A Marriage Forged in RP

ONE HAPPY FAMILY: Mr Sim Beng Han (second from left) and Mrs Nurulashikin (second from right) were from different backgrounds and fell in love at RP. (PHOTO: Courtesy of Sim Beng Han and Wan Nurulashikin)

When they started dating in 2006, Mr Sim Beng Han and Mrs Wan Nurulashikin Binte Syed Hussein were 17 and unsure what the future would hold.

ONE HAPPY FAMILY: Mr Sim Beng Han (second from left) and Mrs Nurulashikin (second from right) were from different backgrounds and fell in love at RP. (PHOTO: Courtesy of Sim Beng Han and Wan Nurulashikin)

When they started dating in 2006, Mr Sim Beng Han and Mrs Wan Nurulashikin Binte Syed Hussein were 17 and unsure what the future would hold. The couple had met during their first year in RP. 

“We worried about the acceptance of our loved ones, given our different race and religion,” Mrs Nurulashikin said. “We weren’t sure about what the future held as we were still so young – only 17 when we first started going out.” 

The couple married in 2015 and are now the proud parents of two young boys. “With the acceptance, blessings and support of our loved ones, we soldiered through school, National Service, university, work and here we are today – married with kids,” Mrs Nurulashikin said. 

The couple met through a general module in their first semester at RP. Mr Sim was a Diploma in New Media student, while Mrs Nurulashikin was a Diploma in Business Applications student. 

Back then, RP’s first campus at Phoenix Park near Tanglin Road was located close to the city and the couple spent many after-school hours together playing pool, watching movies and generally just enjoying each other’s company. 

Mrs Nurulashikin said: “(We) grew close as we shared the same taste in music and similar hobbies. Naturally, discussions on these topics drew us closer together and we found ourselves spending more time with each other.” 

After their first year, the couple had less time to spend together as they were from different schools. Time together grew increasingly tight as the couple worked on their respective projects as they entered their final year at RP. 

“There were days when we couldn’t make time for each other as time was increasingly spent on major projects as we approached the end of our education in RP, but we remained supportive and present in each other’s lives,” Mrs Nurulashikin said. 

“Both our sides were incredibly accepting and supportive of our relationship since the beginning. They gave us space to grow, make mistakes and learn from them,” said Mrs Nurulashikin, who works as head of corporate communications. Mr Sim is a public relations and marketing associate. 

The couple still keeps in touch with a small group of friends from RP and received updates on each other’s lives, thanks to social media.