This week we meet up with MS/HS Music Assistant Muhammad Mohd Fadzly Shah, aka Afif.
A proud KL resident and the eldest of three siblings, Afif worked as a negotiator at a bank and served as an educator for a local private university while pursuing his MBA. Afif joined ISKL back in 2019, supporting the MS/HS music department team.
Afif was one of the staff who took part in the professional development Inservice Day last year as an ‘Ignite’ speaker presenting his stance on this year’s theme of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ).
Here is his story.
‘My journey in ISKL started on October 7, 2019, when I became part of the wonderful team of people in the MS/HS Music Department as a Music Assistant.
It’s an absolute blessing to do what I do now because I can do the two things that I love – education and music! I started singing and playing guitar at the age of four. My father is a guitarist himself, and he spent a few years in show business as a promoter for local rock groups circa 2000–2005. I often tailed him around as a kid – running around backstage, falling asleep on couches in recording studios.
I had the privilege to be around great musicians. My life has always revolved around music, making coming to work every day a joy for me! I still pick up my guitar every day to either practice or just to let off some steam!”
“Being selected as one of the Ignite Speakers last year was a great honor for me. I believe that sharing and speaking up on important issues is a crucial component of change. I chose to share on DEIJ matters from the optic of COVID-19 as I would like to see how a global pandemic affects different people differently.
‘Even in Malaysia, a country in the list of top five countries that handled the pandemic effectively – we still suffer the impact. It’s just a matter of how amplified these impacts are on different groups in our society. Everyone is struggling, yes, but some might be far worse than us financially and socially. I aim to get everyone to look outside our sphere – look at our friends, families, neighbors. Are they doing all right? What can we do to help them to survive this pandemic together?”
What does Be All You Are mean to you?
“To me, be all you are is not just a statement – it’s a right, and it’s all up to us to act on it. Get to know your strength and passion, and seek ways to manifest them in everyday life. Talk more, and listen more.
‘It also goes both ways. We don’t have to create an outer shell of ourselves to get people to see or treat us in a specific way. While we must also respect people for who they indeed are, it’s okay to stand up to our ideas while realizing that it’s essential to acknowledge different people’s opinions.”
Do you know a student, faculty, staff or alumni with a compelling story to tell? Nominate them to be featured in our Panthers of ISKL stories by sending in your submissions to [email protected].
