The International School of Kuala Lumpur (ISKL) invited the Mission to participate in the school’s community event called Rock the World. This event saw the participation of over 1000 people with 60 countries represented at this event. Below are pictures of scene that day. We sold our recently produced Deaf Art greeting cards as well as other additional Deaf Art pieces. The presence of our Deaf helpers  led many visitors to the booth and there was an exciting exchange of views about Malaysia, about Deaf culture and community.

      
With visitors from Korea, USA, Holland who bought the Deaf Art greeting cards

     
Our Deaf helpers Jeffrey and Carol in action.

     
Pic 1 - Some of the additional Deaf Art which Deaf Artist Lim Anuar (in check shirt) brought which we helped to sell. Pic 2 - Lim Anuar attending a customer, and Pic 3 shows him making a successful sale.

If you’ve been wanting to learn how to communicate with Deaf people, here’s your opportunity to make that happen. Register for our Sign Language Classes in KL and be guided by certified Deaf Sign Language Instructors. We will feature these instructors in our future updates.

Sign Language Classes
Saturdays (3-4.30pm) May 24 - Jul 26, 2008
Cosmopoint, Wisma Sachdev, Jalan Raja Laut, KL

Register now via email to agnes@rcdeafmissionsmalaysia.com, mario@rcdeafmissionsmalaysia.com

About Cosmopoint
A view below of Cosmopoint’s office, and the seminar rooms in which the Sign Language Classes will be conducted, to the comfort of the students and the Deaf tutors.

  
Check out the location map of the campus. http://www.cosmopoint.com.my/cam_kl/kl_map.swf
You will appreciate what a strategic location this will be to the student. Cosmopoint is the only IT and Multimedia institution in the country that is also known as one of the leading multimedia and IT consulting companies. For more information about Cosmopoint, check out its website http://www.cosmopoint.com.my/aboutus/overview.htm

Pictured below with Agnes is Siti Noorsuhaiza binti Mohd Noor (Business Development Executive of Cosmopoint) with whom we have been networking with. We are very pleased to have the opportunity to work together.

           

Folks, take a look at these beautiful Deaf Art greeting cards now available from the Mission. Credit to the Deaf Artists.  These cards carry 12 different designs, 6 in a pack. Lovely Malaysian items. They make great gifts. If you like to send greetings to friends abroad and get a Malaysian gift for a friend from abroad, this would be ideal. So friends, get some of these cards, send greetings to friends abroad and let them be charmed by the artwork of our Deaf Artists.

         
Models posing for the camera are our Deaf helpers, Carol Lau Hee Phin and Jeffrey Gilbert

This week I would like to feature Carol Lau Hee Phin.

                             

Carol has been a regular part time Deaf helper for the Mission since November 2007. She is amazing in drawing crowds to the booth and getting them to pay attention to the Deaf Art items on promotion. She has a warmth about her and natural charisma. Here she is seen making a sale to a customer. Carol has a natural talent in sales and is very pleasant to be around her. Carol will be engaged to help the Mission in training other Deaf individuals who lack the sales talk and would like to learn the ropes. I am so pleased that she is with the Mission, making impact.

Although we’ve bowed out of the Deaf Art Calendar project - and by the way, the Calendars sold out - we did not think it too late to give a word of acknowledgement to these folks (picture below). They helped us with the Calendar sale in early January this year in Seremban, Negri Sembilan at the Church of the Visitation. The Calendars sold like “hot cakes”.
      
Left : Agnes, Mario, Caroline Blankanette (Deaf) (Janet’s sister), Janet Blankanette (in red blouse), Albert (Janet’s husband), her brothers Jerome and Anslem, and Harry (Deaf Artist in batik shirt) and his wife Angela (also Deaf). A special word of thanks to Janet and her family for going many extra miles to help see the sale through in Seremban.

This picture was taken at a thank you dinner we hosted to show our appreciation to the Seremban folks.

We are coming up with a new series of Deaf Art Greeting Cards containing some new artworks by Deaf Artists. These lovely cards can be used during any time of the year. The cards will be available from the Mission with effect from Mon Feb 18, 2008. Support the works of these Deaf Artists through the Mission.

Review by BRIGITTE ROZARIO

UNDERSTANDING DEAF CULTURE
Malaysian Perspectives
Publisher: Majudiri Y Foundation for the Deaf, 150 pages
(ISBN: 983-43305-0-2) 

JUST as all the races in our country have their own culture, so too does the deaf community. Deaf culture is not merely about the things that members of the hearing-impaired community do today but also the way things were done in the past, and the sorts of obstacles they have had to overcome, particularly in educating the Malaysian hearing community. 

It is interesting to read how the deaf community has had to overcome things like fear and misinformation within their own families. This includes going through “healing” sessions for their deafness.  

This book highlights how deaf people in Malaysia do many things that the rest of us take for granted on a daily basis. This includes hearing the doorbell, communicating on the phone, watching TV and even getting the attention of a hall full of people.  

The illustrations and first-person accounts from the deaf and people involved with the deaf community give readers a better insight into the world of the deaf. 

It is an honest look at the deaf community in Malaysia and not a sugarcoated view. This book tells it as it is. 

One of the stories I found intriguing was that of a young deaf man who frankly stated that he preferred dating a hearing woman rather than a deaf woman. His reasons were that the hearing woman was more encouraging of his work ambitions and when there were disagreements they talked it out.  

In comparison, the deaf woman he dated asked him why he bothered working so hard and when there were disagreements, other deaf people became involved. 

Another interesting item that readers will learn is that Sign Language is not universal. There are many different versions of Sign Language and they’re endemic to that country or region.  

So, even if you learn Sign Language in Malaysia, do not assume that you will be able to communicate easily with the deaf from anywhere in the world. Some signs may mean one thing in our country but they may be an obscenity in another country. 

I found this book educational and refreshingly honest. It not only taught me how the deaf “hear” their alarm clocks, it also traces the history of the deaf in Malaysia, in particular in education, and highlights current achievements of the deaf in sports, arts and education. 

The book also debunks some myths that the hearing might have about the deaf. There’s also a list of deaf schools and deaf organisations.  

Don’t forget to check out the tips for communicating with the deaf. I found the do’s and don’ts very practical for daily interaction with the deaf. 

This book is a laudable attempt by Majudiri Y Foundation for the Deaf to educate the hearing community in the hope that the hearing will better understand the deaf and be more sensitive when interacting with them. 

I would highly recommend this book for all those who have a deaf member in the family or a deaf relative, friend or colleague. Even if you don’t know any deaf people, you should read it because it will help you understand the deaf community better and open your eyes to a lot of things that are distinct to the deaf. 

Kudos to the Deaf Foundation on publishing this book.

In collaboration with YouthMalaysia.com for the Jan 18-20 weekend, we had the honour of 2 VIPs visiting our Mission booth at PWTC (Putra World Trade Centre).

     

A picture of YB Dato’ Liow Tiong Lai, Deputy Minister of Youth & Sports with Mario and me and the Deaf Artists and several Deaf helpers for the weekend. Picture of right shows Dato having a conversation with Agnes, and he is showing intense interest in the Mission’s work.�
Below : YB Datuk Ong Tee Keat, Deputy Minister of Higher Education posing with the Mission, Deaf Artists and Deaf helpers.

                            
Background of this event. YouthMalaysia.com turned 1 year old. In celebrating its birthday, it launched the 1st National Youth Entrepreneur Convention 2008 (Jan 18-20, 2008). The theme - Youth08, We are the Trendsetters. As mentioned in its publicity material, the Convention was to bring forth Malaysia’s most successful youth entrepreneurs to inspire and impact the Malaysian youth community. Stay tuned for more information on our upcoming event on Sat Feb 16, 2008. We thank YouthMalaysia.com for inviting us to be a part of this event.