One of the people I admire in this world is Dato’ Dr Jemilah Mahmood, president of MERCY Malaysia, whom I had the chance to personally meet on 24 August 2007.
I admire Dr Jemilah Mahmood for her humanitarian work. I admire Joni Mitchell for her poetry and paintings. I admire John Mellencamp for his rock & roll music. Notice that they all have “JM” initials? Coincidence?
Anyway, if you haven’t had the chance to chat with her face to face before, let me tell you this…I could literally felt divine light (nur) emanating from her as she spoke. I bet it comes from a pure heart where true sincerity lies.
For the benefit of those who haven’t already known how Dr Jemilah came about doing what she does, I’ll relate to you what she told me. Once upon a time, she had this life most of us can only dream about – having a medical degree, lecturing medicine at a university for a few years, then practicing medicine…until one day she sat at home with her son watching TV which showed a heart-and-gut-wrenching images of war-torn and impoverished children fighting hunger. Then all of a sudden, the son, aged 5 at that time, spoke out, “Mak tolong lah, mak kan doctor!”. In deeper English, it would probably be deduced as, “Mom, you’re a doctor, do something!”. Remember, the son was only 5 years old at which age only Barney & Friends is considered a serious subject.
And that was when it hit her. Not because she could do something. But because it came from a 5 year old who she believed spoke the words inspired by Allah, the Almighty.
So, with the blessing from her husband, she took out all her savings from Tabung Haji, gathered as many doctor friends as she could gather and formed Medical Relief Society (MERCY). The rest, as they say is history, which has not, of course, been without bruises and even bullets. But when you are sincere in treading the path of Allah, then Allah will guide you to ways you least expect.
She told me that when she was shot at during a mission in Iraq (footage of which was shown over TV3), the bullet actually hit her “tudung” pin and bounced elsewhere. Logic would tell you how vulnerable a pin is against a speeding bullet. But sincerity does not take logic into account.
There’s so much to do in this world and so little time. I think my outlook on life has changed after meeting her. I used to want to be the best, not only in what I do, but more in what I want to be seen doing. I wanted to be the best driver in town. I wanted to be best writer in the whole UEM Group. I wanted to be the best employee in Pharmaniaga. Not anymore. I don’t think I want to be the best in the world. Instead, I want to be the best for the world.
I admire Dr Jemilah Mahmood for her humanitarian work. I admire Joni Mitchell for her poetry and paintings. I admire John Mellencamp for his rock & roll music. Notice that they all have “JM” initials? Coincidence?
Anyway, if you haven’t had the chance to chat with her face to face before, let me tell you this…I could literally felt divine light (nur) emanating from her as she spoke. I bet it comes from a pure heart where true sincerity lies.
For the benefit of those who haven’t already known how Dr Jemilah came about doing what she does, I’ll relate to you what she told me. Once upon a time, she had this life most of us can only dream about – having a medical degree, lecturing medicine at a university for a few years, then practicing medicine…until one day she sat at home with her son watching TV which showed a heart-and-gut-wrenching images of war-torn and impoverished children fighting hunger. Then all of a sudden, the son, aged 5 at that time, spoke out, “Mak tolong lah, mak kan doctor!”. In deeper English, it would probably be deduced as, “Mom, you’re a doctor, do something!”. Remember, the son was only 5 years old at which age only Barney & Friends is considered a serious subject.
And that was when it hit her. Not because she could do something. But because it came from a 5 year old who she believed spoke the words inspired by Allah, the Almighty.
So, with the blessing from her husband, she took out all her savings from Tabung Haji, gathered as many doctor friends as she could gather and formed Medical Relief Society (MERCY). The rest, as they say is history, which has not, of course, been without bruises and even bullets. But when you are sincere in treading the path of Allah, then Allah will guide you to ways you least expect.
She told me that when she was shot at during a mission in Iraq (footage of which was shown over TV3), the bullet actually hit her “tudung” pin and bounced elsewhere. Logic would tell you how vulnerable a pin is against a speeding bullet. But sincerity does not take logic into account.
There’s so much to do in this world and so little time. I think my outlook on life has changed after meeting her. I used to want to be the best, not only in what I do, but more in what I want to be seen doing. I wanted to be the best driver in town. I wanted to be best writer in the whole UEM Group. I wanted to be the best employee in Pharmaniaga. Not anymore. I don’t think I want to be the best in the world. Instead, I want to be the best for the world.
