Autistic children's choir

Saturday July 16, 2011

Autistic children’s choir sings at mall to create awareness

By OH ING YEEN
ingyeen@thestar.com.my
Photos by AHMAD IZZRAFIQ ALIAS

SUNDAY shoppers stopped in their tracks, drawn to the vocals of a group of 15 children clad in white shirts and black vests with red lapels. The scene resembled like a performance by a choir group in the mall.

However, when the shoppers saw a sign which read Autism Awareness Day, it dawned on them that the children were autistic. The chlidren were part of the Nasom Maestro Choir Group.

National Autism Society of Malaysia (Nasom) president Datuk Danny Tan’s plea to the public was not to have an indifferent attitude towards these children.

Nasom and Kiwanis Club of Petaling Jaya (KCPJ) jointly organised the Autism Awareness Day recently at the Empire Shopping Gallery in Subang Jaya.

In the limelight: Umar (holding microphone) and the choir performing on stage.

The theme Knowing Me Knowing You is to celebrate the success of the partnership.

Tan said the awareness programme was aimed at highlighting the services to rehabilitate children with autism.

“Autism is a disorder, it is not a disease; there are many misgivings when it comes to autism.

“Many parents are in denial, there are still children suffering within the spectrum of the disorder.

“Early intervention will be good for the children because they can be educated provided they come early,” he said.

The highlight of the event was the performance by the choir which also made its way into the Malaysia Book of Records.

Umar Hasfizal, one of the choir member who performed solo, was natural on stage, interacting with the audience and accentuating his performance with body language.

During one of Umar’s solo performances, he was accompanied by Clarence Kang Zheng Wei who worked his magic on the keyboard.

Kang played the song Hold My Hand, which was composed by his mother but inspired by her son.

“Autistic children are insecure, he is always holding my hand and he feels comfortable when doing so.

She lamented that some people stare at autistic people and have asked “Why do you bring your (autistic) kid out?”

“I do hope that more people can be aware and learn about autism; they are not abnormal, they have a disorder and need a lot of understanding and care from the public.

In his element: Yim singing a song during the event.

“Don’t treat them differently, it is important for the public to accept them,” she said.

Kang has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and autism. He took up classical piano and has achieved the diploma level in just three years. For some, it may take 10 years to reach such a level.

Two years ago, music producer-songwriter-recording artiste Brian John Yim, together with a group of friends, realised the severity of autism not only in Malaysia but all over the world.

He then approached Nasom to gather a group of about 100 autistic children.

After an audition, he hand-picked 25 children and trained them for six months. And the Nasom Maestro Choir Group was formed.

“They cannot be still,” Yim recalled about the experience training the children.

“The biggest challenge is to get them to sing together. They do not make eye contact with you and I sometimes wonder if they were even listening.

“However, the children are special to me; no matter how tough the challenge is, I have never thought of giving up.

“People tell me it is impossible but the more impossible the challenge is, the more I want to overcome it,” he said.

S. P. Setia Foundation chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye, who was the guest of honour, stressed the importance of education and early intervention.

“Early detection of autism is essential and it allows families to get advice and support to help them adjust and respond to the child’s needs.

“I hope the government can provide Nasom aid and financial assistance, which is needed for their programmes,” he said.

Currently, Nasom has established 16 early intervention programmes and three vocational programmes for those with autism around the country.

Fordetails, visit www.nasom.com.my