platform to make them feel empowered
again and she wanted to be the one to make
a difference.
It wasn’t long before Law and a group
of friends established MASIA. The association
was meant as a safe space for others who
suffered from spinal cord injuries and
their families. Their aim was to establish
a self-help group that provided aid, bridging
communications and promoting public
awareness.
“We want to help people through their
healing process,” said Law. “With MASIA
we want to create a congregation that helps,
supports and share our struggles. But I always
try to remind people to stay positive, and to
make the best of every situation.”DYSLEXIA ASSOCIATION
OF MALAYSIA (PDM)
Sariah Amirin has been a champion for
dyslexic individuals and education in
Malaysia. She is an extraordinary lady that has
redefi ned the meaning of being a teacher.
Before establishing PDM, Sariah worked as
a school teacher. She remembers encountering
various forms of learning disorders with
students when she began teaching a remedial
class. “In the beginning, I was not aware of
learning disorders, but I knew these students
had potential,” said Sariah. “They learned at
a slower pace, but once they understood the
material, some of them were even better than
the ‘normal’ students.”
She discovered that dyslexia was a rather
common learning disorder among her
students, and it was not a disability or a
dysfunction, but an impairment in the brain’sPASSIONATE TEACHER With 35 years of
teaching under her belt, Sariah Amirin made it
her life’s work to educate children with dyslexiaability to translate written images received
from the eyes into meaningful thoughts. Often
misunderstood for laziness, they become
silent victims of neglect by their peers,
teachers and parents. To add to their misery,
people around them make their learning more
distressing.
Sariah was quick to realise there was a lack
of resources available for these students, and
she decided to take the initiative to establish
an association that would help them cope
with their education and general welfare.
The idea of PDM began from a one-day
public seminar on Dyslexia Awareness in
Malaysia, as part of a community service
campaign with The Rotary Club in Gombak.
At the end of the seminar, Sariah and several
participants fi led for an application.
Today, PDM has had many success stories,
including several centres throughout Malaysia
which teach dyslexic children.
“Dyslexics are unique people. They are
outspoken and honest, and they have the
tendency to see things differently from
‘regular’ folk,” Sariah shares. “Everyone is
born different, and everyone should be given
a chance to learn. My job is not confi ned to
teaching them the academic syllabus and
passing exams, but to teach them to apply
their learnings in daily encounters. That is my
ultimategoalasateacher.”malaysia tatler. august 2019 157