“I’ve been living in Malaysia since 2013. It was just my mother and me, and we came over by boat and on foot. It took us almost a week to reach this country.”

“I’ve been living in Malaysia since 2013. It was just my mother and me, and we came over by boat and on foot. It took us almost a week to reach this country.

School is a lot harder here than it was in Myanmar. It’s different and challenging. But I just work hard. Back in Myanmar, we used to play this 5 rocks game called lungbum.

I play a hawker called Chooi in this coming Hands of Hope musical show. She’s the one who sells food and always scolds people. I just act like I’m angry all the time. I practice twice a week after school.

I want to be an eye doctor when I grow up because when I was younger, I went through an eye operation (in Malaysia), so I don’t want other people to go through it.

The one thing I miss the most about Myanmar is my grandparents because I haven’t seen them for a long time.”

– Humans of Kuala Lumpur

Photostory by Samantha Siow and Aiman Mustafa
Edited by Sydrah M

*Hands of Hope Charity Musical Theatre 2019 aims to raise awareness about the humanitarian issues happening in Malaysia. This musical theatre shares the journey of two refugee brothers from Chin to Malaysia and also the struggles that they face when they are in Malaysia. For more information, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/events/2432726603440770/

“You’re young, you’re a good person and if you find a good woman, go and marry.”

“What advice can you give to young people?”

“You’re young, you’re a good person and if you find a good woman, go and marry. If you don’t have money, that’s fine – the both of you can work together and help chip in to the costs for the marriage, for example. If the girl wants to marry you for your money, then that’s not love. It’s love when the two of you get together because you love each other, and will work together to build a better future for the both of you. You should never fall in love because of money.”

“Ok, now put your head down sweety.”

So daddy fixes the hat on her tiny head.
“Ok, now put your head down sweety.”
*Click*
“Alright honey, stick your head out now!”
*Click*
Asked if she was excited about the new Star Wars movie, and struggling to take the hat off, she turned to her dad and stuffily asked:
“Daddyyyy, take this hat off!”

“I came to Malaysia alone in 2014 because of the civil war in my home country, Somalia. I had 4 siblings. When the civil war broke out in 1994, our mother disappeared and we couldn’t find her. My father and eldest sister died before I came to Malaysia.”

“I came to Malaysia alone in 2014 because of the civil war in my home country, Somalia. I had 4 siblings. When the civil war broke out in 1994, our mother disappeared and we couldn’t find her. My father and eldest sister died before I came to Malaysia.

I remember the first day I arrived in Malaysia. It was in November 2014. I felt lonely and cold. My parents were not with me, and I was away from my country and my people. But I told myself that as a woman, regardless of where I am, I have to do my best to survive. That was the only thing I thought about. I want to be strong. I’m aware of the situation of my country and my parents, but what matters the most right now is that I’m safe here in Malaysia.

I’m currently earning my income by teaching mathematics at SRC (Somali Refugee Community) and operating my own beauty salon. Because of my status as a refugee, I can’t obtain a business license and can only run my salon from home. There are two things I’d like to achieve in life – one, to become an accountant since I’m good at math; and two, making quality beauty products. Once I succeed in these areas, I would like to provide training to other refugee women and help empower them.

Apart from receiving education, some of the greatest challenges I’ve faced throughout my stay in Malaysia include getting a job. It’s even harder for the (refugee) children, especially those without their parents.

The things I miss most about Somalia are my siblings. I really hope to see them one day. As much as I want them to come to Malaysia, I can’t bring them over easily. There’s a lot of money needed. But I will try.”

– Humans of Kuala Lumpur

Photostory by Samantha Siow
Edited by Sydrah M

I want to become a pop star when I grow up. Maybe do K-pop music. I like to sing, dance and rap. My idol is Lisa from Blackpink. My parents told me that if I want to become a pop star, I must work very hard for that.

I want to become a pop star when I grow up. Maybe do K-pop music. I like to sing, dance and rap. My idol is Lisa from Blackpink. My parents told me that if I want to become a pop star, I must work very hard for that.

I’m a Chin refugee from Myanmar and I came to Malaysia with my family. I remember we came here by boat. I was very young, probably 6 years old at that time so I didn’t really understand what actually happened back then in Myanmar. I’ve been living here (in Malaysia) for almost 10 years now. I miss my grandparents the most. I haven’t seen them for so many years.

The first day when we arrived here, I didn’t know anything but I felt excited. I could see the differences between Myanmar and Malaysia, in terms of the buildings and the people. I remember that we slept at my mother’s friend’s house because we didn’t have a place to go to. Then, we moved to another house. Around 6 to 8 months later, I went to this school called Chin Learning Centre with my sister. I enjoy learning English the most and I’d like to improve more on my grammar.

In this coming Hands of Hope musical, I play a character named Mathew. There are some parts that require me to sing and dance, and I really enjoy it. Mathew is protective of his brother, Thomas. It’s not a very difficult role to play but the script is really long. The singing part is my favourite because I like the lyrics.

– Humans of Kuala Lumpur

* Hands of Hope Charity Musical Theatre 2019 aims to raise awareness about the humanitarian issues happening in Malaysia. This musical theatre shares the journey of two refugee brothers from Chin to Malaysia and also the struggles that they face when they are in Malaysia. For more information, please visit: http://ow.ly/ezwS50wjj2O

Photostory by Samantha Siow and Aiman Mustafa
Edited by Sydrah M

“#Undi18 is a movement I started together with a friend, with the objective of lowering the voting age to 18.”

“#Undi18 is a movement I started together with a friend, with the objective of lowering the voting age to 18.

I’ve been a registered voter since 2017 and voted for the first time last year at GE14 (14th General Election). Had I been eligible to vote when I turned 18, I could have gone to GE13. It felt weird to not being able to vote at 18, an age where I am already considered as an adult.

During my time studying abroad, everyone at uni was talking about Donald Trump and Brexit. It was an exciting moment for us Malaysian students there, although we did notice a large number of Malaysian youths were not active in political discourse. Our country’s voting age, combined with our Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA) did not make it easy for them to participate and speak out. So, we started NAMSA (National Assembly of Malaysian Students in America) to encourage more dialogues among students.

While a lot of countries had already set the voting age to 18, Malaysia was still one of the very few countries with a higher voting age at 21. To get the voting age reduced to 18, we first approached our student coalition network to garner their support because we realised it couldn’t be a syok sendiri petition. The students we worked with are elected representatives whose student bodies are recognised by the government.

Unfortunately, the petition was not well-received by the previous ruling party. We spoke to many BN youth leaders, but they turned us away. It was also rejected as a Transformasi 50 (TN50) motion.

It was much easier to gain support from Pakatan Harapan, who was the former opposition party at that time because they had many young idealistic leaders who believed in our cause. Our petition for reducing voting age thus became part of their manifesto.

Things really took a turn when the Undi18 Bill was tabled in Parliament. I attended the session with 50 other students as I felt it was really important to have all of us involved. It was so surreal to see it being passed unanimously! It really made us feel that Malaysian youths have a say in the country.

This year, #Undi18 has been more aggressive with public engagement. Social media plays a huge role in spreading the word out and it definitely makes our work a lot easier. We hosted so many Facebook live sessions to engage the public. We have also been conducting workshops in schools on political awareness and education. Recently, we collaborated with Sekolah Rukun Negara to increase our reach and the reactions we’ve received from students had been interesting.

We hope to work with more organisations that are interested in cultivating political awareness among youths and make a greater impact in the next elections. We’re still working hard to improve the structure of Undi 18 as we plan to expand ourselves.

Everyone has a role to play so no one gets left behind.”

Photostory by Yasmin Mortaza
Edited by Sydrah M

“I love their spirit. They, the disabled Paralympians, have spirit. Abled-people always likes to talk big that they can do something – but if you can see the determination of the Paralympians, you will go back home thinking that the ‘orang cacat’ (disabled people) can do better than you.”

“I love their spirit. They, the disabled Paralympians, have spirit. Abled-people always likes to talk big that they can do something – but if you can see the determination of the Paralympians, you will go back home thinking that the ‘orang cacat’ (disabled people) can do better than you.

I met this amputee where his whole leg below the hip was amputated – and he cycles faster than me.

I don’t cycle to win medals but I really want to inspire girls and the disabled to cycle, and to convince others that not only abled people can perform, but even disabled people can perform better than abled-people.

I started cycling when I was 15, when I secretly took my dad’s mountain bike out for cycling rides and races. One day I tried my luck in a 40km race and won 3rd place. My mother realized my potential and encouraged me to continue cycling. My dad thought that a cycling ‘hobby’ would not go far for a girl. But my mom was very supportive and I got my own mountain bike when I was 16, but it was a basic bike and was crazy heavy, around 15kg.

By the age of 18, I was already representing Malaysia at the national level and competed in the ASEAN Games, ASEAN Cup and was in SUKMA (national-level Malaysian Games), twice, winning 2 silver medals. My speciality is in endurance and time-trial cycling.

Last time all abled and disabled athletes were training together at Bukit Jalil.

And I always mixed with the disabled people. I greeted them and ate with them. I saw those who were amputees – with no hands, arms or legs. And I always wondered how could I join them?

And it turns out that they were looking for ‘Pilot’ cyclists on tandem bicycles.

A tandem bicycle is a bicycle where there are two people cycling together.

The ‘pilot’, me, cycles in front, as I am physically abled. The one sitting at the back is the ‘stoker’, and in Paralympics, this is where my blind cyclist partner sits.

I sent in my application and got the job as the pilot cyclist for tandem bicycles.

When I switched over to the Paralympics, people had thought that I had a disability – and kept asking me, ‘what’s your disability?’

In the Paralympics, there are many disabled athletes, from slow learners to the deaf and mute who speaks in sign language only, to those with ADHD, autism, and mental disorders.

They might look and talk normally as a person, but they are considered disabled.

Being a pilot is difficult because it’s hard to control a tandem bicycle, you have to be ‘hati kering’ because it’s so hard to control a tandem, ‘macam drive lorry’.

As we are cycling together to make the tandem bicycle move, the pilot has to be tough. I also control the ‘gears’, and the pilot has to cycle three times stronger than them, in case they have cramps and injuries. I have to announce the directions, where we are heading, be focused and have enough sleep and rest to lead.

I began training with the Paralympians, where we all cycle 200km, daily.

Last week, we cycled from Kampung Pandan to Cameron Highlands and everyone was still standing strong.

Tomorrow, we will be cycling for 180km, and 160km the day after.

In one week I can easily get 2000km of cycling mileage, and even though I have been cycling for 5 years and totaled up millions of kilometers, it was still tough on me.

I feel like I’m able and I should do something for them.

The issue in Paralympics is that para-cyclists that represent Malaysia and have won medals yet they are not recognized for their achievements.

We won gold in the 2014 Asian ParaGames held in Incheon, South Korea because we’ve prepared enough. I want to go further than that – to the Commonwealth Games, the Olympics and the UCI World Championships.

I want to raise awareness of Paralympic cycling. because no one knows about us, no one is watching us. My teammates all feel defeated, asking ‘ is there anyone watching our victories?’

During the SEA Games the crowds were all cheering for Azizulhasni Awang (first Malaysian cyclist to win a medal at the UCI Track Cycling World Championships) – but after him, who wants to watch us? So I am trying to raise awareness on this.

It is a form of a charity helping them in religion. And I am only getting paid a salary of RM 1,000. I really hope one day, my blind stoker and I can make it to the Olympics-level.”

(This story was taken one week before Adilla and her disabled cycling partner won the Gold medal at the SEA Games – Women’s Paralympic (Tandem Cycling) event)

– Humans of Kuala Lumpur

Photostory by Mushamir Mustafa

“I had my first cancer when I was 10 years old. It was bone cancer on my left leg’s femur bone. I did chemotherapy and surgeries – and I survived, I am ok…

“I had my first cancer when I was 10 years old. It was bone cancer on my left leg’s femur bone. I did chemotherapy and surgeries – and I survived, I am ok. I have metal plates inside my leg, as cancer eats your bones, the bones have to be scrapped away. When I was 12 years old, cancer spread to both of my lungs – a recurrence. It was at the terminal stage (stage 4), it was quite serious. There was 2.6 litres of water in my lungs, and a lot of tumours, about 9-10cm nodules. I relapsed. I also survived. I did chemotherapy and surgery again. They operated both of my lungs and removed the modules and minimized the tumours.

When I was 13 years old the metal plate in my left leg broke, and I needed to get it amputated. It wasn’t actually an amputation, its where they take my left leg and folded it into my thigh. But my body cells rejected the new organ, and it was swelling and bleeding non-stop and I was in a critical condition.

The doctor asked my mom if I wanted to amputate it and I immediately said just do it, and do it fast because it was very painful and swollen. This was the most painful moment of my life. I couldn’t sleep.

3 days later, I got the amputation. And when I woke up, the first thing I wanted to do was call my friends and tell them that I don’t have a leg anymore! I know, to me it was funny.

When I was having my cancers, my family was very positive and they didn’t make me feel down – in fact, they made it feel as though I was just having a fever.

And since I survived the first time, I was confident that I will survive the second one. Friends and strangers were supportive, and even my primary school did a fundraising campaign and help write to the media.

During the fundraising campaign, my mom told me of this very old lady, who had a picnic basket, and we thought she was going to the pasar (wet market). But then she explained that it contained money for my operation.

I missed school as I was in bed the whole time. Previously I was in Taekwondo since I was 6 years old and I am a black belt. I was very much into Taekwando and won the bronze medal at the state championships.

My friends didn’t discriminate me as well. At Standard 5, on my first day of school, the teacher asked the class, who wants to help her? I was on a wheelchair and was bald due to my chemotherapy session – and everyone in class raised up their hands.

It is amazing how there are people who don’t know me, but they are willing to help me.

Also, I find it interesting that, it is the older people who say that I am beautiful, but they say that I should also wear long pants or a long dress. I myself have no fear wearing anything I want.

I hope to inspire others to appreciate everything around you and not give up easily. At least you try, and move forward.

I always tell people, think of your abilities rather than your disability. It’s better to go slower than not moving forward at all or overexerting yourself and becoming worse. So take care of yourself.

Everyday is my happiest moment – because I am alive. Now I appreciate my life. I don’t want to give up”.

– Humans of Kuala Lumpur

Photostory by Mushamir Mustafa

“My auntie died of cancer, she was never married, and she was only focused on her career. When she was diagnosed with cancer, she had a spiritual experience towards the last moments of her death.”

“My auntie died of cancer, she was never married, and she was only focused on her career. When she was diagnosed with cancer, she had a spiritual experience towards the last moments of her death. She started to have hallucinations and having vivid conversations with someone that we can’t see. She would talk to us about how she was talking to this person, and how he had brought chicken rice for us to eat, and that his name was Ah Meng. I was shocked, and asked her ‘What? I brought food for you auntie’. She responded, saying Ah Meng had given the food already.

My auntie said that they always had deep conversations, and how he bought a lottery ticket and how he had won the jackpot and how he wanted to distribute the winnings.

Ah Meng would also mention my other aunties’ names, and whom not to give his winnings to.

And most of all, I really cannot forget about the time she looked into my eyes, and said that they both have a son together.

It sounds really crazy, but its real, and I swear, I had goosebumps. We called a psychiatrist, and the doctor said it could be her medicine (she was on steroids), or because of her staying in a hospital for long periods of time.

It gave me goose bumps, and I thought maybe he was a grim reaper. Maybe she was high on steroids, but whenever she talks about Ah Meng, she’s the happiest and liveliest I’ve seen of her.

When she snaps out of it, she’s super quiet and just keeps to herself.

So one day I want to do a film on her, and Ah Meng. I want to make this film as homage to her memory.”

Photostory by Mushamir Mustafa

“My name is Afiq. I’m that guy whose story went viral, where I worked as a cleaner in the UK, to pay for my parents’ flight so they can attend my graduation. This is my story.

I didn’t do well for PMR and was kicked out of my previous school but now, I am the first person from my kampung to ever study in the UK, graduating from the University of Essex with First Class Honours in Accounting and Finance.

I received 4As for my PMR and did not meet the school’s 6As requirement, so I had to leave the school along with 5 other peers. I felt horrible – out of 200 people, I was one of the 6 who had to leave because we had the lowest scores. I missed school for about a month because none of the schools near my area wanted to accept my application.

I didn’t really think much about it but my mom was very disappointed in me. She went to the Jabatan Pendidikan Negeri and pleaded to the Director to place me in a good high school. I ended up in the Accounts Stream, and all of my previous schoolmates looked down on me. I felt left out and told myself, ‘kau tunggu la’. I eventually fell in love with Accounting and worked hard to prove them wrong.

Alhamdulillah, I received 10As and 1B for SPM and was offered a JPA scholarship to study in the UK. However, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. At one point, I wanted to give up on my studies and go home to help my parents. My dad was against the idea and urged me to continue studying. When I got accepted to study at the University of Essex, my dad performed korban (sacrificial butchering of cows and goats for a feast), and 500 people from the kampung came to our house.

Growing up, my father did mostly kerja kampung. He planted palm oil and herded cows and goats at our small farm. At one point, he even sold fish, operated a kedai runcit (grocery store), and was a tauke getah (he acted as a middleman by collecting produce from rubber tappers and sold them to factories). During school holidays, I would help my father do things like cutting grass, mending fences and even taking care of the goats. He was earning RM 1,500 a month for the whole family.

In my first year, I took up a part-time job as a “Premise Assistant” under the Student Union to earn extra money. It may sound fancy but I was actually working as a cleaner.

My day started at 4am. Then I’d cycle to the university, and started working at 5. I had to scrub the floor, rearrange the chairs, clean the tables, and then clean the toilet. It’s not much, but I felt happy when I knew that I helped others by making the university clean. It’s actually much easier than working in the kampung. I didn’t have to work under the hot sun, do hard labour, and lift heavy things.

Honestly, I felt lazy to work as a cleaner because I had to wake up very early to work. My own friend who recommended me this job left after working for 2 days. And I had to work every weekend. My supervisor said I was a good employee, and he eventually granted me more flexible working days.

I worked 3 days a week, for up to 20 hours. 5-6 hours a day, earning £7.50 (RM40) an hour. I got about £100 (RM 500) a week and finished my shift at about 11am.

I highly recommend listening to ‘It’s a Hit’ on Spotify when you are cleaning. I have even used the mop as a microphone as I sang Awie’s ‘Tragedi Oktober’. I liked working as a cleaner because I can concentrate on doing my tasks. Unlike those who work at restaurants, they have to deal with people and customers, especially during peak hours.

In the UK, people don’t pandang rendah if you are a cleaner. They are considerate and apologise when they accidentally step on the spot I was cleaning. They also respect and greet cleaners by saying ‘Good Morning’, or ask me how I am doing. In Malaysia, if you see a cleaner, you throw rubbish on the floor, expecting them to clean after you.

For the first 2 years, I spent on things I never got to buy when I was younger. Eventually, I saved the money for my future from my cleaning job and managed to raise enough money, which was about £2000 to buy flight tickets for my parents to come to the UK.

It was their first time on an airplane and travelling outside of Malaysia, and I knew it meant a lot for them to be there with me. I wouldn’t be here today without them.

InshaAllah, I hope one day I can afford to pay for their Hajj trip to Mecca.”

– Humans of Kuala Lumpur
—
The post that made Afiq’s story viral can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/590015750/posts/10157230804490751/

Photostory by Yasmin Mortaza and Mushamir Mustafa
Edited by Sydrah Mustaffa