KUALA TERENGGANU: The spark had gone after 17 years of marriage but a second honeymoon, sponsored by the state government, breathed new life into it.

Azhar Yusof, 43, who works in the public sector and his wife Siti Eshah Bidin, 37, enjoyed an all expense paid trip to Pulau Langkawi last year, courtesy of the Terengganu Family Development Foundation's Second Honeymoon Programme, along with 69 other couples.

Azhar said the trip was just the tonic he and his wife needed.

Happy family: Azhar and Siti playing their two-month-old child Siti Sofea Arriesya Friday.

“We have been stuck in a mundane life and the flame in our marriage vanished a long time ago,” he said.

“But we still love each other dearly.

“The second honeymoon was the remedy as we have never been closer than we are now,” he said at their home in Taman Permint Perdana here yesterday.

The couple also welcomed a new member to their family their fifth child was born nine months after the trip.

Azhar said he and his wife learned to appreciate each other better through the various activities during the five-day programme.

There were dancing, heart-to-heart talks on the couple's likes and dislikes, swimming sessions as well as learning about tips on a successful marriage.

“I learned that a husband should always show his appreciation for his wife and keep things fresh in their marriage,” he said.

Siti Eshah said she was at first reluctant to go for the honeymoon as she did not want to leave their children behind.

“However, once there, we had the time of our lives,” she added.

Foundation director Mohd Shafaruddin Mustaffa said the programme was held to mend troubled marriages as well as to revive existing unions.

He added that the foundation worked with the state religious department and other agencies to identify problem couples.

“They have been taken to Pulau Kapas, Pulau Redang and Pulau Perhentian, and most of them managed to lead a happier marriage after attending the programme,” he said.

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