'Confinement is cruel': Zarina Zainuddin on raising autistic twins

SHAH ALAM - Actress Nur Zarina Mohd Zainuddin, 53, who has twin sons with autism, strongly opposes the idea that such individuals should be confined for their own safety or that of others.

Known as Zarina Zainuddin, she believes this approach is a form of torture and should not be adopted by caregivers.

Zarina highlighted that her twins, Muhammad Raizal Azrai (Azal) and Muhammad Razil Azrai (Azil), both 28, are allowed to express their emotions, even if aggressively, but always under adult supervision.

She backed the idea of treating these ‘special children’ with the same respect and freedom as anyone else.

"You can't confine them, it's cruel. They have tantrums all the time, sometimes up to four times a day.

"They will calm down on their own; just ensure they don't hurt themselves by hitting their faces," Zarina told Sinar.

Zarina prefers to overlook her children's outbursts, seeing them not as a burden but as an opportunity for growth in her parenting.

"I try to forget the negative things because I don't want to see them as a burden.

"I think if today they have a tantrum like this, tomorrow we'll try to find another way to calm them down," she added.

She urged parents of autistic children to educate and care for their special children with love, recognising them as a trust from Allah SWT.

Zarina noted that having a special family member has taught her more about the meaning of life and patience.

"There is no problem if parents don't make it public that they have an autistic child. We can't force others' methods, and maybe they need their own privacy.

"As long as they are not troubling others and can care for their child, it's not an issue.

"We are not living their life, so we can't compare, because we are in different homes," Zarina said.