Prince: Since then...

Still remember when I was 13 year-old, I was sent to a national secondary school near my house then. Growing up in a small family, which merely enough to survive; I do not receive much allowance; RM 1 a day, or less.

Admiring those rich kids with red eye, they spent like ‘water flowing out of the tap’, while I have to save like ‘Squeeze-to-wrinkle-empty-plastic-bag’. I know it is not going to be enough to spend, and I found the solution; working part-time!

It was when I was recruited as an apprentice, working in a shattered bread factory, earned merely RM 3 per afternoon; from 2pm to 6pm; sometimes until 8pm.

It is more than obvious, the proprietor was depriving our benefit; taking advantage of our ignorance & innocence. We were made to carry bags of flour weighed 25kg per bag every evening before we were allowed to go back; and 50kg sugar as to prepare for tomorrow operation.

Regardless of all the hard work, I was happy that I was able to make a lot friend, and learned a lot about human greed and temptation. There was an old man working in the factory, once told me, ‘You shouldn’t worry about the starting, but you should be more worry about the ending of our life!’

He also told me that, ‘It doesn’t matter an A or a D, but it does matter if you can make it to the end; as long as you work and learn hard enough, and one day you will earn more than that, of course, not in this place!’.

One day the boss’s brother, who is religious person, told me, ‘Living poor is nothing, but living with no value is a disgrace. It doesn’t matter if you fail your exam, or make a mistake in your homework, or anything that you do not do well, as long as you have a heart to do it again and again, you will get it right sometime, the process is the value!’

He related his experience, ‘I used to spend a lot in exercise-book, because I tend to make a lot of mistake in writing, and was punished to re-write 100 words, sometimes 1000 words. However, I never stress myself, ‘they ask me to write- I write; in the process, I learn; another 1000 times more than other about the word.’

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When I was 14 year-old then, moving into form 1, I was with the bread factory until the long holiday when my uncle approached me. He recruited me as a Sale Assistant in his supermarket in Sungai Petani, earning RM 2.50 per hours, monthly income around RM 450, but I was only able to work for 2 months in Holiday.

Believe it or not, I was working illegally in the market, because the legal age is 16. I was lucky enough to have an Uncle working as the General Manager who covered everything up for me. My first department was Sport Department; due to my age, I was sent to Sport Department because it was the smallest department with less in touch with customer.

The supervisor was an Indian Lady, treating me harshly; perhaps, she thought I was a spy then. But there’s one thing I learn from her when she was explaining to the customer about weight lifting equipment.

The customer lifted the equipment, and asked, ‘Would that be too light?’
‘Nothing is light if you train long enough’, said my supervisor, she continued, ‘When you lifted it up and down for the first few times; it is light, but after some time, you start to feel exhausted and weary.’

What I have learnt…

‘When you are pushing something too far, too fast, it will create negative impact’

‘When you are persevere in your job, time will prove your experience; of course, you need to have the heart to learn it’

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I returned home after the holiday, I was then worked for the bread factory again (due to my age, I wasn’t allowed to work in local Supermarket unless my Uncle was a General Manager!)

Approaching Holiday, I started to pack my stuff, and ready to move to Sungai Petani again; this year, I was placed under Hardware Department. I still remember my supervisor was ‘Rosli’, a young and kind Malay Chap.

Everyone in the department did not have the ball to talk with my Uncle, still remember, there was one time, one of the staff would like to transfer department, and she met my Uncle for the discussion. My Uncle approved her application eventually.

She bragged, ‘Sometimes, you need to speak out in order to get thing done. Being afraid is just avoiding the problem; right or wrong doesn’t matter because you will know at the end.’

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At age 16, I applied for Part-time sale-assistant in Sentosa supermarket in Alor Setar, and was sent to Canned Food Department. My supervisor was Mr. Tan, a 30 year-old Chinese Chap. He briefed me on my first day, ‘If they pay you RM 500 a month, they expect you to work double, or triple for them- May be more. Only then, the company is willing to keep you, maintain you and promote you or giving you increment; so I expect you to work hard in this department!’

Until end of the year - right after my PMR, I moved on to Sungai Petani to work with my Uncle again, and this year I was placed under Sundry Department. I learn even more this year, perhaps, too many events were occurring in the market.

There was a couple entering a washroom together, and was spotted by one of the staff. The news went straight to my Uncle, and the couple was called to the office. My Uncle related his experience in questioning the couple, ‘All I need to do is look into their eye, and then I shall know if they are lying. Question after questions, they finally admitted, and willing to leave for good.’

Another issue was about my assistant Supervisor, who planned to resign for greener pasture; was having an argument with his wife too. All bad fortune came in once- as he believed, and he was frustrated, since he was going to leave anyway; he became sluggish and slack in his work, careless about his responsibilities. My Uncle called him up, and managed to push him.

‘Anyone is willing to listen to you as long as you are morally right, speaking the true in the society. I told him what he did is wrong, and give him the reasons, there is no reason why he doesn’t want to listen to me, or being stubborn in his own act.’ My uncle explained to me when I asked him in the car.

That tells me that as long as you know they have done wrong, and tells them the truth of being right. There’s no reason why a rational human being should work against it.

I asked my Uncle that time, as I still remember, ‘What if he doesn’t want to listen to you and keep on with his bad attitudes?’ My Uncle told me, ‘I will fire him’

I was then only 16, and was shocked and afraid to hear the work ‘firing’, perhaps, I was inexperienced…

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