My name is Fatin. I am 16 years old. In my previous school, there were students who would bully and tease me. I didn’t feel comfortable there, so my dad decided to send me to this school, which is specially catered for those who have vision impairment. He sent me here because he is friends with a few teachers from this school. This is also a boarding school, so I believe my dad wanted me to learn to be more independent.

There are 3 of us who are disabled in my family: my mom (physically), my dad (vision impairment), and I. I have a vision impairment: my left eye is blind, but my right eye is normal. When I was born, I did not open my eyes yet. After a month, I opened my eyes, but my mom noticed that my left eye was just white. My mom brought me to the hospital, and the doctor diagnosed me with retinoblastoma (eye cancer). When I was 2 months old, my doctor said we needed to operate out my left eye. So now, I wear a glass eye in my left eyesocket. Until now, I would go for a check-up every 6 months.

I wasn’t physically bullied, but I did receive verbal abuse. Due to my condition, there were people who did not want to befriend me. They threw around comments how I’m disabled, handicapped, I must be a burden to others, I’m different from “normal” people. In the past, the disabled were not given much recognition. Only in recent times, people are acknowledging the capability of the disabled.

There were times when I would respond back, asking why they wanted to be so mean. But most of the time, I would keep quiet. If I’m not too tired, I will try to meet up with my friends and tell them about my problems. Another option would be to visit the counsellor. I’m grateful that I have good friends, both from other schools and this current school as well. I have two good friends in this school, Fatiha and Hafizah.

If I could advise those who are being bullied, I would remind them to not fight back. If we fight back, we are the ones that will look dumb. For example, the bullies might say that we’re not smart. But we ourselves know that what they are saying is incorrect, so why must we fight back? Just let it be, don’t say anything, and don’t react to them. My mom used to tell me, “if we acting badly towards others, we are actually acting badly towards ourselves.” If we said that other people are dumb, we are the ones who will look uneducated.

In terms of my interests, I used to take part in sports during primary school. I played handball and netball. I also played futsal during secondary school, but I was only joining the club and not competing. Currently in this school, I take part in shotput. This year, I managed to achieve a silver medal at state level.

I am also active in ICT. There are ICT competitions for those who are disabled, and there are 4 categories: visual impairment, physical impairment, hearing impairment, and learning disability. I represent our school in the visual impairment category. When I first started taking part in ICT, I initially just tried out because many students were saying about how ICT was the best. Who knew, but thankfully I was able to represent the school at state level and win the gold medal. And in God’s will, I’m able to represent Malaysia for the Global IT Challenge. The Global IT Challenge will be held during 23-30 November this year in Busan, Korea. Training for this competition has already started. In the beginning, I felt that studying ICT was difficult, but with practice I slowly got the hang of it. If there is a will there is a way, it depends on whether we want it or not.

My ambition is to become a lawyer or a computer technician. I enjoy reading the news, things that are currently trending. Whenever I read about cases where justice was not found for the victim, it makes me question the situation.

I want to become a lawyer so that I can help obtain justice for the victims. I feel that many people in this world are suppressed. I want to be able to help, maybe firstly by representing those who are disabled. My family is my inspiration. I am very close to my family.

Both of my parents are disabled, and I see them being teased or bullied. I feel that this behaviour shouldn’t happen. All of us are humans: we are not more than others or less than others. Why must we then hate on each other? My teachers are also my inspiration. They are the ones who motivate me and increased my awareness towards what is happening in our world.

“If you want the rainbow, you have to deal with the rain.”

This year, my psychiatrist diagnosed me with Depression. During one of the days during the Raya holidays, I had a bad mental breakdown. I felt like I wanted to commit suicide, I felt like a burden to everyone. Thankfully I made my intentions known to my ICT teacher from the year before. I texted my teacher, saying, “I can’t take this anymore. I feel like I want to die.” My teacher replied, saying she wanted to take me to the doctor the next day.

If we counted the Raya holidays plus the days I didn’t attend school, I was already missing from school for a month. I told everything to the doctor, who then referred me to the UKM hospital. Now I attend counselling with a child psychiatrist at the hospital. My mood constantly changes. There are times when I’m happy, when I’m sad, when my emotions are all over the place, and sometimes when I don’t know what I’m feeling.

Initially when I told my parents about my diagnosis…. Who is able to accept that their child has such a condition? They were also thinking, “why suddenly? Why now?.” But after a while, they accepted it and they help take me to the hospital for my appointments. My doctor said my condition has since improved, but I do still struggle with low self-confidence.

I want people to understand that those of us struggling with our mental health are not possessed. It’s our thoughts and our minds playing tricks on us. Actually, people who are struggling with their mental health do not necessarily want to kill themselves. Instead, they want to kill something (or kill what they feel) that is inside them.

During my appointments, my doctor would tell me “if you want to feel sad or cry, let yourself do it.” If we express our emotions, we will be able to feel relieved after. You can allow yourself to feel sad, but please don’t do things like harming yourself or thinking of suicide. You can keep a diary to jot down what you are feeling, this can help. So that whenever we are mad or down, we won’t take our emotions out on others – but we can pour our emotions out in our diaries. The diary is able to act as a counsellor to us. Sometimes, there are emotions and problems only God is able to understand. If we feel sad, we can also talk to God about it because He can understand us. For me, I’m not really a writing diary kind of person – I prefer to draw instead. I like to draw views and cartoons.

For the upcoming year, I am still thinking if I want to get involved in sports again, or focus completely on my SPM. I am also considering if I’m able to study other languages. Currently I study the Malay and English language. If I have the chance, I would love to learn Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, and Thai language.

To anyone who is reading my story, I hope you remember to stay strong. You are not alone. If you feel down, please don’t do anything bad to yourself. I have already done many things that I regret. All of us have a function in this world, this is why God created us. Maybe not now, but one day, we will be able to know our function and place in this world. Don’t be affected by what others are saying, because this is your future – not the future of others.

I’m very thankful to all the teachers who have helped me, taught me, and introduced me to the world of ICT. For sports, I feel like that there are so many others who are more gifted. In the world of ICT, I’m thankful that I have found a place for me.

I also want to thank my teachers who taught me, from having zero knowledge to who I am today. If it was not for my teachers, I would not be able to achieve 4A 1B for my UPSR. Without them, I would not be able to be chosen as “Best Student” among the girls. I’m thankful to all my teachers: in kindergarten, primary school, and secondary school – all who encouraged me to learn and love the English language, helping me to obtain A’s for both my written and oral test. Without them, I would not be able to be where and who I am today.

Bahasa Malaysia

Nama saya Fatin. Saya berumur 16 tahun. Di sekolah lama saya, murid-murid akan cakap kata buruk dan mengejek saya. Saya kurang selesa di sekolah itu, itu sebablah ayah hantar saya ke sekolah ini kerana sekolah ini khas untuk mereka yang ada masalah pelihatan. Ayah saya hantar saya ke sini kerana beberapa cikgu adalah kawan ayah saya. Sekolah ini adalah sekolah asrama, jadi ayah saya juga hendak saya menjadi berdikari.

Dalam keluarga saya ada 3 orang OKU: saya, mak saya (segi fizikal), dan ayah saya (masalah pelihatan). Saya ada masalah pelihatan: sebelah mata kiri buta, mata kanan normal. Semasa saya dilahir, saya belum buka mata lagi. Selepas satu bulan, saya buka mata dan mak saya nampak mata kiri saya putih saja. Emak membawa saya ke hospital, dan doktor kata saya ada retinoblastoma (eye cancer). Semasa umur 2 bulan, doktor kata mata kiri saya mesti buang. So sekarang, saya pakai mata palsu. Sampai sekarang, setiap 6 bulan saya akan pergi check-up.

Sebab masalah saya, ada orang yang tidak mahu berkawan dengan saya. Mereka kata saya OKU, cacat, mesti menyusahkan orang, tak sama dengan orang lain – komen-komen macam ini. Dulu orang OKU tak ada iktiraf sangat. Baru-baru ini, orang nampak kelebihan orang OKU.

Saya tidak kena buli fizikal, tapi buli mental. Kadangkala saya akan balas balik, “kenapa nak jahat sangat?”. Selalunya, saya akan diam. Jika saya tak letih sangat, saya akan menjumpa kawan dan meluahkan masalah saya kepada mereka. Atau saya akan jumpa counsellor. Saya bersyukur kerana ada kawan baik di sekolah luar dan sekolah ini juga. Saya ada dua kawan baik di sekolah sini, Fatiha dan Hafizah.

Jika saya boleh memberi nasihat untuk orang yang dibuli, saya akan kata jangan lawan balik. Jika kami lawan balik, kami akan nampak bodoh. Contohnya, mereka cakap kau ni tak pandai. Tetapi kami tahu kata itu tak betul, jadi kerana kami mesti balas? Biarlah, diam saja, dan tak layan. Mak saya kata, “jika kami kata buruk kepada orang lain, kami cakap buruk ke diri sendiri”. Contohnya, jika kami cakap orang lain yang bodoh, tetapi betul-betulnya kami yang bodoh.

Waktu sekolah rendah, saya memang terlibat dalam sukan. Saya main bola baling dan bola jaring. Semasa sekolah menengah, saya main futsal. Tetapi saya tidak pergi bertanding, saya join kelab saja. Sekarang di sekolah ini, saya main sukan lontar peluru. Tahun ini saya mendapat silver medal di Kuala Lumpur untuk peringkat negeri.

Saya juga aktif dalam ICT. Pertandingan ICT ini ada 4 kategori: visual impairment, physical impairment, hearing impairment, and learning disability. Saya wakil untuk visual disability. Pada tahun lepas, saya mula cuba-cuba saja kerana ada ramai orang cakap ICT bestnya. Mana tahu, saya ada rezeki. Saya tak menjangka saya dapat menang dan pergi ke peringkat negeri kebangsaan. Kebangsaan menang juga, dapat gold. Tetapi tahun ini, Alhamdulillah, saya dapat mewakili Malaysia untuk pertandingan Global IT Challenge. Global IT Challenge akan diadakan pada 23-30 November 2019, di Busan, Korea. Training untuk pertandingan ini sudah mula. Mula-mula saya fikir belajar ICT macam susah, tetapi kerana saya terus belajar bersungguh-sungguh. If there is a will there is a way, it depends on whether we want it or not.

Cita-cita saya adalah untuk menjadi seorang peguam atau juruteknik komputer. Saya suka baca berita yang trending. Contohnya seperti membaca kes keadilan untuk victim yang tidak ditegakkan. Saya berfikir “kerana perlu macam itu?”. Saya rasa nak menjadi lawyer supaya saya boleh membantu mendapat keadilan untuk victim itu. Banyak orang di dunia ini, saya rasa mereka ditindas. Saya hendak tolong, mungkin saya boleh tolong dari segi orang OKU. Inspirasi saya adalah keluarga saya family. Saya sangat rapat dengan keluarga saya. Kedua-dua ibu bapa saya OKU, dan saya tengok mereka ditindas, atau orang lain mengejek mereka. Saya rasa sikap ini tak patut berlaku. Saya rasa manusia semua sama: tiada yang lebih, tiada yang kurang. Kenapa kita mesti benci antara satu sama lain? Cikgu-cikgu saya juga adalah inspirasi saya. Mereka yang membuat saya sedar dengan apa yang berlaku dalam dunia kita, dan juga memberi motivasi.

“Jika kami nak lihat pelangi, kami juga mesti ada hujan.”

Pada tahun ini, psychiatrist saya diagnose saya dengan depression. Ada sata hari semasa Raya tahun ini, saya ada mental breakdown yang teruk. Saya hampir nak bunuh diri, saya rasa saya menyusahkan orang lain. Nasib baiknya saya telah mesej cikgu ICT saya dari tahun lepas: “saya tak tahan lah cikgu, saya fikir saya nak mati.” Cikgu kata dia hendak membawa saya pergi ke doktor hari esok. Kira cuti raya dan masa saya tak pergi ke sekolah, saya dak tak pergi ke sekolah selama sebulan. Saya ceritikan semua yang saya merasa kepada doktor itu. Doktor merujuk saya ke Hospital UKM. Sekarang saya masih pergi kaunseling dengan doktor child psychiatrist di hospital itu. Perasaan saya selalu berubah. Kadangkala saya happy, kadangkala saya sedih, kadangkala emosi saya campur-campur dan saya tak tahu apa yang saya merasa.

Apabila saya memberitahu ibu-bapa saya… Siapa yang boleh terima anak mereka ada penyakit macam ini? Mereka pun berfikir, “Kenapa tiba-tiba, kenapa sekarang?.” Tetapi lama-lama pun, mereka boleh terima dan bantu membawa saya ke hospital untuk rawatan saya. Doktor kata keadaan saya baik sikit, tetapi confidence saya memang rendah.

Kami yang ada masalah kesihatan mental bukan syaitan. Fikiran kita dan otak kita sendiri yang bermain dengan kita. Sebenarnya, orang yang ada masalah kesihatan mental, mereka bukan selalu hendak bunuh diri sangat. Mereka bukan nak bunuh diri, tetapi mereka nak bunuh sesuatu yang mereka rasa dalam hati mereka.

Semasa rawatan, doktor saya selalu pesan kat saya “kalau awak nak sedih atau menangis, menangis saja.” Jika kami meluahkan perasaan kita, selepas itu kita boleh berasa lega. Kalau rasa sedih, bagi rasa sedih saja. Tetapi jangan lah buat benda macam self-harming, fikiran bunuh diri. Kamu boleh menyimpan satu diari, ini boleh membantu kamu. Sebab jika kita marah kita tidak akan lepaskan emosi kepada orang lain, kita boleh lauhkan emosi dalam diari. Diary ibarat kaunselor kita. Kadangkala orang lain tidak akan faham emosi kita, kecuali Tuhan. Jadi jika rasa sedih, meluahkan kepada Tuhan sebab Tuhan saja yang akan faham. Untuk saya, saya bukan seorang yang tulis diari sangat – saya lebih suka melukis. Saya suka lukis pemandangan atau kartun.

Untuk tahun hadapan, saya berfikir jika saya nak masuk sukan ke, atau saya fokus belajar untuk SPM saya. Saya juga boleh belajar bahasa lain. Sekarang saya belajar Bahasa Melayu dan Bahasa Inggeris. Jika saya ada peluang, saya hendak belajar bahasa Jepun, Korea, Cina, dan Thai.

Kepada sesiapa yang membaca cerita saya, stay strong. Anda tidak keseorangan. Kalau kamu rasa down, tolong jangan buat benda bodoh. Saya dah pernah lalui semua benda itu dan saya menyesal. Kita semua ada fungsi di dunia ini, ada sebab Tuhan ciptakan kita. Mungkin bukan sekarang, tetapi satu hari kami akan tahu fungsi kami dalam dunia ini. Jangan peduli kata-kata orang lain, sebab ini adalah masa depan kamu – bukan masa depan orang lain.

Saya sangat bersyukur kepada cikgu-cikgu saya yang menolong saya, mengajar saya, dan kenalkan saya kepada dunia ICT. Saya rasa sukan, banyak orang lebih hebat dari saya. Tetapi dalam ICT, saya rasa ada tempat untuk saya. Saya juga hendak cakap terima kasih kepada cikgu-cikgu saya yang mengajar saya dari tiada pengetahuan sehingga hari ini. Kalau bukan kerana cikgu saya, saya tidak akan dapat 4A 1B untuk UPSR. Tanpa mereka, saya tidak akan dipilih sebagai pelajar paling cermelang antara pelajar-pelajar perempuan. Saya berterima kasih kepada semua cikgu saya, sekolah tadika, sekolah rendah, sekolah menengah yang mempengaruhi minat saya belajar Bahasa Inggeris dan dapat membantu saya mendapat A untuk ujian lisan dan ujian tulis saya. Tanpa mereka, saya tidak akan sampai ke tahap ini.

There’s a boy I know, from the school I was at in Johor. He was blind from birth. He’s in Kelantan right now. He is very good in reciting the Quran, lovely voice, can sing, can do reflexology. Our school is a vocational school so he got his SKM (Malaysian Skills Certificate) in reflexology and he went back to Kelantan. In Kelantan, he got married to one of our former students – who is also fully blind. A few years later we got to know that they opened their own kedai runcit (retail store). His first job was doing reflexology, but he noticed that when people come for their appointment, they also wanted to buy things. He felt sympathy for those in the village and wanted to provide that resource. From this story, it struck me: these people are capable despite their physical disability – regardless if they are blind, deaf, or having a learning disability.

My hope is that people can give a chance to those who are blind (and also those categorised as blind but they are able to see). There are many ways we can help them. I want people to know that despite their disability, they are actually very intelligent people who are capable of doing what others are doing.

I am the Principal for this special needs school (Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Pendidikan Khas Setapak) and we have students who even went on to Oxford Universty.

We have students who are now lawyers, working in IT. We also have two students who were recently offered to be part of the Paralympics team. Once, a fully blind student came to my office, bringing his laptop. He then started his presentation and was telling me about his product that he was selling. I was sold!

So my passion now is in empowering our students so that they are able to make something of themselves rather than waiting for others to hand them something. I would like them to be able to do something for themselves, and in turn, help others.

If they are unable to continue with studying, my wish is to be able to equip them with skills. That’s why we are now trying to get resources to better our school. I’m looking for people to help us upgrade our music room, which actually, fun fact: used to be a toilet!

The music room used to be located at the highest floor of our school. Can you imagine these students needing to climb up and down the stairs just to practice, carrying all their equipment as well? Currently, we were able to move downstairs. But we still need money for all the gadgets e.g for sound-proofing, other musical instruments.

Music plays an important role for those who are blind. The blind has two heightened senses: their hearing and their sense of smell. If you go near them without making a sound, they will be able to identify you by your smell. And your voice is like music to them. Through your voice, they can tell if you’re pretty or ugly. So I often wonder, “what voice do I have?.”

Our students recently performed John Lennon’s “Imagine” during the launch of the Special Education International Conference, and our Education Minister felt moved by their performance. On 16th October 2019, they performed for the Festa Muzik event, where our Raja Permaisuri Agong came. We have a pool of talent actually: those who are good in ukulele, those who can sing really well. We have a female student who sang for the Permaisuri during a different event on 9th October 2019.

Other than music, another initiative we have is Kafe Matahati. Our tagline is “seeing through the heart, reach for excellence”. We thankfully have a parent who has funded us, as the area was in dire need of repair. However, I would like to do something more in this café so that students who are not as skilled in academics, are able to gain some work experience. The funny thing about Kafe Matahari is that it’s also a convenience store. If you want to buy pampers, it’s there. Even clothes, are cheaper than outside. Even if you want a blender or rice cooker, you can get those too!

We also have a small spa that is being operated in this school where you can get reflexology services, as we have a number of students who are skilled in that. That’s what we want to do: equip these students with skills so they can go on to become musicians, work in reflexology, work in canteens, restaurants.

Our school is also working with UKM to change our classrooms to become IT-friendly. We have teachers who are teaching our students the basic IT knowledge, as we have many students who are skilled in this. We signed a Letter of Intent with UKM, so hopefully by next year 10 October 2020 we will be able to launch this facility!

When you’re blind, your chances are more limited. People are more focused on the things that you cannot do, rather than the things you can do. People think “oh when you come to work with us, we have to provide this and that.” Yes, that may be true. But regardless of their disability, they still need money to live – like all of us. Contrary to popular belief, they don’t like to beg for money. They too want to be able to earn it, but it’s harder when they are not provided the reasonable accommodation to do so.

I think sometimes they feel like they are a burden – and this is what I want to change. We want to empower our students, to feel good about themselves. If you look at those overseas, despite being blind or deaf, they are very confident and vocal unlike us here. I would like to empower our students to become more vocal, confident, maybe training them in public speaking. When they go out into the world, I don’t want people saying that they can’t take them in as an employee because of their disability.

My name is Qasrina, my friends call me “Qas”. I am 15 years old, originally from Terengganu. There are 8 children in the family, and I’m the fifth. When I was 6 months old, I had a cataract in my eye. During that time, I would always bump into objects. This caused my grandmother to also worry and ask why I kept knocking into objects. I went to see a doctor and I underwent a standard cataract surgery. I am able to see now, but I do wear glasses as I am near-sighted.

I was misunderstood and picked on before. When I was 5 years old, I studied in a normal kindergarten. This was where I was picked on. The teacher was the one who picked on me at the time, she would scold me a lot. As I was unable to see clearly, I was unable to read properly and I was scolded for that. The truth was she actually knew I was unable to see, but she forced me to read anyways. After that experience, I changed schools. I’m thankful I did, as I now have a lot of friends in my current school. I have not gotten picked on since that incident in kindergarten.

My hobby is travelling. If I have the money and resources, I hope to visit the Maldives. Within Malaysia, I have visited Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Johor, and Penang. I enjoy visiting places near the seaside. Other than travelling, I enjoy riding my bike around.

In school, I enjoy studying Science, BM, English, and Art. When I was studying in my previous school, I used to dance. Genres of dance I would do are Indian dances or Hollywood dances. But I’ve not danced in a long time and I’m not dancing now, so my body is no longer used to it. I do play the sport Goalball. Participants compete in teams of three, and try to throw a ball that has bells embedded in it into the opponents’ goal.

My ambition is to be a kindergarten teacher in Early Childhood Education. In God’s will, I can become a teacher back in my hometown, where I come from. I want to become a teacher because I do enjoy being around kids. I am very close to my family, more so to my mother. During the Hari Raya holidays, I would help my mom in making cakes and pastries. I can cook soup, ayam masak merah, and ikan singgang.

I hope the people reading my story will remember to be kind to one another and not bully each other. Bullying will only cause pain and heartache to other people.

Bahasa Malaysia

Kawan-kawan panggil saya Qas. Saya berumur 15 tahun, dan berasal dari Terengganu. Saya adalah yang ke-lima daripada 8 adik-beradik. Waktu saya berumur 6 bulan, saya ada cataract dalam mata saya. Waktu itu saya selalu melanggar objek. Ini sampai nenek saya pun bertanya kenapa. Keluarga saya membawa saya ke doktor, dan saya dah buat operation. Sekarang saya boelh lihat, tetapi saya masih mesti pakai cermin mata kerana mata saya rabun jauh.

Waktu saya umur 5 tahun, saya belajar di sekolah tadika normal. Tetapi saya kena buli kat situ. Cikgu yang marah saya. Kerana saya tak nampak, so semasa baca buku tak jelas so dia marah. Sebenarnya dia tahu mata saya tak nampak, tetapi dia paksa say baca buku itu. Selepas itu, saya tukar ke sekolah lain. Saya bersyukur kerana ada banyak kawan-kawan di sekolah ini. Saya tidak dikena buli selepas sekolah tadika itu.

Hobi saya adalah travel. Kalau ada rezeki, saya hendak pergi ke Maldives. Dalam Malaysia, saya sudah pergi ke Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Johor, Pulau Pinang. Saya suka pergi ke tempat yang ada pulau. Selain daripada travel, saya suka menunggang basikal.

Saya suka belajar subjek sains, BM, BI, Seni. Waktu saya belajar di sekolah sebelum sekolah ini, saya suka menari tarian India dan Hollywood. Tapi, sekarang saya tidak menari jadi badan saya sudah keras. Saya juga main sports Goalball. Bola itu kami main dengan satu loceng. Kami mesti tutup mata. Tempat goal ada dua, dan mesti ada 3 orang di hadapan kedua-dua gol itu

Cita-cita saya adalah untuk menjadi seorang cikgu tadika Pendidikan Awal Kanak-Kanak. Insyallah, saya boleh menjadi seorang cikgu di Terengganu, di mana saya berasal. Saya minat menjadi seorang cikgu kerana saya suka kanak-kanak. Saya rapat dengan keluarga, terutamanya dengan Mak saya. Semasa Hari Raya, saya akan menolong Mak saya membuat kek dan kuih. Saya boleh masak sup, ayam masak merah, dan ikan singgang.

Saya harap orang yang membaca cerita mengingat untuk jangan membuli orang lain kerana membuli akan membuat orang sakit hati.

My name is Khoo Song Yin. I am 16 years old. I’m the second among the four of us kids in the family. In my family, my younger brother and I have problems with our vision. I’ve had this problem with my eyesight since birth. But I still am able to see a little bit, while my younger brother is completely blind.

If something or someone is nearby me, I am able to see them. If they or the object is too far away, I’m unable to see it. I can see bigger things, but I can’t pick out smaller objects. I can see people if they are near me in distance, but I recognise people more from their voices.

I still remember when I went to the hospital to ask about my eyes. The doctor told me that as I was born like this, there wasn’t really a solution. I was unable to undergo any operation as the cornea of my eyes were quite thin. This just happened in October of this year. During that time, I felt very down. I couldn’t accept it in the beginning, did I really have to live like this?

But after a while I told myself, “it’s okay, I must still want to succeed.” I am only facing problems with my eyesight. There are other people in this world who are going through worse: physical disabilities, being deaf, being mute – they are going through things that are much more difficult than me. I do face an eyesight problem – but I am still able to hear, to speak, to walk. I feel that I should be grateful for what I do have.

I’m very close to my brothers and sisters. We usually play the computer, listen to music, and read online novels together. In our laptop, we have a screen reader that helps us to read these novels. We’ve only been using the laptop for 2-3 years, so it was completely alien to us in the beginning. When we first tried to use it, we didn’t know how to – I found it funny how we kept pressing random buttons.

If I am able to get my eyesight back, I wish to travel the world! I would love to go to Taiwan, China, Japan – to all the countries all over the world! But if I only had 5 seconds to have a glimpse of one thing, I would choose to see my mother. I would love to see her face.

I have been bullied before. During the first night staying in this school’s hostel, I don’t know why but the other students were throwing clothes pins on my bed. They also threw papers, rubbish, hangers too. If the paper hit my body, I would just place it back down on the floor. I wouldn’t fight back, I just kept quiet. Although it did hurt me, I do also forget things easily.

Honestly, I don’t think I needed to fight back because if I fought back, they would bully me back. This is the way people work: if they do something once or twice and they don’t get the reaction they want – they get bored. After a while, they will eventually stop.

We still have good people in this world. When I was younger, I was standing in front of a shop while my mother was shopping. Someone came up to me and asked me why I was alone. They also asked where my mother was, and helped me to find her in the store. I was also given RM 10 by this person as charity. 

My ambition is to become a singer. I love to sing Chinese songs. If I could leave a legacy behind, I hope that people will remember me as someone who always gave hope to those around her.

If I can give one advice to anyone who is being bullied, I would tell them to forget what makes them sad, angry, or unsatisfied. Remember instead what makes you happy and grateful. Be grateful for what you already have, and don’t think about what you don’t have. Don’t think too much. Don’t give up!

Bahasa Malaysia

Nama saya Khoo Song Yin. Saya berumur 16 tahun. Saya yang ke-dua antara 4 adik-beradik dalam keluarga saya. Dalam keluarga saya, saya dan adik ke-tiga yang ada masalah pelihatan. Sejak saya dilahir, saya ada masalah pelihatan. Saya boleh nampak sedikit, tetapi adik saya tak boleh nampak langsung.

Jika sesuatu benda atau orang lebih dekat, saya boleh nampak. Tetapi jika terlalu jauh, saya tak boleh nampak. Saya boleh lihat objek yang lebih besar, tetapi bukan objek yang kecil. Saya boleh nampak orang jika mereka dekat dengan saya, tetapi saya lebih ingat orang dari suara mereka.

Saya masih ingat apabila saya pergi ke hospital untuk mata saya. Doktor memberitahu saya bahawa saya tak boleh nak buat apa-apa tentang mata saya kerana ini adalah masalah sejak dari lahir. Saya pun tak boleh membuat operasi kerana kornea mata saya sangat nipis. Ini baru berlaku pada bulan ini (Oktober) saja. Pada masa itu, saya memang sedih. Mula-mula saya tak boleh terima, mesti saya hidup macam ini?

Tetapi kemudian saya memberitahu diri sendiri, “tak apa, saya mesti ingin berjaya.” Dalam dunia ini, saya menghadapi masalah pelihatan sahaja. Ada orang lain yang mengalami keadaan yang lebih teruk dari saya: masalah fizikal, pekak, bisu ke – keadaan mereka lebih kesian daripada saya. Saya ada masalah pelihatan – tetapi saya boleh dengar, boleh cakap, boleh jalan. Saya rasa saya sepatutnya bersyukur.

Saya sangat rapat dengan adik-beradik saya. Kami bersama-sama bermain komputer, mendengar muzik, baca novel di halaman web. Dalam laptop, kami ada ‘screen reader’ yang membantu kami membaca novel. Kami baru guna laptop sejak 2-3 tahun saja. Semasa kami baru cuba menggunakan laptop, kami tak tahu apa-apa – kelaka lah kami tekan butang ini dan butang itu.

Jika saya boleh dapat melihat semula, saya ingin pergi bercuti – di semua negara jika saya boleh! Saya nak pergi ke Taiwan, China, Japan – semua pun saya nak pergi! Tetapi jika saya ada 5 saat untuk melihat apa saja di dunia ini, saya akan milih Ibu saya. Jika saya boleh lihat, saya mahu melihat muka Ibu saya. 

Saya pernah dibuli. Semasa malam pertama saya tinggal di asrama sekolah ini, saya tak tahu kenapa murid-murid lain membuang penyepit baju kepada katil saya. Mereka juga membuang kertas, sampah, hanger baju juga. Jika kertas kena badan saya, saya hampir meletak kertas di atas lantai. Saya tidak akan melawan, saya senyap saja. Walaupun saya akan terasa, tetapi saya pun cepat boleh melupakan.

Sebenarnya, saya rasa tak perlu melawan kerana jika kami melawan, mereka akan membuli balik. Orang manusia macam ini: jika mereka membuat sesuatu satu atau dua kali dan tidak mendapat reaksi, mereka akan rasa bosan. Tak lama-lama, mereka akan berhenti.

Dalam dunia ini, kami masih ada orang yang baik. Semasa saya kecil lagi, saya berdiri di hadapan sebuah kedai semasa Ibu membeli-belah. Ada seorang datang dan bertanya saya kenapa saya seorang berdiri di situ dan di mana ibu saya. Dia pun menolong membawa saya masuk kedai untuk mencari Ibu saya. Dia juga memberi saya duit (RM 10). 

Cita-cita saya adalah untuk menjadi seorang penyanyi. Saya suka menyanyi lagu Cina. Saya harap orang lain akan mengingat saya sebagai seorang yang memberi semangat kepada orang lain.

Jika saya boleh memberi nasihat kepada orang lain yang dibuli, saya ingin memberitahu mereka untuk melupakan apa yang membuat kamu rasa sedih, marah, atau tak puas. Ingat saja apa yang membuat kamu merasa gembira dan bersyukur. Berasa bersyukur dengan apa yang kamu dapat, dan jangan berfikir tentang apa yang kamu tak dapat. Jangan fikir terlalu banyak. Jangan berputus asa!

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.