MMK Malaysia

The students were mostly workers in the light industrial factories in Klang. One of them, a jovial, talkative fellow, who introduced himself as Golden Boy worked as a machinist. Jeya, Than So and Sim So worked under the same boss in a packaging factory.  Then there were streamers who came in and went out as they like. One of them was Mercy, the only lady who later was given a visa to some Third World country. The core group was always there, come rain or shine. We were given a corner at the church premise for our class but some Sundays, we had to find a shady place in the church porch.

They were eager to learn the language. They asked questions, drank in new words and some of them did their homework faithfully.

I learnt as much from their sharing as they learnt from my teaching. It was a rich cross cultural experience.

Golden Boy was nicknamed Commando by his boss. He was entrusted with the keys and the security of the factory. While the rest of the foreign workers slept in quarters, his room was in the factory office itself, something of a higher class, I gather.

One season in his young life, Jeya’s grandmother had to cane and drag him to church. It makes me chuckle when I compare his sharing with modern child discipline. Today, this young man shines for the LORD. I could see how generous he was with his time and things with Than So and Sim So who were non believers. They shared the same quarters.  The two young men told me that Jeya was the apple of the boss’s eye.

“Really? Why do you say that?” I asked.

And they related an incident where Jeya accidently dropped a heavy package which landed on the boss who was immediately floored and injured too.  But the boss never took him to task!

I remember on the last day of his stay in the country, Jeya asked to meet me. We had lunch at KFC, it was his first. Oh! It was a delight watching him enjoy the food. He told he was going back in the evening. The boss would drive him to the airport.  

“Have you got a testimonial from him?” I asked. This was one of the topics I brought up in class.  He nodded his head from side to side, his eyes seeming to glaze and the corners of his mouth beginning to droop.

After a few seconds, I heard him say in a soft voice, “I asked him a few times already, but he says to wait.” He shrugged his shoulders as though it was a forgone situation since he would be flying home within the next few hours.

“Don’t give up ! Call your boss right now and remind him to bring the testimonial when he sends you to the airport!”

 At my insistence, he called the boss, right there and then.  I don’t know if he ever got the valuable piece of paper which would increase his earning capacity for the next job.  All I know is that he is now working in Singapore and so is Than So, the moody one, who never seemed to be satisfied with anything. I hope he is happier working in Singapore.

You hear firsthand about the sufferings and discrimination of Christians in their country. They share with you about their families, their aspirations. They share about their early adjustment in Malaysia, one of which is getting used to our road system. So, the next time you see a foreigner getting in your way, be patient.  It’s not impudence. They happen to have a different road system.  One of their countrymen was knocked down and suffered brain damage simply because he was ignorant of our road system.

These are foreigners who walk our streets, work their butts out for a meager living, who sometimes gets clubbed and robbed of their hard earned savings, who send money home, the old fashioned way, through an agent for a high fee.  A knowledge  of languages, particularly,  English or Chinese could help  get  them somewhere in society just as English did for us in our own country.

You can help. Indeed the harvest is ready but the laborers are few.  (Mt: 9:37) You don’t have to leave familiar surroundings. There is a ready mission right on home ground! Teachers are needed for adults as well as for children.  Contact Brother Andrew at 0162129636 for more information.