Author: Humans of Kuala Lumpur

I’m the only one who is deaf in my family, and I was deaf from birth. Initially, I found it very difficult to communicate. When I was around 5 or 6 years old, my mom then taught me how to lip-read. Later on, my mom also took me to the clinic to learn more about improving my speech. Other than that, I communicate using sign language.

I used to be bullied. A common misunderstanding I face are people thinking that I’m lying about being deaf, they don’t believe me sometimes. To combat that, I will usually try to ask our teachers to help clarify the situation.

When I was being bullied, there would be someone forcing me to give them money. They didn’t use physical force, but I was pressured into giving in. This was in the past, thankfully it does not happen now. I felt that I wasn’t as independent back then. I initially used to get very mad when I was bullied – I would feel angry and argue verbally, but I never physically fought back. Since then, I try to be patient because I believe God will punish on our behalf those who have wronged us.

A common misunderstanding I face are people thinking that I’m lying about being deaf, they don’t believe me sometimes. To combat that, I will usually try to ask our teachers to help clarify the situation.

I’m also grateful that I now have good friends in this school. We usually play football together, hang out, and share stories. We would always go around in a group. Whenever we have problems, we would share and help each other out.

I do not have an exact ambition yet as I have not thought of it. My hobbies are practicing karate, and studying the Al-Quran. But in the next year, I am looking forward to start college. I am currently interested in studying culinary. I help my mom to cook at home. I am able to cook ayam goreng, mee goreng, laksa Johor, and vegetable dishes. My family, we are all super supportive of one another. I have a good relationship with them. They are also very supportive of my dreams and what I do.

If I could advise those who are being bullied, I would say don’t argue back – it’s not good. I would also ask them to consider if they want to report that behavior to our teachers or not. If I could address the bullies, I hope they can understand what they are doing and to not do it again. I hope they will change their attitudes.

I am deaf, and so is the rest of my family members. But my dad, my older sister and I are able to speak a little. All of us were born hard of hearing from birth. We communicate using sign language. If I’m on my own, I tend to forget how to sign sometimes. If I’m with my family, it’s easier for me to remember how to sign.

I doodled a lot over my shirts when I’m bored. My hobby is playing table tennis.

Currently my dream is to be able to work as a chef, but I am worried as I don’t have a SPM qualification. I don’t know what I want to be in the future, but at the moment I do enjoy cooking.

One of the most difficult times I went through growing up was when I was 9 years old. During that time, my mom and dad used to argue a lot because of financial issues. My dad was unemployed at the time, while my mom was a housewife. Both of them were not working. When my dad got a new job in 2009, the root of our arguments was solved because we were able to achieve some financial stability since.

I have been bullied before. Back when I was 7 years old in school in Johor Bahru, there were two people who would always pick on me. They would take their shoes and throw them at me. They also damaged my locker. I would tell them to stop, but they would continue to bully me. This went on for about a year. After that, I discussed with my parents about changing schools.

People in this current school do misunderstand me because they often gossip about me. They would spread rumors about me, saying I did bad things. I don’t understand why they need to talk about me because I never did anything wrong. It’s mostly the girls would gossip about me, lesser guys are involved. To combat it, I decided to just ignore what they are saying.

If I could advise bullies, I would ask them to stop bullying, to stop fighting. If they still don’t want to listen, I would just let it be. Because if I advise once, it’s still fine. But if I have to do it twice or thrice, I feel tired and I don’t think it will get through to them anymore. I didn’t want to report it to the teachers because otherwise all of us will have to deal with the punishment of standing in front of the class. It’s troublesome.

I’m not looking to attending college, as I want to immediately start work next year instead. I do not have an exact ambition yet, so it’s still wide open for consideration. I’m thankful that I’m able to receive help from my school, so I don’t face any problems now.

I want to work hard so that I am able to provide for myself instead of relying on others for help. I want to be able to be independent and take care of myself.

 There are 7 children in the family, and I’m the youngest. I am attending this school because I’m a slow learner: I find it difficult to calculate or to memorise/understand what I am studying. This school provides for two categories of students: those with learning disability, or those with hearing disabilities.

My hobby is dancing. Genres of dance that I enjoy includes Hollywood, rap, and a little bit of hip-hop. I also love to sing. My ambition since I was a little girl is to become a model and a dancer. My mom is supportive of me, as long as I remember to work hard to achieve it. I am very close to my mom. My mom is a housewife, so I help her around the house a lot. We will cook, walk around, take selfies, or go shopping together. I’m also able to cook a little: I can cook ayam masak merah and fried rice.

The bullying cases I have seen around me involves teasing using the names of the student’s parents, mean words, taking others’ belongings, or snatching the food of others. Both boys and girls bully others. I too have been teased in school. Some kids always tease me by reminding me of my dad. My dad has passed away before I even had the chance to know him, and I’m also an adopted child. Other students also tease me saying that I’m not smart because I struggle a bit more compared to others with my studies. I also took up a hair styling course, and in the beginning I was teased by students who said I was unable to do it well. Now, I am able to cut others’ hair, example in the V-shape style. If you strive to do something and work hard at it, you will be able to do it. Whenever I do get bullied or teased, my good friends will comfort me, give me words of encouragement, and remind me to be patient. I too want to be stronger – so I learned to be patient and not react back. Whatever they want to do, I will choose not to fight back.

If I could advise those who are being bullied, I would remind them to be patient. Don’t be sad, don’t be down. Don’t do what they are doing to us. One day, they will be punished. What comes around, goes around.

To the bullies, I hope they will learn to understand and make friends with their emotions. I hope they learn how to slow down, and not do things that are bad or will hurt others. I believe that there are people who bully others just because, or they are just mad or disappointed with their own selves.

My hope is that Malaysians, no matter the language or race, will be able to be friends with one another, and to not bully or hate on each other. 

Bahasa Malaysia

Nama saya Izzati. Saya berumur 17 tahun. Saya ada 7 adik-beradik, dan saya yang ke-tujuh dalam keluarga. Saya datang ke sekolah ini kerana saya adalah seorang slow learner – seperti saya lambat mengira atau menghafal pelajaran. Sekolah vokasional ini ada dua kategori: untuk murid-murid masalah pelajaran, atau masalah pendengaran.

Hobi saya adalah menari. Saya suka menari tarian Hollywood, rap, hip-hop sedikit. Saya pun suka menyanyi di rumah. Saya minat dari kecil untuk menjadi seorang model dan seorang penari. Ibu saya memang bagi semangat, tetapi saya perlu ingat belajar bersungguh-sungguh untuk mencapaikan cita-cita ini. Saya sangat rapat dengan ibu saya. Ibu saya adalah suli rumah, saya akan membantu ibu di rumah. Kami akan masak, berjalan-jalan, ambil selfie, atau shopping bersama-sama. Saya juga boleh masak sedikit, boleh masak ayam masak merah dan nasi goreng.

Kes-kes buli yang saya nampak adalah seperti mengejek nama mak dan ayah, mengata kata-kata yang buruk, mengambil barang orang lain, atau mengambil makanan orang lain. Kedua-dua lelaki dan perempuan juga buli. Saya pun kena diejek di sekolah. Mereka mengejek nama ayah saya. Ayah saya dah meninggal, saya adalah anak angkat. Murid-murid yang lain juga mengejek saya tak pandai belajar kerana saya susah sedikit nak belajar. Saya juga belajar kursus gunting rambut, dan baru dulu murid-murid lain akan bercakap saya tak berapa boleh buat pandai. Sekarang saya boleh gunting rambut, seperti style bentuk V. Jika kamu mampu membuat sesuatu, kamu boleh buat. Jika saya diejek, kawan-kawan baik saya akan pujuk saya, berikan kata-kata semangat, memberitahu saya untuk sabar. Saya sendiri pun nak jadi kuat – saya bersabar dan tidak buat balik apa. Apa yang mereka buat saja, saya tak akan buat balik.

Jika saya boleh memberi satu nasihat kepada orang yang kena buli, saya nak cakap dengan mereka untuk bersabar. Jangan sedih, jangan down. Jangan buat balik apa yang mereka buat kepada kita. Satu hari nanti, mereka akan mendapat balasan.

Untuk buli-buli, saya nak cakap dengan mereka untuk kawan emosi mereka. Cuba slow down, jangan buat perkara yang tak elok. Ada orang yang buli kerana nak saja, atau mereka marah atau sakit hati dengan diri sendiri.

Harapan saya adalah supaya semua orang dari pelbagai bahasa, rakyat Malaysia, boleh menjadi kawan dan janganlah buli.

I’ve been attending this school for 2 years. I came to this school because I have a learning disability. When I was Standard 1, my teachers noticed that I wasn’t studying well, I was also unable to read. I went to see the doctor because my teachers had asked me to. The doctor ran a test to test my mentality: to see how I thought and if I could read. The doctor diagnosed me with a learning disability. 

I feel that I have improved since then. For our UPSR exams, I was able to sit for the exams along with the normal kids.

When I was in primary school, my mom used to worry that I was not able to take care of myself. For example, if I was able to handle myself when others talked to me. I managed to click with a study group, where we get to help one another and study with each other. In the beginning my Mom used to call me all the time because she was worried. After a while, she started to worry less.

When I used to study in a normal school, it was difficult to make friends. This was because the normal kids knew that we were from a special class. During that time, it was difficult to make friends with others.

I have been bullied – I was teased before. When we were doing group work, there were two students who would bully me. At times they would tease me for my status, or they would tease me for not being able to read easily.

I used to argue back when I was unable to take the teasing. One time when we ended up arguing in class, our teacher made us explain ourselves. I told her that they were teasing me. We were all punished. We were given a warning and caned once on our hand – this was when I was in Form 3. Our teacher also told us to shake hands, hug, and start having a more positive attitude. We also went for counselling. Since then, we became friends and there were no problems. Now, I’m glad I can say that I am no longer bullied. I feel that they won’t bully again because we know what happens with those who bully. Maybe these bullies are having problems with themselves, and that’s why they take it out on others.

My dream is to be a motorcycle rider. I hope I can one day enter Formula 1 Malaysia, and represent Asia for Superbike competitions.

By right, we shouldn’t be seeing someone as being a weak person, or a person who doesn’t know anything. We don’t know what they are capable of. We should look at the way they act, their values, and the way they think instead.

When I am given comments that I’m disabled, I do feel hurt. But now I choose to think instead: “I am a bigger person, I am better than these comments.” We can show that those who are disabled are capable of having big dreams. We are not weak. We may not be the smartest of people, but we can think positive and focus on achieving our goals.

If I can give a piece of advice, I hope that people will remember to always move forward – don’t look back. Only God knows, and there is nothing that is impossible for us to chase.

Bahasa Malaysia

Saya belajar di sekolah ini selama dua tahun. Saya datang ke sekolah ini sebab saya ada masalah pembelajaran. Semasa saya belajar di darjah 1, cikgu-cikgu nampak saya tak pandai belajar, saya pun tak boleh membaca. Saya pergi jumpa doktor kerana cikgu-cikgu yang suruh saya jumpa. Doktor membuat pemeriksaan dari segi mental untuk melihat bagaimana saya berfikir dan membaca. Doktor mendiagnosis saya sebagai murid masalah pembelajaran.

Sekarang, saya belajar lebih baik sikit. Untuk Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR), saya dapat duduk untuk peperiksaan bersama murid-murid biasa.

Semasa saya belajar di sekolah rendah, ibu risau saya tidak boleh jaga diri. Contohnya, jika orang lain hendak bercakap dengan saya. Saya dapat menemui satu study group, dan kami dapat membantu dan belajar bersama-sama. Mula dulu Ibu selalu menelefon saya kerana Ibu risau. Tapi lama-lama, Mak pun menjadi kurang risau sangat.

Semasa saya belajar di sekolah biasa, susah sikit nak berkawan kerana murid-murid yang biasa tahu kami dari kelas khas. Semasa itu, ia susah sikit nak berkawan dengan murid-murid lain.

Saya pernah dibuli, saya dulu kena diejek. Semasa kami membuat kerja berkumpulan, ada dua murid yang membuli saya. Kadang-kadang mereka akan mengejek taraf saya, mengejek saya tak boleh membaca.

Mula-mula saya pernah bergaduh balik semasa saya tidak boleh tahan mereka mengejek saya. Satu kali saya bergaduh di kelas, Cikgu datang dan tanya kenapa. Saya memberitahu Cikgu mereka mengejek saya. Kami semua kena didenda. Kami diberi amaran dan kena rotan atas tangan sekali – ini semasa saya belajar di tingkatan 3. Cikgu pun menyuruh kami bersalam, berpeluk, dan berfikir positif. Kami juga pergi untuk kaunselling. Sejak itu, kami pun mula berkawan dan tiada masalah. Sekarang ini, saya bersyukur saya boleh cakap tiada orang yang mengejek saya. Saya rasa mereka tidak akan membuli lagi kerana kami tahu apa yang akan jadi kepada orang yang membuli. Mungkin pembuli-pembuli yang ada masalah dengan diri sendiri, sebab itulah mereka mengejek kami.

Cita-cita saya adalah untuk menjadi seorang pelumba motor. Saya harap saya dapat masuk pelumba Formula 1 Malaysia, dan menjadi wakil seluruh Asia untuk pertandingan Superbike.

Sepatutnya, kita harus tidak melihat orang lain sebagai orang yang lemah, atau orang yang tak tahu apa-apa. Kita tidak tahu apa yang mereka boleh buat, apa yang mereka boleh tunjuk. Kita sepatutnya melihat orang dari segi persiakapan, penilaian, dan cara mereka berfikir.

Bila orang lain cakap saya OKU, saya terasa sangat. Saya memilih untuk berfikir: “saya boleh menjadi lebih tinggi daripada perkara ini”. Kita boleh tunjukkan bahawa orang khas juga adalah orang yang boleh berkemampuan tinggi. Orang khas bukan orang yang lemah. Kita bukan orang yang terlalu pandai, tapi kita boleh berfikir positif dan fokus kepada matlamat yang kita ingin mencapai.

Jika saya boleh memberi nasihat kepada orang lain, saya harap semua orang akan ingat untuk maju ke depan dan jangan sekali tengok belakang. Tuhan saja yang tahu, dan tiada benda yang mustahil untuk kita berkejar. 

I came to this school based on my previous school’s recommendation. I lived in Penang. Although there is a vocational school in Penang, that school didn’t have the field I wanted to study. I wanted to study a motor course. But when I came, there were so many other students who wanted to study this too. I figured that I would be able to learn about motors myself, and learn how to build furniture instead. Since I was younger, I liked to build things. I’m now able to build my own furniture, such as a desk and a chair.

When I first came to this school, I found it difficult to adjust to live with others in the hostel. I wasn’t used to the environment, and there is also a routine as well. We have to wake up early, we have to sleep early too.

I have witnessed others being bullied. Usually the weaker kids are the ones that get picked on. There was this one bully in class that picked on the weaker kids, forcing them to fill up his water or smacking them a bit. Students who are deaf or mute were also teased in front of others. For such a situation, I would advise them to ask help from the teachers. If the bullies call you, try to ignore them.

I’m grateful for the teachers in this school, because they are so patient despite needing to repeat what they taught us over and over. In making friends, it gets difficult sometimes because we don’t know friends as well as we know our family. If both friends have a similar wavelength, it’s easier to get along. If they are unable to compromise or meet in the middle, it’ll be difficult to be friends.

Bullying is not good behavior, but we can’t control what others do. I hope bullies will think more about what they are really doing. I hope they realise it’s wrong and they will repent.

To those that are getting bullied, I hope they will continue to be patient. Although we shouldn’t be fighting back, we should stand up for ourselves if we need to. If we don’t, these bullies will think that their actions are accepted and normal.

Bahasa Malaysia

Saya datang ke sekolah sebab sekolah lama saya yang memberi recommendation. Saya berasal dari Penang. Walaupun terdapat sekolah vokasional di Penang, sekolah itu tiada bidang yang saya nak belajar. Mula-mula saya hendak belajar kursus motor. Tetapi semasa saya datang, terlalu banyak orang pun nak belajar kursus ini. Saya berfikir saya boleh belajar tentang motor sendiri. Sekarang saya belajar kursus perabut. Sejak kecil lagi, saya minat membina barang. Saya boleh membina perabut sendiri seperti kerusi dan meja. 

Semasa saya baru datang ke sekolah ini, ia lebih susah untuk hidup bersama orang lain di asrama. Saya tak biasa tinggal dalam keadaan ini kerana ada rutin. Kami mesti bangun awal, tidur awal.

Saya pernah melihat kes buli di sekolah. Selalunya budak lemah yang kena dibuli. Terdapat seorang nakal di kelas yang akan membuli orang yang lemah saja. Contohnya, dia mengarah mereka untuk mengiisi air dalam botolnya, ada memukul sedikit. Murid-murid yang pekak atau bisu pun diejek di hadapan orang lain.

Dalam situasi seperti ini, saya akan nasihat mereka untuk memberitahu cikgu. Jika pembuli-pembuli panggil kamu, cuba membuat tak tahu saja.

Saya sangat bersyukur untuk cikgu-cikgu di sekolah ini kerana mereka bersabar mengulang balik apa yang mereka mengajar kita. Untuk kawan-kawan, ia susah sikit membuat kawan kerana kami tak tahu kawan sama seperti kami tahu keluarga kita. Jika kedua-dua kawan ada perangai yang serupa, itu baik. Tetapi jika pendapat kami tidak boleh ditemu, ia lebih susah.

Membuli bukan elok, tetapi kami tidak boleh tutup mulut mereka. Saya harap mereka lebih berfikir tentang apa yang mereka sedang buat, dan menyedari ia itu salah.

Kepada orang lain yang dibuli, saya harap mereka bersabar. Walaupun kami harus jangan lawan balik, kami mesti bercakap untuk diri sendiri. Jika kami tidak, pembuli-pembuli akan merasa perlakuan mereka adalah biasa.

I had problems with my hearing since primary school. When I was younger, I could hear a bit. But as I got older, I started to lose my hearing. I went to see the doctor, went for several appointments, and underwent an operation. The doctor then gave me this hearing aid to help me with my hearing.

I’ve only recently started wearing this hearing aid. It was difficult to hear what others who were standing far away were saying when I didn’t wear my hearing aid. Without this hearing aid, I wouldn’t really be able to hear at all.

Last year I had no friends because I just entered school. This year I finally have some friends. And after some time, ‘ada orang faham hati saya’ (there are people who understand me), and I finally have friends. And when I am sad, they do come and help me. 

When I first started coming to this school, I then learned about what bullies are. When you are around such an environment, you start to learn how to be on your own and focus on building your future for yourself. But I am grateful that I do have a few friends from my previous school and in this current school. My friends are those who really understand me. We like to play football and badminton when we can.

When friends tease you, you’ll be okay with it. But if others tease you, some people will feel angry, right? When I used to be teased, I acted as though I didn’t hear it, I just kept quiet. I don’t like to be teased. Although I do feel hurt, I choose to be patient. It’s better if we could be patient.

Bahasa Malaysia

Sejak dari sekolah rendah, saya memang ada masalah pendengaran. Semasa saya kecil, saya boleh dengar sikit-sikit. Semasa saya besar, kurang dengar. Saya pergi jumpa doktor, pergi untuk beberapa appointment, membuat operasi. Akhirnya, doktor memberi cadangan untuk memakai alat ini yang membantu saya mendengar.

Saya baru-baru saja mula memakai alat ini. Ia memang susah mendengar orang lain bercakap dari jauh jika saya tak memakai alat ini. Semasa saya tanpa alat ini, saya tak berapa dengar.

Semasa saya bermula belajar di sekolah ini, saya memahami apa itu buli. Dalam keadaan seperti ini, saya mula belajar sendiri dan membina masa hadapan untuk diri sendiri. Tetapi saya bersyukur saya ada beberapa kawan di sekolah lain dan juga di sekolah ini. Kawan-kawan saya adalah orang yang memahami hati saya. Kami suka bermain bola sepak dan badminton.

Saya belum tahu cita-cita saya, tetapi sekarang saya suka acara lontar peluru. Mungkin boleh menjadi seorang olahragawan? 

BIla kawan saya mengejek, saya okay saja. Bila orang lain mengejek, ada orang akan marah kan? Dulu semasa saya diejek, saya buat saya tak dengar, diam saja. Walaupun saya akan merasa sakit hati sikit, saya bersabar saja. Lebih baik kami bersabar.