Mixed reactions abound as ex-teacher-student couple with 25-year age gap celebrate 5 years of marriage

MALAYSIA: Mixed reactions have arisen online after a Malaysian daily reported on the marriage between a 51-year-old woman and her 26-year-old husband, who was once her student.

According to Malaysian media outlet Sin Chew Daily, 26-year-old Akmal and 51-year-old Suhana first met in 2016 when he was her student. After years of getting to know each other, the two were married in 2020. Despite their 25-year age difference, the couple told the paper they have been happily married for five years.

Following their marriage, Akmal and Suhana entered the catering industry. They now run three restaurants in Malaysia.

Their love story went viral as early as 2021, gaining attention on TikTok and drawing crowds of customers eager not only to try their food but also to see the couple in person. Some couples even travelled from other parts of the country to meet the owners.

Suhana has continued working as a teacher while helping to manage the business. The couple has also expressed the hope of having a child soon.

The couple’s story has not been without controversy. While some netizens applauded their marriage as proof that love can defy age and convention, others voiced unease about how the relationship began.

Concerns have been raised online over grooming and the imbalance of power between a teacher and her student. Critics pointed out that the wide age gap, coupled with the fact that Akmal was still underage when they first met, made the relationship troubling in their view, even if the marriage itself only took place once he was an adult.