“Uncle, boleh beli mee goreng?”
This happened to me this morning after breakfast
While sitting in my car waiting for a friend for an insurance appointment, suddenly there was a knock on my car window.
I turned around and saw a young boy standing there.
“Uncle, boleh beli mee goreng?”
Terkejut beruk jugak dibuatnya.
I wound down the window and asked him, “Berapa satu?”
“Lima ringgit,” he replied.
Actually, I had seen this boy a few times before, cycling around with a basket behind his bicycle, selling packets of food.
And every time I saw him, I was curious.
Didn’t he go to school ka? At such a young age, why is he already working so hard selling food?
So this morning, I decided to buy two packets from him,one nasi goreng and one Maggi goreng.
After I paid him, he politely thanked me for supporting him.
But he didn’t immediately cycle away, so I took the opportunity to talk to him.
“What is your name?”
“Ravi Shankar.”
“How old are you?”
“Eleven.”
Then I asked the question that had been on my mind for some time.
“Sekolah tak?”
Yes, he does go to school.
He explained that he sells food in the morning until around 11am. Then he goes home and gets ready for school. In the afternoon, his elder brother takes over the selling.
As we talked a little more, I came to know something about his family.
Ravi lost his father. He is one of five siblings, and he is the middle child. His mother raises the family and prepares all the food they sell.
And with a little pride, he told me that his eldest sister is now studying in college.
Imagine that.
At just 11 years old, before going to school, this young boy gets on his bicycle and goes around selling food to help his family.
Before he left, I asked him:
“Apa you nak jadi bila besar nanti?”
He replied that he would like to berniaga atau baiki kereta one day.
So I told him:
“Apa-apa pun you nak jadi bila besar nanti, belajar rajin-rajin. Jangan terlibat dengan benda-benda yang tak baik. Study hard and make your mother proud.”
Then off he went again on his bicycle.
It was only two packets of food and RM10. (Well, I actually gave him a little extra because there was no RM10 note in my wallet. Never mind lah… it won’t make me any poorer.
But this morning, young Ravi Shankar gave me something worth much more – a little reminder about responsibility, family, dignity and determination.
And perhaps meeting Ravi this morning, on the eve of our 69th Merdeka, carries an even deeper meaning for me.
Ravi is an Anak Malaysia.
Yes, he comes from one of our minority communities. But his dreams should never be smaller because of his race, his family circumstances or where he comes from.
Even before becoming PMX, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, has often spoken about embracing every Malaysian child, including the sentiment:
“Anak India, anak saya.”
I hope those words will always be reflected in opportunities for children like Ravi.
Because Merdeka should not only mean freedom achieved by the generations before us. It should also mean that the generations after us ‘Anak Melayu, Anak Cina, Anak India, Anak Iban, Anak Kadazan and every Anak Malaysia ‘ have the opportunity to study, work hard and build a better future.
Ravi may be selling nasi goreng and Maggi goreng from the back of his bicycle today.
But who knows what tomorrow holds? Maybe one day he will become a successful businessman.Maybe he will own his own workshop.
Whatever he chooses, I hope Malaysia will give him the opportunity to pursue it.
Study hard, Ravi. Jaga emak baik-baik and keep going. Your journey has only just begun.
And as we celebrate Merdeka tomorrow, perhaps Ravi is a little reminder to all of us:
Malaysia’s future belongs to every Malaysian child.
Selamat Hari Merdeka ke-69, Malaysia.
*Semoga setiap Anak Malaysia diberi peluang untuk bermimpi dan peluang untuk menjadikan impian itu satu kenyataan.
Hailing from Kuala Krai, Kelantan Frederick Lim is a Scoop reader