True Malaysian Uncles leading the way

By Lyana Khairuddin

As a Malaysian, I am no stranger to racist slurs. Depending on the situation, calling each other “Cina babi”, “Keling”, or “Melayu malas/bodoh” can be either a term of endearment or insult.

Like clockwork, we would see such comments making the headlines with the aim to maim and insult. Expectedly, every time, the politicians would call for unity and the public would share stories of how such cases are isolated.

Age or rather generational gaps add another layer to such slurs. Elder Malaysians today are oft to comment that the Malaysian structure and social fabric were friendlier during their times – that they speak better English (and more eloquent Bahasa Malaysia, for that matter), that public schools during their time provided high quality and world-standard education, and that they are not easily confused by crosses or shrines.

It seems like the only comfort the young have is our youth. Imagine the awe then, when some uncles (and one aunt) proved that age is no barrier to achieve a physical feat.

On May 22, 2016, not-your-average Malaysians Patrick Teoh (69 years old), David Chin (64), Dave Ern, Mel Lee (61) and his wife Penne, (63) rode into Bangkok after leaving Alor Star on the morning of May 6. They made the 1,300km ride to accompany David Wu (49), who is on his way to ride to his ancestral village in Guangdong, China.

Personally, David is on a mission to break the biggest racial slur in Malaysia – that is, for Malaysians of Chinese ethnicity to return to China. A true Kedahan and Malaysian, David is known as the crazy man who walked from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Bahru in his attempt to #JustWuIt for his Projek Wumah in repairing homes affected by the east coast floods in 2014.

In the process, David not only raised funds and repaired homes, he also showcased the all too human desire to dream and accomplish, to have faith in the kindness from strangers and the bonds of Malaysian friendships.

Projek Wumah became more than charity; it highlighted the poor governance by the Kelantan state government and the cost of centralised development in Malaysia. It showed the many Malaysians who are still living in poverty, and as a result live in dire and often unhygienic situations.

This subsequently leads to many other social issues including losing out on education, potential health risk, and lack of sustainable investment and inheritance which lead to the lack of upward mobility and the generational ‘poverty trap’.

Poverty cannot be solved instantly and neither could it simply be solved through repairing homes. But Projek Wumah became a catalyst of sorts, where an urbanite who spent most of his adult life making a living in Singapore went to the rural area of Kelantan and learnt his most invaluable lesson- that of his privilege and that he can pay it forward.

When David shared with me about Projek Wumah 2 following the completion of the first project, I said a prayer of gratitude. He partnered with webecommunity, and the project was unlocked, guaranteeing a funding of at least RM100,000 to repair derelict homes anywhere in Malaysia.

Hayati Ismail, a social activist and non-governmental individual, is the project manager who will be identifying the homes to be repaired through this project.

While all these identification of homes, background checks and repairs are ongoing, David will be cycling to China. It is hoped that his physical efforts will be a gimmick that pulls the Malaysian public to back the project. Further, it should set a reminder that for the next time we Malaysians feel the need to tell fellow Malaysians to “balik China”, to remember that one Malaysian cycled all the way back in order to help rebuild homes in Malaysia.

If that is not a true Malaysian story, I do not know what is.

While the rest of the ‘uncles’ (they personally request that they should now be known as “hunkles”) only rode until Bangkok, their efforts should not be discounted.

Patrick Teoh, while more well known for his unmistakable voice, is a polio-survivor. This made it hard for him to walk, and he needs a cane to support his weight. He started cycling a few years ago on a tricycle, and found mobility and joy in cycling. For a man on a tricycle to have cycled all that way, is no mean feat.

Did I mention that he is 69 years old?

David Chin, on the other hand, is a prostate cancer survivor. He is also a successful restaurateur, as part of the team behind Dave’s Deli. Following their journey on facebook showed determination despite hardships, and serves as a story that should inspire us Malaysians, regardless of age.

To these “hunkles” (and one aunt!), I salute all of you. Thank you for reminding me that we Malaysians can dream, accomplish and overcome.

Lyana Khairuddin is a scientist who works in the field of HIV & HPV, and remains a naïve optimist in Malaysia.