PETALING JAYA, Dec 27 ― 2019 has been a topsy turvy year, just like any other.
For all its highs and lows, there was still plenty to feel good about this year in our country.
That was proven by the many inspiring and thoughtful Malaysians with their acts of unity, determination, kindness and love, as they tugged on our heartstrings and gave us a newfound sense of hope in our society.
So if you’re looking for uplifting tales to inspire you and end the year on a high note, we here at Malay Mail have compiled a list of our top feel-good stories of 2019, based on pageviews.
Orang Asli students travel 200km to celebrate Pahang teacher’s Indian wedding
(Read the full article here.)
Teachers and students have a unique bond, to say the least.
Some hate their teachers, while others simply adore them, just like the 100 Orang Asli students who travelled 200 kilometres to attend their Indian teacher’s wedding.
It is arguably one of the most heartfelt and feel-good stories of the year, as Samuel Isaiah’s students made up their minds that they were going to attend their English teacher’s wedding the moment the news broke out.
The kids, dressed in their traditional attire, even surprised the newlyweds with a special traditional performance as they wowed the guests with an amazing show that Samuel described as “powerful, moving and ridiculously cute”.
Both Samuel and his kids embody the Malaysian spirit of unity and harmony that we all strive to achieve.
They proved that it doesn’t matter what racial or religious background you come from, we can all celebrate and enjoy good times together because we are all Malaysian at heart.
Malaysian man travels more than 25,000km by car to Germany to marry the love of his life
(Read the full article here.)
Love knows no limit.
Engku Mohammad Hadri Engku Hassan took that literally when he ditched a cosy flight for a 98-day, 25,000-kilometre drive to Germany to marry the love of his life.
Hadri did all this just to show his bride-to-be the lengths he’s willing to go and how much he’s willing to sacrifice for her, in the ultimate gesture of true love.
But his modern-day love story wasn’t just “get in your car and drive to Germany” as Hadri had help from Tourism Malaysia in visa-related matters, which allowed him and his two co-drivers to traverse 25 countries including Thailand, China, Latvia and Russia on their way to find his fiancee.
The entire trip cost an estimate of RM250,000, but thanks to the help of generous sponsors, Hadri was able to go all the way to Germany to wed his partner of the last 12 years.
His trip was called The Retro Havoc Motorsport World Tour, which also promoted Visit Malaysia 2020 at each of his destinations.
Ipoh man treats Foodpand rider to McDonald’s meal he ordered, tells rider to rest and fill his tummy
(Read the full article here.)
Kindness goes a long way.
Especially when it’s directed to those who go out of their way to make other’s lives easier, just like food delivery riders.
Whether the tropical heat from the sun is beaming down or it’s pouring rain outside, food delivery riders always find a way to help you satisfy your hunger.
Earlier this year, a man from Ipoh decided to repay a lucky rider for all his hard work, when he ordered a McDonald’s meal using the Foodpanda app for the rider.
His unselfish act was shared on Twitter with a snapshot of the order receipt which included a touching message from the man to the rider.
“Bro, have you eaten? This is my treat, no need to deliver to my location. Once you collect the food, rest for a bit and fill your tummy,” read the message.
The meal included a medium McChicken value meal with french fries and a refreshing iced lemon tea, which cost RM15.90.
Imagine you’ve been working hard all day delivering orders and somebody decides to treat you to a delicious meal, a truly classy gesture from the man which definitely put a smile on the rider’s face.
Penang schoolgirl rushes to mum’s grave to read out UPSR exam results
(Read the full article here.)
Another which revolves heavily around love and surely made even the toughest of personas get all misty-eyed is the tale of a love that extends beyond this life.
I’m sure every Malaysian remembers the day they got their Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) results.
The tension in the air as everyone waits in the school halls to get their results before finally breathing a sigh of relief (or despair) when you show your mom your results slip.
It’s just one of those things that you’d never forget but often take for granted too, as you’d never expect that showing your parents your results could have such a defining emotional impact.
For Standard Six student, Nur Aqilah Afiah Muhammad Firdaus, however, receiving her UPSR results earlier this year was a profound emotional rollercoaster for her, as she rushed to her late mother’s grave to share her results with her.
Aqilah’s grandmother Aishah Mat Akat said that her granddaughter is a cheerful person, but was overcome by emotion when she received her results, refusing to open the envelope until she visited her mother’s grave, located just in front of the school.
“While holding the results slip, Aqilah said what she got for each subject and she was crying despite trying to hold back tears,
“I just kept quiet to let her do what she needed to do. She always speaks to her mum while praying at the grave. She doesn’t say a word, you can just hear her sobbing,” said Aishah.
A stirring story of just how much a mother’s love means to us.
Malaysian law student, who failed 18 times, finally graduates
(Read the full article here.)
If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again.
A feel-good story like no other, Muhammad Rafiq Izzat Zaidi demonstrated perfectly what that saying truly means when he finally graduated with a law degree after failing 18 times.
We Malaysians are a stubborn bunch. While we may not be stubborn in the most admirable of ways most times, stories like Rafiq’s show that sometimes being stubborn and persistent can go a long way.
The 25-year-old took up a Bachelor of Law Degree at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) at Shah Alam, Selangor back in 2013, pursuing his childhood dream of becoming a lawyer.
But it wasn’t all plain sailing for Rafiq as his difficulty to adjust to new learning environments made it take longer for him to understand a subject, as he failed four subjects in his very first semester.
The Kuantan local was also almost expelled for failing a subject three times, but made good on his second chance as he went on to finally claim that degree scroll.
“I’m thankful for finishing my studies after so long. I will work hard to become a lawyer and own my own law firm.
“Remember, if you fail seven times, you have to get up for the eight. Hard work pays off,” said Rafiq.
It just goes to show you that a little effort can go a long way and it is never too late to achieve a goal.
All in all, it was an inspiring and uplifting year in many different ways, as Malaysians from across the country showed that there is still so much kindness, love and positive values that we can all share in the years to come.
