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A couple who met while working at the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) turned out to be neighbours living in the same block, and on the same floor.

This hilarious lack of situational awareness when it comes to the affairs of the heart has become one of those quintessential Valentine's Day stories.

Didn't like him from the get-go

Nurril Shafirrin Binte Mohamed was assigned to Muhammad Ridzuan Bin Rosli as a mentee when she joined ICA in 2015, according to Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) newsletter.

Nurril recalled that she thought Ridzuan was "arrogant" after their first meeting at Woodlands Checkpoint's cargo clearance.

She said: “Initially, he wasn’t even talking to me... So my first impression of him was that he was quite arrogant. I didn’t like him, actually.”

Safe to say, Ridzuan did not make a good first impression.

Fate strikes, again

While the pair did not get off from the start, it seemed that Cupid was intent on driving the couple together, and they wound up in the same deployment together at work.

It was then when Nurril and Ridzuan discovered they were "practically next-door neighbours".

They had never noticed each other while they were home, which was on the same floor in the same block, and merely one unit away from each other.

The pair subsequently struck up a friendship at work.

Tied the knot in 2019

After they were acquainted, Ridzuan got to know Nurril better and said he admired Nurril's willingness to learn new things.

He said: “She’ll say ‘yes’ to everything!”

This included saying "yes" to Ridzuan, and the pair tied the knot in 2019.

The couple welcomed a daughter, Medina Scha Daalia, recently.

What they'd learn as a couple

On top of their work as ICA officers, and being parents to a newborn, Nurril and Ridzuan are currently also furthering their studies under MHA's sponsorship.

The couple shared that having their partner's support, and encouragement, was what helped them juggle and get through all of their individual commitments.

Asked about what they had learnt as a couple, Nurril said: "And, if things don’t go your way, just accept them and learn from your mistakes."

"It's just like how in our work, we often have to deal with and overcome challenging circumstances or unpredictable incidents. So I always encourage Ridzuan: 'It’s okay, chin up!'"

Ridzuan added: "Always trust your partner. Respect her and always be open in your communication."

More stories on love because it's Valentine's Day

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Top image by Dayana Yakob from MHA website