Day 1 & 2 at Tawau

15 June 2024

In a single sentence, how do I feel? A closed mind gathers dust, an open mind flows like a river. This means that if there’s only input without output, we’ll just be taking in blessings without appreciating what we have.

The Undocumented in Sabah

The moment I touched down at the airport, the first place I visited was a center that offers education to undocumented people in Sabah. I’d heard about it briefly but had no idea what it entailed. In Sabah alone, one out of every three people is undocumented. This translates to about one million individuals with no proper legal identity.

Imagine a person born in a country without any legal identity, worse off than a refugee. They are born at home, have no proof of identity, no access to education, no bank account, no access to medical support. Many of them have to hide and beg throughout their lives. They are very afraid of the police or any authority figure, and have to flee every time they see them. Once caught, they either pay a bribe and continue their nightmare, or start another by being sent to Indonesia or the Philippines – foreign lands – without knowing what tomorrow holds.

Because there are so many of them, some manage to grow up and fall in love. But can they get married? Should they have children? What’s the fate of their kids? The same – without identity, for generations to come. I spoke to a few of them, and it breaks my heart when they share their dreams. Guess what? They’re the very simple things we used to take for granted.

For instance, just today, an undocumented lady’s husband passed away in the hospital at a young age because he couldn’t be treated. They didn’t have the RM3,000 for the medical bill.

Schools with Inspiring Leaders

From the very beginning of this morning, I spent the whole day doing things quite unusual for me – meeting people non-stop from one place to another. In this small city of Tawau (with an official population data of 394k, which might double up if you include undocumented people, compared to 1.87 million in Johor Bahru), there are two international schools. I had the privilege of visiting both: Charis International School and Vision International School.

Both schools have interesting stories and, coincidentally, both are celebrating their 10th anniversary this year. I got to delve deeply into their history and their greatest struggles. To protect their confidentiality, I’ll skip a lot of details here. But what I would like to applaud them for is their empowering spirit, not an entitled one. For instance, Ms. Jenny from Vision International School, who has been serving the school faithfully for 15 years, went on to further pursue her master’s degree at the state level and then came back to continue serving the school. From an English teacher at Vision School, she is now the principal of Vision International School. Her hunger for growth and spirit to bring excellence to the school is on another level.

I also met Prof. Dr. Debra Sim from Charis International School. Formerly of the Faculty of Medicine and an Honoured Professor from Universiti Malaya, she’s another humble servant. She told me with a simple heart that she would like to contribute back to the motherland where she was nurtured and raised. So, she’s bringing her expertise back to Sabah and starting from scratch, humbly. Throughout the conversation, I heard no complaints or criticisms of the government or anything that wasn’t going according to her wish. There was just a humble spirit, asking me lots of questions on school matters and with a servant heart to serve the school and community well.

SHAPERS and Malaysian Identity

Finally, I met with SHAPERS, a program run by Leaderonomics under Dr. Victor Wong for the past seven years, sponsored by Hap Seng. They shared their struggles with “semenanjung people.”

To illustrate my point, I shared a story: A kind farmer found an abandoned eagle egg and raised the chick alongside his chickens. The eagle grew up surrounded by clucking and scratching, never learning the true power of its wings. The other chickens ostracized the eagle for its size and different appearance. They wouldn’t let it join in their pecking order,constantly reminding it, “You’re not one of us.”

One day, a majestic eagle soared overhead. The young, raised-by-chickens eagle looked up in longing, questioning why it couldn’t fly like that magnificent creature. Finally, it remembered its true nature. It stretched its powerful wings, took a deep breath, and leaped into the sky. With a few strong flaps, it soared effortlessly beside its brethren, finally embracing its identity and potential.

This story resonated with the SHAPERS. Just like the eagle raised by chickens, some people in Sabah might feel like outsiders in semenanjung. They might downplay their true potential because of their circumstances. But like the eagle, they too have the power to rise above and embrace their unique identity.

I grew up in Johor Bahru, a city next to Singapore. Throughout my life, people around me wanted to work in Singapore eventually, settle down there, and become Singaporean citizens. I asked them why – is it considered superior to be Singaporean? But is that really true? There’s no right or wrong, but from my perspective, it’s about how we carry ourselves.

As Malaysians, when I go to China or Taiwan and converse with them in Mandarin, they are amazed by my level of proficiency. I can switch to English effortlessly. When they asked how many languages we speak, I tell them a minimum of three. It’s fun because they get to update their perception towards Malaysians, just like we update our perception towards China’s toilets (referring to a stereotype about unsanitary conditions). Then, people often question who I work with, who the real boss or investor behind me is. I tell them I work for God; I’m a steward on His possession. People get curious – how is that possible? How come so young? I tell them, “It’s a Malaysian thing.“

There’s nothing right or wrong, it’s just a matter of choice: Would you rather be a giant in a small pool, or be small in the ocean? As for me, it’s neither. My mission remains bringing Malaysia out to the world, and my passion is to refresh their perception of Malaysian.

So, I encouraged the Tawau people to be true to themselves, to know who they are and their roots. Be proud and secure in your identity.

This is just the beginning of my journey to share Tawau’s stories. Stay tuned for more!