Young Malaysians You Need to Know - theCICAK eBook

Untukmu, Malaysia ii Preface “Writing is a struggle against silence.” – Carlos Fuentes Selamat sejahtera, It gives me great pleasure to bring to closure theCICAK’s second annual writing competition. Themed “Young Malaysians You Need to Know” and held in conjunction with Malaysia’s 50th year of independence, the competition aimed to document Malaysian heroes, liberally defined, between the ages of 12 to 29 who have persevered against all odds to succeed, or have helped their friends, family, society, or country in unique ways. These are our sincerest hopes: that by going through the rigorous process of interviewing and writing about heroes, participants have not only been able to sharpen their creative writing and journalistic skills, but have also gained a new appreciation for heroism, leadership, service and courage. That this book may be an avenue for reflection and introspection; that it may also be a platform on which to highlight the unsung achievements and sacrifices of Malaysian youth. That the sharing of these stories will in turn inspire other youth to do the same; to mobilise a new generation of Malaysian heroes. That through our diverse collection of stories, readers may gain insights into the rich tapestry of Malaysian society: the challenges, the values, the ambitions and the triumphs of our youth. That readers may perceive the great compassion, humanity and empathy inherent in Malaysian youth and the resulting effort, action and passion as indicative of a generation worthy of ourselves. iii This project could not have been brought to fruition without the continuous support from many individuals and institutions. We are eternally grateful to our judges: Marina Mahathir, Jeff Ooi, Poh Si Teng and Nicholas Wong, The Star, Inkyhands, KOMAS, the Swarthmore Foundation, and most importantly, our participants. Syabas, Andrew Loh Special Projects Manager theCICAK November 2007 (I hope you had fun, because I did!) iv Contents Tough being a competitive swimmer By Alynna Wong HERO: Tania Lee Terima kasih, Doktor By Chong Jun Ai A hundred times By Chong Yong Wei He loves Malaysia By Chow Yee Hoong The happy child By Clement Chan Her father’s voice By Debbie Wong …3 …7 HERO: Foo Chee Hoe HERO: Tan Bing Xuan … 12 HERO: Yeoh Chen Chow … 17 HERO: Brandon Chan … 21 HERO: Sarah Lasung … 24 ‘I’ is saya, and ‘name’ is nama By Evelyn Wong HERO: Elaine Leong As bright as the straight-A scorers By Khaidatul Zabidi HERO: Khairun Zabidi Saving the environment one reef at a time By Kok Shiau Lee HERO: Yoke Lee You passed! You did it! (A letter to my hero) By Lim Wei Yun HERO: Wong Chung Heng He became my ears By Yvonne Foong The porter By Crissy Wong … 28 … 34 … 39 … 45 HERO: Reuben … 49 HERO: Teresa … 54 … 58 … 60 … 61 About the competition Results Learn more about theCICAK v 2 Tough being a competitive swimmer By ALYNNA WONG Photo of Tania Lee Chlorine water is her blood, purple is her favourite colour, and chocolate is her drug. Ice cream is her world, a smile makes her day and her memories are the story of her life. These are the things that describe my unsung heroine. Her name is Tania Lee. On the March 30, 1990, a baby girl was born. Tania wasn’t born into the most fortunate of families. Her father had worked many jobs before becoming a subcontractor and her mother was a housewife. Little did anyone know that someday she was going to make a difference in my life. 3 Since a young age, Tania loved playing with water. She often played at the pool with her younger siblings. At the age of ten, she started her first swimming class. Tania was a fast learner and after just two months she had finished her classes and mastered all the strokes. Soon, she was joining swimming competitions. At her first competition, she most unexpectedly won the gold medal. This motivated her to go further. But Tania’s life wasn’t always smooth sailing. The greatest challenge she faced was with her own mother. Initially, her mother wasn’t very happy with Tania spending so much time training because she had planned for Tania to have piano lessons instead. This caused a great deal of conflict between them. During some of the swim meets, instead of encouraging her, Tania’s mother would scold her and tell her she was wasting her time. It was one of the hardest moments in Tania’s life. She resolved to train as hard as ever in order to prove she could do it; to win and make her mother proud. Throughout her swimming career, Tania trained under many coaches. Each coach had his own way of training and she benefited from all of them. From her experience, she feels that coaches from China have the strictest of training methods, while the Russians are more understanding. Malaysian coaches are the most reasonable coaches of all; they focus on the swimming and always encourage you. Swimming is not all sunshine and rainbows, of course. With all the effort Tania put into swimming, her academic results suffered a lot. Parents are always concerned about their child’s education, and Tania’s weren’t any different. When she did badly for her trial exams, her parents “threatened” to stop sending her for training. 4 As a result, Tania spent more time studying and improved immensely. Now, Tania’s parents are very supportive of what she does and are extremely proud of her. Her parents are not only her support system, but also her finance managers, cooks, chauffeurs, housekeepers, and, of course, her masseur and masseuse when she is having muscle aches. Another reason why Tania is my hero is the self-discipline, the determination and the will power she possesses. Everyday she wakes up before dawn and goes for a three-hour training session, swimming a few hundred laps. After that, she rushes off to school, then has another training session and finally goes home. Time management is very important in her life. If I had to do that I would all but fail. Tania feels that everyone should have a goal in life. Hers is swimming. Even after all her obstacles, she still claims that swimming is her passion and will always be. This is because she says that swimming has helped her become a better person. It has mainly taught her to think positively and face up to every challenge in life. Besides swimming for competitions, Tania was also in a few advertisements, one of which was for Milo! Sometimes when she goes for training, her coach will pressure her and at times cane her when she does not meet his expectations. It’s in these tough moments that she makes herself work harder, pushing herself beyond the limit and reaching new levels. Tania, beyond the shadow of a doubt, deserves all admiration. Tania has also achieved A’s in all her exam results. Combined with her swimming abilities, she was able to get a scholarship to a good private school, Sekolah Sri Cempaka in Cheras, saving her parents a large sum of money. 5 Tania is an all-rounder. She is very active in school and is always trying out new things. Apart from swimming, Tania also plays other sports such as water polo, handball, volleyball and table tennis. Being elected head prefect this year has also help to improve her public speaking abilities and leadership qualities. She takes time to organise campaigns and carnivals for her school to ensure they are a success. One of the campaigns which she organised was an anti-verbal abuse campaign, with the tagline “Say It Right.” She does all her tasks with an enthusiastic attitude and completes them flawlessly. Even now as Tania waits to sit for her SPM exams, she continues to work hard and do her best. She maintains an optimistic attitude towards life which inspires me to do the same. You could say that she has been a big influence in my life. Tania lives a very satisfactory life that she says she will never trade or change for anything, despite what she has had to go through. She wins medals, is head prefect, and has great results, the best of friends and, most of all, a fantastic, understanding and very supportive family. Tania Lee is the lead role model in my life. Seeing her go through the challenges she’s been through shows me that I can do well too. I may not be able to be a state swimmer like her, but she motivates me to do better. I hope that someday I may be able to make a difference in somebody else’s life like she has in mine. To be a hero to someone, like what she has been to me, My Unsung Hero. (Back to the top) 6 Terima kasih, Doktor By CHONG JUN AI Photo of Dr. Foo Chee Hoe Chee Hoe almost yawned as he made the final stitch on the vaginal wound, then looked up and smiled to his patient, a 38-year-old Malay lady who had just given birth to her sixth child. “Sudah siap! Boleh letak balik kaki dan rehatlah. Nanti kita bawa baby mari, OK?” (“It’s done! You can put your feet down and relax. We’ll bring the baby to you soon, OK?”) “Terima kasih doktor, berapa jahit?” (“Thanks doctor, how many stitches are there?“) “Banyak! Jangan risau, rehatlah, ya.” (“Lots! Don’t worry, just rest.”) He yawned again. It was 3:15 a.m. on a Sunday morning. He was in desperate need for sleep, but just as he had washed his hands, another lady, gravidly pregnant, was wheeled into the labour room on a stretcher. 7 “Kes apa?” (“What kind of case is it?”) “Gravida three, para two. Patient fitted half an hour ago, in Hospital Kuala Kangsar. We started on ‘mag-sulf’ in Kuala Kangsar,” said the nurse who brought her in. Chee Hoe forgot about his need for sleep, and rushed to put on his gloves. The new patient appeared to be disoriented. “Staff nurse, please call my boss. She needs caesarean.” Just when he tried to check her pupils, another nurse called out, “Dr. Foo, patient oozing!” Chee Hoe reluctantly left his ill patient and rushed to Bay 3 where the patient’s episiotomy wound that he had just stitched up seemed to be bleeding again. Just as he changed his pair of gloves, the phone rang. He hoped it was not for him and proceeded to examine the wound. There was another tear. He would have to suture some more. “Doktor, kena jahit lagi ke?” (“Doctor, do I have to get more stitches?”) “Sorry kak, ada lagi… sebab…” (“Sorry, ma’am, you need to get more… because…”) before he could finish, someone yelled from the phone table, “Doktor, Wad C panggil. Staff nurse nak inform ada seorang ‘baby’ nampak biru lepas minum susu.” (“Doctor, Wad C called. The staff nurse says there’s a baby looking blue after drinking milk.”) Chee Hoe wanted to take a deep breath but only managed a short one as he quickly thought about which case he should attend to first - the one with eclampsia who needed an emergency caesarean, the one bleeding, or the baby in Ward C about 100 metres away. 8 He wanted to yell “Crazy night!” but whispered it instead. “Kak Ros, patient bed 1 prepare for Caesar. Panggil Dr. Malik please. I will inform Paeds later. Kak Letch, please do the stitching. I gotta go see the baby.” He walked quickly to Ward C. He almost ran but his legs were wobbly by now. He was tired, and searched the back of his mind for the reason he chose this job. He was too stressed and exhausted by now to remember the reason he became a doctor. Such a scenario has become a norm in Dr. Foo Chee Hoe’s working life. It has been almost a year for him as a young doctor in government service. Had he made a wrong career decision? Is this all worth it? Life was different six years ago. Two days after he had received a letter confirming his place in a public medical school, Singapore offered him a scholarship to study pharmacy. He thought carefully for hours and then faxed a reject letter to the Singapore High Commission. I will regret it if I forgo the opportunity to be a doctor – he had thought to himself then. Chee Hoe – a jovial, good-natured, filial, and caring guy as described by one of his close friends, Ennie Yong – came from a modest family. He was not very well off, just slightly poorer than the middle class. His dad was unemployed at 40 years old due to a rare genetic disease that caused his hearing and eyesight to gradually deteriorate with age. His mother became the breadwinner of the family. He used to live in a house of nine inhabitants and was forced to share a room with his grandmother. He had to bear with a lot of family politics while he was still young; with rampant quarrels, verbal abuse and gossiping while living in the old house. It was not the most cheerful childhood, but he learnt a lot, grew up faster and his experience made him a more determined person. 9 Being a doctor was not a childhood dream for Chee Hoe, but it was definitely not a choice of convenience either. It was relatively an easy choice as he was an idealistic person back then as a high school student. Making profits and getting rich was not his target; he wanted a noble job. Also, he met many others in his Form 6 class who were also pursuing medicine. They inspired him to strive on. “It was good to have a batch of people thinking of medicine, and working towards it together,” Chee Hoe said. Chee Hoe has had to compromise time and attention to spend with his parents, sister, girlfriend and other family members. Any other job would have allowed him to bring his father for doctor appointments, to have frequent family dinners and to be there for his sister as she searched for a college. His personal safety is at risk every time he gets onto an ambulance to bring a patient to a referral hospital, every time he takes blood from or sets up intravenous lines to HIV or Hepatitis B/C patients. He also eats at irregular hours, sometimes even to the extent of skipping meals; has no time for exercise and very few sleeping hours. However, Chee Hoe says there are more perks to his job than setbacks. Although he may have failed about one percent of his patients, he has done some good for the other 99 percent. Also, what really encourages him is when his patients are really appreciative of what he has done and his service; their respect and their gratitude are genuine. Working with his nurses also gives him joy in the area of leadership, management, and personal relations. Though some passion may be gone, diluted by being overworked and having to sacrifice many things in fulfilling his job, he still loves his job very much. Together with him, there are other doctors who share the same story, 10 the same struggle, doubts and personal triumphs in their career. Dr. Foo Chee Hoe is definitely a hero amongst heroes. (Back to the top) 11 A hundred times By CHONG YONG WEI Bing Xuan (first from right, sitting) with her classmates Bing Xuan is an avid fan of Taiwanese pop group S.H.E. and Malaysia’s very own “Prince of Pop” Nicholas Teo. She reads anything and everything, from encyclopedias to her favourite, mystery stories. She has long harboured a burning ambition to be a teacher one day. Like many fifteenyear old girls, she also keeps a neatly decorated autograph book, in which her classmates jot down personal profiles, scribble colourful messages and poems, as well as paste cute little stickers. I came to know Bing Xuan as a girl who studies in my former secondary school, SMJK Ave Maria Convent in Ipoh. In the small, close-knit community of Ipoh, she was known to be a very bright child. By the age of three or four, she had already shown her intellectual potential. While other toddlers were still mesmerised by an assortment of toys, she would observe the world around her with an insatiable curiosity as well as pick up books and try to read them unaided. Amazingly, she would pick up words immediately and recite them aloud. 12 However, intellectual ability is far from what makes this child so special. Beneath her humble demeanour, frail body and spasmodic limbs lay an undying courage and indomitable grittiness that are both remarkable and inspiring. Bing Xuan’s life took a sharp turn the day she was struck by a mysterious high fever at the age of 10. Initially dismissed as having a normal fever, she was not given proper treatment until the symptoms showed no signs of subsiding 10 days later, and she was admitted to the emergency ward. By then she had started losing her ability to speak, her limbs began to contort, and the muscles all over her body had contracted. There was never an official medical explanation for her condition. When Bing Xuan finally came to terms that she could no longer walk and move like a normal child nor express herself in words, she broke down in tears. After that, determined to continue schooling and live an independent life like anybody else, Bing Xuan relearned everything from washing her hands to wearing her shoes, like a newborn infant. She would take half an hour just to buckle up three buttons on her shirt before she went to school. Initially, her mother fed her liquid food, sometimes taking up to four hours just to feed her a bowl of soup because the soup kept flowing freely out from her mouth. Later, Bing Xuan learned to eat rice unaided. However, more than 90 percent of the rice would spill all over the floor as her arms kept flinging the spoon involuntarily! In school, Bing Xuan’s determination to seize every opportunity to learn is legendary. When she first contacted her illness, she could not control her hand muscles and thus, could not write. Every time she attempted to do so, her legs would stiffen involuntarily, her neck would tilt down, her arm muscles would contract and all the veins would protrude as if she was pulling a 10-ton Hummer truck. Initially, she could not even write an A3 paper-sized 13 “A.” However, after years and years of practising writing everyday, she is now able to write slowly but as neatly as anybody else. As she is only able to write on a slanting plane, she can only write against the edges of tables, shifting the paper up whenever she completes a line. Despite all these difficulties, she never fails to hand up her homework on time. Occasionally, when she is unable to complete her homework by midnight, her loving parents, 12-year-old sister and 11-year-old brother would help contribute a sentence here and there, resulting in a piece of homework that is concocted of the entire family’s handwriting! She also reads the newspapers every morning, using her elbows to turn the pages, sometimes until her elbows are skinned and bleeding. And even though she cannot communicate with the teacher, she is a keen observer and extremely fast learner, with a natural talent for writing articulate, flowing Malay essays. Her mother recounts a poignant incident when, after countless speech therapy sessions, Bing Xuan finally developed the ability to mumble a few words. One day, when Bing Xuan’s mother informed her that one of her classmates had just called up the family, she was so eager to surprise her classmate with a “hello!” that she wanted to answer the telephone too. Nervous and excited, she struggled to make her way to the telephone. However, by the time she reached her destination, her classmate had already hung up. The school allows Bing Xuan slightly extended time and usage of the laptop during examinations. Other than that, she goes through the same rigorous tests as everyone else. According to her friends, she never leaves a question unanswered or an extra minute unutilised. She would struggle to draw triangles for trigonometry questions, even though she can hardly hold the ruler properly. 14 As the monthly examinations are cramped into a tiring two days, she would leave her entire wheelchair soaked with sweat by the end of the first day’s examinations. Then, she would go home and sleep, perhaps due to exhaustion, without changing her position even once until the next afternoon, just in time for the second day’s examinations. For the UPSR examinations, she was only allowed an extended time of half an hour per paper. She became the toast of the community when she scored an astonishing 6As and 1B, with the only B for her Chinese paper as she could not finish writing the notoriously difficult Chinese characters in time. For the sake of convenience, Bing Xuan is allowed to rest alone in the classroom whenever everyone else goes for recess or to the art room, computer room and science laboratories. Once, when her art teacher forgot to remind her that she was not required to go to the art room, she seized the chance to create an excuse to go there. After an entire hour, she amazingly managed to limp all the way from her classroom on the ground floor to the art room located on the second floor, two blocks away! By the time she arrived at the base of the stairs that led to the art room, she was already out of breath and her face had paled. Her classmates, panic-stricken but determined to realise her wish to see the art room at the same time, lifted her slowly up the stairs. Eventually, Bing Xuan succeeded in reaching the art room and greeting her shocked art teacher just before the bell rang. Bing Xuan’s father, an engineer who often works outstation, is the only breadwinner in a family of six which includes Bing Xuan’s ailing grandfather. Since the start of Bing Xuan’s illness, the family has spent over RM100,000 on her numerous operations, physiotherapy sessions and various treatments, using up almost their entire lives’ savings. In spite of that, they have never requested financial aid from any charitable organisation. 15 According to Bing Xuan’s mother, they would not do so as long as they are still able to feed themselves, and besides, there are many more terminally ill patients in Malaysia, some of whose families cannot even afford regular meals. Deep within Bing Xuan’s pain-ravaged and scar-ridden body is a young heart that is a hundred times stronger than iron. Her legs, contorted and stung by spasms, have tread on a hundred different paths of agony, joy, sorrow and love. For Bing Xuan, just as the challenge of the everyday tasks which we so often take for granted is multiplied by a hundred times, so too, is the sensation of every waking minute and the triumph of overcoming every obstacle. Hence, she has lived life a hundred times more than most of us. And that is why, to me, all the Tan Bing Xuans in the world are heroes. (Back to the top) 16 He loves Malaysia By CHOW YEE HOONG Photo of Yeoh Chen Chow “The most important thing in college is to learn how to learn. The present illiterates are those who cannot read and write but the future illiterates will most likely be those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.” He started talking, and then mentioned the first sentence of his favorite quote as above; the sentence still lingers in my mind today. This moment introduced me to this unsung hero who has significantly changed the lives of many, not to mention that of mine, with his sincerity, kindness, truthfulness, and passion. I was completely impressed by how motivated and passionate he has been in promoting the best of others, and in his unflagging efforts to make this country a better place to live in. Once I thought phrases like “contribution to our country” and “nationalism” that he frequently mentioned were like those commonly seen in publications; those a lot of people slowly 17 find to be mere clichés. But it really did not take me long to be completely touched and influenced by his sincere actions, as he lives up to what he says about our wonderful country. Referred to by his housemate as “the genius of multitasking” and well known to virtually everyone in our former preparatory college as “the passionate senior who is always concerned about his juniors and helps them in any way he can,” he has been the organiser of tens, if not hundreds, of talks, events and get-togethers, all aimed at sharing the best with the communities around him. He started talking onstage in my former residential hall at least twice a year, to help new students and graduating seniors transition from the typical Malaysian education system to the otherwise outlandish American education system. Usually staying after the talks to answer any in-depth questions, it has not been unusual for him to stay throughout the night just to answer our questions. His great helping hand in college applications – including reviewing an average of 30 application essays a day – actually helped a lot of students get admitted to top-notch schools. I still remember his words: “I might not have gotten admission to Harvard/MIT etc., but I have certainly received thank-you notes from those who have.” He has constantly sacrificed his sleep, time and health to help us – without expecting nor receiving anything in return; many of us, on the other hand, because of his passion and sacrifice, really got what we wanted – the path to a better tertiary education leading to a better life! A co-founder of ReCom.org, a leader of Discover U.S. Education – KL ’07, an active participant in charities such as World Vision, Mercy Malaysia, Cybercare, YMCA, and the assistant secretary of the Malaysia Mensa Society, he has spent the first 26 years of his life promoting the virtues of great initiatives, ideas and organisations to everyone he knows. He wants others 18 to succeed, and “will smile inside when someday, someone whom you helped tells you, ‘because of what you told me and helped me with, I succeeded in my life.’” Yet he was just like another ordinary boy sitting right next to you in class. He was a reserved student, who then struggled through the tough transition from a Mandarin-speaking community to an English-speaking environment. He, who today inspires others with his English speeches, was one of the only eight in his freshmen class to undergo a remedial English course upon enrolment at college (His freshman class size was 3,000 students). But he strove very hard. From his participation in Kadet Remaja Sekolah, he learnt to be more outgoing and soon developed his leadership qualities. With encouragement from his classmates and also by watching English movies, he eventually overcame his problem with the English language. With a scholarship from our Public Service Department, he then graduated from an Ivy League school in 2005. But what makes him, again, remarkably different from any other student who works equally hard and is passionate about voluntary work is essentially his confidence in and compassion toward our country. “I would not be who I am today without my country. My parents would still not be able to afford even a year of my tuition after working for their entire life,” he says. How often could you hear such appreciation toward our country voiced by such a high achiever, when questioned about his devotion to Malaysia? He absolutely believes in the great potential that this country holds, and that the different levels of societal contribution can eventually significantly improve any political and socio-economic issues. He has always been optimistic and without hesitation chose the constructive approach toward any comments about our nation. At this point, I cannot help but 19 quote him for his true words, “I would want to see a united Malaysia, where all of us would not need to look at our differences, be it race, religion or gender, and focus to make Malaysia a better place.” Now I have truly understood the drive behind all his efforts to help others without expecting anything in return. Now I can fathom his sacrifice in promoting virtues to others neglecting even his own health – there is not a moment to lose to feed the need of talents and knowledge of the ever-growing child Malaysia! Now, I deduce the reason I remembered his quotes and sayings so well: not because of what he has achieved, but of what he envisions, and the determination in him that altogether influence the communities around him – to build a great Malaysia. Yet he is not yet lauded for his vision, his efforts in achieving that vision, nor his sacrifices; sometimes people even doubt his intentions and sincerity. The least I can now do is to dedicate these 1,000 words to this unsung hero who absolutely deserves it. To this special someone who has significantly influenced his immediate communities. I dedicate this composition to Yeoh Chen Chow, a former SMJK Jit Sin student and Cornell alumni who has been making a difference in our home Malaysia. (Back to the top) 20 The happy child By CLEMENT CHAN ZHI LI Photo of Brandon Chan Every day at 7:57 p.m., he sits in front of our slightly dysfunctional box he learned to recognise as the television, his primary source of entertainment: moving squiggling animations that project themselves 24 hours a day on Cartoon Network, and prancing Chinese girls that belt out Chinese New Year hits from countless VCDs we have bought. Everyday at 7:57 p.m., he waits for the national songs to play on TV3 – because music seems to flow through his veins – and he would sit right in front of the telly, his knees up to his chin, and like a thoughtful, mature musician, he would drink the melodies of Keranamu Malaysia and Negaraku, soulfully and powerfully sung by songstress Siti Nurhaliza. He would be so inebriated with the music that nothing short of a tempting toy car or two would move him from his seat. 21 His name is Brandon Chan – a name he has learned to understand and recognise that it belongs to him and it’s solely his. Turning 12 two months ago brought him to the National Registry Department where he proudly showed off to everyone who was willing to pay him attention his brand new MyKad, albeit a photocopied one. His face on the identity card was unsmiling – no one ever looks good on identity cards or driving licences – but the owner of the card was grinning from ear-to-ear as he showed his red Superman wallet to me, conveying his pride that he has now a MyKad in his wallet like the rest of the family. My younger brother has Down Syndrome, a condition which we explained to him made him simply special, although my parents weren’t exactly sure if he fully comprehended that statement. An extra chromosome doesn’t detract from his right to live like any other human being. The darkest moment that shrouded my family in a veil of physical agony and mental torment was when my mum was diagnosed with nose cancer four years ago, where she had to endure countless of chemotherapy sessions on the pretext that it would make her better again. But what truly made her feel better at the end of the day wasn’t the countless of artificial products that entered her body, but the simple warmth and ever-enduring charm Brandon displayed which my mom needed the most. Sitting beside her bed while my mom recuperated after a session in the hospital, he would stroke her decaying hair and embed small little kisses on her cheek, something that neither of us taught him to do. He mightn’t know how to speak coherently, but his eternal smiles, endless kisses, and boundless love with little gestures more than made up for it. My mom believes that if it wasn’t for his indirect, constant moral support, among others, she would’ve given up trying to endure the excruciating chemotherapy days. 22 That dark age has now passed and is nothing more but a remnant of a tumultuous blot on our history pages. My brother remains the same as ever, ever generous with his smiles and occasionally crying, but still the radiance of his beaming grins never fails to lighten our bad days. How is it possible that a single person can feel so happy every single day, to a child-like extent? It’s as if his extra copy of the 21st chromosome embodies this very aspect, trapping the eternal youth that many yearn for; but truly, one could learn to see that innocence still exists amidst a world rife with depravation, if they looked at him. Brandon still can’t and refuses to eat solid food like chicken or beef; he still continues to assume that everyday is Chinese New Year and dances and sings the holiday’s songs dizzyingly daily; he still harbours his tiny, naive wish to take Nur Sannah, his classmate, as his wife; he still is shy with strangers; and he still has that nagging hole in his heart. He still is ignorant to the evils that plague the world daily, but it’s extremely heartening for me to know that one of the few sources of pure innocence lies inside my brother. He makes friends with almost everybody possible, like the abang and adik of next door, without knowing the meaning of race or religion. Hence, he knows not of racism or prejudice. He’s an unsung, atypical, Malaysian hero to my family, and if you simply need a single, undiscriminating, and unjudging smile dished out generously, well, say hello to my brother. I’m sure he has one in store for you. (Back to the top) 23 Her father’s voice By DEBBIE WONG Photo of Sarah Lasung “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9, the Bible, New International Version) We live in a world addicted to fame, a world that tells us that our worth is measured by our bank balance, social status and waistline, a world where survival of the fittest is no longer just an adage, but a justification to get ahead regardless of casualties. Ironically, the people who touch our hearts and who become legends in their own right, reminding us by example that there are far greater things in which to invest time than the proverbial rat race, remain hidden, often unnoticed and rarely championed even as they champion others on. They are our unsung heroes. 24 A scene plays over and over again in my head; Uncle Ballang is apologetic that he cannot bend over to affix a plaster on his toe and Sarah comes to help him. As she kneels down and gently wraps the plaster over the wound, the image freezes in time and has stayed with me until today. That one unassuming act is just a cog in the machinery that is the dedication and love Sarah has sacrificially shown her father and will continue to show him for the rest of his life. Today I pay tribute to Sarah Lasung. Funny, empathetic and fearless in all things tennis, for almost 20 years, she has been my Kuching born-andbred, Lun Bawang-Chinese, Sarawak laksa-loving friend. Four years ago, Sarah’s father was diagnosed with Multiple System Atrophy (MSA), generally known as brain degeneration, which not only robs one of motion and speech, but also nullifies will, independence and liberty. To accommodate her bedridden father, life had to be reorganised because someone had to be available at home all the time, be it Sarah, her mother or brother. One of the things we pride ourselves on in Malaysia is filial piety. However, it does not take more than tuning in to the occasional radio show to realise that whilst we assert that we provide for our elders, more and more people today calculate against their parents instead of for them, backed by excuses such as the lifestyle they do not wish to compromise. The bond of true filial piety should be taken as seriously as marriage; for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health. Not only does Sarah tend to her father, changing and cleaning him as a nurse would her charge, she also actively contributes to the household expenses and assumed, at age 21, the loan of the house they now stay in, after her father lost wardenship where he worked and subsequently the family home because of his debilitating illness. 25 Even though it was and in some ways still is a challenge physically, mentally and emotionally, Sarah has never seen her father as a “problem” to be fixed or a burden to be borne. In her own words, “Not because I have to but because I want to.” Of course there are times when unanswered questions such as “Will daddy ever get well?” hurt deeply and uncertainty threatens to overwhelm but she rises to the challenge, little by little, a day at a time. She continues to be her bubbly, cheery self and as clichéd as it sounds, life does go on. Her favourite food is still Sarawak laksa and she still wants to visit Disneyland. Difficulties have not deterred Sarah from pursuing her dream and ambition of becoming a teacher, not for the sake of teaching itself, but to serve her community and society, by becoming a role model for the next generation. Currently at Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) pursuing a postgraduate diploma of education, she was worried about leaving her father but he encouraged her to go and that helped her make her decision. On top of her dedication to her father, Sarah also plays an important role in the youth group of the Kuching Evangelical Church (KEC). Maclean, the youth deacon notes, “Although her responsibility to her father is still very much at the forefront of her mind, Sarah manages to find time to motivate the youth group in church.” Her passion for Jesus is infectious and in her desire to pass that on, she has proven a wise advisor and trustworthy confidante. She co-leads the church choir with her friend Sharon and last year, through patience, diligence and good humour, they developed a group of amateurs for a stellar Christmas performance of the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel’s Messiah. Sharon adds, “She also has a gift for reaching out to people, making newcomers feel welcome and has a deep concern for the spiritual wellbeing of her friends.” On top of her academic and personal commitments, she also 26 juggled free piano lessons of her own initiative, to train more pianists for church. The youngsters really enjoyed it and were disappointed when the lessons had to be stopped when she left for UUM. Maclean further offers, “Sarah is phenomenal. In spite of everything, she makes the best out of a situation. She is very protective of her family and lives without regret.” When asked to describe her in a word, he simply says, “Tenacious.” Sarah is a success story, not because hers is a rags-to-riches tale. On the contrary, the adversity she faces is something she has to live with instead of being able to work out of it, and she faces the dilemma day after day and must live vivaciously in spite of it. She is just one of many who go through life, impacting those around them, sending butterfly effects of enormous magnitude to shape the world. But she is my unsung hero because through her life, through challenges so close to her heart, she gives human dignity a voice, showing that human life is worth much more than what we can do or give. It is intrinsically precious and so to every extent possible must be given its proper value, no matter the sacrifice and no matter the cost. (Back to the top) 27 ‘I’ is saya, and ‘name’ is nama By EVELYN WONG Photo of Elaine Leong Natai means “death” in the Dusun language. When Elaine Leong, 18, travelled to Kampung Natai – literally, the village of death – in April 2007 to do volunteer work with a Kadazan-Dusun tribe, she must have wondered if she had gotten into more than she bargained for. Thankfully, Kampung Natai is nothing like its name. A Kadazan-Dusun village situated north of Kota Kinabalu, it can only be reached by four-wheel drive. There, Elaine planned to carry out her two-week project with another volunteer, Xiao Wei, working in the village teaching children English and helping in village activities such as gotong-royong (spring cleaning). A lot of hard work and preparation had brought her there, but the best was yet to come. 28 Like most urban teenagers, Elaine, formerly of Catholic High School PJ, had so much more on her mind after SPM to consider besides volunteering. “Although I did long for the chance to be involved in volunteer work, I didn’t think I had the time or resources to do so,” she says. So when the opportunity came up with an offer from a charitable organisation, she jumped at it. “Better to regret going than not going,” was her thinking, she said. Determined, Elaine threw herself into the daunting but inevitable task of raising funds for her project. Armed with a list of corporations, she painstakingly created acrylic paintings with the message “Thank you for putting smiles on faces” to send with her letter of appeal to more than a hundred companies. Sadly, rejections seemed to be the norm rather than the exception. “It was pretty discouraging at times,” Elaine admits. “Some companies gave me false hopes when they showed interest but then did not reply again. Once I even received a very rude phone call…” Nevertheless, Elaine persevered and was rewarded. Two employees from HSBC Bank and IDC respectively were touched enough to make personal donations for Elaine’s cause. AirAsia also supported her by providing funds as well as a free plane ticket to Sabah. In Kampung Natai, Elaine and Xiao Wei taught English to local children and adults. Here, Elaine’s creativity came to the fore once again. 29 “Elaine loved cracking jokes during the adult class … she was very creative in teaching the children. She thought of all sorts of different activities to make the classes interesting,” Xiao Wei recalls. They divided the children into different groups: “The older ones would learn sentence structure and grammar. Those just entering primary would learn basic words; those yet to enter school would learn the ABCs or just draw. For the younger ones, they would draw something and I would tell them the English word for it,” Elaine explains. They had fun with the children, buying eggs for them to paint at Easter. “I think they most enjoyed eating the hard-boiled eggs afterwards, though! It’s a rare treat for them.” One of the eye-openers of the project was getting involved in the village’s Open Day. Elaine and Xiao Wei planned events, did publicity via signboards and flyers, manned counters and helped raise funds, but mostly they soaked in the sights and sounds of the novel experience. Like any proper celebration, there was food (the men slaughtered chickens and caught fish while the women cooked the spoils), music (traditional gong-playing), and games (blow-pipe, spear-throwing, a race on bamboo stilts, slingshot and many more). Elaine had the opportunity to interact with the villagers as well as witness firsthand a “foreign,” yet local way of life. Staying with a villager’s family showed Elaine what life was like in a ethnic tribal village far from town: bare of the material possessions most urban folk deem necessary to survival, yet plentiful in natural resources and beauty. 30 Reflecting on this, Elaine believes “there’s this huge gap between the ethnic tribes in East Malaysia compared to West Malaysia. When I came back, I had to tell all my friends about my trip, what I learned about their culture and way of life. That’s the reason I set up a web page and a movie documenting my experiences. Through these, they could really feel like they were in the village, like I was bringing the village to them.” “I guess to many of my friends now, Kadazan-Dusun doesn’t seem like such a foreign culture anymore,” she laughs. “It’s ironic that in a multicultural nation like Malaysia, we still don’t know each other very well. It’s one way to connect, albeit a small one.” Her friend Jeanette Chang agrees. “After the project, I think the most significant change that I’ve seen in Elaine would be her outlook on friendship, that it is possible to form eternal friendships with people of different worlds,” she says. “Even though she and the people there were separated by differences of culture, language and lifestyle, it was possible for her to forge friendships and bond with them.” For most people, that would have been the end of it. However, Elaine became committed to this cause and decided to visit the village for another two weeks again in June 2007 –self-funded, self-organised and on her own. After the familiar procedure of contacting sponsors, securing a ticket, and convincing two very worried parents that their precious daughter would be perfectly safe by herself, she set off again for Sabah. When asked about the work she has done among the villagers of Kampung Natai, Elaine is realistic. “My project is actually a very miniscule one. But I also feel that whatever you do, no matter how small, has an effect. So maybe I didn’t teach the kids 31 Shakespeare, but at least they now know how to introduce themselves, say simple words in English,” she says. “My only regret is that I could not teach them more in such a short while. “In the newspapers, I had always read about the low standard of English in rural areas, but I had not imagined it to be this serious. A fair number of the younger children are illiterate, and rely mainly on memorising simple English phrases without actually understand what it means,” she continues. “I would love to give each of them individual attention and to explain that ‘I’ is saya and ‘name’ is nama. I would love to teach some of the older kids to read Roald Dahl, to open them up to a world of imagination and wonder perhaps I will do so should I ever go back again.” Regarding what still needs to be done about to improve the quality of life among the tribal people of East Malaysia, she says, “They need better roads, but more important, dedicated and knowledgeable teachers. I found out that the adults in the village drink a lot of lihing (homemade rice wine); some seem quite alcoholic and it saddens me that their children will have to grow up in that vicious cycle. However, I can’t just burn all that alcohol on whim, can I? So things are not so simple. Hopefully, some of these children will be able to break free of it. One important means to that end is education.” You may say that it’s just a novel way to spend one’s holidays before jetsetting abroad. Or you can look at it as a sign that, as a generation, young people are becoming increasingly socially aware and looking for opportunities to make a difference in our community, our world. Elaine made a remarkable journey beginning with just a seed of determination, lots of printer ink, paper and crayons. I think we’d all agree that she has surpassed her goal of doing charity work “beyond posing in pictures for Moral projects,” and in doing so, realised that when you give to others, you gain much, much more yourself. 32 (Back to the top) 33 As bright as the straight-A scorers By KHAIDATUL NISA MOHAMED ZABIDI Photo of Khairun Nisa Mohamed Zabidi It is much too often a sad fact that those who have worked hard to make a difference fade away in the sea of humanity, their deeds never to be heard of again. In Boleh-land especially, more often than not people give up because the odds are sometimes insurmountable. Individuals fighting for change find out they are fighting against a mentality set that change is bad, and against a lack of understanding that poses a challenge towards reform. It is even more unfortunate about the Malaysian mentality that grades seem to dictate the measure of an individual’s success. The list of straight-A scorers for the SPM seems to get longer and longer every year. The unfortunate students who do not score as well as they hoped are seen as 34 unequal, and their futures are thought to be not as bright as the straight-A scorers. It’s even more unfortunate when your own family thinks the same way, and it’s often a double-whammy when an individual, instead of pursuing one of the more traditional courses such as medicine or engineering, chooses a more general idea such as mass communications. Let me tell you a story about one of these individuals. May this story have a happier ending than those had by many faceless hopefuls. My sister chose to pursue her diploma in mass communications. She was not one of the many straight-A students of the SPM. That said, mass communications was her first choice, a choice she would’ve have made no matter what grades she had obtained. Her choice was possibly a blessing in disguise, because she found her passion in communications. She felt that she could reach out to more people through that platform. Passion for your subject, for your work, often translates into grades, and my sister made the Dean’s List every single semester. An achievement lauded by most, but in Boleh-land, the unbelievers are loud and proud, and the accolades are quiet, or almost unheard. “It’s only UiTM.” “Of course you should get into the Dean’s List, it’s only mass communications. It’s not difficult.” I could see the light dim in her eyes a little bit, since she was basically being told she wasn’t as smart as everyone else. But I could see resolve in her eyes as well. 35 It was the same resolve she had when she decided to join the debate team. I still remember the day when she turned to me and asked me what AFTA (the ASEAN Free Trade Agreement) was. She was 17, I was 19 and I couldn’t believe my own sister didn’t know about one of the most hotly discussed topics at the time. A lot of people would have shrugged and done nothing about their ignorance. She chose to confront it. As a challenge, she decided to try her hand at the debate team. Like too many Malaysians, she was uninterested in topics outside school. She swiftly discovered she knew next to nothing about topics such as politics, geography and current affairs. Some would say she crashed and burned at debate. She didn’t give up, far from it. Today, she has travelled to international destinations while representing her university in debate. She admits to being far from the best, but her achievements speak for themselves. She was on the semi-finalist team at the Australasian and Asian Debating Championships in Wellington and Korea respectively. Individually, she has won the titles of champion and best speaker at the Women’s Debating Championship, an achievement she holds dear to her heart. Not bad for the 20-year old girl who didn’t know what AFTA was. Two things she has always spoken out for are her anti-smoking stance and her environmentalist message. They are two topics which are not always popular among youth, but she has always remained outspoken about them. It wasn’t just all talk though, and actions speak louder than words. 36 At first she would merely talk of things close to her heart, and of wanting to make a difference. But it was her actions that made the difference. Talk turned into action, starting small on the local circuit when she organised a fundraiser in the form of a futsal tournament to raise funds for the youth empowerment movement. Talk turned into action and she, together with the UiTM debate team, participated in Live Earth as they hosted a beach party at Sunway Lagoon to collect pledges for awareness of global warming and environmental issues. Talk turned to action and it was for her actions that she was elected a finalist in the Bayer Young Environmentalist Envoy awards, for her work with the YAWA (Yarisan Anak Warisan Alam), and her work in Kuala Gula with a project to develop educational and infrastructural facilities to encourage ecotourism among locals, under Raleigh International Kuala Lumpur. Talk turned to action when she represented Malaysia in the Global Youth Meet on Health conference in New Delhi, India as part of the Youth4Health network, and later on, as one of the only two youths at the Malaysian Council for Tobacco Control, to gain perspective into the legalities involved. All within three years. She walks among them, just another individual in the sea of faces. Just another individual, they say, but she isn’t. Her quests for justice are quiet, unrelenting. She does not ask for glory, or for her people to call her name, or to be their heroine. But she is mine. 37 (Back to the top) 38 Saving the environment one reef at a time By KOK SHIAU LEE Photo of (Left to right) Shiau Lee, Yoke Lee A few years back, I was just an ordinary and plain girl who only knew the way from home to school, from school to home, and from home to daddy’s shop… Until I wrote my first essay regarding youths’ role in combating AIDS, and then attended a seminar on HIV and AIDS. That was the first time I met her. She had a sisterly, cheerful composure, which attracted much attention towards her ideas and somewhat set her apart from the other 39 youth in this seminar. I felt like a dwarf when I stood in front of her. Now, I do not feel like a dwarf anymore, not because she isn’t the giant I knew a few years ago, but because today she is my friend. My favourite mentor is a daring and happy-go-lucky girl who does not mind pursuing her dream – conserving marine resources – in alien environments. Yoke Lee is a marine biologist, but her job descriptions do not sound as grand as its name: she dives and researches ocean creatures. Some people think that this job is just a waste of money. However, her profession will hopefully allow our children to see Leatherback turtles swimming joyfully along the South China Sea, among others. My friend is also the editor of Mameng News, a publication that is available in both electronic and print versions. This newsletter has the latest information on marine conservation and the work of WWF Malaysia. In its newest edition, the magazine disseminates the latest news regarding the proposed Tun Mustapha Park in Kudat-Banggi, the soon-to-be largest marine protected area in Malaysia. This park will allow fish to spawn and will provide valuable virgin sites for scientific research, to be conducted by various organisations such as Greenforce and Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS). Tun Mustapha Park will also incorporate local participation, encouraging communities to contribute their experience and knowledge to the development of the park. Besides that, Yoke Lee is the co-ordinator of the Banggi Environmental Awareness Centre (BEAC), in Karakit, Banggi, which is also the workplace for the WWF Banggi Youth Club. She exposes the youth community of Banggi to various issues of marine preservation and also teaches conversational English classes for anglers at Maliangin and Karakit. In addition to that, Yoke Lee delegates the community of Pulau Maliangin to manage the nearby marine reserve, Maliangin Sanctuary, which is a pilot protected marine area. 40 She educates the community about their roles in conserving marine life and teaches them the proper ways to maintain sustainable fishing industries. Yoke Lee is very passionate about her work, and her greatest passion is coral reef conservation. She enjoys communicating with the locals and encouraging them to participate in preserving their marine heritage. She is a visionary leader who serves the community through an intensive, engaging community-building programme. She is a youth leader who has inevitably gone through many ups and downs, but what sets her apart is her great determination to make small differences in small communities, small steps towards great changes, to create a better marine life for this universe. Today I talked to my aunt and her 16-year-old daughter regarding Yoke Lee and her efforts in coral reef conservation. I explained how I met this girl and what she does for a living. My aunt asked, “She went to Sabah alone ah?” I nodded. Then, she asked again, “Her mom no worry meh?” I shrugged my shoulders and shook my head. Then, she continued, “Aiyo, cannot wan… Like that very dangerous for a girl to travel and work alone. Some more have to work with many strangers. Like that no good.” I replied, “But…” My aunt continued, “But is good also-la… Still young, better travel around and open her mind and also try to save the world by protecting those stones in the sea.” 41 I protested, “Aiyo auntie, coral reefs are not stone, they are a type of animal.” Then my cousin, Mei asked, “Jie, The coral reefs are so stony and hard, why do you say that they are a kind of animal?” I was unsure how to convince another person about that, as almost 90 percent of people I know think that coral reefs are plants (or stones) in the sea. However, despite my shallow knowledge, I still tried my best to explain coral reefs. I gulped my saliva and replied, “Well, they are not exactly animals. Coral reefs are living organisms that produce aragonite structures, which are the stony corals. This is why people still assume that corals are not living organisms.” Mei skeptically asked, “Well, then why doesn’t this living organism have a face, mouth, nose and hands like me and you?” I answered my mischievous cousin with basic scientific principles regarding the different characteristics of living organisms. Mei was very satisfied and happy that she learned new things, but she was still very skeptical to spread the word around because she was worried that her friends might not believe her. However, she wishes that she could be like Yoke Lee, to be able to travel around and do things that she likes. She admires Yoke Lee’s determination and her belief in herself, and one day hopes that she will be able to find in herself this same determination to pursue her dreams. From the conversation, I found out that my aunt seemed very skeptical to see a young girl travelling around without family care and support. She also said it was dangerous. I believe she sees this from a 42 mother’s point of view. However, deep down, I think she definitely felt a sense of envy and pride towards Yoke Lee’s determination to preserve our coral reefs. On the other hand, my cousin says she feels Yoke Lee had the freedom to choose the things she wants to do. She may not name Yoke Lee as her unsung hero, but now she knows the existence of another girl who pursued her dreams regardless of what other people thought. Therefore, in a little way, this unsung heroine has convinced another girl to pursue her dreams, and helped a 40-plus single mother learn more about letting her daughter find her own path of freedom. Our country is full of heroic people who are not military leaders or computer wizards, but who are doing something to keep alive the spirit of protecting Mother Nature. That is why I am not particularly sure what the meaning of unsung heroes is. Are they people who make big “differences” but, in fact, have no effect on other people? Or are they those who make small differences but have impacts on their communities? Well, it does not really matter now as long as one makes a difference in another person’s life. For example, I learnt about the environment and also my roles and responsibilities in protecting our environment from Yoke Lee. And today I am no longer an ordinary and plain girl, but rather a more focused person with vision. This unsung heroine has made a difference in my life and with her encouragement I have gained my own perspective through which I see the world. I do know that there are many individuals out there – most of them unsung, unrecognised – who have acted on their beliefs and passions for a more equal and peace-loving society. They fight alienation, dispel gloom, risk the odds, and banish disenfranchising perceptions from people’s thoughts. It is important to remember these forgotten heroes from the past and keep on looking around among us for the unknown heroes of today. 43 (Back to the top) 44 You passed! You did it! (A letter to my hero) By LIM WEI YUN Photo of Wong Chung Heng We may see, but not understand, We may hear, but not comprehend. Others jeer and call us strange, While what we want is just a change Of heart from them, some understanding. Some hope, some love, some form of caring. Welcome to my autistic mind. Inside I’m sure that you will find A world so different from the one you see, Maybe, you will then appreciate me… 45 Your life isn’t a highway, and it hasn’t been a dream. It isn’t an easy road, and hasn’t been a piece of cake. Instead, the pathway of your existence could be described as a mountain trail: steep and riddled with vicious animals ready to strike at any moment. Occasionally, you fall into a deep pothole, but you always manage to pull yourself up and force yourself to keep going. You have an indomitable spirit, a fiery passion that keeps your hopes ablaze and your ambitions in sight. Nothing can stop you from achieving your goals and lighting the way to your future. Not even the spectre of autism has managed to deter you from becoming the great person you are. At four, neither you nor your twin brother was able to speak. You’d suddenly laugh, cry or scream for no apparent reason. When your mother dragged the two of you to the Lions REACH Centre for Autistic Children, kicking and screaming, the volunteers shook their heads and sighed. Even the kindly Dr. Susie See didn’t even expect you to learn how to communicate. However, both of you proved them wrong. Not only did you learn to talk in the timeframe of one year, the two of you started to learn, almost catching up to the level of normal children. Your parents saw hope; the volunteers were ecstatic. Because of your remarkable progress, your parents decided to take a chance, and enroll both you and your brother in a mainstream primary school. The problem was: What school would accept a pair of hyperactive autistic twins? That was when Dr. See stepped in. With her help, your parents managed to find a school with an understanding headmaster who gladly let the two of you familiarise yourselves with the school surroundings for three months before the first day of term. You would go to school, sit in the classroom, eat in the canteen, and learn how to use the toilets. Not that you did that, though; you often peed in the drain during the school term, much 46 to the horror of your classmates and teachers. And although you don’t remember this, some of your classmates bullied you. They put sand in your water bottle, and called you names. You’d react aggressively by pulling the class timetable off the walls, leaving your poor mother to stay up all night making another one. Your future seemed bleak. There were times when your parents felt totally helpless. The years that followed, on the contrary, were a drastic improvement. At the age of eight, you managed to memorise a speech after reading it only three times, and that was a turning point for your mother. She decided that you had a good memory, and she could encourage you to study hard. It helped that you paid attention in class, and motivated yourself to revise what you had been taught in school. With the help of the volunteers at the centre, both you and your brother graduated from primary school and proceeded to secondary school. Secondary school wasn’t smooth sailing, however. Once, both you and your brother were beaten up for attempting to persuade a bully to stop fighting, and the teasing and bullying from your earlier years continued. You were labeled “strange” and “queer.” Your Form 5 trial exam results were horrendously bad. You laid awake at night, unable to sleep. You worried about not being able to pass your exams. You worried about not being able to continue your education. Most of all, you worried about your future, a future most autistic people would never get to experience. People told you not to put pressure on yourself, but you wanted to prove that you could do anything. To remedy your restlessness, you made yourself put in even more effort. You stayed up reading until late. Your mother sat next to you every night, coaching you and guiding you. You even sacrificed recess so that you could catch up on your weaker subjects! This determination may have 47 stemmed from your autism, or perhaps not. One thing that was certain, however, was that you were a fighter! You had overcome your autism to discipline yourself to sit down and concentrate, a task that is nearly impossible for many autistic adults. No matter how difficult it was for you to understand the simplest of sentences, you kept reading and re-reading until comprehension finally dawned upon you. Time flew, and it was all too soon before you had to collect your SPM results. Nervously, you took the slip of paper from your teacher, wondering whether your efforts had paid off. Then, a big grin spread over your face. You had passed! You did it! You then requested to go to university, but your mother disagreed. She thought that it would be better for you if she sent you to Institute Perkim-Goon, and put you in a diploma course. Unfortunately, your brother did not achieve the same victory; but he had no intention to study any more. In his own words, he wanted to “sell eggs.” You are now 22 years old, and you have almost passed your course, with one more paper to go. You want to become a network specialist, and you have described it as your “only goal in life.” You still display autistic traits such as lack of eye contact, and the bullying still continues, but according to Dr See, “Every time I see Chung Heng, he has superseded my expectations.” Truly, not only have you exceeded what she expected of you, but you have shown the world that there is hope for every child. (Back to the top) 48 He became my ears By YVONNE FOONG Photos of (Left to right) Reuben Koh, Yvonne “I get uncomfortable when we talk about world unity. Society is driven by greed for wealth and power. In history, all attempts to unify the world through communism failed. Look what happened to the Soviet Union. I am afraid The Cause would become totalitarian dictatorship. Maybe diversity is good as it keeps every part balanced and in check,” I said to my friend Reuben. “Like I have said many times, Yvonne, God’s plan far exceeds our imagination. Maybe we don’t see it possible now, but it will happen. God is greater than us. Therefore, we can never know God’s plan until it happens. And it will happen,” Reuben replied. I met Reuben Koh Wei Pin on my first day in college. We studied religion together. Sitting next to me, Reuben transcribed lecture notes to assist me in learning. 49 I am deaf. He became my ears. Reuben came to mind when I read about a writing competition organised by The Star newspaper, and theCICAK, a Malaysian pop and politics webzine. We are to introduce an unsung young Malaysian who made a heroic difference in society. Unknown to many, Reuben is my hero. He is the wind beneath my wings. Pursuing tertiary education with physical disabilities is tough in Malaysia. There is no law requiring varsities to provide for the hearing impaired. Therefore, perseverance is vital in making it through school. Times were difficult in the first two semesters, learning from lecturers who primarily taught using verbal communication. Religion class was one of those difficult experiences. I felt like an outcast, often pushed to the brink of tears remembering how I used to be with perfect hearing. I could learn so much better then. As days passed without the provision of learning aids, I began questioning the purpose of attending college at all. I felt silly sitting in class, spending three hours staring blankly at the lecturer, knowing nothing. But I went, day after day, looking forward to studying with Reuben. In my second semester, Reuben and I did not share any classes. Instead, we studied together twice a week over lunch. This was when I knew him better, gaining insight to his personal beliefs, dreams, aspirations, and what makes him tick. I fell in love with his child-like innocence – a gem to find in today’s capitalistic, dog-eat-dog society. For every doubt I have pertaining to social 50 issues, religion, politics, and interpersonal relationships, Reuben always has positive things to say. I often meet people who profess God‘s word literally and mechanically. But Reuben is not that sort. He truly believes in his dream for world unity, which has formed the foundation of his life as a Baha’i believer and is evident in the way he carries himself. Child-like innocence undeniably comes with some naiveté. Reuben would forgive you for taking advantage of him. He does not mind sharing a meal, sacrificing his time, or getting blamed for the fault of others. At first I did not understand when Reuben apologised although he did nothing wrong. It was his way of constant self-reflection. Reuben always strives to be a better person. To prove my point, I asked Reuben one day. “What if people fake their interest in a subject just to spend time with you?” “Well, that is between them and God. I just do my part,” he said. When Reuben is strapped for cash, he would stretch the validity of his prepaid phone card and settle for the plain fried noodles served in the college cafeteria. “My choice is economical,” he said with a cheeky smile and asked if I want to share. I felt sorry, but it did not appear to bother him one bit. Befriending Reuben is at times heartbreaking. Seeing those baggy, panda-like eyes, as the result of many sleepless nights hurts me. Sacrificing for friends and his commitment to God takes a toll on his personal time. A lot of unfinished work in the day becomes a chore at night. Despite the time constraint, Reuben fares well in his academic pursuits, evident when he was granted a scholarship by 8TV and Segi 51 Scholarship Fund. Suffice to say, Reuben is my motivation in studying. I am impressed by how well-rounded and knowledgeable he is. A quick read on any essay he has written is enough to prove my point. Reuben loves the pursuit of knowledge, which I believe is the foundation for societal development. Coincidentally, Reuben wishes to do a master’s degree in sociology next. He is so motivating that I bought myself a lab coat to hang in my room. Many tumours in my central nervous system are gradually robbing my bodily functions. A mass growing and affecting my eyesight has made my future uncertain. I want to be a psychologist, but reality is biting hard. If not for Reuben, I would have lost grip on my goals. His passion for God and the world means a lot to me. My opinion of Reuben is also shared by other students in Segi College, such as Shaun Liew and Pei Wen. Shaun is touched by Reuben’s selfless attitude, tolerance, willingness to forgive, and his commitment into helping others. “Reuben has taught me to look at the beautiful side of the world, the brighter side of things, and the value of friendship,” he says. Pei Wen, who studied two subjects with Reuben in the summer of 2007 describes him as a respectable young man. “I think he is an awesome friend and mature for his age too. People tend to think guys mature slower. But it does not apply to Reuben. He knows what he wants in life and set his priorities right. If I have half of that, I won‘t be so lazy in my studies.” (Back to the top) 52 The porter By CRISSY WONG If there is one thing to be learnt from Mount Kinabalu, it must be this; that there are many artificial things in this world. Of course, Kinabalu, as Malaysia’s highest mountain, is teeming with natural wildlife, in contrast to the world below which is spilling over with nonbiodegradable, mechanical things. But no; by artificial, I don’t mean the latest gadget or handphone – I’m referring to measuring sticks. We judge each other daily, measuring according to status, fame or wealth. But when faced with a mountain, a rope, and not much else, you realise that no pride can exist here. Everything else falls away and in the end, we’re all just muscle, bone and sinew, seeking something from the relentless earth beneath us. Survival rests in the hands of those who know the mountain well. And no one knows better than porters like Teresa, who scale Mount Kinabalu daily for a living. A Dusun by race, she is tied to the land; for the Dusun believe that Mount Kinabalu is sacred land. The word Kinabalu is derived from Aki Nabalu, which means “the revered place of the dead” in the native language. The Dusun are a graceful people, once a major tribe in the state of Sabah. However, in recent years the populations of other races have 53 grown to make the Dusun a minority. Due to this, they struggle to find their identity and have no choice but to make a living from their sacred land. Teresa wakes early to prepare her six children for school, and then heads to the Timpohan Gate, carrying the baggage of travelers in a makeshift knapsack made of plastic canvas. The load eclipses her diminutive figure, and yet she climbs with a quiet elegance, aided only by a wooden walking stick and her rubber shoes that cost RM4.50 a pair, a sharp contrast to the privileged holiday-makers around her who wear branded things and carry carbon fibre hiking rods. She pauses only to wait for the hikers who have employed her, and gives a mysterious smile when they ask her “Berapa jauh lagi?” or “How much farther?” in exasperated tones. Her comforting, if euphemistic answer is always that there is only a little bit more. 54 She weaves in and out of babbling Korean tourists who are wearing bright red lipstick, scales past boulders, all the while taking care of her pack, turning around once in a while to check if everyone is alright, or if someone needs to be held by the hand or an injured soul needs carrying. Her own load is up to 45 kilos at times. She climbs till she reaches the Laban Rata inn at kilometre six. Unloading the luggage, she will spend the night there, waiting for the hikers to make it to the top and back before accompanying them back down. The next day, she will start the same journey again, helping hiker after hiker to accomplish the trail laid before them. So, Teresa can carry heavy things, pursuing a vocation in a maledominated area while raising a family at the same time; but does this really make her a hero? Well, we all know the Malaysian Hero; the one who achieves milestones to the pride of our country. Tunku Abdul Rahman witnessed the fulfilment of his labour in the independence of Malaysia, M. Magendran and N. Mohandas reached the summit of Mount Everest, and though Datuk Azhar Mansor’s journey around the world was long, he ultimately reached his goal. One cannot deny the contributions of these people, and yet we often forget the other hero; the one who has no record to break, the one who sees no end in sight, the one who has no destination to work towards, and yet works anyway. For what would Malaysia be without the lady selling beef noodles at the hawker centre, the Ramlee burger guy down the street, the mamak around the corner toiling day and night to give us oily bread and a place for conversation, all at a small fee? Famished, that’s what we’d be. But more than that, the very essence and fabric around which our community is woven would be broken. 55 What about the person at the Immigration Department, stamping passports; or the farmers at the night market, always reliable for fresh groceries? We could spend all day pointing out kinks and flaws in the system, but the fact of the matter is that these people hold our country together, oiling the gears and keeping the cogs of the wheel running. And in the same way, Teresa may just be a humble porter, but without the humble porter, the tourism industry surrounding Mount Kinabalu would have difficulty holding itself together. One has to wonder what drives her to perform such an arduous task, day after day. I can only guess that she feels that to be a porter is one of the more honourable and worthwhile tasks. But when I ask her why she is doing the job, she has no such ideas of herself. She replies that she is merely supporting her family. And so she carries her burden, sustaining our mountain, one load at a time. She may not have status, fame, or wealth, but she embodies humility, strength and tenacity. That, surely, is the true measure of a person. (Back to the top) 56 About the competition The stories featured in this book were the top picks from theCICAK’s 2nd Annual Writing Competition. Before we share the results of the competition with you, here are the details behind the competition itself. Theme Young Malaysians You Need to Know About theCICAK, a Malaysian political and pop culture magazine, was on a global search for young Malaysian heroes in conjunction with the country’s 50th Independence Day. Each participant wrote about and photographed an unsung Malaysian hero who had persevered against all odds to succeed, or had helped his or her friends, family, society or country in unique ways. We were looking for heroes who had not been highlighted in the press. The stories needed to tell us what it means to be Malaysian. Prizes worth a total of RM5,000 were awarded to the winners. This competition aimed to document young Malaysian voices due to the lack of proper youth, ethnic, religious, class, gender and sexual minority representation in mainstream media. theCICAK’s goals are to create awareness and discussion on issues that affect Malaysian youth and remind Malaysian policymakers that young people should be taken seriously. 57 theCICAK collaborated with The Star and Inkyhands, an online Malaysian literary magazine. The competition was supported by Pusat Komunikasi Masyarakat (KOMAS), an organization that promotes community and public education through documentary film-making. A US$2,500 grant from the Swarthmore Foundation at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania funded the competition. Prizes A) Top Three Stories (selected by judges) First prize, RM3,000, published in theCICAK and The Star Second prize, RM1,000, published in theCICAK Third prize, RM500, published in theCICAK B) Most Outstanding Hero (selected by theCICAK readers) RM500, published in theCICAK Judges 1. Jeff Ooi, award-winning Malaysian blogger 2. Marina Mahathir, newspaper columnist and women’s rights activist 3. Nicholas Wong, editor of Inkyhands and published poet 4. Poh Si Teng, director and co-founder of theCICAK Grading Scheme 30 percent for diversity (geographic, ethnic, religious, class, gender, sexualminority and/or socio-economic factors). 30 percent for writing style and structure 58 20 percent for substance of story 20 percent for creativity (Back to the top) Results First place Her father’s voice by Deborah Wong Chin Lee Featuring Sarah Lasung Second place A hundred times by Chong Yong Wei Featuring Tan Bing Xuan Third place The happy child by Clement Chan Zhi Li Featuring Brandon Chan People’s Choice Award A hundred times by Chong Yong Wei Featuring Tan Bing Xuan (Back to the top) 59 About theCICAK Founded in June 2005 as an online socio-political youth magazine, theCICAK hopes to develop a generation of thinking Malaysian youth. Our team of editors and volunteers source critical articles and writers, coach them with their writing, and moderate healthy discussions on the site. Since then, we have built a fast growing network of more than 100 writers and editors, and have published more than 260 articles, some of which have been republished in local newspapers and magazines. We currently receive a loyal following of more than 2,000 unique visitors to our website every day, with each visitor reading two articles on average. We have received both local and international media coverage. We also work with major newspapers and partners to promote healthy debates. The bigger picture Malaysians younger than the age of 35 will soon constitute 65 percent of the country by year 2010. Will we have a generation of intelligent voters and capable leaders? TheCICAK will make sure that this is so. Help us by writing or telling people about us. Learn more about how you can help. 60 Share this e-book with everyone! http://thecicak.com/ ebook 61