17 June 2009

Chong’s Journey Through the Tunnel

Under the anonymous category and calling himself Chong, a visitor to Pak Cik’s posting, ‘Higher Education – I do it my way (part 2)’, wrote a comment that, to Pak Cik’s mind, justifies to be accorded a posting in itself as my comment. Chong chose to express what he felt on the subject of higher education. There seems to be a sigh of injured despair and a tinge of disappointment over injustice. What impresses me is the manner he expressed himself without being offensive. Above all Chong echoes Pak Cik’s constant reminder to Almanar pupils, that life is not a bed of roses. Out there one can expect challenges and what appears as injustice. Count your blessings and move on. Below is what Chong said:

Pak Cik. Saya Chong. Result SPM saya baik. Lebih baik dari kebanyakan kawan-kawan Melayu saya. Kerana saya China, saya tak dapat biasiswa walaupun dah dapat tempat di U. Duit nak pergi KL daftar pun tak ada. Bapa sudah mati. Mak jual makan dekat pasar. Saya teruskan ke tingkatan 6. Lepas sekolah saya kerja angkat simen, angkat batu dgn Uncle saya. Kumpul duit. Lepas habis Tingkatan 6, saya masuk U. Sekarang ada duit. Tahun 2 saya berhenti. Tak cukup duit. Walaupun saya kerja sambilan, tapi tak cukup. KL mahal. Saya cari kerja KL. Mula-mula buat sales. Kejar orang sana-sini jual buku. Tak boleh tahan. Kerja teruk, komisen sikit. Saya berhenti dan dapat jadi kerani. Siang saya kerja, malam saya part time belajar. Dekat 5 tahun baru dapat ijazah. Sekarang saya sudah kerja ada bagus sikit. Saya juga tengah part time buat Master. Ada org senang, ada susah. Kita kena lawan. Kerja kuat. Jangan give-up. Melayu susah, belajar pandai, ada biasiswa. Melayu senang pun ada biasiswa. China susah, tak ada kabel, sendiri carilah... Tapi saya rasa dengan cara ini saya lebih 'kuat'.”

Chong has honoured Pak Cik with a visit and some candid comments. Chong has left a strong message – “Tapi saya rasa dengan cara ini saya lebih ‘kuat.’” He outlined his plight and the manner he maneuvered himself to succeed, and is rewarded with added strength. He has shared with us his bitter experience, a lesson that our young should learn. Pak Cik am thankful to him. I wish he was at Almanar.

Pak Cik can only hope that some-how, some-day Chong will see that ours is not the only bitterness in life. It does not have to be any particular race. Almanar was founded with the hope of correcting some of the quirks of fate. It is suffice for Pak Cik to say that, despite all what we see as injustices, we all should be thankful to be living under the Malaysian sky. At least, not matter how hard it is, no one stops us from striving to a satisfactory end. Somewhere else there may never be such an opportunity.

Thank you, Chong, for the visit and the positive aspects of your comment.

Berkhidmat kerana Tuhan untuk kemanusiaan

8 comments:

Zendra-Maria said...

Syabas to Chong - He has emerged from his painstaking journey up the long and winding road much more stronger than his "jet-planing" contemporaries. And all the more equipped to face the future, as are Al-Manar students under your tutelage Sheikh. Keep it up!

Wan Nordin Wan Hussin said...

And to know that some students squander their PTPTN money (i.e. the impecunious taxpayers' or other people's money) on upmarket mobile phones, for fun and shopping abraod, and etc instead of spending on activities that are related to acquiring knowledge. We would glady give it to Chong, wouldn't we?.

Anonymous said...

Pakcik, Ini Chong lagi. Pakcik really honor me. Tak percaya bila Pn Murni (bukan nama dia) beritahu Pakcik respond macam ni. Pn Murni yang tunjuk blog ni pada saya. Dia 'terjumpa' blog ni masa nak cari info pasal matrikulasi. Saya kenal Pn Murni sudah lama. Sudah macam keluarga. Saya kawan dengan anak dia dari sekolah rendah. Dia selalu beri motivation pada saya. Yang paling saya ingat bila saya kena stop belajar sekejap sebab tak cukup duit, ini apa dia kata : Chong mesti selalu dengar org Melayu kata "Bersyukur dgn apa yang ada". Selalu org buat ini sebagai alasan tak mahu kerja kuat. Tapi sebenarnya ini bermaksud kita semua special. Tuhan beri kita macam-macam (akal, kesihatan, deria, duduk negara aman, keluarga, kawan etc). Kalau kita bersyukur kita mesti gunakan apa yang Tuhan beri - Maximize the gifts. Selagi belum mati kita masih ada peluang. We must try our best sebab 'trying our best' ini kita boleh 'control'. Apa outcome our best itu kita tak boleh control. Kadang-kadang dapat yang elok. Kadang-kadang dapat tak elok. Tapi semua dalam dunia ada pairs i.e. baik/jahat, buruk/cantik, sakit/sihat..etc. Puan Murni kata kita mesti kerja kuat untuk dapatkan 'pair' yang bagus. Memang kadang-kadang kita mesti jumpa/dapat 'pair' yang tak bagus tu tapi kalau kita bersyukur kita akan gunakan apa gifts kita ada untuk dapatkan 'pair' yang baik tu. 'Pair' yang tak elok tu kalau kita terima, jadilah itu kita punya fate. Tapi kalau kita tak mahu 'pair' tak elok jadi kita punya final fate, kita 'gunakan' 'pair' yang yang tak elok tu sebagai'clue' untuk cari/dapatkan 'pair' yang elok. 'Pair' yang elok tu jadi kita punya goal. Saya tak pandailah nak susun ayat Pakcik. Harap Pakcik faham apa saya cakap. Saya salute apa Pakcik buat. Tak ramai orang macam Pakcik. Sebab itu saya tulis komen. Mungkin kisah saya bolah jadi salah satu 'clue' untuk dapatkan 'pair' yang baik.

Al-Manar said...

Zendra

We have had our long and winding road, as you describe it, but can we find ways to make our young ones see what the reality in life is like?

Al-Manar said...

GUiKP

You can speak with more authority on this subject. I wonder how you feel seeing this day in and day out. You are doing what you can, I am sure.

Al-Manar said...

Chong,

See the main posting. Please send my regards to your Puan Murni. She may not carry that name, as you said, but she is that in essense.So you are lucky after all. If you happen to be in KT please call on me. My e-mail is on the cover page. That goes for your Puan Murni no less.

Anonymous said...

hye pakcik,

sy baru je jumpa blog pakcik tapi dah khatam sume posting =)

sy sebenarnya nk improve grammar sy.
sungguh tak reti cara guna past tense, perfect tense..adoi.

blh x tolong suggest buku yg pakcik guna, ada terbaca pasal buku adibah amin, yg mana satu ye?

kat rumah ni ada buku grammar builder by farida j ibrahim-adibah amin-rosemary eravelty terbitan pan asia sdn bhd tapi hny book 2 n book 3. tapi x de skema jawapan..erm pakcik guna buku yg sama ker?

Al-Manar said...

Anonymous
The book you have is very good. It is not proper for Pak Cik to answer your specific questions here. Furthermore you are anonymous. You will have to contact Pak Cik individually - e-mail: almanar@pd.jaring.my . Hopefully Pak Cik will be able to give suitable advice.