THIS is not to throw a tantrum at the “quota system” in the education system which many Malaysians are well-aware of as frustrations of sorts have already been vented against it yet it still exists in the name of “justified social contract” albeit causing massive talent loss a.k.a. brain drain to the country.
But this is a story of grit that when there’s a will, there’s always a path to success or in short, the grass could always be greener on the other side.
This is the story of Penang lad Dr Karl King Yong who is today thriving as a consultant gastroenterologist (digestive specialist) at the St Mary’s Hospital in UK.
Netizen Ir.Kumar (@skumar176) who posted a BBC London video of Dr Karl spearheading what is possibly UK’s maiden endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG) or simply non-surgery weight loss procedure at St Mary’s Hospital summed up the Penangite’s achievement as follows:
“This is Karl Yong, a Penang boy with all A’s in STPM. Denied a medical seat in Malaysia 🇲🇾. Did his medical studies in UK 🇬🇧 on loan. Now head of Gastrointestinal unit in St Mary Hospital. Developed a new technique in surgical procedures to make the stomach smaller. @DrDzul (Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad).”
This is Karl Yong, a Penang boy with all A’s in STPM. Denied a medical seat in Malaysia 🇲🇾. Did his medical studies in UK 🇬🇧 on loan. Now head of Gastrointestinal unit in Saint Mary Hospital. Developed a new technique in surgical procedures to make the stomach smaller. @DrDzul pic.twitter.com/qz41fRdMBQ
— Ir.Kumar (@skumar176) July 30, 2024
For the uninitiated, ESG involves passing a flexible tube (endoscope) into the patient’s mouth and to their stomach where a tiny suturing device stitches together parts of the stomach to reduce its size. This creates a sense of fullness and reduces the amount of food that can be eaten at one time.
While applauding Dr King for having successfully pursued his dream career, some Malaysians cannot fathom how a talent has been lost in the quest to uphold social justice.
One netizen shared that the medical realm aside, “a lot of excellent engineers are now working outside of Malaysia”, alluding to the need for a “systemic change”.
Well, perhaps Dr King should count his blessings for some netizens aptly reckoned that “if he got into a Malaysian medical school, he won’t be where he’s today” with the poster Ir.Kumar acknowledging that “he would have been sucked into the usual jabatan (office) politics and possibly transferred to a rural area hospital”.
At the end of the day, a netizen hinted that ‘it’s a waste of breath’ lamenting something that one is unable to change like the “Malaysian education mindset based on race and religion”. “Bring on 1,000 Karl Yong … it will remain the same,” he quipped.
Of course, detractors would beg to defer as they took a pot shot at Ir.Kumar for trying to insinuate “how unlucky in Malaysia if one is born a non-Bumiputera”.
One even went as far as forwarding Ir.Kumar’s exposé to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and the Royal Malaysia Poli e (PDRM), alleging “slander and (racial) incitement”. – Aug 1, 2024
