Cik Sham Dearest
Shamshad Begham Bt. Othman who I amicably call her Cik Sham was my lecturer at UiTM Dungun, Terengganu. She is a woman of substance. The fact that she is wheelchair bound does not really give an impact in her life. She is smart. I can talk to her about any topics at all. She is funny too, especially to those who are very close to her. She is like a second mother to me.
At 48, Cik Sham does not really look her age. It could be due to the fact that she puts on “bedak sejuk” on her face whenever she has free time. She is bespectacled. She is quite plum. However, if she can stand up and walk, I think she would definitely look slim. Sadly, she cannot walk. She had suffered polio when she was only three years old. She could not walk since she was 5 years old.
Cik Sham loves to wear her Baju Kurung. She has many Baju Kurungs in almost every colour we can possibly imagine. She told me that she only needs three meters of materials to make herself a Baju Kurung. That explains how petit she is as compared to a normal person.
She is fond of her Color Club watch. The reason behind her passion for her Color Club watch is that she can change the ring of the watch to match her outfit. She has five different coloured rings for her watch -- white, gold, black, red and green. But now, her Color Club watch is old. She is wearing a Guess watch which she bought in MidValley Megamall during one of our outings together. It is a beautiful siver chain watch with a beautiful face and interesting curvy glass. I helped her choose the watch.
She used to sit on her Yamaha wheelchair. However, in 2001 an incident happened in her house. Her wheelchair broke down. She had to crawl from her bedroom to the living room just to call her neighbours to help her get a manual wheelchair in the store room. I was sad for her. She looked very exhausted when I arrived at her place. Now, she is happy with her Karma wheelchair which she bought a month after the incident. Cik Sham had to live in her manual wheelchair for one whole month. I was then in my semester four. I would help her to push the wheelchair until we reached her house. I was sad to know that a student of hers wanted to push her down the lake just because he thinks he deserved to pass BEL 250. Cik Sham said to me that “He could not even utter a single sentence without any grammatical errors, how can I make him pass the paper?” It’s true. I know that person. I cannot imagine that he would say such a horrible thing to a teacher.
Cik Sham is still living in the same house. It is actually a residence for UiTM’s staff especially the technicians and clerks. The house is like a heaven to her. The house is complete with a disabled-person friendly toilet and bathroom, the sink in the kitchen is not too high, so she can reach it comfortably, it has 3 bedrooms, 1 store room and it is also equipped with ramps for Cik Sham to maneuver her wheelchair. She once told me that, “How I wish all hotels in the world is disabled-person friendly.” Cik Sham had not had a lot of opportunity to travel. Unlike normal persons like us, she needs a special vehicle which can carry her and her wheelchair together with ease. There is no express bus in Malaysia that is equipped with such facility. Cik Sham would have to pay hundreds if not thousands of ringgit just to get from one place to another. Malaysia Airlines System is her transportation of choice. She had to. Especially if she needs to return from Dungun to Penang (her hometown). The airplane is safe and the services provided by the national carrier are disabled-friendly. Imagine that she needs to pay a taxi driver RM 500 for a one way travel from Dungun to Glugor, Penang and another RM 500 all the way back to Dungun from Penang. The cost is almost the same, and yet the time taken to get to the same place is longer with the taxi.
She told me that her mother would always be with her when she was hospitalized and when she needed to see the doctor for medical check-ups. She has lost her mother 11 years ago. Her beloved mother died in 1995.
To get where she is now was no easy task for her. She once told me that “I hate troubling my friends,” when we were having a conversation at her father’s place in Penang. If possible, Cik Sham does not want to trouble her friends to either carry her around or to push her wheelchair. However, she told me that her friends were very adamant. They wouldn’t take no for an answer. Thus, they would go to supermarkets or shops together. Her friends would help to lift her to get in and out of a taxi. One of her friends who is now a pilot with Malaysian Airline System would come to her house to review their lessons and do their homework together.
I could not remember the first day I met her but Cik Sham can. She told me that we met somewhere between the Academic Block and Block 9 in UiTM Dungun. I was in my first semester for my Diploma in Hotel Management then. The earliest meeting with her that I can remember was when I was walking back to my hostel (Tasik A) while she was rolling to return to her office one afternoon. I smiled at her and said the salam since I knew that she is a lecturer. I didn’t know what subject she is teaching then. Allah’s willing, I met Cik Sham again. This time around, I was in my second semester. She taught me BEL 200. An easy paper for me. I scored A+ for that paper. We got to know each other quite well that semester. Then, the following semester (part 3), Cik Sham taught me BEL 250. the paper was a bit tough for me. However, Alhamdulillah, I managed to score A for BEL 250. I was aiming for an A+ because I know then that English is my forte (at least I am better at it than other subjects -- especially accounting subjects).
When I was in semester three, I had a breakdown. I felt that I could not continue my studies and I wanted to quit. To me all of the pressure to pass all of the subjects was unbearable then. Upon hearing this from my closest friends, Cik Sham arranged for a meeting. She gave me tones of advices so that I will not quit my studies. “I see the potential in you, Anizan. Don’t give up. Take it as a challenge from Allah” she said. I hated her for stopping me from quitting then. After a few weeks, I managed to pick myself up and face the challenges. The semester went by smoothly.
What she said was true. I shouldn’t have the slightest inclination to quit. I should see things the way she is seeing them. To compare myself to her, she has suffered so many things in her life. But she keeps going. She never ever uttered the words “I give up!” Believe me. I have uttered that sentence for quite a number now. I am not strong enough emotionally. Cik Sham is. I look up to her.
Following her advice, I managed to get through the tough and trying times in completing my Diploma in Hotel Management. Then in 2002, Cik Sham told me that she wanted to pursue her studies at the graduate’s level at IIUM. At that time, UiTM Dungun wanted all of the lecturers to have at least a Master’s degree to be able to continue teaching in UiTM. With the scholarship from UiTM, Cik Sham went off to Gombak, Selangor to pursue her studies at the International Islamic University of Malaysia.
Even though we were now separated, Cik Sham would once in a while send me letters to keep my spirit high. She does not want me to give up on my studies ever again. Her letters would always be full with advises and
Cik Sham has managed to get herself a Master’s in English Language Studies with the International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM). I was there on her convocation day. Seeing her on the platform receiving the scroll from IIUM’s Chancellor, Duli Yang Maha Mulia Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Al-Musta’in Billah Shah was a motivating experience.
Shamshad Begham Bt. Othman who I amicably call her Cik Sham was my lecturer at UiTM Dungun, Terengganu. She is a woman of substance. The fact that she is wheelchair bound does not really give an impact in her life. She is smart. I can talk to her about any topics at all. She is funny too, especially to those who are very close to her. She is like a second mother to me.
At 48, Cik Sham does not really look her age. It could be due to the fact that she puts on “bedak sejuk” on her face whenever she has free time. She is bespectacled. She is quite plum. However, if she can stand up and walk, I think she would definitely look slim. Sadly, she cannot walk. She had suffered polio when she was only three years old. She could not walk since she was 5 years old.
Cik Sham loves to wear her Baju Kurung. She has many Baju Kurungs in almost every colour we can possibly imagine. She told me that she only needs three meters of materials to make herself a Baju Kurung. That explains how petit she is as compared to a normal person.
She is fond of her Color Club watch. The reason behind her passion for her Color Club watch is that she can change the ring of the watch to match her outfit. She has five different coloured rings for her watch -- white, gold, black, red and green. But now, her Color Club watch is old. She is wearing a Guess watch which she bought in MidValley Megamall during one of our outings together. It is a beautiful siver chain watch with a beautiful face and interesting curvy glass. I helped her choose the watch.
She used to sit on her Yamaha wheelchair. However, in 2001 an incident happened in her house. Her wheelchair broke down. She had to crawl from her bedroom to the living room just to call her neighbours to help her get a manual wheelchair in the store room. I was sad for her. She looked very exhausted when I arrived at her place. Now, she is happy with her Karma wheelchair which she bought a month after the incident. Cik Sham had to live in her manual wheelchair for one whole month. I was then in my semester four. I would help her to push the wheelchair until we reached her house. I was sad to know that a student of hers wanted to push her down the lake just because he thinks he deserved to pass BEL 250. Cik Sham said to me that “He could not even utter a single sentence without any grammatical errors, how can I make him pass the paper?” It’s true. I know that person. I cannot imagine that he would say such a horrible thing to a teacher.
Cik Sham is still living in the same house. It is actually a residence for UiTM’s staff especially the technicians and clerks. The house is like a heaven to her. The house is complete with a disabled-person friendly toilet and bathroom, the sink in the kitchen is not too high, so she can reach it comfortably, it has 3 bedrooms, 1 store room and it is also equipped with ramps for Cik Sham to maneuver her wheelchair. She once told me that, “How I wish all hotels in the world is disabled-person friendly.” Cik Sham had not had a lot of opportunity to travel. Unlike normal persons like us, she needs a special vehicle which can carry her and her wheelchair together with ease. There is no express bus in Malaysia that is equipped with such facility. Cik Sham would have to pay hundreds if not thousands of ringgit just to get from one place to another. Malaysia Airlines System is her transportation of choice. She had to. Especially if she needs to return from Dungun to Penang (her hometown). The airplane is safe and the services provided by the national carrier are disabled-friendly. Imagine that she needs to pay a taxi driver RM 500 for a one way travel from Dungun to Glugor, Penang and another RM 500 all the way back to Dungun from Penang. The cost is almost the same, and yet the time taken to get to the same place is longer with the taxi.
She told me that her mother would always be with her when she was hospitalized and when she needed to see the doctor for medical check-ups. She has lost her mother 11 years ago. Her beloved mother died in 1995.
To get where she is now was no easy task for her. She once told me that “I hate troubling my friends,” when we were having a conversation at her father’s place in Penang. If possible, Cik Sham does not want to trouble her friends to either carry her around or to push her wheelchair. However, she told me that her friends were very adamant. They wouldn’t take no for an answer. Thus, they would go to supermarkets or shops together. Her friends would help to lift her to get in and out of a taxi. One of her friends who is now a pilot with Malaysian Airline System would come to her house to review their lessons and do their homework together.
I could not remember the first day I met her but Cik Sham can. She told me that we met somewhere between the Academic Block and Block 9 in UiTM Dungun. I was in my first semester for my Diploma in Hotel Management then. The earliest meeting with her that I can remember was when I was walking back to my hostel (Tasik A) while she was rolling to return to her office one afternoon. I smiled at her and said the salam since I knew that she is a lecturer. I didn’t know what subject she is teaching then. Allah’s willing, I met Cik Sham again. This time around, I was in my second semester. She taught me BEL 200. An easy paper for me. I scored A+ for that paper. We got to know each other quite well that semester. Then, the following semester (part 3), Cik Sham taught me BEL 250. the paper was a bit tough for me. However, Alhamdulillah, I managed to score A for BEL 250. I was aiming for an A+ because I know then that English is my forte (at least I am better at it than other subjects -- especially accounting subjects).
When I was in semester three, I had a breakdown. I felt that I could not continue my studies and I wanted to quit. To me all of the pressure to pass all of the subjects was unbearable then. Upon hearing this from my closest friends, Cik Sham arranged for a meeting. She gave me tones of advices so that I will not quit my studies. “I see the potential in you, Anizan. Don’t give up. Take it as a challenge from Allah” she said. I hated her for stopping me from quitting then. After a few weeks, I managed to pick myself up and face the challenges. The semester went by smoothly.
What she said was true. I shouldn’t have the slightest inclination to quit. I should see things the way she is seeing them. To compare myself to her, she has suffered so many things in her life. But she keeps going. She never ever uttered the words “I give up!” Believe me. I have uttered that sentence for quite a number now. I am not strong enough emotionally. Cik Sham is. I look up to her.
Following her advice, I managed to get through the tough and trying times in completing my Diploma in Hotel Management. Then in 2002, Cik Sham told me that she wanted to pursue her studies at the graduate’s level at IIUM. At that time, UiTM Dungun wanted all of the lecturers to have at least a Master’s degree to be able to continue teaching in UiTM. With the scholarship from UiTM, Cik Sham went off to Gombak, Selangor to pursue her studies at the International Islamic University of Malaysia.
Even though we were now separated, Cik Sham would once in a while send me letters to keep my spirit high. She does not want me to give up on my studies ever again. Her letters would always be full with advises and
Cik Sham has managed to get herself a Master’s in English Language Studies with the International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM). I was there on her convocation day. Seeing her on the platform receiving the scroll from IIUM’s Chancellor, Duli Yang Maha Mulia Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Al-Musta’in Billah Shah was a motivating experience.
1 comment:
Even though Cik Sham never taught me while I was in UiTM Dungun, I knew that she is a nice person.
What you wrote was an eye-opener. I didn't know a lot of things about her until I read this entry.
Oh, and I happen to know the person who wanted to push Cik Sham into the lake... that is sooooooooo mean!
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