MCKL News

Bemoaning the state of education in Malaysia today is a very common activity in social gatherings today. Whilst it is true, many of us probably do not realise how grave the situation is for the children of Malaysia. Specifically, for all  the children of Malaysia – not just the ones we see in the city and suburbs.

Finding a good school for our children is a major concern for practically every parent these days, but the truth is that we often do not realise how blessed we are in comparison to some of our neighbours. For some, the quality of the school and education system does not even enter into consideration simply because they do not have the resources to get past the most basic barriers to a decent education – cost, transport and language proficiency. This is a particularly pressing issue for the Orang Asli communities in Malaysia, as they are already facing battles on several fronts such as cultural erosion, loss of land and indifference from their fellow Malaysians. The lack of access to good education is likely to harm them a lot more in the long run than most Malaysian communities.

The Methodist Council of Education recognises this need, which is why in 2013, Zulfahadila and sisters Norizaiful and Nor Arima from the Sengoi community in Kampung Lanchang Rancangan Pembangunan Semula Pos Betau, Pahang were sent to Methodist College Kuala Lumpur (MCKL), fully sponsored, to receive higher education.

However, before they could begin their Diploma in Early Childhood Education (ECE) programme, they first had to contend with the language barrier that is so often faced by the Orang Asli. To assist them, MCKL’s English faculty designed an English Language course specifically for their needs, to help bridge the gap between their proficiency in the language with the requirements of tertiary education.

Zulfahadila, known as Dila, admitted that the prospect of studying in the city so far from home was daunting at first, partly because they could not communicate well with their fellow Malaysians and partly because the Orang Asli village was very close to their hearts. “We were scared at first. [Orang Asli] usually don’t like to leave their village,” she said. But after five months or so of hard work in intensive English Classes, they had acquired the necessary proficiency in order to communicate effectively and were finally ready for the ECE course.

All three of them have enrolled in the 2014 January intake for ECE, and are working hard to prepare themselves for a career in teaching the future generations of Malaysia. Norizaiful, also known as Nori, expressed interest in gaining experience from working in the city, but nevertheless remembers that their time spent in MCKL is more importantly a part of their mission to help the Orang Asli community take a more active role in shaping Malaysia’s future, a role that has been out of their reach for far too long. As Nor Arima (Ema), the youngest of the three, puts it, “We want to go back and teach the children in our village when we finish.”

Aside from their academic growth, it has also been a wonder to witness these students growing as persons. All three of them expressed a joy in learning and were happy to have the opportunity to befriend fellow Malaysians of different ethnicities from different communities. “It was an interesting journey, and now that we have new friends, it is not so bad,” says Dila. Indeed, it is most heartening to see that they are following in the footsteps of Ranimah Oransum, one of their seniors from the Dusun community in Sabah who recently completed the ECE programme. She too was driven by a desire to help her community, and it is our hope that many more students will choose a similar path of Christ-like service through life.

However, we should also remember that these are just the first few steps in the long journey of helping our neighbours. Miss Khor Kheing Leik, the Director of Academic Studies (Tertiary Programmes), says that “it has been a privilege to witness their lives being transformed”, but also stressed that more needs to be done. In the future, MCKL and its affiliates would like to be able to send people to Orang Asli villages to train new teachers so that their communities can become self-sufficient when it comes to early childhood education, which would in turn alleviate some of the difficulties that they face when it comes to sending their children for higher education.

Miss Moey Yoke Lai, the CEO of MCKL, views this endeavour as a privilege and duty of the College and puts it thus, “We realise afresh the mandate given to the College by the Methodist Church of Malaysia – to provide quality education for the youth of our nation.”