Anthony Chong is an alumni of KDU College, having graduated with a BSc in

Computing Studies.  An encourager, a motivator and an agent for change, he is passionate about improving the quality of life for the Deaf.  He sees education being the flood gates to a meaningful career.  He sees the lack of interpreters at college and university level as barriers to the flood gates.  He wants to make a difference in the world of the Deaf, and hence, his goal is to pursue a research on spoken language acquisition and the impact of education on the Deaf, and how the education should be adapted to the Deaf’s real situation.

The following is his essay about life at KDU College, the challenges he has faced, his passionate call for the improvement of education for the Deaf.

Life at KDU College

I studied at KDU College and completed my Bachelor’s degree in Computing Studies. I have enjoyed studying there  as some of the lecturers are open to the Deaf.    They were understanding and I appreciate them.  I was also able to make some good friends at KDU College even though I did not socialize with them much.

Overcoming challenges

Some of the challenges I faced was due to communication (since I could not hear, and I was in a class of hearing people), so I tried hard to  understand  the message the lecturers were  delivering verbally. It was   the fear of an uncertain future that drove me to achieve my goal of obtaining a Bachelor’s degree,  and  I get  a sense of   security from the education I have received.

Bringing changes for the Deaf

With my education, I  feel that I am destined  to bring more changes to the Deaf community. Therefore, I would like  seek an opportunity  to enhance our Deaf friends’ living standards as well as the chance for a further education  so that they can enjoy the same privileges as other hearing people. My true career is my commitment to achieve this aim.  Meanwhile, I also hope to pursue further studies abroad but this can only materialise if I have a scholarship to sustain my education.

My work

Though the work I am currently doing is not my course of studies,  my background in computer technology  has helped me to learn faster.  I am currently holding two jobs:  as a production editor where I am working in a publishing company in Cyberjaya and I also work part time  as a Sign Language Instructor at YMCA. I derive joy from teaching others.

As a Production Editor, my responsibility is to check the  xml tagging before send it for another review, to update the binders with the changes given the Editor,  printing them and then forward  to the customers.

Deaf should assert their rights

I would advise Deaf students to assert  their rights for  interpreting services from the  government so that  they can  understand and  enjoy their classes, as  the  communication barriers will be greatly reduced.  They also should seek every opportunity to be independent and  gain new knowledge instead of waiting for lecturers to help  them all the time.

Community work

For the last two year, I have been doing some voluntary work with the Deaf community through Malaysian Aids Council in increasing HIV and AIDS awareness. I work with different age groups. I  am also   involved in building  Child Sexual Abuse awareness programme in different states in Malaysia,  through PS The Children for the last four years .

My personal aspiration

My personal aspiration is my hope for a  change in the current education for the Deaf.  That is the reason I am taking a Master’s degree in  Linguistics at University Malaya. I will be graduating next year. Thereafter,  I hope to obtain  a scholarship for Deaf Studies, which is only available  in USA and UK.   After that, I might do some research on local Deaf people from different aspects, that is,  spoken language acquisition, the impact of education on the Deaf, how the education should be adapted to the Deaf’s real situation, and  so on.

Calling for a wind of change for the Deaf’s education

Malaysian Deaf people need a change in the education system, more can be done for them with the impact of technology.  We can read, and we can use our limbs for work. We just can’t hear, but we are not impaired in any other way otherwise.  Diligence and intelligence some of us have, hearing we have not, but we shall not allow this to hamper our opportunity for an education, and to pursue a career of our choice.

Some organisations such as the AFS Intercultural Programs have taken in Deaf students on exchange programs.  This is good because  this gives an educational opportunity for the Deaf to learn the American Sign Language and they also realised they have to improve their English Language in order to communicate with their hearing foster parents.

Equal opportunity

With 1Malaysia, diversity means not merely integrating the different races but it also means integrating the Deaf, the Blind and the handicapped.  It means giving an equal opportunity to all, for scholarships and for positions in the government service.

We also ask that Malaysian companies be more open, and to have equal opportunity for the Deaf in terms of career, support for scholarships and benefits which hearing people have.  We also ask that the Malaysian government does more for the Deaf with interpreters as college and university level.  That’s all we ask. The rest, we shall achieve by our personal vision and mission.