NORMAH OTHMAN

(My Personal Homepage)

I am a Muslim Malay living in Malaysia. I work as an English Lecturer in Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) in Tanjong Malim, Perak in Malaysia.

I am also a writer. I write short stories, poems, essays and academic writing. I have also written a biography novel that was published in 1997.

I write in Malay and English. The Malay Language is my first language. It is also the official language of my country. English is the second most important language in my country.  

My Background

My Education Background

I went to the English medium school. I started my primary education in 1962 (Standard One) in Sekolah Rendah Ahmad, Pekan, Pahang until 1964 (Standard Three). Then my parents were transferred to Kuala Lipis, Pahang (our hometown). I continued my primary education in Sekolah Rendah Clifford, Kuala Lipis, Pahang in mid 1964 to 1967 (Standard Six).

In 1968 and 1969 I studied in a secondary school, Sekolah Menengah Rendah Jenis Kebangsaan, Kuala Lipis, Pahang. Then I went to Sekolah Menengah Clifford, Kuala Lipis, Pahang in 1970 until 1972. I took my Lower Certificate of Education (LCE) in 1970 and Malaysian Certificate of Education (MCE) in 1972 in Sekolah Menengah Clifford.

After my MCE, I was offered to further my studies in Form Six Arts in Sekolah Menengah Sulaiman, Bentong, Pahang. There was no Form Six education in Kuala Lipis at that time. I accepted the offer and had to stay away from my parents for two years in Bentong. I studied in Form Six Arts in that school from May 1973 to December 1974 and took my Higher Certificate of Education (HSC) in 1974. I was quite unlucky because I did not get a full certificate in my HSC. So I did not manage to get a place in the university.

I applied for the teaching college and managed to get a place in the Malay Women Teachers' College (MWTC) or Maktab Perguruan Perempuan Melayu (MPPM) in Malacca in February 1976. In that college I took a course on early childhood education, or in the Malay Language, it is known as "Pendidikan Peringkat Awal Kanak-kanak". I completed my studies in that college in December 1977 and achieved a Certificate of Education to teach English in the primary school.

On 1st of July 1991, I continued my studies in the University Pertanian Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia, which is now known as the University Putra Malaysia (UPM). I completed my studies on 30th of April 1995 and achieved a Bachelor of Education (Hons) degree in TESL (Teaching English As The Second Language).

In December 1996 I continued my studies as a part-time student in University Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and completed my studies there in February 1999. I received the scroll for my Masters of Education degree in TESL from that university in a convocation ceremony on the 4th of September 1999.

Now I am working on my Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in TESL. I am doing this doctoral degree in University Putra Malaysia (UPM) as a part-time student.

My Career

I started my career as a temporary teacher in Sekolah Menengah Jenis Kebangsaan (Cina) Chung Ching, Raub, Pahang in Malaysia on 1st of September 1975 to 31st January 1976.

After obtaining my Certificate of Education in teaching English, I was posted to Sekolah Kebangsaan Budu, Benta, Pahang on 1st of January 1978 and taught in that school until 31st of December 1978. Then I asked for a transfer to Jerantut, Pahang and was sent to Sekolah Kebangsaan Bandar Jerantut, Jerantut, Pahang on the 1st of January 1979 and taught in that school until 30th of June 1991, after which I continued my studies in UPM.

After obtaining my first degree, I was posted to Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Jerantut, Jerantut, Pahang on the 1st of May 1995. I worked in that school until 31^st of July 2000. I began my career as a lecturer in Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris on the 1^st of August 2000.  

My Personal Background

I was born on the 17th of February 1955 in Kuala Lipis, a small district in the state of Pahang in Malaysia. I came from a poor family of twelve members - my parents and ten children. I am the second child of my parents' ten children.

My Parents

(A photo of my parents taken 1979)

My Father

(This is my father's photo, taken in 1961)

My father's name is Othman bin Awang. He was an ambulance driver and worked with the government hospital. My father loved to play the trumpet. He was not so good with it, because nobody taught him to play. He learnt himself and managed to play quite well. When I was a child I used to watch him stand by the window at night and played lovely songs with his trumpet.

My father loved his trumpet so much. However one day he reluctantly decided to sell it because we had no money to buy food. I was still a child at that time. I did not know how sad he felt about it. All I knew at that time was we were all hungry and we desperately needed money to buy food. As I grow older, I learn to realise my father's great interest in music. I feel very sorry for him. I wish I could purchase back the trumpet from the person who bought it from him about thirty years ago. I want to keep it as a remembrance of my father's great interest in music. But I do not know who bought it.

My father had passed away in December 1992. This is a poem which I have written about him:

My Father's Trumpet

·  It is still fresh in my memory, Dad,

·  The lovely music you played with your trumpet,

·  Running through the thin air of the quiet night,

·  Calling every single ear to catch the beat of your heart.

o        It is also still fresh in my memory, Dad,

o        The tears falling down your cheeks,

o        When it was the last time you held your trumpet,

o        Before selling it,

o        Just to buy a gantang of rice and a kati of sugar.

·  I was too young, Dad!

·  I did not know how sad you were,

·  All we knew at that time was we were all hungry.

o        I know it now, Dad,

o        That the trumpet was a symbol of your love towards music,

o        Which was so strong in your heart,

o        That it has travelled down to my heart too.

·  I wish I can show you now, Dad,

·  That your daughter has your heart,

·  She has your interest,

·  And she will never let poverty ruin her interest,

·  But will always uphold her father's symbol of love towards music.

·         (9.45 a.m. Sunday, 20th June 1999, Jerantut.)

 

My Mother

 

My mother’s name is Aishah binti Mohd Yunus. She was an Assistant Nurse in a government hospital in Kuala Lipis, Pahang in Malaysia. Now she is retired. She spends most of her time at home. My mother is a very friendly and helpful person. Her friends and relatives like her very much. When she was young, she was very active in sports and good in her studies.

My Family

(This is a photo of my family, taken in 1995)

My Husband

I got married on the 7th of May 1978 to Mohamed Sharif bin Ab Rahim. He was born in Pekan, Pahang on the 25th of November 1949. My husband is a Building Contractor and a Droughtsman. He has his own business firm in Jerantut, Pahang.

My Son

We do not have any children of our own, but we have adopted a son, Mohd Yusof bin Abdullah. He was born on the 22nd of August 1986. We took him from a Social Welfare Home in January 1988. According to the records from the Social Welfare Department, he was found left alone on a bench at a bus station when he was only one day old. The police tried to find his parents, but failed. So he was sent to the Social Welfare Home a few weeks later and stayed there until we adopted him.    

My Interests

Besides writing, I also like music. I am leading the pancaragam group (school band) in my school. The picture below is my pancaragam group. I am sitting number 4 from the left in the picture. Besides me is my school principal, Tuan Haji Abas bin Abd Rahman. My son, Mohd Yusof is also playing in this school band. He is standing number 12 from left in the middle row.

In the Pahang state level competition held on the 24th of April 1999 in Temerloh, Pahang, my school band got the third place. In that competition, I had introduced a new instrument for my school band to play during their performance. It is a Malay traditional musical instrument called the kompang. I am sure my school band is the first in Malaysia to play with the instrument on the field.

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