I've been wanting to write about my nephew Miqdam aka our contractor and how proud I am of him. This is a living example of someone so young yet so "seasoned" with life. Miqdam is the eldest son of my second sister. Both his parents are "Arqam" people. When he was a kid, he's one of those kids wearing those huge and heavy serbans you can see around bus stands selling magazines. He's been transferred to numerous schools, their schools of course.
It started after I got married. He came back from JB for my wedding and ever since, he would try to come back often to his grandparents' place. One day he didn't go back. He stayed and wanted to take his SPM here. But he couldn't transfer to a school because he was not "officially" schooled at a Govt school. Hubby and me registered him at a tuition centre at Bdr Baru Bangi. But then his father came and took him away, this time to Kelantan, to one of their sekolah pondok. A couple of months later, he came back. With the help of my father, he transfered the venue of his SPM exam and studied on his own.
I remember the night before his oral English exam, I sat with him to practise but he couldn't understand a single word. I finally told him - "Kau baca je apa yang boleh bila cikgu tu suruh. Bila dia tanya soalan, kau baca balik apa yang dia tanya".
After his SPM, he moved out and work at a wet market. After that, he followed my eldest brother and started to work as a contractor, learning everything hands-on. He found his specialty - tiles. He's so good at it. My brother formed a company for him and ever since, he worked his way up, building his life from zero. Now, he owns a Ford Ranger and an Iswara which he bought cash. He now shares our office. He doesn't do much of labour work now, having his own team of about 12 workers. His current project - my house and building a bungalow worth more than RM300K, and he's the regular contractor at Akademi Cukai and a few other places.
What made him run away? At such young age he witnessed how his family lived poorly, having 10 siblings, living in small rented house. But he saw how the top people of that organisation live so rich in bungalows, drive expensive cars, the men having 4 wives at one time and divorcing one when they saw a beautiful newcomer whom they fancy... He saw all that and he hated that way of life.
One thing he regrets - not having proper education. He likes to joke with us - if he doesn't know about something - "Bapak saya tak hantar saya sekolah!". I've always listened to my father grumbling about my second sister's children not going to proper school and not taking public exams, and I always take it as the rantings of an ex-ministry of education's officer. But Miqdam said it clear - "SPM tu perlu. Benda yang diajar basic untuk hidup. Tak kira aliran atau fahaman apa, benda basic kita kena belajar". He told me how he had to learn by himself how to make quotations - to calculate costs and profits - due to his lack of education. He made mistakes, made losses but have now learned his lessons.
He's not rich yet, of course, but at least he could help his siblings.
It started after I got married. He came back from JB for my wedding and ever since, he would try to come back often to his grandparents' place. One day he didn't go back. He stayed and wanted to take his SPM here. But he couldn't transfer to a school because he was not "officially" schooled at a Govt school. Hubby and me registered him at a tuition centre at Bdr Baru Bangi. But then his father came and took him away, this time to Kelantan, to one of their sekolah pondok. A couple of months later, he came back. With the help of my father, he transfered the venue of his SPM exam and studied on his own.
I remember the night before his oral English exam, I sat with him to practise but he couldn't understand a single word. I finally told him - "Kau baca je apa yang boleh bila cikgu tu suruh. Bila dia tanya soalan, kau baca balik apa yang dia tanya".
After his SPM, he moved out and work at a wet market. After that, he followed my eldest brother and started to work as a contractor, learning everything hands-on. He found his specialty - tiles. He's so good at it. My brother formed a company for him and ever since, he worked his way up, building his life from zero. Now, he owns a Ford Ranger and an Iswara which he bought cash. He now shares our office. He doesn't do much of labour work now, having his own team of about 12 workers. His current project - my house and building a bungalow worth more than RM300K, and he's the regular contractor at Akademi Cukai and a few other places.
What made him run away? At such young age he witnessed how his family lived poorly, having 10 siblings, living in small rented house. But he saw how the top people of that organisation live so rich in bungalows, drive expensive cars, the men having 4 wives at one time and divorcing one when they saw a beautiful newcomer whom they fancy... He saw all that and he hated that way of life.
One thing he regrets - not having proper education. He likes to joke with us - if he doesn't know about something - "Bapak saya tak hantar saya sekolah!". I've always listened to my father grumbling about my second sister's children not going to proper school and not taking public exams, and I always take it as the rantings of an ex-ministry of education's officer. But Miqdam said it clear - "SPM tu perlu. Benda yang diajar basic untuk hidup. Tak kira aliran atau fahaman apa, benda basic kita kena belajar". He told me how he had to learn by himself how to make quotations - to calculate costs and profits - due to his lack of education. He made mistakes, made losses but have now learned his lessons.
He's not rich yet, of course, but at least he could help his siblings.
Comments
your nephew is a survivor who knows his roots and know what he wants. of course with help from you and family, he has made big (i hope). congrats to all and hope he will be an example to young people. wish there are many more like him or atleast half of him will do.
I still remember the times when he asked me how to design his own "Quotation Template" using Words. But now he's surfing the web for fresher, newer, contemporary designs on his own.
Hardship has certainly made him a better man...Amin.