#AMINRANT Episode-02: Kesedaran Kesihatan Mental dan Psikologi Sekarang Jauh Lebih Baik

Original video: https://youtu.be/_Jodc__GKUU

Other Episodes on #Aminrant Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwV1_FXIg4BgoGTlQGgeqdNYs2dzr6JMr

Pencerita mengimbas kembali pengalaman pahitnya di sekolah rendah selepas kematian ayahnya. Beliau tidak mendapat sebarang sokongan emosi atau keprihatinan daripada guru-gurunya, malah diperlekehkan secara terbuka oleh seorang guru Bahasa Inggeris yang bertaruh beliau tidak akan mendapat A dalam subjek itu.

Beliau membandingkan situasi 30 tahun lalu dengan zaman sekarang, di mana kesedaran kesihatan mental dan sokongan terhadap kanak-kanak jauh lebih baik. Walaupun menghadapi pelbagai cabaran dan diabaikan, beliau tidak membiarkan pengalaman pahit itu menjatuhkannya. Sebaliknya, beliau menjadikan cabaran itu sebagai pembakar semangat untuk berjaya, dan kini beliau telah membuktikan kebolehannya, khususnya dalam penguasaan Bahasa Inggeris.

Pencerita menekankan pentingnya memberi sokongan dan kasih sayang kepada kanak-kanak, terutamanya anak yatim, serta mengajar generasi muda untuk menjadi individu yang prihatin dan berempati.

Video Transkrip

Alright, hello everyone. Welcome to episode two of #Amirant. We're indoors today because a lot of us aren't feeling well and there's construction happening outside—dust, cement, the whole works. So, we'll continue our story from yesterday.

Yesterday, we talked about the funeral and all that, but what happened the day after? I didn't go to school, which was normal because everyone was busy with arrangements. Plus, there was no one to send me. I finally went back to school on Tuesday. I have to say, the mental health awareness we have today is so much better than it was back then. It's better for both adults and kids. I remember that viral video of a kid getting yelled at by a teacher in the canteen, and the whole internet was on the child's side. The teacher even had to take a break. That shows how society supports children now. When I was that age, thirty years ago, that would never have happened.

So, on that Tuesday, my brother sent me to school. He had to leave for his lectures, but before he did, he dropped me off directly at the headmistress's office. He explained that my dad had passed away. The headmistress, who some of you might know, took out the registration book. Back then, they would call out each student's name to mark attendance. Instead of a circle for attendance, I got a '1' in the book. Then she sent me straight to class. My brother had already left, and the class continued as normal. For the rest of the school year, up until the UPSR exams, not a single teacher or anyone else came to ask me how I was doing. No one even bothered to collect donations for me. It's not about the money, but it really showed me how people were quick to assume things without asking. I was in the top class, surrounded by the children of doctors, magistrates, and engineers. I think they assumed I was also from an "elite" family, and that my family would take care of me better than the school could. They had no idea I was just a regular kid who happened to be in that class.

Even if I was from a wealthy family, I believe that today, a teacher would still check in on a student, especially one who had just lost a parent. They'd ask how I was coping, how my mom was doing, if we had enough money. No one asked me any of that. That's why I say things are better now—society is more supportive of children.

The lack of support didn't stop there. My English was really bad, like, below zero bad. During a class a month and a half before the UPSR exams, my English teacher, a Cikgu Singh, openly made a bet in front of the whole class that I would never get an 'A' for English. He said he'd give me a hundred ringgit if I did. One hundred ringgit was a lot of money back then. I couldn't understand why he felt the need to humiliate me publicly. It wasn't about helping me; it was about embarrassing me. Of course, my friends laughed because they knew I was terrible at English. Little did he know, I would end up living in England for ten years.

Despite all of this, I didn't take any of it to heart. I was just worried about my plants at home. I wasn't even scared about failing my exams. I just acted normal, and so did everyone else. It's a testament to how children can be resilient. I didn't get any compassion at school, but those things didn't bring me down. I just spent a lot of time reading books, mostly Malaysian investigative series, because I couldn't read English well then. I guess that's why I'm into bio and plant books now.

When I think back on it, I don't feel "damaged," but I do remember how little people cared. Yet, somehow, it didn't define how I would grow up. I just took it as people acting normal, so I would too. The only time I felt a little sad was on the day of the UPSR results. All the other parents were there taking pictures and celebrating with their kids. I was just sitting by a drain, watching them. My teacher, Sanjit Singh, won his bet; I got a 'C' for English, while the rest were 'A's. So I ended up with 4A's and 1C. Was I stupid? I don't think so. I bet that Cikgu Singh has never lived in London for five years, let alone become an adopted child to a British family like I did.

I remember seeing the happy, smiling faces of my teachers, including Cikgu Singh, on results day. Some of them had even bet that I would fail in life. While it's said that a teacher's prayers are powerful, if their prayers are meant to bring you down, they won't come true. In fact, it will work in your favor. This happened with another teacher in high school, who made it her mission to "destroy" me just because I scored 100 on an exam. I'll save that story for another episode.

So, the takeaway is: emotional damage is real, and children need to be cared for. If you know an orphan or an unfortunate child, please, reach out and ask them how they are. It costs nothing to show you care. It's more important than ever because today's world is much more dangerous with internet exposure and easy access to things like vape.

Encourage your own children to be kind and empathetic to their friends who are less fortunate. If you don't teach them these values, don't expect them to be caring and generous individuals. What goes around comes around. And I'm still here. I'm not the one with the emotional damage; I'm the one inflicting it now. To all my teachers who threw my books and bet against me, thank you for challenging me. Not only did I excel in English, but I can now teach it, work with native speakers for over a decade, and even write poems in English. Can you do that?

Alright, that's all for now. If you have any questions, leave them in the comments below. We'll continue in episode three. See you. Bye.

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