The girl from Klang.

Came from a small town name Klang in Malaysia, it was easy for others to overlook one’s existence especially in larger towns. Opportunities were limited unless one was cash rich. From which school I went to to which part of Klang area I lived in, people judged based on those. The girl from Klang, which part of Klang? The girl from Klang, where is Klang?

My dad once told me he attempted to enrol me into Convent Girls primary school in Klang but his application was rejected. I can understand why he wanted to send me to that school. He has four children and I am his only daughter, a form of differentiation in the family I guess. My dad said it was due to proximity from where we lived that his application was rejected. Living in Klang but rejected in Klang, really? Years down, I found out that one of the girls of same age in the next neighbourhood went to that school. Difference was, her house and the area she lived in were posher. Somehow, level of affluence mattered.

My parents as working class heroes did their best in sending me to reputable tuition classes. Truth to be told, I had never felt belonged. At 15, I was told by a tuition mate to get off from her seat on my first day of class. Her dad owned a factory. Intimidated by others, it was one of my most embarrassing adolescence moments. I had no idea that even a chair had invisible label too.

From very young age, my parents advised my siblings and I to be modest. Comparison can only make us feel worse off. It was easier said than done: shut off from the world and focus on what we do and do our best with what we’ve got.

There is a difference between comparison and competition. Comparison is a form of consideration but competition requires mental and physical commitments to excel.

Success can only go to those who strive. The more hard work, the better the outcome. It’s the basic tenet of life. If we sit and whine about what we don’t have, we would still be whining ten years down the line. Time wait for no man. Fortunately for my parents, my brothers were all scholars. Clever and diligent, they had both. Except me. I was just a mediocre at school and laid back in all matters. Only at later years that I fell in love with the idea of competition.

Thanks to my parents for making everything seems so scarce. An opportunity to study abroad was like a once in a life time treasure and they made it clear from the very start on how much they could afford. I suppose it was part of their parenting strategy. I should be thankful living adequately, some didn’t stand a chance. At the same time, I wanted more. Not monetary wise but respect. If it’s not given, then make it. To make it, I must compete. When there is a will, there is a way as many said.

I have an excellent memory of my childhood life especially those chapters that involved meaningful hardship. My parents had a hard life. Extended family of 10 members living under a 3-bedroom terrace house was better than no roof. When people fuss about safety of an overcrowded house, I didn’t feel a pinch. My siblings and I grew up safe, healthy, and happy.

Having said that, life has never been a walk in the park. Painful experiences did triggered grudges that lasted a lifetime. Why? I was only a child when corrupted institutions imposed social status judgement and provided exceptions to affluent families. At teenage years, I was being framed as the black sheep of a herd and constantly trying to even out differences within a group. Growing up, people bluntly and deliberately belittled me with their materialism. I questioned why all the time. All these cumulative humiliations made me angry and want to compete even more – to earn something that not many can have, respect.

A promise to myself, respect was what I was aiming to build. Competition advances us with modesty. Overly humble makes us fake and buries our confidence level, too proud makes us sink faster with failures. Competition keeps me going and away from complacency. Always overestimating others with respect, achievements are like bonus bubbles that I enjoy celebrating.

Living a moderate life across the world, often people in London think I came from a third world country, let alone where on earth Klang is, and totally puzzled of which part of Klang I came from. The thing is, no one showed interest. From a small childhood experience within the town I lived in, I always had a dream to come out from the little nest and experience world with my pair of hands.

Today, I am proud to say that I am a self-made individual, a business woman, a wife, and a mother who have learned the hard way. I’ve come a long way, earned credibility and respect through hard work, dedication, and respect towards others. Little achievements strengthened my confidence level over the years. Whilst some may despise, envious, ignorant or refrain from acknowledging my accomplishments, I neither feel sorry nor bothered with what others think or feel about me. Simply because they don’t know my story. Likewise, I don’t know theirs. Certainly, I am passionate towards stories of self-made individuals who came by life through meaningful hardship.

“I prefer to earn it. It makes me appreciate life more.”

– Anonymous

Silently, I thought. The girl from Klang has made it to London. How does that sounds?