Date: 4th August 2013
Time: 9am - 12.30pm
Venue: National Leprosy Control
Centre (NLCC) , Sungai Buloh
We have heard enough discrimination and marginalization. There are
discrimination based on sex, gender, racial, and various social groupings and
classes. The minorities are being squeezed to corner. Some of us may even feel
that they are somehow being discriminated at time. However, how many of us
witness or experience the actual serious consequences of these social phenomena?
Perhaps the visitation to the National Leprosy Control Centre [NLCC] would
enable us to learn that ignorance could make us humankind being extremely
unkind to our fellow human, even within a similar social group.
Talking to a few inmates and Ms. Joyce Wong, the author of the book “The
Valley of Hope – National Leprosy Control Centre, Sg. Buloh”, we decided to
organize small group visit to the forbidden ‘Leprosy settlement’, NLCC.
On the August
4th, Sunday morning, 36
of us, Lions, Leos, our family members and friends were punctually gathered at
a hall in the NLCC, welcome by dedicated Sister Kamariah. Sister Kamariah has
been servicing in NLCC since 1980. She could have opted to serve in other hospital;
she was touched and moved by the inmates’ stories and their sincerity. Sacrificed
her precious family time in the holy month of Ramadan, Sister Kamariah
volunteered to be one of the speaker. Her presentation to introduce NLCC could
reflect her passion and dedication. She sought our support to convert a little
empty land next to the hall to a resting garden for the inmates. We are
positive to her request.
The centre
was established in 1929, named The Federal Leper Settlement at Sungai Buloh or
Sg. Buloh Settlement. In 1965 it was renamed as Sungai Buloh Leprosarium, and
changed to its current name in 1969.
The
settlement was like a self-contained township, it had its own council [Patient
Council in 1946, then renamed to Sg Buloh Settlement Council.] that membered by
the inmates to assist in administering the settlement. The inmates were trained
to be nursing and enforcement personnel; as few were willing to work in the
settlement. It had its own valid currency for goods and services transaction. There
were places of worship for different faiths, provision shops, school, and land for
food cultivation.
The inmates
were allowed to get married. Many of their children were arranged to be adopted
due to the limitation of resources to cope with the child care activities. It
was another sad story.
Joyce Wong was sharing on her very own experience in the settlement.
Being a daughter of inmates in the settlement or NLCC, she was advised and
reminded by parents since her childhood not to reveal her background as a child
of the ex-leprosy patients. She kept the secret until 2002 when she decided to
write a book jointly with her friend, Peng Qiu Xia.
It was abnormally quiet in the hall; all were paying their full
attention as Joyce Wong sharing her story. As nobody aware of her background,
she had got the ‘privilege’ to be advised by the ‘normal healthy’ adults, “Do
not get near to the Leprosy Settlement, and do not mix with the children from
the settlement …”
The Malaysia government has done great job to make NLCC one of the best
administered Leprosy settlement in the world. From providing a peaceful settlement
that enabled the inmates to live with pride, to administer the illness with
effective drugs, Dapsone in 1948, Multi-Drug-Therapy [MDT] in 1988.
There are inmates staying in the settlement for the pass 60 to 80 years.
They are all recovered from Leprosy. But they would never recovered from the
injuries that caused by discrimination and marginalisation. A 91-year old
inmate who was being sent to the settlement at the age of 9, she was allowed to
leave the settlement at 18. However the supposing good time with her father was
rather disappointing and hurt. She was ostracized by the community where she
and her father were in; she could not even use the toilet! She had to go far
deep in the forest, dig a hole for that. It was a long 6 months, she then opted
back to the settlement, NLCC.
After an active interaction with the two speakers, with the help of
Joyce Wong, we were then leading our youthful and dedicated Leos to the wards.
We talked to the inmates, listened to their stories; the Leos were
singing and playing some music to cheer them up. Some of them even sang along
with us.
Joyce Wong led us to tour this heritage, with some real live stories. We
found the visit meaningful, informative and educational. Together with Joyce
Wong we hope that more visits of this kind shall be organized. Engage with our
future leaders, the youth, show them the effect of discrimination. Hopefully we
may do a little to lower down discrimination of all sorts, a social phenomenon
among humankind.
A feedback from the inmates via Joyce Wong, all of them were very happy
to our close interaction with them, they were well entertained by songs and
music. So it was only the beginning; more youth shall be arranged to visit
NLCC.
It was a wonderful and rewarding 4 hours social activity! We Serve!
Roar!
