M'sian City Life #3: He Was Unemployed And Suicidal. Now Fadhil Has More Than He Expected
"To be honest, I am exhausted. But I am not stressed because I love all my jobs."
By Tang Ruxyn — 25 Jan 2016, 03:22 PM — Updated over 8 years ago
"When the going gets tough, the tough get going."
Those are probably the most fitting words to describe Muhammad Fadhil Ramle. While most of us struggle to hold down a job, Fadhil, who is 35 years old this year, is working at 4 different places to make ends meet.
"Starting this year I accepted a job as a warden, a math teacher and Quran teacher at Maahad Tahfiz Menengah Harapan in Jenjarom while continuing to work as a part-time Religious and Fardu Ain (KAFA) teacher at Transit Ceria Putrajaya," Fadhil shared on Facebook.
"I sleep at 11.30pm and I wake up at 4.30 in the morning. I am a warden from 7.00am to 7.30am. I teach Quran recital at 7.30 to 8.45 in the morning. Then, I'll ride my motorcycle to Putrajaya. It is a 45 minutes ride from Jenjarom to Precinct 16 Putrajaya. I work as a KAFA teacher from 12.00pm to 6.30pm. I also teach math every Saturday from 8.45am to 11.00am."
"I do all this just to put a bowl of rice on my table. Oh wait, a warden can have a free meal at the school canteen. So all I do is just to make some money to live."
Fadhil has been living in Kuala Lumpur ever since he moved from his hometown, Terengganu in 2003. Although he has to juggle between 4 jobs, he is grateful for the opportunities given to him.
"To be honest, I am exhausted. But I am not stressed because I love all my jobs," Fadhil said.
"I gather up my strength and keep on moving forward. If someone can do this job, it is me. I was trained to do so."
Muhammad Fadhil had spent his teenage years attending a boarding school in Muar, Johor until 1999.
"I am used to following strict discipline. I used to work late hours back when I was an engineer. So I am tough. I was jobless for five years. I am well rested."
Yes.
Fadhil was a Senior Design Engineer at SONY EMCS Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. before he took the Voluntary Separation Scheme (VSS) in 2009 because the company had to lay off employees due to the economic breakdown. He tried to look for another job but found no success... for five years.
"I lived with my parents like a parasite. I eat for free. I eat and sleep, read and watch movies. I gave my car away because I can't maintain it. That was how I lived," Fadhil told SAYS.
"But it didn't end well. That kind of lifestyle cost me my health. In 2013, I was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder. The doctor said that it is probably due to depression. The disease caused me to attempt to commit suicide. Now I am on medication for the rest of my life."
However, things turned around for Fadhil because people never stopped believing in him. It was because of their kindness that he finally started working again.
"I am thankful to Ustaz Muhammad Hafizzan Al-Islam for introducing me to the warden job. I am now surrounded by people who recite and memorize the Quran every day. Hopefully, I too will become a Hafiz in the future."
"I am also thankful to my employers, Teacher Sikin, Puan Zarima, and Ustaz Rafee. They accepted me without many questions. They offered me a job when I am so desperate to get one."
"They accepted me when all others rejected me. I am weak and slow. And there are a lot of things that I don't know. But they gave me the opportunity to develop myself and learn."
Whenever he has time to spare, Fadhil uses it to practice his drawing skills
"I have been drawing since i was 10. I used to win many drawing competitions back in school. But I lost the skills when I went to college."
"I don't have the talent but I trained extra hard just so that I can draw because I love it," Fadhil said.
Fadhil blogs about his drawing and work here.
Now that he has started working again, Fadhil is determined to be a better person and strive to be a good example for others
"I have never imagined myself as someone who is responsible for shaping the future generations. I have always imagined myself designing something cool and making a comic book, or become a famous story writer."
"Once upon a time, I cried and prayed for a better life. And God opened a path for me to become a better person. Truly, God is just. So last but not least, I am thankful to God. I truly believe God loves me, and God wants the best for me. God has written for me a perfect destiny. A happy and meaningful life, with a happy ending."
Living in the city ain’t a piece of cake but it could also be exciting and adventurous. How are you coping? How are you making the most out of things? Do you have a story or experience to share?
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