5. No Money? No Problem! (2).

I remembered well of my fondness in watching paid videos in my secondary school (Form Four and Five). We did not have any in my kampong. Each time the library screened a video movie, they would charge an entrance fee of RM1. What saddened me most, often I could not even afford that. That simply means, most of the time I had less than RM1 in my pocket. Or should I say, most of the time I had none in my pocket.

This was when I was in Form Four and Five. Some of my classmates then were driving a car or on a motorbike to school. I lived literally by faith. Luckily the hostel kitchen provided food for free. If I missed the meal (overslept or caught with extra co-curriculum activities), that would be a fasting time for me. You should see my picture in Form Four and Five, anybody can tell that I did not have enough food to eat.

Another occasion I remember well was one day when I went for my dinner in the dining hall in my Form Five. After receiving some steam rice, sambal bilis (anchovies paste) and terung rebus (boiled brinjal), I walk toward the dining table. That was when I slipped and my sambal and terung flew away out of my tray, leaving only my white plain rice. I kept my cool as always, cleaned my mess and told my friend that I am going to buy a canned sardine from the nearby grocery store and that I would eat in my room. The long queue of other students lining for their food did not allow me to ask for another supply of food. So I went quietly to my room, the only problem was I did not have any money. So dinner for me on that day was plain steam rice mixed with plain water. That was probably among the saddest moment of my life. I ate the food quickly, making sure nobody saw me, and continue life as usual.

When I was in Australia, there were times when I had to stop buying groceries because I have no money. There were times when I refused to go out with friends with the excuse of not feeling very well or busy. The fact was, I was afraid that they may stop over for some fast food and behold, I have no money with me. There was even one time when I was wondering in Marion Shopping Centre near my university, looking for another 5 cents to top up my money so I can pay the telephone bill. When I found 10 cents later, I thought I was blessed beyond description.

Many more sad stories I could tell, some are too embarrassing to tell. They probably will remain hidden with me for the rest of my life. I should mention as well that I have known many more even sad stories from friends who had to endure financial difficulties in their student times and yet manage to go through school time and finally succeed in life.

That entire problem with money did not deter me from studying. If anything it spurred me even more to study, with the hope that someday, none of this would be happening to me again. I am working extra hard now to ensure that none of these would ever occur to my children.

Money was never the problem; it was the reaction toward having no money is the problem.

Most people as a student would be depressed to study, when they have no financial ‘incentive’. Consequently they failed their exams, and they did not feel sad or guilty about failing because they have the perfect excuses for it – they did not have money!

In other words, to them their failures were not their fault. They were somebody else fault – their parents’ fault. In fact some of friends I knew during school days would proudly say that they did not do well in their study because they did not have money. It seems they were happy not having money, because if they do, than they have to look for another excuses for their failure.

The worst thing is; the community often validates their excuses too. These students forgot that it is THEIR life that they are making excuses from success. It is not the life of their parents or the life of the community that they are lying about. The only thing they have succeeded to lie to, is lying to themselves. What a pity!

Whenever I don’t have money, of course I fell depressed too (to be continued) ...

5. No Money? No Problem! (1).

‘He was a bright student, but he could not proceed studying because lack of money’.

That is probably the most frequent story I have heard now as an adult. This usually refers to a person who was considered as a bright student but somehow now as an adult leading a not so successful life for various reasons. The reasons are not necessarily financial, but often made to believe so.

When I was in school, the story was something like, ‘even if you are smart is your study, if you parents cannot provide money, you will not be able to success in your study’.

Well, I tend to agree to this when I was in primary and secondary school. Now, as I look back, I could not agree with it anymore. I have seen many cases where not only their parents were unable to provide financial support, but actually against the idea of them continuing to study, and yet now they are successful academically.

In fact yours truly were not from the financially well family too. I am the living evidence to nullify the theory above. My father was a primary school teacher with a regular salary; however I can honestly say that some of the so called farmers in my kampong were well off financially than us. I think we were having some serious financial management problems in those days.

I remember in primary school, my pocket money to school was only 20 cents. Of course other student did not have any, but there were lots more who have more than mine. My cousin was given 50 cents, some friends I know brings RM1 to school. That must be luxury back in 1980’s.

Of course with those 20 cents I have, I could only buy two pieces of pisang goreng (fried banana fritters) or one pack of fried noodle. Lucky for us, we were given pack of milk (by government) in most of the school days. Other than that, packing food from home was a norm.

When I was staying in a secondary school hostel, pocket money was given to me only once in several months. The pocket money was usually no more than RM20 for 2 to 3 months. I remember one occasion in Form Four, when I was unable to buy a work book which cost slightly more than RM10. It happened when the last time I received pocket money was several months ago.

While everyone else bought the book almost instantly (even the idea that they constantly have more than RM10 in their wallet at anytime was tantalizing to me at that time), I had to lie to my teacher. I told him that I had to go to the bank and get some money and only be able to buy the book next day. (I mean, how many of you guys really have to go to bank just to get RM10. In those days, ATM card was rarity among student).

The fact was, in that afternoon after finished school, I went back to my kampong. I left the hostel without permission, borrowed a bus fare from a friend and walk for 2 miles to get to my house. (The last part of the journey’s vehicle has left by the time I got there). Of course I managed to get the money from my parents, but not without difficulties and some tears. Money was a constant issue.

4. Education - The Easiest Way Toward Success (2).

Let gets real here. The people who succeed through the above methods are very few. They are exception rather than the typical. However, look around you; the chances are you will find many people who have changed their status through education.

They could have been born in a farming family, and now working as teachers. Your teacher could be one of them. Why don’t you asks your teacher, see what kind of family he was born into?

Like me, I was born in semi farming-teaching family and now I am in medical profession. My other doctor colleagues, more than half of them were born into a poor family. In fact 3 of my closest friend doctors are born into farmer families. Sometime I myself wonder how they could survive the medical school. As tough as my situation I thought, theirs were even more difficult.

One of them did not even receive financial support from their family to study medicine. And yet now he is a doctor, living a relatively comfortable lifestyle. If that is not what you call success, then I do not know what is.

The conclusion is clear. It is far easier to achieve success through education than any other ways. For you students, this may be your only chance to success. If you even thinking of spoiling it, that is a madness beyond description.

4. Education - The Easiest Way Toward Success (1).

Let define success first. Most people think success as having a prestigious and well paid job. In other words, to be successful means to attain higher level of education so that you can hold a well paid job and consequently earn huge amount of money.

Different people have different opinion of success. I do not want to beat around the bushes, all the definitions of success I have read and known, points to single common denominator – to have lots of money for easy living.

There are lots of ways to make money. Education is one of them. To study is actually to invest time and money toward the purpose of making even more money later on. This is no difference from investing in shares, stock markets or unit trusts. The only difference is the value of investment in education will never drop or crash. The value will be either static or going up. Once you hold an SPM qualification, you will not be downgraded to PMR later on. Once you get your Degree, it would not depreciate to Diploma later in life.

EDUCATION IS THE EASIEST WAY TOWARD SUCCESS.

Why? Let me explain.

In Malaysia, the opportunity for education is open wide. In fact you will be lawfully punished if you do not send your children to school at least to Primary School. The laws actually guarantee that you will be able to at least read and count. This is a luxury not available in many parts of the world.

I came from a poor family. My dad was a teacher, but we struggled each day juggling our financial needs. We lived in a bamboo house for the most part of my childhood. In Form Two and Tree, we were still living in a wooden house with room only partly divided between all my siblings and my parents. Our floor is basically the ground itself. I regretted very much for not taking the picture of the house which holds so much memory (then again, camera was such a luxury in those times). With the photo, I could at least see how much we as a family have progressed since then.

We were poor. How could I change the status from poor to middle class then to upper class and then rich? I could work hard and earn money. That is possible. Many people have done that. I personally know one or two who have started almost with nothing in their twenties and later became millionaires in their eighties. (May I add that both of them were immigrants).You may know examples of such stories as well. However, there are a lot more stories we did not hear of people who works just as hard (if not harder) and yet still toiling daily just to survive. Obviously this method is not for everybody.

I could nurture talents like acting, singing, playing sports etc and make money by becoming a celebrity. Stories exemplifying this are also abound. Even some of our local celebrities started very poor. However, not everybody has talents (I am definitely not one of them), and even if they do, without proper guidance and support, not to mention the opportunity, they will not succeed. Again this method only reserved for a very few special people.

May be I could hit a Lottery or Jackpot and become instant millionaire. I haven’t known anybody with such luck. They usually win, but they spend the money even before they got it.

I could joint politics and become rich in ways that nobody supposed to talk about.

I could mysteriously inherit fortune from distant relative.

I could marry a rich girl and inherit her money.

Well, all that I am sure has happened somewhere, sometime in the past. But, come on and admit it, do you really think this method is easily available to most of us. I personally do not think so.

Let gets real here. The people who succeed through the above methods are very few. They are exception rather than the typical. However, look around you; the chances are you will find many people who have changed their status through education (to be continued) ...