Her Own Person

The Movement Control Order was implemented on March 18, 2020 and was initially informed to be a two week order but has now been extended to another two weeks. It’s April 2^nd, 2020 and it is Day 16 here in Malaysia.

Late yesterday evening, we heard loud shouts from the opposite block (We live in a condominium complex; 14 blocks altogether) At first we thought it was a bunch of kids calling out their friends from their balconies. But it became louder. When we went out to our balcony, we saw many others out on the balcony as well, waving their handphones with the torch on. Just calling out and saying Hi. And somebody did a cool show with green light that got everyone cheering loudly. It lasted for 20 minutes, my kids were excited as well but I felt my chest tightened and tears sprang to my eyes. I am not sure what was the act all about but I felt it was a display of solidarity. That we are in this together and we will come out of it, together. Just when I had that word in my head, I came upon it again when I watched Idris Elba’s video on Goalcast emphasising the power of solidarity in the face of this horrible pandemic.

Solidarity means unity or agreement of feeling or action. That was what has been displayed by so many people all over the world. The frontliners is a commonly used word now that even my almost 6 year old knows it. The frontliner is the person who is part of the ecosystem that supports our new norm now. They are the foundation actually. Out there protecting the masses; medical fraternity, some politicians, armed personnel, food deliveries and the list goes on. I am of the ‘rakyat biasa’ who is doing her part by staying at home trying to break the chain of pandemic. How is it going so far, you ask? Will fill you in another time.

What I would like to share instead is my profound gratitude to a few individuals who in their own capacity has displayed selflessness in championing solidarity. They are basically regular people with big hearts and their actions have set off a ripple of positive reaction. I wanted to celebrate them for being themselves and I hope this little write up will do them justice. The list is in no particular order.

Image from Google

1. Angie Chin

Founder of Hanawomen Hub, Hanafundme.com and WonderWomen Asia, this enterprising woman and I first met a little over 2 years ago. We are the very personification of Yin and Yang yet we collaborate with each other perfectly. Angie is incredibly active on social media and is (tactfully) vocal about her views and opinions about everything under the sun. I personally don’t think she sleeps la. She is constantly bursting with ideas and loves sharing them with her friends. Angie is a true blue SME champion so when the Economic Stimulus Package was rolled out, she was the first few ones who raised her concerns and feedbacks and got the rest of us who are not so literate in economics to ponder. Angie is best in probing and making you think in different angles and that was what she did throughout this MCO,  she raised questions, made statements and even rallied us to make thank you messages for the frontliners of which she compiled and made a quick montage to be shared. While most of the SME owners are still mulling over on how to survive in this trying times, she has already formulated a business package to be activated once the MCO is over (told you she doesn’t sleep) I hope she knows how inspiring she is to so many people including me! Do follow Hanawomen Hub and Hanafundme.com for very exciting updates.

2. Viviantie Sarjuni

I first met Viviantie in January 2019 when Hanawomen Hub was launched. Our mutual friend is Angie. Viviantie is one of those people whom you would gravitate towards unknowingly as she exudes such positive aura and she is the sort who is everyone’s friend. Viviantie just like Angie is ‘anak jati’ Sabah. She has rolled out many initiatives to elevate the economic status of Sabahans. I love reading her updates on FB and found myself admiring her determination and deep love for her people. When the MCO announced, Viviantie was very concerned about her fellow people who did not possess a good comprehension of English and Bahasa Malaysia about Covid-19 and Dos and Don’ts of the MCO so she rallied her friends who got their friends to translate the messages in the various dialects in Sabah. There was also one done in sign language. Having translated these messages definitely helped to manage the panic and fear everyone had towards Covid-19. I have been a Malaysian for 30 odd years but this was the first time I heard so many dialects and I was floored by the commitment these lovely Sabahans had in ensuring their people get the message crystal clear.  Here’s letting you know what an amazing person you are Viviantie as you always put your heart and soul in all your endeavours. She recently joined the Sabah Creative Economy and Innovation Hub after a stint at MaGIC. All the best to you!

3. Hemavathy DM Suppiah

Hema is my dear friend whom I became friends with when we were mere dreamy 18 year olds. Although we grew up and mounted more commitments in our life and often go months without talking to each other, we often checked on each other. Hema is the sort of friend whom you would not have been in touch with for aeons but when you meet her, you just pick up the last thread of conversation and carry on. She is one of the most compassionate, caring and kind person I have ever known and recently these traits of hers were magnified through her actions. Hema and her mother are in KL during the MCO although they are actually based in Ipoh. She joined the voluntary group to supply food and essentials to people who needed them. She and her fellow volunteers summoned the courage to go out there and help the people who have been affected by MCO. They did this by being very diligent in ensuring all safety standards are met when they execute the tasks. She even managed to rally the support of her friends in Ipoh to help some families who were in need all the way from KL. Hema is generally attuned to people’s sufferings and takes extra effort to be the ear to listen, the shoulder to lean on and the hand to help. She is also a champion of mental health and often shares information about it.  I don’t think I have done enough justice by describing what a selfless person she is through my tribute because Hema always has a magical way with words and is an incredibly gifted writer. You are a hero, Hema. I am so proud to be your friend.

4. Kavi Vitya Kathiravelo

Kavi is my Yoga teacher who reignited the love towards Yoga in me with her simple approach. Apart from yoga, we share the love for great Tamil movies and 80’s Tamil songs. Kavi’s down to earth personality has garnered her many friends and also fans. She is a very hardworking person and is often finding ways to improve herself. When MCO was announced, Kavi’s business as a Yoga Instructor suffered as she could not operate her studio and also have her private and corporate classes. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, she started off online classes right away and that endeavour evolved into something better when she got other fitness enthusiasts to join her too in for other forms of fitness. She places much emphasis on mental health and stress management as well which are integral in living during MCO. I have always likened her to the Phoenix, the symbol of strength and renewal. She always rises amidst difficulties and that is such an admirable trait. A free spirit, Kavi is happiest bonding with Mother Nature. Although her business has been impacted, Kavi still insists on voluntary contribution for her online classes. I am so proud of you, Kavi. Can’t wait to start our yoga session soon (Due to being home bound with two chipmunks, I have not been able to follow her class. Excuses, I know) Please follow Kavi and her company; Vityalayaworldwide on IG and FB for exciting updates on the world of Yoga and also her online classes.

5. Arzierin and Hanna

These two ladies are joint recipient of the Awesome Woman recognition (by me) These two ladies are the 2/3 of a new initiative called Women CareerAspiration Network (WeCAN) the 1/3 is me la. We started this initiative to support women who wish to re-launch their careers. Fairly new in business, we had an interesting line up of activities for the members only to have them on hold because of MCO. But these ladies put on their thinking caps to further inject enthusiasm and motivation for the women to go out there and find their dream job. Do you know a lot of companies are actually hiring now? I found out from them myself. Appropriate learning interventions are shared regularly and pep talks (via messages) are given  just to keep the hopes high among our fellow ladies. They are the true epitome of sisterhood who only wish to lift you up. When they found out that I was feeling down as my business is impacted because of the pandemic, they readily offered monetary assistance. Such kind souls and I am so honoured to run this WeCAN initiative with them simply because their heart is in the right place and they love to hug! By sharing their insights on the job market, these ladies are inadvertently steering the other women to the right path in securing employment so the family’s economy is not impacted too badly.

6. Rishma and Yaso

I saved the best for last (I know, I did say no particular order) because a) they are family and b) they are both doctors. I am very fortunate to marry into an awesome family. I truly mean it. One of the main factors are the amazing role models I have in the family. Rishma is Suren’s sister in law. She is the Public Health Medicine Specialist who is based in Seremban. Rishma is a person with very high calibre. She is extremely dedicated, disciplined and has sharp focus in everything she does. She is in charge of making sure all the infrastructure are in place in order for the frontliners to execute their tasks efficiently. It’s a mammoth task and she has been working tirelessly day in and day out without much rest in between. Rishma is one of the important puzzles in making sure the medical team work competently. I don’t think there is anyone else who would do this job better than her (okay, I am bias. She’s family but she is super good) I have always admired her as a career woman and a mother and having seen her doing this job so amazingly, I can only say that I am super proud of her and she deserves so much of gratitude for working so hard to ensure we flatten the (damn) curve.

Yaso is Suren’s cousin’s wife whom we all regard as the big sister. A GP with flexible working hours, she recently volunteered to be a frontliner. You may think that being a doctor, it is a natural inclination to serve the country when you are needed but in actual fact, it is not that simple because we don’t know the severity of the pandemic. We do some sort know about it but we are still at the fire fighting stage, frantically putting out the fire that we don’t have the time to sit down and plan what to do next. Many would also contemplate risking it when there is so much at stake. Yaso is a wonderful mother to her 3 kids and I am sure when she decided to help, she would have thought the others have kids too so what’s the difference? That’s how Yaso is, always quick to help and extremely dutiful. When I first found out that she has ‘been drafted’ I literally had the song ‘Inilah Barisan kita, Yang Ikhlas Berjuang’ playing in my head and for the first time (in a very long time) wished I was a doctor so I could help too.

So here they are the women whom I admire for what they are and for what they have been and still doing during these troubled times called MCO. I chose to write this to honour the impact they have although they may disagree. Each one of us are doing what we can to safeguard the humanity. My deed is no greater than yours. We are in this together. The other objective of mine is to practice Gratitude because despite the difficulties, if we pay close enough an attention, we are better off than so many out there. Thank you ladies for being so inspiring and in return I hope you will be inspired too by others in your circle.

In the words of Idris Elba (man, he’s hot) now is the time to think of solidarity, now is the time of thinking about each other.

Stay safe and sane, everyone!