Author shares his experience

Rousing: Chin encouraging the audience to follow their passion and pursue their dreams

A speaker, author and columnist, Chin Yoon Khen gave a talk titled ‘Stepping out of the box: Dream and discover your way to success’ at UTAR Kampar Campus on 18 March 2015.

“Once you find your passion, you will find enjoyment in everything you do. This is the value that I want to impart to the young generation,” said Chin. An IT expert, Chin embarked on an exploration trip in search of the cultural heritage and traditional businesses in Penang. He has recorded over 60 precious traditional industries and has published his own book titled ‘The traditional trades of Penang’.

“I rejected a job offer in Singapore to pursue my passion of exploring old-world Penang. I knew I had made the right decision when I saw a different side of life that many people are oblivious to. The trades have taught me a lot of valuable lessons, principles and the secrets of happiness in life. I knew then that all these stories have to be documented and shared with the public,” said Chin.

Through his journey, Chin has picked up values such as trust, friendship and unconditional love and support. He emphasised on the importance of trust when dealing with the artisans. “To build trust, we must fulfill our promise. I promised the artisans that I would show them my documentary after it is completed, and I feel obliged to publish their stories so that their voices can be heard,” said Chin, who added that trust is a greater complement than to be loved.

The trust was evident when a traditional tomb maker agreed to be interviewed only by Chin. “He rejected me six times before finally relenting during my seventh visit to his house. In the past, many reporters tried to coax him for an interview but he repeatedly rejected them out of fear that it would take away his time, energy and concentration from his work,” said Chin. A lantern maker also refused all interviews in the past but has since relented to Chin’s.

Through an artisan, Chin also learned that great things are done not by strength but by perseverance. “He is a putu mayam maker and I wanted to learn how to make putu mayam from him. I failed six to seven times and I almost gave up trying. He told me that even if I have the passion in doing something, I would still need to practise as practice makes perfect. This has become my philosophy in everything I do today,” said Chin.

Chin invited Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng to his book exhibition after it was published. “It was the perfect platform for me to raise their problems to Lim. I feel that artisans need more recognition for their work. There are people who need help but can still contribute to the society,” said Chin. He was touched to see that some of the artisans shed tears while flipping through his book.

“My friends said they have never seen a book like this before. This means I am a pioneer in my genre. If I accept the offer to work in Singapore, I would be an employee who is no different from others. At least when I am young, I am courageous enough to do something different to inspire or enlighten others,” said Chin.

He added, “All of us have different priorities in life. However, you must find your passion and be optimistic to follow your journey if you want to excel in life. Walk the dream, work hard, have faith and perseverance, and you can live your dreams.”

The talk ended with a Q&A session and a souvenir presentation to Chin by Head of UTAR Department of Entrepreneurship, Faculty of Business and Finance (FBF) Lee Jing Wen. The talk was jointly organised by FBF, Faculty of Arts and Social Science, Young Entrepreneurs Society and Mass Communication Society.

Chin (left) receiving a memento from Lee while organising chairperson Ho Wei Cheng looks on