routine, Jawiah says she has no special formula for staying healthy.
“I’ve always eaten simple food like fish singgang and ulam,” she said, referring to the traditional dish made with ingredients such as fish, turmeric, ginger and tamarind.
“The way it’s cooked is simple – just boiled – so maybe that helps. But most importantly, my health is a blessing from God, and I’m grateful for it every day.”