Annamah Abukutty, who officially turned 109 on March 31, was given the recognition of ” The oldest living woman”.
Malaysia Book of Records CEO Christopher Wong presented Annamah with a certificate, witnessed by her family members, who drove down from Batu Gajah, Perak, to join in the ceremony.
Annamah said she was very happy to receive the recognition, reported by The Star.
Her secret to longevity?
“Anybody can live a long and healthy life by eating a variety of herbs that can be easily grown around the house, ” she said.
“She has her own regimen to keep fit since young. Among others, she used to fast every Monday until she was about 80 and drank a concoction of castor oil with garlic every six months to cleanse her digestive system until today.
“When she has a cold, she just goes to the kitchen and whips up a herbal concoction. She will be fine after that,” said her son Subramanian Madackanu, 72.
Annamah was born and raised in Thachambadi, India. She is very well-versed in traditional Indian medicine, widely practised in the village she grew up. She was then migrated to Malaysia with her husband, who got a tree-cutting job in the country.
According to her son, Annamah is biologically 110 because her birth was only registered a year later in 1911. Annamah had 5 children, 2 of whom remained in India. She now has 2 surviving children, 17 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren, some of whom are in India
Her son also told media that his mother was much sought-after for midwife services, reflexology and tattooing, as well as making herbal remedies. Word got out about her expertise and people around the neighbourhood started to approach her for cures. She never charged a fee but people would give her a token based out of generosity. Everything she gives is food-based and is safe to consume.