Yvonne Foong

The average reading skill in Malaysia bothers me. We have been told about critical thinking skills, managerial skills, public speaking skills, but hardly do we consider reading skills.

I’ve got to repeat myself when writing to locals, each repetition simpler than before, until it becomes a one-sentence summary devoid of any in-depth explanations. This occurs to me now that I rely heavily on written communication.

My writing takes shape according to books I read, that range from science and psychology texts, political news and texts, and the writings of legal professionals. I tend to speak when I read, my lips, tongue, and vocal chords move silently. It would be interesting to conduct an fMRI of my brain when I read, to find both my Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas activated simultaneously.

This is one of the blessings being deaf or hard-of-hearing. The way others talk would not be much influence when you are determined to improve your language skills.

When I first read Poh Si’s writings three years ago, I could not piece those information spread out in each article to form a whole mental representation. John had to spell out everything from A/z to get me understand things. Now I’m more critical. I saw Poh Si’s blog again today, and reading was easier than before. Now when I write to any Malaysian community, I must be sure the idea can be easily understood, and be careful not to cloud or dilute it with too much words. There has to be a hierarchical sequence, as if I am telling a story instead of arguing a point outright. One to two points are often hard for others to understand, any more is confusing.

Maybe it’s my lack of writing mastery. Maybe it’s the reading skills of people. But one thing for sure. I once could not read between the lines or see the whole picture of an exhaustive article as well. Foreign news articles with their structural styles of professional journalism did not make sense to me. I had to be told from A to Z.

I wrote about Reuben and submitted my story to The Cucak Writing Competition. Guess what? Mine got shortlisted!!

You may read the story here. Click our handsome and beautiful photo to read it.

Or just click here.

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Subject: Heroes - Reuben Koh/Yvonne Foong.

My personal belief: Societal change must first begin with the self.

You know, I had not joined or won in any writing competitions previously. It is true that my writing is full of grammatical mistakes. But to me, it is more important to write with passion, for a cause, for the betterment of the world and mankind. If we were to write, write for a greater purpose. That’s why I submitted a story to The Cicak knowing they are inline with my personal beliefs. Reuben’s as well.

“Bapa kata satu cara tak perlu operation boleh keluarkan tumbuhan di belakang,� Pei Lee said.

“Itu radiosurgery, guna tenaga electric. Cuma boleh bunuh tumbuhan, tak boleh keluarkan tumbuhan.�

“Bukan! Ini boleh,� she waved frantically, dismissing me.

Reaching out to Pei Lee introduced me to the world of Malaysian minorities that I could barely imagine. When we speak about marginalized members of society, we think of poverty and hardship. But as I begin to learn now, their deprivation involves much more than just putting food on the table.

Lim Pei Lee, 28, an unemployed school dropout suffers from Neurofibromatosis Type 2, an illness causing tumors to grow in her central nervous system. The disabling genetic disorder made her deaf in both ears, living with facial paralysis, drooping eyelids, and weakness in the legs.

In her twelve year, Pei Lee underwent a brain surgery at General Hospital Kuala Lumpur and stopped going to school ever since.

“Kita dapat penyakit ini. Kena terima,� she often tells me.

Pei Lee’s lack of language command proved challenging, while the world rapidly head towards globalization. The inability to read and write in English or converse well in Bahasa Melayu has made many things inaccessible to her.

Without English command, Pei Lee could not understand the nature of her illness, or do research pertaining to her own healthcare. In the midst of getting Pei Lee the right medical treatments, I am often caught in a catch-22 situation. There are things she ought to know, but I do not see how she could understand without studying the subject entirely.

How do you replace five years of secondary school education in just five days? How do you explain Saraf Tunjang (Central Nervous System), the definition of radio surgery and X-Ray, or the reason why tumors are best left untreated if they do not pose harm?.

Perhaps, the latter question seems easy for the laymen. But when I tried explaining similar issues to Pei Lee, she could not grasp the concept and had to ask me repeatedly on different days.

Pei lee does not understand that medicine is meant to treat, not to cure. Even simple sentences are often difficult for her to comprehend. Dropping out of school has impeded her mental development in areas of learning and cognition.

But Pei Lee is not alone. My first two surgeries involving the brain and spine were done at the Kuala Lumpur General Hospital. The Neurosurgery ward likened to a tumor haven, filled with patients suffering from various brain and spine tumors. Most were marginalized Malays and Indians, making a meager living at the village, manning food-stalls.

Most children warded at the hospital dropped out of school upon diagnosis at infancy. When I asked one tiny malay girl for the reason, she said, “Ada penyakit. Tak payah belajar-lah.�

Needn’t to ask, she was forced to work and help make a living instead.

When KL-city born and bred youngsters tell me that Malaysia is prosperous and doing well, I feel like shooting off their heads.

If you want to see Malaysia at it’s very real, come stay at the Kuala Lumpur General Hospital at low cost, thee meals a day provided.

About 200 music loving teenagers and young adults traveled from the far reaches of peninsular Malaysia to attend the soft launch of EmceeDavid‘s new rap album at Maison Club on a still Wednesday night.

The 20-year-old law alumni of Help University College wearing an Echo Park cap, entertained the crowd by singing 7 songs from his new album, Just Listn, on a raised platform above the stage, while the crowd cheered in support of the outstanding rapper.

The self-funded, self-composed, 15 track album produced over the period of a year by 25-year-old producer, Kugan a.k.a Funktionz, will be on sale from August 14 onwards.

The collaboration was inspired by an encounter two years ago, when EmceeDavid’s hip hop group, AOI, recorded a song, “Wen Ying� for Malaysian Fusion X II.

“He’s a great writer and for someone as young as him, he’s definitely shown a lot of maturity on the album,â€? said 25-year-old Producer Kugan.

The duo became good friends since then and collaborated by goodwill, but for his debut album, Just Listen, EmceeDavid wanted to have it done professionally by hiring Producer Kugan on contractual basis.

With personal experience and parental support, the persistent rapper spent 2 hours each week in the past year to record his debut, while juggling work with studies.

Apart from resolvable minor disagreements during recording sessions, Producer Kugan said the 20-year-old was easy to work with, because they are used to each other’s working methods.

All lyrics are the composition of EmceeDavid himself, while industry premiers D’Navigator, Ill Steez, and DJ Uno contributed music to several songs that David personally produced.

Kugan recommends the song, “Feel So Good�.

“It has a fresh sound to it that you don’t normally hear from a local artist.â€?

Producer Kugan’s said Just Listem is his best produced album so far, that allows him to freely explore different techniques and alternatives.

The album received the support of singers Elvira, Dhivia, Altimet and Jamntrix of 3 Flow, who contributed voices to the chorus.

“You can’t really make an album with rap songs only”

Apart from two love-themed songs, the album is biographical in nature, expressing EmceeDavid’s thoughts and feelings. The song, “Perhaps You’ll See�, was composed prior to his visit to London just 2 days after the bombing

“Seeing the pain that people suffered at the scene led me to penning the words to this song,�

Published in The Sun newspaper

Amidst the bustling city of Kuala Lumpur, lived a boy who was the male soloists in his church’s children choir. Attending piano classes and sitting for music exams became a hated chore.

The tide changed at age 13, when he began to enjoy making music, followed by the formation of a music band in school.

The boy that once loathed music has grown up to be a promising rap musician, who had just composed and produced his own album.

David Tee Ken-Shen, was born on 5th December 1986 in Kuantan, Pahang, but raised in Kuala Lumpur, The average looking 20-year-old Emceedavid, as he is better recognized today, is down-to-earth and simple.

“The notion that a person involved in the music industry must live a life of parties and such is more or less just a fairy-tale.� said the witty singer.

By his studious look and plain clothes, there’s no telling of David’s inner talents and broad mind by first impression.

David, whose childhood ambition was to be a businessman, did not initially receive parental support for his passion in rap music. That changed when his family funded the production of his new album, a sure sign of love and support.

But the lack of experience made balancing between music and studies a problem, resulting in several disappointing major exam results.

“Restrictions are only what one makes it to be.� said the persistent David.

Indeed, perseverance and hard work have turned David’s initial obstacles into stepping stones, leading to where he is today.

Music producer, Kugan a.k.a Funktionz described David’s songs to be fresh, a quality that is uncommon among upcoming rappers.

His strong commitment in music and studies restricts opportunity to hang out with friends, but there is not regret because the sacrifices have proven worthwhile.

“The benefit of hind-sight is not to make you feel that you should have done things differently but rather to teach you to do it differently in the future.�

It may surprise you this promising musician is still in pursuit of the basic necessities in life. The new alumni of Help University College is set to complete his law degree at Cardiff University, UK, leaving in September.

He hopes to one day return as a practicing lawyer and be called to join the bar council, while continuing music only as a side interest.

When asked whether he feels the restriction of being a rapper in Malaysia, David said he does not believe that living abroad guarantees better prospects.

“You can say how it sucks being a Malaysian rapper because hip-hop isn’t as big in Malaysia as it is in the US but hey, competition is way stiffer over there.â€? said David matter-of-factly. “It’s common sense that when the possibility of profit is higher, the margin of risk is wider.â€?

Emceedavid said that being a rap musician allows him to pursue both music and writing at the same time because “rap is poetry in motion.�

But what does he think about the level of writing in Malaysia?

“There are many undiscovered young talented Malaysian writers. The government and parents play an important role in honing the writing skills of young people. There is a huge need to promote the importance of good speech and writing abilities.â€?

Well said! Now, what about his “ahem� love life?

“I have had some girlfriends in the past who were supportive, but none were ever into hip-hop music.�

David admits that he hasn’t reach an age to know what he wants exactly in a girl, but someone he can related as companion is good.

Perhaps puzzling because David can appear clueless one second and thoughtful the next, because his ideal marriage is clearer than knowing what his partner should be.

“I don’t think a woman should only stay home. At the end of the day, decisions and compromises should be made in the interest of the family. Family should come first and personal interest second. A woman who understands this would be ideal�

Sample tracks from EmceeDavid’s new album, Just Listen, may be downloaded at http://www.myspace.com/emceedavidmusic

Written by NST journalist, Jessica Lim. Reproduced here for those who missed the opportunity to read a touching story in print

An incurable disease causes her legs to collapse if she stands for over 10 minutes but this year’s youth award candidate tells JESSICA LIM her heart will take her where her limbs will not.

HER fingers are bent into an perpetual claw — just about the only visible sign that she is struck with a disease that is slowly withering her muscles.

Sia Ling Ling is the last in her family of nine, with six of them hit by the same disease.

Despite that, she has overcome the obstacles in her life and today is the first nominee for the Most Outstanding Youth of the Year award.

“Even if it hurts, I won’t use a wheelchair, not while I can still walk,” says the 26-year old administrator for Beautiful Gate, a home for the disabled in Petaling Jaya.

She was nominated by last year’s winner of the AYA Dream Malaysia Award, Yvonne Foong, 20, who was intrigued by the girl in her college who walked in and out in her strange, swinging gait.

“She left home at 14 and made a living for herself despite her disability. What a story,” said Foong, who herself is facing a disease which makes tumours grow in her body.

Sia can manage the distance of three bus-lengths unsupported. Anything more and she has to lean on walls or chairs.

She can even stand for 10 minutes on her own — but that’s the limit.

At Beautiful Gate, where 40 disabled people stay and hundreds more come to learn skills, people stumble over each other to tell their own Ling Ling love story.

Though something of a mini-celebrity in her circles, the humble roots of her childhood grow deep.

Sia came from a little town in Malacca called Sungai Rambai. As a child, she watched her father, a tailor, struggling with muscular dystrophy. Like watching a horror movie in slow-motion, five of her seven siblings followed the same crippling path.

“I prayed hard that I wouldn’t get it, but when I was eight I got it too.”

Within two years, she had to sit on the grass turf while her friends played lompat getah and “catching”.

Those were tough years.

“Kids would steal my things and throw them at me. One girl told the others that I was like this because we ate turtles. She said that because of that, everyone should keep away.”

Did she cry? “Of course-lah. What do you think? Every night.”

At 14, the pint-sized girl decided that Sungai Rambai was too small for her dreams.

With a little bag of belongings and her heart in her throat, she took a bus to Kuala Lumpur.

After getting her bearings, Sia politely turned down her sister’s financial support and went it alone by selling handmade silver wire keychains at the night market three nights a week.

She took up a full-time position in the centre six years ago, where she continues to infect others with her hearty laughter, thoughtfulness and zest.

Her “pet brother”, Lee Yew Hoe, has a T-shirt given by her emblazoned with his favourite wrestler, The Rock, on display in his room.

“I’ve never worn it because I don’t want to dirty it.

“I was so lonely. Then she met me and started bugging me to join their activities and everything. I used to wonder: ‘Why is she bothering with me? What’s wrong with her?’” said Lee, who has used crutches since young.

Last year, Sia married the man of her dreams, Ng Chung Chiat, after nearly 10 years of courtship.

As she walked down the aisle — without support and without a wheelchair — the atmosphere was thick with emotion.

When the words rang out “For better or worse, for richer or poorer…” her ringbearer and close friend, Ivy Pua, felt the tears welling up.

“She didn’t have it easy, but look at her now. I’m proud to call her my ‘big sister’.”

Published in Seventeen magazine, December 2005

As a child, I had many dreams in mind. I wanted to be an excellent figure skater, graduate from ballet school, and sing in choirs everywhere.

Like any other teenager, my school days were blissful and memorable. Being the only child in my family meant that friends in school were my best companion. I could still remember, the times I spent playing and chit chatting with my classmates when teachers were not around. Those shopping sprees, sleepovers, school activities and silly adventures that we used to partake together. I was eager to attend school, because then, nothing beats the company of my friends.

My teenage bliss was shortlived. At the tender age of 16, I was diagnosed with an incurable illness called Neurofibromatosis Type 2, a rare genetic disorder that causes benign tumors to grow along various nerves including the brain and spine. When my medical condition was being explained by the doctor, I did not feel sad. but heaved a big sigh of relieve.

It was my first year in secondary school when the ringing sounds in my right ear started. I used to enjoy listening to the radio before going to sleep. But soon, I could no longer use earphones in my right ear. In a matter of months, my hearing in that ear deteriorated until it was completely gone and never came back.

Even though my right ear was no longer functioning, I could still carry on with life as usual. My social life, however, was greatly affected. Being an early teen faced with peer pressure, pretty much clueless about society, I found it hard to explain the deafness to people. I did tell my parents, but they dismissed the case and let it as that. There wasn’t much that I could do, except for taking the situation as it was. Each time someone asked me about my hearing deterioration, I didn’t know how to answer and gave all sort of excuses. In the end, I became self-centred and overly concious about what people thought of me.

Soon after, I was forced to quit ballet and figure skating lessons. Not that I wanted to, but my balance was worsening drastically. A quick spin of my body could have landed me in serious headache and dizziness.

School wasn’t easy for me either. I still remember, how painful it was to fall down everyday. Bruised knees and swollen ankles were not uncommon. New injuries were aflicted before old wounds could heal. Concerned teachers and friends kept asking me about my health, but I could only come up with excuses. The little voice in me wanted to cry for help, but who would be there for me, when my own parents did not even care?

And so, my sudden disabilities continued to torment me until I could barely walk at all. It was only then, that my mom sensed the emergency and took me to the hospital. The first MRI scans revealed 3 brain tumors and several more along the spine. I was relieved, because my sudden deafness and poor balance finally had a cause.

Looking back, the past years were similiar to a roller coaster ride. It’s been three years since I was diagnosed, with three major surgeries behind me and another one to come very soon. I’m often asked about how I manage to cope with everything, but do I have a choice? Simply giving up makes no sense to me. Staying helpless and bitter only puts burden on others. Besides, everything happened so quickly, there was simply no time to waste feeling sorry and to consider giving up.

But God is fair to me. In spite of being ill with shattered dreams, I am blessed to have many wonderful friends who accepts me unconditionally. They have provided me with the kind of love and support that many people lack. Elena Tong is truly an angel in my life. She has seen me through thick and thin, and would certainly be there if I ever fall again. Elena did not mind putting up with my worst behavior in times of desperation. She was my walking stick when I couldn’t walk, my ears when I couldn’t hear, and my pillar of support whenever I broke down. My illness took many things away from me, but it can never take Elena away.

All these while, I’ve never thought anything more of myself, than just another ill-stricken teenage girl. At times, I found myself walking along a deserted road with no clear idea which direction to heed. I wanted to strive for something, but what exactly, and how?

I was like a vehicle without an engine, and that’s when Cordy came into my life. Sometime at the beginning of this year, Cordy came across my blog by chance. She was inspired by my story and decided to send me an e-mail as encouragement. Somehow, our friendship blossomed at a remarkable pace, and soon, we became the best of friends as though we’ve known each other for ages. Knowing all that I’ve gone through in my past, Cordy has a certain admiration for me. She knows that I can do much more with my experience. Cordy was like the missing part in my engine. Without a doubt, she urged me to write a book and taught me to have faith in myself. She told me that there’s more in what I can do than I can possibly imagine right now. She was not just a talking parrot without actions. Cordy stuck around, editing my work as I penned down 7 years of physical and mental anguish. Cordy was right about writing being therapeutic. Writing my book was the best decision I ever made.

So now I have a book, but how am I supposed to get it out? God must have heard my plight, because soon, he sent an angel to guide me through publishing. Writing the book was only the beginning, that was followed by months of door knockings, in search for a willing publisher. What I had in hand was a very niche topic that proved to be a risky investment as well. I was determined to get my book out, but the bleak situation was not compromising with my hopes. Until one day, I happened to surf through the website of a local author named John Ling. I’ve never read any action-thrillers in my entire life, but somehow, there was something about his name that eventually landed him on my MSN contact. His name sounded very familiar, as though I’ve known him before, Thanks to the newspaper article that a friend showed me a few months ago. If she hadn’t done that, I wouldn’t have taken the initiative to know John, and I certainly could not be where I am today. Thank goodness because not only did God send me an angel, but a very good friend too. And that package is no other than John Ling.

My firiends came around as though they were preordained, but there’s one person in my life that didn’t come by ordination. That person is my mother, and she’s simply a part of nature. Any misgivings that I once had for her is now in the past. The fact that mother did not give my health immediate attention does not matter anymore, for she has shown me the greatness of maternal love that is simply incomparable. She was the sole person who took care of me when I was bedridden and unable to walk, without a single complain even when things got messy. To me, my mother is the strongest person ever. Without her, my surgeries could have been much more dreadful.

I’ve come a long way since the day my hearing took its toil. Things are a whole lot different now, after years of physical, mental, and emotional tempering. Some people asked if I wished that I never had this illness. I find that question to be tricky because my illness is what caused me to be who I am today. I could have gone no where if I was never put through such hardships so early in life. Without seeing a need to express my sorrows, my flair in writing could not have developed, and I would not have the chance to write for the magazine you’re reading now. Everything happens for a reason, that is only noticable if we take a step back and look at our lives as a whole.