The Kuala Lumpur Experience
Author: JAINAB ALFAD ABDUMAJID
Date: February 2007

It is an experience of a lifetime…thanks to Milet Mendoza’s belief in capacitating local partners for peace and development work that paved the way for my Kuala Lumpur training on the Essentials of Humanitarian Practice. Milet knows that I understand and is fully appreciative and supportive of Tabang Mindanaw’s community based development work, which I term as a “breakthrough” in Sulu. She and her team have been doing community organization in Panglima Estino for some time. There had been fence sitters trying to see how far their activities had already impacted on the community. Almost everyone is awaiting for a big budgeted water project to rise in Panglima Estino and is wondering why it has not, despite the long period of time spent by Tabang Mindanaw in the said community. But Milet and Tabang Mindanaw have a different perspective of doing development work in the community – an approach that is more of people empowerment and making them realize that through local capacities, development is possible.

The presence of Tabang Mindanaw in the area is not looking at the people in the community as mere beneficiaries of development but more so as change agents themselves. And this is one remarkable point that I am impressed with. It’s their compassion for the people that make them firmly believe that their strategies will work in the community. And it is this motivation that made them believe that the people of Panglima Estino can achieve what they best aim for in their community.

The Training on the Essentials of Humanitarian Practice on January 17-21, 2007 at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia was conducted by MERCY Malaysia in partnership with PETRONAS (yes, PETRONAS as in, the second tallest twin towers in the world) and facilitated by RedR India. It was a dream come true for me. I met Dr. JEMILAH MAHMOOD, President of MERCY Malaysia in 2003 at the Manila Hotel at the East Asian Conference for Women where she received a peace award and where she was a resource speaker. I approached her and suggested looking at Sulu as possible area of concern taking into consideration that Malaysia is a Muslim country, and the ties with Sulu have been established way back then.

Three years after, through Milet Mendoza, Executive Coordinator of Tabang Mindanaw, which is a founding member and steering committee member of the Asian Disaster Response and Reduction Network or ADRRN, and I found myself rubbing elbows not just with Dr. Jemilah but all other MERCY Malaysia volunteers whose level of volunteerism is so amazing. MERCY Malaysia is an international relief society who was among the first to respond to the TSUNAMI-hit Banda Aceh, INDONESIA in December 2005, and has conducted relief assistance to areas as far as Afghanistan, Sudan, Pakistan, and even in Bicol and Infanta, Philippines. For more information about MERCY Malaysia, please check out their website at www.mercy.org.my. You will be inspired and transformed, indeed.

So what were the realizations that are worth sharing? KUALA LUMPUR is a very progressive city, notwithstanding that the (second) tallest, most modern, safest tower – PETRONAS is located in the said city. The international airport has been projected to be the best airport in the world with state of the art amenities- internet service, aero train, very organized settings. PUTRA JAYA, the new federal government administrative capital, which embraces the concept of an intelligent city, the eight bridges built utilizing the most advanced architectural design while preserving its environment will make every tourist satisfied with every cent spent. The architectural design of the International Convention Center in Putra Jaya is inspired by the traditional silver royal belt buckle and moon kite. The mosque in Putra Jaya overlooks a breath taking view of a lake where one can also enjoy a cruise. It so nice to hear the “azan” in a highly developed city. It has a unique pink dome, which can accommodate 15,000 worshippers and boasts of a 116-metre, five tiered minaret, and the tallest in the region. The food - Indian, Chinese, and Malaysian cuisine (the satay every night was great, I was never mindful of the calories anyway!) served to us at the PERMATA (PETRONAS training center) will make me dream of going there over and over. More than anything else, the nationalistic and heartwarming Malaysian hosts will make you appreciate Malaysia as “truly Asia” even more…

The belief that volunteerism can take us farther is one realization that I have gained after the course. I am astounded with the high corporate responsibility of PETRONAS which had partnered with MERCY Malaysia in its relief and humanitarian mission in disaster affected communities. It’s a great learning experience for people who come out from their comfort zones and render service as volunteers. It is not just heartwarming and soul satisfying; you get transformed, too, in the process. You learn to value life and relationships deeper. You see life as more meaningful. Money doesn’t always make the world move. There is so much more that money - and that is human compassion.

I also realize how underdeveloped Sulu is despite the fact that it was first to establish a form of governance in the region, and there had been ties with Sabah before. I can see no point of comparison as far as development is concerned. I come to realize that the present Sulu has no traces of its glorious past. But then, after visiting KUALA LUMPUR, I developed an even stronger sense of commitment to take part in finding peace and development for Sulu. Inspired, so they say with the way things are going in KL, as a Tausug, I will dare dream to see a bright Sulu in the years to come…
I will always desire to go back to KUALA LUMPUR and hear Malaysians say “Salamat Detang”….