Page 8 - Mainstreamer Volume 1 Issue 2 Feb 2023

NEEDN’T FRET
There is always a Rainbow after a Heavy Rain

Muhammad Nazmi
Abdullah

was born in 1989 as a healthy baby with no It was the first time I had been separated from
disabilities. I fell ill 6 years later due to an my mother and lived on my own. Most students
I abnormally high fever. I felt myself fortunate took advantage of me. There was not a single
since only my hearing was lost when I collapsed. day that I hoped I could find a friend with whom
At the age of 7, I underwent surgery to implant I could go anywhere, hang out, have lunch, and
hearing aids inside my skull. It was a hearing device study together. Those thoughts made me want to
made in Australia by Cochlear Implant. As the give up, but then I realized that even if I did, I will
surgery was successful, my doctor recommended would still be alone. I managed to score a CGPA of
that I attend a regular school rather than a school 2.18.
for people with disabilities.
I then pursued a Bachelor’s Degree, majoring
I started school around primary 4 in Shah Alam. in Business Administration, Management, and
As my doctor recommended, I enrolled in a regular Entrepreneurship at UniKL Business School. I
school and began my journey as a person with grabbed the opportunity and worked really hard.
disabilities there. I had a lot to catch up with since Despite prior negative experiences, I persisted. For
I had missed several years of early schooling. It my Degree studies, I score a CGPA of 3.09.
was pretty hard. Almost every day back then, I was
bullied by others. The reason was because I was Before I graduated, I started working as a Barista
different from the other pupils. I consider myself at Starbucks in Kuala Lumpur. I enjoyed working
as someone unique, and they were just afraid of there as I was able to hone my communication
something or someone different from them (I only skills and boost my self esteem. Working at
learned this after I graduated from high school). Starbucks helped me feel like I could accomplish
Despite beginning school in Primary 4, I managed everything any other normal person could do since
to obtain good grades for my UPSR exam at the I was never treated as a person with a disability.
end of my primary school year. When I graduated, my mother wanted me

I subsequently went to a regular high school in to put my degree to use, so I had to resign my
Shah Alam. Bullying persisted until my third year of job at Starbucks. I mailed my résumé to as many
high school, when I befriended a transfer student companies as I could and attended as many
from Sabah. Honestly, it took courage for me to interviews as I could. But, in the end, it just
start talking to him, but I am glad I did because culminated in failure. I even did volunteer work
he taught me how to play basketball. We even since it was something I like doing. Before I knew
made it into our high school basketball team. We it, I had spent a year volunteering work at Islamic
competed in basketball tournaments and made events before being hired by one of the event
our names known in our high school. That was the organizers.
moment when I was really enjoying my life as a When I started, it was a small company of only 4
normal person. members, with myself as Administrative Assistant.

After I finishing high school, I continued my I slept in the office almost every day to save time
Diploma in Entrepreneurship in Malacca in 2007. because it was far from my house. I was told to

7 Vol. 01, Issue 2 | February 2023