Rooted Resilience

My early years in Malaysia

At the age of five, my family migrated to Malaysia, settling in Kedah at Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM), where my parents worked as medical officers at the Klinik Kesihatan on campus. As immigrants, they faced workplace discrimination and limited opportunities compared to their
peers. This drove my parents to ensure I wouldn’t endure the same hardships.

My early education involved attending two kindergartens: a community kindergarten on campus in the morning and a Chinese kindergarten in the afternoon. My father would spend his lunch break driving me to Changlun, a small town half an hour from the Thai border. Like many parents in the 90’s, mine were determined to equip me with diverse skills. They enrolled me in art and music classes, swimming, table tennis, and badminton lessons. I also attended extra tuition classes outside of school. During year-end holidays, I traveled back to Myanmar to spend time with my cousins, ensuring I retained my mother tongue. Despite being on vacation, my parents hired tutors to prepare me for the next year’s syllabus in Malaysia, focusing on mathematics and Chinese. This routine continued until I completed primary school.

In 2000, my father enrolled at the University of Malaya (UM) to further his studies, prompting our small family to move to Kuala Lumpur. With this new millennium came a new home and a busier routine. My mother worked tirelessly, often pulling back-to-back shifts at HUKM, meaning I wouldn’t see her for days. At eight years old, I learned to take care of myself and lock up the house to go to school. Eventually, my mother earned enough to hire help to run the household and keep me company. At ten, I discovered my aptitude for short-distance sprinting, excelling and representing my school and state in competitions until the end of my high school career.

Scoring excellently in UPSR enabled me to enroll in SMK Convent Bukit Nanas in Kuala Lumpur. By 2007, my parents had become more stable in their careers. My father was a newly graduated ophthalmologist, and my mother had opened a small private practice. Despite their own struggles and sacrifices, they remained hardworking, striving to provide a better future for our family.

How I got into dentistry

After high school, grappling with uncertainty regarding my academic path, my father suggested dentistry. He cited the benefits of predictable working hours, a balanced professional life, and a respectable income, all contrasting favorably with the rigors of a medical doctor’s career. I am incredibly grateful I took his advice.

In 2010, I found myself on the continent of Africa, far from home, as a dental student at Alexandria University, Egypt. I was part of the second batch in the university’s new International programme for their Bachelor of Dental Surgeon. Navigating an unfamiliar environment with a new culture and language, I commend my younger self for adapting so smoothly.

The winter break of my first year was eventful. Egypt experienced its first political uprising against its long-time president. During our first long academic break, my friends and I were caught in a sudden riot while shopping. The streets filled with burning cars and shattered glass. We found refuge in an inconspicuous inn by the Mediterranean Sea. With the country offline and banks closed, accessing cash was difficult. Eventually, we secured sufficient cash and tickets out of the country with the help of a local teacher. I was grateful to have my close friends by my side, as I couldn’t imagine navigating those challenges alone. A few months later, the political situation improved, and we returned to school. Life resumed, though peaceful protests occurred every Friday. The subsequent academic years were more stable, and I settled into a routine of three-month summer holidays every year. During these breaks, my father encouraged me to undertake elective postings at the Faculty of Dentistry in UM. These postings allowed me to witness the clinical realities of my future profession and provided my first experience in networking, albeit unintentionally.

After obtaining my Bachelor’s degree

The year was 2015, fresh out of dental school and full of ambition, I returned to Malaysia eager to begin my career. However, the reality was harsh: a surplus of local graduates left little room for non-citizens like me to secure compulsory service positions in the government sector. Uncertainty loomed as I navigated bureaucratic hurdles, unsure of how to kickstart my career path.

Before I knew it, I had spent a year and a half of my life as a Graduate Awaiting for Posting (GAP). As a young dentist passionate about aesthetic dentistry, and in my efforts to remain active, I eagerly joined Dr. Nurul Huda Hasan, a revered figure in aesthetic dentistry whom I deeply admire. Working under her was transformative, keeping me motivated and engaged. She also encouraged me to join the Malaysian Association of Aesthetic Dentistry, where I met world-renowned clinicians, one of whom would eventually become my teacher during my postgraduate studies. Her mentorship and support eventually lead to my residency at UiTM, culminating in obtaining a full APC—a journey for which I am immensely grateful.

In 2018, I began working at KL City Dentists in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, serving a cosmopolitan community of expatriates. Despite my initial inexperience, those early years were profoundly formative. I was fortunate to have a compassionate boss cum great clinician, Dr. Mong Xeng Tien, whose guidance and constructive feedback helped me grow over the years. Dr. Mong not only mentored me in clinical skills but also generously shared insights into soft skills and business acumen, which I find invaluable both professionally and personally. Six years on, I look back with gratitude for the opportunities to learn and evolve in such a supportive environment.

As 2024 unfolds, I am proud to have earned a postgraduate diploma in aesthetic dentistry, marking a significant milestone in my professional journey. Looking ahead, I wonder: What’s next for me? Perhaps a formal learning experience in implant dentistry is on the horizon, as I continue to expand my expertise. The pursuit of knowledge is lifelong, and I am eager to embrace new challenges and opportunities to further refine my skills and enhance the care I provide to my patients. None of this would have been possible without the unwavering support and sacrifices of my parents, for which I am deeply appreciative and thankful.

As expatriates’ tenure in Malaysia is finite, bidding farewell to my regular patients has become a familiar ritual. I am grateful for the opportunity to have been part of their life and dental healthcare journey, capturing moments in photos as cherished memorabilia.