by Shameera Nair Lin
You may already know Penny. She has been a phone operator at YTL Plaza since 1997, and as such, is a familiar voice to many.
At present, she works under Dr Mark Yeoh as part of Suri Travel. But you may wonder why I’ve not said Penny’s full name. She is well-known to the extent that, as she tells me, ‘everyone knows me as just Penny.’
Penny’s story begins at childhood. Having had eyesight issues since birth, she found herself with near-complete visual impairment after an operation in 2015. However, as Penny speaks of her childhood, this did not stop her from doing just about everything. Such confidence would carry well into her adult life, with a particular endeavour to note.
As a child, she was deeply in love with the piano. Coming from a disadvantaged economic background made her dream of learning the instrument impossible. Yet, obstacles would not prevent Penny from achieving her aims in the long run. When she started out at YTL, she also forayed into the world of learning the piano. Considering her circumstances, she would have to play songs from memory. This ambition took a dip in 2001 when difficulties emerged once more, but she has since started playing the piano again.
Proudly, she informs me of having six Chinese songs memorised as part of her repertoire. Having played the piano myself and not having more than two songs in my memory, I can understand what she means when she speaks of the challenges in playing longer pieces without any form of sight reading. Still, Penny makes her passion work in her favour.
Her determination shines in every aspect of her life, both personally and professionally. She speaks of her job warmly, where she radiates happiness and speaks of others around her similarly. When I ask Penny what motivates her on a day-to-day basis, she tells me about the ‘loving staff and bosses’ who are always ready to help her, just as much as she helps others. Colleagues have held her hand and guided her to places literally, while also maintaining a jocular perspective as Penny would become more accustomed to her surroundings.
I find Penny’s enthusiasm for just about anything in life particularly inspiring — she says that we have to be confident about anything in life and believe we can. I’m not sure I could ever do that, but Penny lives with the motto as a form of guidance. At the beginning of the interview, I learn that Mandarin is her dominant language, and she apologises for any potential miscommunication. In turn, I apologise in advance for being unable to speak fluent Mandarin as I once could.
She informs me that she would be more than happy to chat with me in Mandarin, outside the space of the interview, because she believes in the possibility. In speaking with Penny, I think I’ve started believing that I, too, could possibly re-learn Mandarin fluently once again. Such is the power of Penny’s infectious zest for life and living. She walks a path of faith in others, which keeps everyone around her going.
