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Making major lifestyle shift to bond with autistic son

began around 2007, saw him cover major competitions, including the Super League, National Sevens and Malaysian Games. However, after the pandemic period, he pivoted towards grassroots coverage. “I got bored covering only the major tournaments. I decided to focus on schools – primary and secondary. “Those players never experienced having their matches properly analysed or broadcast. When they did, they loved it,” he said. – By IKHWAN ZULKAFLEE ambitions. It depends on the severity, but adjustments are inevitable,” he said. For Jef, that adjustment did not mean leaving rugby entirely. Instead, he integrated his son into his professional world. Within Malaysia’s tight-knit rugby fraternity, Jef’s peers have shown understanding and support. At tournaments, Zyad accompanies his father, moving freely but under supervision. “We avoid certain invitations unless we’re very confident about the environment. You never know how situations might unfold.” However, he sees an unexpected benefit – bonding time. He also reflects on the emotional expectations placed on him as a former athlete. Friends once assumed his firstborn son would follow in his rugby footsteps. “When you’re known in sports circles, people expect your son to play too. But life doesn’t always follow that script,” he said. Instead, Jef has recalibrated his definition of success. “My focus now is my son’s development and happiness. Rugby will always be there,” he added.

Former rugby player scales back commitments, restructure work obligations to focus on child’s wellbeing

Ű BY IKHWAN ZULKAFLEE newsdesk@thesundaily.com

lifestyle shift. “Yes, I stopped certain commitments. Before this, I was fully committed to rugby – coaching, commentaries and travelling constantly. If I had continued like that, I wouldn’t be present enough for him,” he said. Two years ago, Zyad was transferred to a Special Education Integration Programme school. Since then, Jef has personally handled school drop-offs and pick-ups whenever possible, restructuring his work around fatherhood. “Many parents in the special needs community will tell you, often one parent has to scale back or surrender certain He went on to represent Malaysia for five years before moving into coaching roles, including assistant positions with the Malaysia Under-23 and the national women rugby team. Jef said he was introduced to rugby in 2000 at Universiti Teknologi Mara, where he trained alongside some of the country’s top players at the time. After graduating, he joined the historic Royal Selangor Club before progressing to the Selangor state team. His commentary career, which

PUCHONG: Raising a child with special needs presents profound emotional and practical challenges, something that former national rugby player turned influencer Jef Hazrul Nizam Jaafar understands intimately. Jef’s eldest son, Jef Zyad Thaqif, 12, was diagnosed with mild autism, but is manageable with structured support. “He can communicate and attend school. He’s just slower in processing and learning. The key is patience,” Jef told theSun in an interview. He admitted that Zyad’s diagnosis prompted a major

Jef with his son Zyad. – PIC COURTESY OF JEF HAZRUL NIZAM JAAFAR

‘Abang Jep’ carves out niche as rugby content creator PUCHONG: Making it big as an influencer in today’s saturated digital landscape is no small feat, but former national rugby player Jef Hazrul Nizam Jaafar has managed to do just that by carving out a niche few dared to explore. Better known as “Abang Jep” within local rugby circles, Jef has successfully transitioned from player and coach to full-time rugby content creator, using platforms such as TikTok to build a loyal following centred entirely on the sport. “In TikTok, if you focus on one niche and you really know your subject, people will come,” he told theSun . Unlike many creators who diversify across trending topics, Jef concentrates solely on rugby – a sport that, while growing, remains outside Malaysia’s traditional core sports ecosystem. “When I started around 2022, there was practically no one consistently discussing rugby in an open forum format. I went live and answered questions directly. It became an open discussion space,” he said. Drawing from years of experience as a player, coach and commentator, Jef provides tactical breakdowns, match insights and practical “shortcuts” for young players. “Students prefer when you simplify situations,” he said. His credibility also plays an important role in his online journey. Jef represented Selangor in the prestigious Piala Agong competition, winning three titles, and earned a national call-up in his third year with the state side.

Education retains its importance in the Malaysian landscape for parents, students and stakeholders. The changes are fast paced with new developments in new fields of study such as cybersecurity, data protection, augmented and virtual reality, machine learning in education, digital education and artificial Intelligence. Leading the way are universities, who are invited to showcase their latest programmes, curriculum and content in our Education Focus for 2026.

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