Author: Humans of Kuala Lumpur

“I had an elder brother who was paralysed from a medical procedure that went wrong, when he was a baby. It caused him to be sub-paralyzed from neck to toe…”

“Growing up with him, and being the youngest in the family, usually we are normally the ‘pampered’ ones, but not in my case.

I was taught the harsh way to live independently. I was 12 when my dad and aunt had a big fight, and it was my aunt who took care of me since I was born. Hence, I had to wake up early to go school and prepare my own lunch, take the bus on my own – I felt demotivated on why my mom and dad spent more time with my brother, and not me. I felt loss.

I used to ask myself, ‘Why do my parents love my brother more?’ And I could never understand why.

Then in Form Two, I had the chance to go on an exchange program to Japan and that changed my perspective in life, and changed my perspective to think of others. I learned manners and lived in a different, rigid culture there. In Malaysia we have school cleaners but in Japan, you have to clean up yourself.

In my first week at the school there, we had to clean the garden, the second week was the classroom, and the third week, the toilet.

From all of this, it made me more independent, even in university compared with the other students who ask money from their parents as I tried to find ways to earn money like doing businesses and selling sandwiches. .

Also, because of this experience, I always make sure that I keep the toilet clean – so that my friends who will be cleaning the toilet after don’t have to do much work. I learned to think about others, and if my basic necessities are fulfilled, I can help other people.

From there on, in university I started the Youth Entrepreneur Society, and won a national competition for our business idea and flew to San Francisco for it, received funding from Cradle Fund, but it failed in the end, a year later due to the lack of belief in the team.

When I started my second startup (on teaching confinement ladies), the startup also did not last due to disagreements within the team on how to run the business.

Cloudbreakr is my third startup. Despite failing two startups before this, I still believe in doing business because I want to leave a legacy behind. I like the challenge in growing something from scratch.

Through MaGIC’s Global Accelerator Program, I met the founder of Cloudbreakr who is based in Hong Kong. We had a good team synergy and that was why I chose to work together with him to bring Cloudbreakr to Malaysia.

Being the LinkedIn for influencers, Cloudbreakr creates job opportunities for them, and also for businesses to grow. In six months, we now have 3,500 influencers in the Malaysian database. We connect the companies who need influencers for campaigns and marketing their brands.

We have a good relationship together and share the same idea – something that lacked in my previous startups. Even if I have a business plan, the team is important. The team comes first before the business plan, running the business is teamwork.

It is important to connect the dots in your life because looking back, I realized that my past built me to be more independent.

I like challenges, and I like building things up – and you will learn more about what’s important in your life as you grow along.”
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Humans of Kuala Lumpur is partnering withMalaysian Global Innovation and Creativity Centre(MaGIC) in featuring inspiring and impact-driven entrepreneurs, problem solvers and startups in their mission to solve Malaysia’s problems!

Photostory by Christine Cheah
Edited by Amalina & Mushamir

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(This post was first published on June 23rd 2018)

MaGIC Startups

“22 years ago, I delivered my first child. I went back to my hometown and asked my mom to find a ‘tukang urut’ for my ‘pantang’ (confinement)…”

“Everyday, I had to wait for my mom to come back from her office, then my dad will send me to the masseuse’s house, while my mom will take care of the baby. How inconvenient!

One day, the old lady (midwife) was massaging my back with her foot and slipped because of the oily surface. I almost fractured by back bone and was in and out of hospital for six months. I don’t ever want any new mothers to experience the same thing, so I decided to start Pantang Plus.

I am 46 years old and I have four children. Throughout my four ‘pantang’ (confinement) journeys, my mom took care of me. She learnt it from her mother, who gave birth to 10 kids. This was the practice through the generations and it was passed down ‘turun temurun’.

My mother is my inspiration and Pantang Plus is a tribute to that. Pantang Plus is an online platform that provides confinement services to new mothers in Malaysia and globally. It makes me wake up every morning and remind me I have a purpose to serve.

With most of the mothers who use Pantang Plus, they don’t have the luxury of their own mothers taking care of them. Their mothers are either too far away, too elderly, or have passed away. We are basically filling in for their mothers. So I tell my therapists, ‘You are there to care for them like their mothers, so please show your professionalism.’

Some new mothers might experience post-partum blues, especially if they don’t have support from their family – they are literally left alone. When that happens, they can do all sorts of funny and creative things – some even try to commit suicide or injure their babies!

What I see in modern mothers nowadays, some of them wasted the 9 months of pregnancy.

They think, “Oh, I have branded baby strollers and baby clothes, good gynaecologists and hospitals, I’m now ready!”.

But they forget to feed themselves with more research. They should also have a heart-to-heart talk with their husbands, families and gynaecologists to set their expectations.

I used to be in banking for 15 years, so I am quite exposed to the corporate world. But I was still not prepared to become an entrepreneur – I was always scared, I was not a risk taker.

MaGIC has provided me the best environment to grow. It is the best place to learn and mingle as they provided us with a supportive environment. Not to mention, being surrounded by entrepreneurs with similar mindsets from different industries, where we are all there to learn and take our businesses further. Mana you nak cari tempat macam tu?

The best part was the mentors who have really helped me mold my business. They drive you to where you should be, not where you think you want to be. And in the end, I am very grateful that I am able to help mothers, not just in Malaysia, but all around the globe too.”

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Photostory by Amalina Davis
Edited by Christine Cheah and Mushamir Mustafa

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(This post was first published on June 21st 2018)

pantang plus

(2/2) What is the best advice you ever received from your dad?

(2/2) “Find a man that loves you more than you love him.

I still remember the first time I had a boyfriend, I didn’t even tell him that I had a boyfriend, I just told him that I’m seeing someone. There was once that after my dad met my ex boyfriend, he straightaway said that it wouldn’t work out, because his character wouldn’t be able to handle mine. That time, I kept defending my ex by telling my dad that it’s unfair to judge through one coffee meeting but whatever he said about him turned out to be true in the end! Until now, I still have a hard time battling the inner fear of my dad’s reaction when telling him about someone new in my life and calming down my nerves before telling him. “

Photo story by Samantha Siow

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(This post was first published on June 18th 2018)

(1/2) “Growing up in a single parent family, my childhood was nothing short than enjoyable…”

(1/2) “I don’t perceive myself differently from my peers as my dad always played a dual parent role and I know that it’s not easy.

Sometimes, some people find out that I only have one parent and they instantly give me extra sympathy. To me, I find that highly uncalled for. I feel like regardless of parental background, no one should be treated with extra sympathy, coming from a single parent upbringing, it is nothing lesser then love as well received from a parent.

Just like for all the educators, I hope they will love and teach with equal passion towards a child from a single parent family with no difference from a child that has both parents, so that the child from a single parent family would not feel incapable or lesser in any particular way.

Dad, thank you for always being there for me regardless of how busy work can get for you. Thank you for always working hard to provide the best you ever can for Shanti and I. I will always cherish the way you brought me up to be the girl I am today. Happy father’s day!”

Photo story by Samantha Siow

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(This post was first published on June 17th 2018)

“Hey all, this is Mushamir the founder speaking. I would deeply thank my Photography (and Philosophy) teacher Mr. Paul S. Ubl…”

“From the International School of Kuala Lumpur, who after 14 years, is retiring back to the States, for having taught all of us the magic of Photography.

It was with him that we learnt the art, and the more philosophical aspects of Photography, on how to use film cameras and DSLRs, in the darkroom with his album of John Mayer playing in the background, where we developed our films and photographic prints – by hand!

To Mr. Ubl, I hope you know that the mark of a great teacher is one who inspires, motivates, and opens up minds to the endless possibilities of which one can achieve.

And Humans of Kuala Lumpur is a testament of your teachings to this student.

All of us will miss your stories, humor, the lively atmosphere, and your critiques of our photos! We’ve always felt welcome into your class and as a place to hang out after school, with your warm and funny personality.

Thank you as well for your life advices to many of us who came seeking, and how you are able to look at any deplorable situation and turn it into an uplifting one. And thank you for opening up my mind to the wonders of Philosophy, showing me the ability to think beyond what is seen, and to always question our assumptions.

I hope you know that we’ll always be taking kick-ass photos as we try and capture that ‘Decisive Moment’, and I personally, aspire to be as great as a photographer as you following your dedicated and creative approach to life.

And above all, we will never forget your advice for taking great portraits:

‘The best portraits are the ones that captures the subject’s soul.’

All the best in your life, and I hope we will cross paths again Mr. Ubl!”

– Mushamir Mustafa, Class of 2010

Photostory by Mushamir Mustafa

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(This post was first published on June 6th 2018)

photography

“My late father was an MCA member. He joined MCA when he was 20 years old, in the 1950s when it was first founded…”

“He might be disappointed if he saw what happened. But I’m sure he will understand that this had to happen for our next generation.

If BN continued ruling the country, the consequences might have been worse, but I don’t see hope under them. They have ruled for 60 years. When somebody is holding a thing for too long, they will think that it is completely theirs and they own it.

Tun Mahathir inspired me the most during this election. He built something great for the country back then. I have good faith in Mahathir.

This time we (the people) show them what we want. We decide what we want.

I consider the polling day the luckiest day for Malaysia. Even though I voted, I wasn’t sure who was going to win. I just tried my best. I seriously never thought that this would happen, and I’m sure other Malaysians felt the same.

But I see hope and I see a future where Malaysia will change for the better. This is what the young generation needs.

I hope the younger generation can be brave and step up to do what they should do. Parents are not going to accompany us until the end. If we want a better environment for our next generation, we must decide for ourselves based on what we think is right”.

– Humans of Kuala Lumpur

Photostory by Amalina Davis and Mushamir Mustafa

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(This post was first published on May 11th 2018)

election

“This is my old jacket and I seldom wear this, but I am in the mix of a sad and happy mood…”

“Sad because I lost the elections in Kota Bharu, but I want to have a ceria (joyful) mood, that’s why I choose this.

In my view, there were so many differences, two sides to it. Pakatan had a chance to win and BN too if there was no competition with PAS.

PAS was a determining factor but because UMNO had coaxed them out of the Opposition, into a three corner fight, the votes was split, and in the end it worked in favour of Pakatan. A two-sided fight is better for a bigger majority win in parliament, but the three corner fight was the wrong strategy for BN.

In the end, if you don’t feel the heat of the political and economic ambitions of the people, they won’t have rallied behind us.The biggest struggle came from the people. We are the servants of the people and the people made a choice.”

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Husam Musa is the Vice-president of Parti Amanah Negara. In the 14th General Elections, he lost the Kota Bharu parliamentary seat and the Salor state seat to PAS candidates in Kelantan.

– Humans of Kuala Lumpur

Photostory by Christine C
Edited by Mushamir and Amalina

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(This post was first published on May 11th 2018)

election

“We’ve been in this fight for 20 years. That’s more than half my life. Words can’t really describe how I feel – it’s still so surreal…”

“If you see what they’ve done to us, the kind of things they’ve done to Anwar, to Wan Azizah, to Nurul Izzah, to all our leaders in PKR. But we’re not here to exact revenge. We’re here to change Malaysia.

We are completely elated and extremely thankful, that despite the gerrymandering, despite the phantom voters that I personally discovered in Lembah Pantai, despite the movement of voters in and out of Lembah Pantai, despite the presence of Bukit Aman – we made it.

I feel tired, and I lost my voice from all the campaigning yesterday. I want to find my voice again, but in a way, I have found a different voice, a voice for Malaysians.

I’m ready to start work. I think we have a lot of work ahead of us. I think there’s a lot of things that needs to change. I’m really excited about the things we plan to do. Malaysia will change for the better.

“What is your message to Malaysians?”

Believe. Let us believe again.”

– Humans of Kuala Lumpur

Photostory by Mushamir Mustafa and Amalina Davis

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