KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 4 ― For many Malaysians, Felda settlements are small towns with large swathes of plantation land where close-knit communities earn a living and raise their families.

However, many of the settlements are often reported as needing better amenities and education opportunities.

As of early this year, there are 317 Felda settlements and 112,635 settlers across Malaysia.

For Azmi Hud, it affected a large part of his growing up years.

The 32-year-old spent his childhood sequestered in Felda Bahau, Negri Sembilan. He attended a national secondary school in the settlement but found it inadequate in many ways.

"I couldn’t even speak English despite having finished school. It’s not just about the limited education opportunities but the mindset of the community there at the time.

"You are expected to help your family by working the land, get married, have kids and of course, aspire to be a settler too. I didn’t think that was for me.

"I very much enjoyed English pop songs but was never encouraged to learn the language.

"And it was not looked upon kindly by my schoolmates. I was bullied and ostracised for wanting to be different.”

He only started to pick up English when he went to Kuala Lumpur to work. Azmi met a mentor who coached and pushed him to retake his SPM examinations within three years.

"I watched a lot of American TV, such as Desperate Housewives, Glee, Gossip Girl. I also practised popular phrases in front of the mirror before using them in public. Imagine learning a new language at 20.”

Azmi took the hard lessons and used it as a basis for a play called IQ.Rock. The show’s title is a play on the word iqra (Arabic for "read”). It was first staged in April but it is back on August 17 to 19 at Damansara Performing Arts Centre.

Ranessa Theyakaraja plays teacher Mary who tries her best to motivate her delinquent students.

This time, it is a collaboration with Teach For Malaysia in an effort to raise awareness on inequity in education in Malaysia, especially in rural areas.

Teach for Malaysia will have a booth at the shows and panel discussions on August 17 and after the matinee shows on August 18 and 19.

Much of the initial cast and crew returned for the show’s second run except the lead is now played by Fimie Don, a child star with more than 30 films in his resume.

Fimie takes on the character of Azim, a hardworking student who wants to step out of Felda and experience the world but is bound by financial hardship.

The story is set in Serting, Negri Sembilan, where the rubber tapping community faces underlying social issues.

Here a group of delinquent Form Five meets their new English teacher — Teacher Mary, played by Ranessa Theyakaraja — who goes above and beyond to show the students there is more to life outside Felda.

"I badly wanted a Teacher Mary when I was growing up.

"The character of Mary also had to deal with issues of racism and acceptance from the community.

"Azim’s mother is the main source of conflict. I based that character on my own mother who was stuck in her ways.

"Also my mother will be watching the play for the first time. She could not make it for our first run.”

Azmi added his parents are supportive of the play and line of work — photo and videographer by day, producer and playwright by night.

His mother also started to pick up simple English phrases from Azmi.

"I’m touched by her strong show of support even though my parents are illiterate.”

Meanwhile, co-playwright and director Khairi Anwar said: "IQ.Rock is a bold piece that tackles the Malaysian education system even with the new government in place, the story is still relevant and until we can reach out from rural to urban areas, our work here isn’t done.”

Tickets are available at anomalistproduction.com and priced at RM45 and RM55. A purchase of four tickets will be entitled to one free ticket.

Anomalist Production is also running a crowdfunding campaign at mystartr.com/projects/iqrock.