Reimagining the future of Deaf Education in Malaysia And CODAs in Dual Worlds @ RCDM Malaysia

On September 9th, 2023, my good friend and I were delighted to attend a special event organized by RCDM to commemorate International Sign Language Day in September month, as they have a series of events with different topics on each weekend in September. It was held at the InfoTrek (Mezzanine Floor), Amcorp Tower. 

A kick-off event titled Reimagining the Future of Deaf Education Malaysia has just begun. In the morning, they were honored to have three speakers: Dr. Meeze Mohd Rashid, Mr James Chua, and Mr Lee Tur Chung, who shared their experiences, perspectives, and predictions for the Future of Deaf education in Malaysia. 

According to Dr. Meeze Mohd Rashid, he discussed and shared information about the current state of government teachers in Malaysia, as well as university and training teachers. He insists that those who want to become teachers must have a Bachelor's degree with good grades, and focus on the education field, and the government will send them to the school where they will teach. 

However, there is a challenge and problem issues appear, especially for those teachers who are sent to the special school and do not know how to sign and communicate with Deaf students in the school. It is not a new problem, and it has occurred repeatedly. Even he mentioned Total Communication, which is a philosophy of educating children with hearing loss that incorporates all modes of communication, including formal signs, natural gestures, fingerspelling, body language, listening, lipreading, and speech. This method has been used successfully to teach many deaf people. Furthermore, he discussed the skills of teaching the Deaf as well as the challenges and solutions to these challenges. Other than that, he stated that "Sign Language Communication" was added to the Subject List in 2017." 

Aside from that, James discussed his experiences growing up in Singapore and using Speaking and Signing Exact English (SEE), as well as the challenges he faced. When he returned to Malaysia, he discovered that using Bahasa Isyarat Malaysia(BIM) and SEE to understand and communicate with each other is quite different. 

Mr Lee Tur Chung shared his experience as a school teacher and discussed the differences in education, environment, and school in the United States and Malaysia because he is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in the United States. He also discussed the importance of Total Communication in helping Deaf students understand better. In addition, he stated that education in Deaf schools must be improved. They also discussed their perspectives on the differences between Bahasa Malaysia Isyarat (BIM) and Kod Tangan Bahasa Malaysia (KTBM). Overall, their topics are quite useful and interesting to learn more about Deaf Education in Malaysia. 

We enjoyed listening to and learning from the honored speakers, Ms Wing Yan Cheng Cassia, Mr Richard Wyle, Ms Goh Soo Leng, about their experiences, feelings, and lives as CODAs in the Dual World via Zoom. The story is interesting because it actually happened in their real life. 

According to Ms Wing Yan Cheng Cassia, she shared her experience when she was young because she had Deaf parents, and she was unaware that she could be labeled as a CODA (Child of Deaf Adults). However, she only realised it one day and realized how important it is to be CODAs because she lives in the Dual World as a CODA. As a result, she always communicates with her parents in Sign Language, even if she has to act as an interpreter for them. She will not deny that she has been stressed by these issues since she was a child because, as I previously stated, she lives in the Dual World. 

Normally, Deaf parents hope that their children will become interpreters for them, but they must respect their children's goals, feelings, and support and encouragement. Unless their children are willing to volunteer as interpreters. It is difficult for those who have Deaf parents because they are unsure whether they should interpret for their parents or not. Or they just concentrate on their own world. Anyway, Ms Wing Yan Cheng Cassia is very proud to be a CODA. She has been involved in CODA(HK) activities since 2013, and it has now been ten years, and the group is growing and becoming more vibrant, particularly in terms of training, parent support, and family counseling. CODA(HK) is a self-help organization that promotes positive life outlooks.

Aside from that, Ms Goh Soo Leng talked about her experience and family background. She has a Deaf parent and a few Deaf relatives. She also works as a full-time interpreter and is pursuing her Master's degree. In addition, she found it fun and enjoyable to communicate with her parents and relatives in Bahasa Malaysia Isyarat (BIM). Even she had no idea what CODA was until she attended the first CODA Camp in Penang, which made her realize and proud to be a CODA, and since then she has started to participate in various activities such as CODA Camp, CODA Talks, CODA Forum, and CODA International Conference.

While Mr Richard Wyle shared his thoughts and perspectives on the Deaf Community in China. In China, the majority of CODA start working as interpreters for their families at a young age, and 95% of them say they have to translate for their parents. Because of their inabilities, they may even disregard their parents' roles and make decisions in the house. The best example is a video of a 6-year-old girl helping her father with pedicures as an interpreter that has gone viral on the Internet. As a result, Deaf parents rely on their CODA children to serve as interpreters. However, CODA children should be happy during their childhood, and parents should respect their children's feelings and desires. Richard Wyle wishes to see more CODA children grow up in a happy environment where they can communicate happily and enjoyably with their parents.

Following the closing event, there will be a lucky draw in the morning and late afternoon. The special lucky draw will be given to eight people. Congratulations to everyone who won the drawing prize. They sell a variety of merchandise, including T-shirts and BIM books, and you can get a 50% discount if you have a ticket.

Overall, thank you very much to all the speakers for sharing their incredible experiences and stories, and to RC Deaf Missions Malaysia for organizing such a wonderful event. 

If you want to learn more about RC Missions Malaysia, visit their Facebook Page , Website , and Instagram Page.

RC Missions Malaysia

909, Level 9, Menara 9 PJ,

18, Persiaran Barat,

46050 Petaling Jaya

Tel: 03-7931 8958 or Whatapps at 019 261 9920