IN the popular imagination, a mother-in-law is not someone you would actually want to live with.

National footballer Baihakki Khaizan, 26, though, had few qualms about moving in with the family of his wife of nearly a year, Suria artiste Norfasarie, also 26.

It was part of the culture, he said. “The man has to leave the house and follow the wife.”

His new home, a HDB maisonette in Sengkang, would be ready only in June. Escape? No. He is planning on having his in-laws move in with him.

Baihakki, who plays for S-League club Geylang United, had to make some adjustments, of course.

For instance, his mother-in-law, Madam Zaliha, 47, did not like the handsome young couple staying out late.

It was harder for him to invite his pals over for late night DVD sessions, like he used to as a bachelor.

Other than such minor issues, Norfasarie said there is no serious conflict between hubby and mum.

But if there is, who would she side with?

“I’m neutral. I listen to him, I listen to my parents. I try to be the peacemaker,” she said. Generally, living with mum-in-law is a blessing – especially since the couple are the new parents of a two-week-old son, Mika Bazil, their first child.

Madam Zaliha, a housewife, raised four children, and Baihakki pointed out affectionately that whenever her relatives had a baby they needed to “throw” at somebody, she would be the target.

Living with his mother-in-law has also taught Baihakki new perspectives about parenting – and his own relationship with his mum.

When he was 3, his father died. To support her three children, Baihakki’s mother had to work hard, on the night shift. This meant he hardly got to see her. But he did not blame his own long-suffering mum for the “lack of a connection”. And becoming a father himself made him appreciate her more.

His wife’s family is different. Norfasarie, the eldest daughter, is the apple of her mother’s eye.

Madam Zaliha said: “She is very close to me, everything she depends on me.”

It also did not take much effort for him to win over his mother-in-law.

Said Madam Zaliha: “(When they were dating), my daughter liked him very much. If you like him, okay lah.”