Witness #2 | Noraini @ Chipang A/P Bah Itam
Noraini, more popularly known as Chipang, is a 16-year-old from the Semai tribe of Kampung Pawong in Simpang Pulai, Perak. Chipang is friendly and cheerful and makes friends easily. Her hobbies are reading storybooks and shopping! Her ambition is to be a model.
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Chipang’s Story | I Began Rebelling Because I Was Being Bullied
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The challenge that I faced during my schooling days was that I was badly bullied in secondary school. It caused me to completely lose interest in being in school. The bully liked to hide my school supplies. I was also hit by my classmates even though I didn’t do anything wrong to them. The same students also bullied other Orang Asli students and were always cursing, insulting, and hitting us. I felt so sad, and didn’t know who to confide in about being bullied.
I once told a teacher that I was being bullied but the teacher never took any action. The teachers were always busy with their own work and told us to settle our own problems and forgive each other. The other students kept quiet for fear of being bullied as well. So, this problem continued.
I started rebelling because of the bullying. Because I was bullied, I began to lose interest in my studies and started skipping school. I finally quit school at the age of 15.
I hope teachers will pay more heed to the problem of student bullying. I hope that after this there will be no more cases of bullying. Other students should not bully Orang Asli students. Orang Asli have the right to go to school safely and not be bullied.
Chipang now lives in Simpang Pulai and works part-time. She likes learning new things, and will not miss any opportunity to participate in youth activities such as camps on digital storytelling.
This testimony is reproduced with permission, and has been translated from the following original testimony in Bahasa Malaysia:
Noraini A/P Bah Ibrahim. "Saya Mulai Memberontak Akibat Dibuli." Kami Pun Ada Hak Bersekolah: Wanita Orang Asli Bersuara. Edited by Danker, Brenda and Rusaslina Idrus. Freedom Film Network. 2019. pp 22-24.