Mimi Mohd, 54, of Terengganu, said she was suffering from stage four breast cancer but her then-husband had discouraged her from going through the life-saving procedure.

“I was determined to proceed with the surgery even though my then husband did not give his approval. I felt my life was more important,” the mother of four was quoted by Harian Metro as saying.

Mimi said her ex-husband had insisted that she go through traditional treatment before opting for a mastectomy. She refused as doctors had urged her to remove one breast quickly to prevent the cancer from spreading.

“Before pronouncing divorce, he said someone with breast cancer like me could only live for a year. For me, that is Allah’s decision. Seven years on, I am still alive,” she said.

Mimi said she now suffers from depression as a result of the divorce but was glad that she was freed from a “worldly hell” by marrying an ungrateful person.

She was met by Harian Metro at an event hosted by the Terengganu shariah judiciary department to obtain alimony aid from them.