SYAHRIL ABDUL KADIR
Former journalist, operator of 'Nasi Kandar Kaw'food truck, 39. Born in Sabah, raised in Penang, studied in Terengganu and now living in Kuala Lumpur.
MY late father was in the army, so we travelled a lot growing up. I was born in Sabah, raised in Penang, did most of my schooling in Terengganu and took my SPM in Kuala Lumpur. Which is wat brought me here.
ALTHOUGH I'm not born and bred in Kuala Lumpur but I feel this city has become my home town. Most of my family have relocated here. And there are so many opportunities in Kuala Lumpur, it's just a matter of whether you want it or not. That is why after finishing school, I came here to make a living for myself.
PERSONALLY, I do not have any bad experiences in Kuala Lumpur, but I think everyone felt the pinch during the recession in 1998; demonstrations everywhere, the city became a target of some sorts. I'm sure there are a thousand memories behind each and every story. There are those here felt disappointed, but what can we do? Life goes on. And it's something you may not experience in other places. There may be no demonstrations in other places but in KL, there are many things, some of which are interesting, some may even bring sadness. By choosing to live here, that's the price you have to pay.
WHAT I like most about Kuala Lumpur is that it offers a thousand opportunities for anyone who wants to trade, anyone who just wants to make a living. But with this progress, we saw an influx of foreign workers. Some are here legally, some are not. Now we hear about diseases we've never even heard of before. The Health Ministry said that it may have been brought here by these foreign workers. With the promise of prosperity, some have chosen to enter the country unlawfully. This is something the citizens of Kuala Lumpur don't welcome
THE biggest lesson I've learnt from living in KL is how hard it is to cope with the rising cost of living, and how hard it is to make a living. In other places we can buy a lot with RM10 but here, it may not be enough, especially for those with families. I guess this is a problem faced by those living in any major city. We share the same problems. So the most important thing is, we should never give up. We have to work as hard as we can for our survival, and for our loved ones.
PERSONALLY, I feel I've done my best. Before this I was in journalism, I've served the government, I've worked for a minister, and now I'm running this food truck business with my friend. So for me, I've done my best. Of course, we should never be too happy with ourselves. If you do, you'll never advance any further. Kuala Lumpur promises a thousand opportunities. My friend and I relish that challenge and Alhamdullilah, so far we are on the right track.