Heroic act bags teacher MyHero award
KUALA LUMPUR: The courage and swi action of a teacher who risked herself to save the lives of six Yoke Kuan National Secondary School students in Sekinchan, Selangor from an amok a ack 20 years ago has been recognised with the presentation of the MyHero 3.0 Award.
Norzah Abdul Gani said the amok incident involved a machete-wielding man who broke into the school on a Friday a ernoon during transition from morning session classes to the a ernoon session.
“It was a busy day and many students were still in the school vicinity. I was at the top floor of the school building when I heard people screaming for help.
“When I looked out, a bigsized man was heading for the classes and slashed some of the students. Before that, the man had burned a motorcycle, causing chaotic scenes in the school,” she said in an interview.
Norzah, who was also a recipient of the Ministry of Education’s Certificate of Appreciation in 1999 following her brave action, said she decided to confront the man despite the tense situation.
“At that time, I felt angry especially since my students were injured by that man. Without hesitation, I spoke Chinese to him ‘Koko, shen me shi?’ (Big brother, what is the ma er?)
“I took courage and invited the man to the canteen to calm him down. I managed to get him to sit in the school cafeteria and I told him to rest. I brought two cans of drinks to cool him down,” she added.
While the a acker was at the canteen, Norzah said she signalled to the other teachers to get to the injured students and move them to a safer place.
“As we sat down to talk, he was still holding the machete and pointing it at me. In the end, I had to use reverse psychology to alleviate the situation by pretending to support him. I did not expect the tactic to succeed,” she said.
Norzah, who is currently the Director of MindRevolution Traing Ent, said she never thought she would be selected to receive the MyHero 3.0 Award.
She nonetheless expressed her gratitude for the award and described it as a recognition not only to herself but to all educators in the country.
“I’m actually surprised by this award being given now as that incident happened 20 years ago.
“However, I am very happy and appreciate it. The job of teachers is very challenging but they always make sure their students get the best education and treatment regardless of race and religion,” she said.
The MyHero Award is a collaborative programme between the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KLSCCCI) and the Department of National Unity and National Integration (JPNIN) in an effort to recognise and value individuals who have sacrificed and worked hard in promoting unity among the diverse community people in this country. The Borneo Post, Utusan Borneo, See Hua Daily News, Sinar Harian, The Sun and Tamil Malar are the official media partners of the My Hero 3.0 Award.