Lady of Magic Goodwill
> Fuzi Hanim Omar embodies the spirit of Merdeka with her work promoting inter-ethnic cohesiveness among orphans
BORAK-BORAK
WHEN we go through life, we often meet interesting and inspiring people along the way. Some make a big impact and change your life, some you can’t get enough of because of their buoyancy and optimism, some give you the lift you need at work or relationships, while others are just timewasters and jerks.
I was lucky to meet one amazing woman some years back – Fuzi Hanim Omar – who never seems to tire in helping the downtrodden.
The sprightly 71-year-old granny doesn’t have access to funding like some big-name NGOs do. Her Fuzi Magic Goodwill Society often makes do with what it has to bring hope to orphans so that they can aspire to a better life in the future.
This is done through the society’s Students’ Development Programme, which includes motivational talks and imparting living skills.
Fuzi is ably supported by Camie Choo, 56, who shares the same volunteering passion. Other regular ‘magical volunteers’ in her society include Queenie Si, Raymond Lee, Helen Cheah, Bharathi Naidoo, and Maria Yow.
These helpers could have chosen to laze comfortably in their homes on weekends. But they find greater comfort helping the underprivileged.
Fuzi, whose personal motto is ‘Wink at Life’, is fervent about promoting interethnic cohesiveness. It pains her heart to see polarisation creeping into the fabric of Malaysian life.
She once organised a badminton match between the Malay residents of Rumah Kasih Harmoni from Paya Jaras, and the Indian residents of Praise Emmanuel Children Home in Petaling Jaya under the auspices of the elite Purple League, no less.
Recently, she invited the Malay residents of Rumah Suci Rohani in Bandar Utama to visit the Pure Life Society, a home in Puchong comprising mostly children of Indian origin, for a Hari Raya song and dance presentation.
I could see the tension in some of the kids whom I believe had never seen children of another race before. It was certainly an eye-opener, and more needs to be done.
Fuzi has even written a three-part English-language play about aliens visiting Planet Earth on a goodwill mission, in a subtle attempt to make children see beyond the colour of their skins while they act out the story.
Inspired by her mother, Siti Hawa Zain, who was a popular producer of children’s programmes at RTM in the 1960s and 1970s, Fuzi is on a mission to help build bridges of goodwill among Malaysians for a more harmonious nation.
Fuzi’s fervour also stems from her experience working in a building materials company in Petaling Jaya. She was the personal assistant (PA) to the boss and her colleagues were mostly salesmen of Chinese origin.
She felt awkward initially. So did the salesmen, as they preferred to speak in their own dialect, or Mandarin. They only spoke to Fuzi when necessary, in English.
“After pondering for several days, I felt that wasn’t healthy if I wanted to stay in the company for long,” she recalls.
“I decided to be pro-active and made myself useful to them, by not just being the boss’ PA. I began handling their phone messages by pulling their fixed line phones to my desk.
“On many occasions, I even clinched business deals on their behalf during their absence.” That proved to be the turning point. “They soon realised that I had become their ally,” says Fuzi.
Their admiration increased when she was elected honorary secretary of the Building Materials Distributors Association, a position she held for many years.
Fuzi adds: “Their wariness evaporated, and my work became more meaningful. We built up a lot of trust to become good friends, and till today, I can still draw upon their goodwill to help in my charity work.”
Isn’t that an inspiring story as we celebrate our 60th Merdeka Day?
Jeff Yong, after making his mark in the twisty maze of mainstream journalism, has finally decided to enjoy what he does best – observing the unusual and recounting the gleeful. He can be contacted at lifestyle. borak@gmail.com.