OUR HEROES
Kong Kwai Thong
He never trained to be a dresser, yet was able to give injections and dress wounds. He dedicated his life to the ward.
Pook Kiang Thong
From the minute he stepped into the Valley of Hope, he became happy and relaxed. Although he is disabled, he worked hard and managed to plant an orchard in front of his house.
Tan Hing
In his youth, he was active in politics. When he was admitted into the settlement, he became a prison guard. As a council and association committee, he was able to demonstrate his abilities and assume leadership roles.
Low Sek San
His right foot was amputated and he is blind in his right eye. What is left of his palms is a mass of flesh. He is a fighter and optimistic in nature. He owns a sundry stall in the ward.
Low Ah Fong
She never went to school and only did menial jobs when young. She washed clothes to support her mother. She has a fiercely independent spirit and continues to resist her fate.
Eddie Khoo
This clerk gave ten years of his life to the Sungai Buloh Settlement Research Unit. He became the sanitary inspector and supervisor at a carpenter’s workshop. He is one of the white-collared workers in the settlement.
Chew Poh Chang
He put on his prosthetic limb and picked up his hoe. With determination and diligence, he created a green garden next to the concrete ward.
Tan Cheng Guan
She was one of the very few who was promoted from a mere settlement employee to a government nurse based on her years of nursing experience and serious working attitude.
Fun Ah Har
At one point in time, there were ten big copper and iron stoves in the kitchen. She and a few other cooks of different races took turns to whip up tasty meals for the other patients.
Goh Sooi Seong
Before the food rationing system ended, she delivered food to more than ten families a day regardless of rain or shine. The sound of her little hammer clanging the bell brought the patients out to get their share.
Lee Yit Ming
Music and poetry are her life. Her hobbies are listening to music, singing and reciting poetry. Through her singing, she finds the positive side of life and brings back memories of that era.
Leon Chee Kuang
In his youth, he was a teacher, a typist and a photographer. He still leads an active life as the settlement’s postman, delivering letters every day.
Philip Yong
He is a senior clerk at the Valley of Hope. Whenever the descendants of the patients come in search of their parents, he will help find them out their past from his old, dusty archives.
Ng Keng Chai
There was a time in history when leprosy was incurable and this settlement was cut off from the outside world. The residents worked hard to survive. He and his wife built their plant nursery with their own two hands.
Chuah Gim Tuan
Leprosy robbed her of her feet and fingers but it did not take away her will to live. She uses her arms to support her body weight and moves around in a 4-wheel cart.
Krishnan Murugan
He was a strict and dedicated teacher who looked after his pupils’ welfare. He would use a cane to discipline the naughty children and ensure they followed the school rules.
Sinnathamby
He extracted skin smears and blood from new residents’ ears. A certificate of merit from the Medical Research Council of the United Kingdom was awarded to him when he retired in 1981; it is his greatest pride.
Haji Rauf bin Ibrahim
He worked tirelessly under the hot sun, cutting the grass in the settlement. Nobody would have thought that this humble lawn care worker would later go on to transform a piece of wild and undeveloped land into a thriving Malay village – Kampung Bahagia.
Nordin bin Abdul Rahim
He lost all his ten fingers and his face is seriously disfigured but that did not get him down. Instead, he bravely faced life’s pressures and challenges, carving out a niche for himself in the laboratory.
Chiam Kong Cheng
Before dawn, he would be out cleaning the streets, collecting garbage, chopping wood and clearing drains. As a coolie, his job also included carrying sacks of rice to the granary for storage every month.
Yap Thiam
He was dedicated to his job as a ward assistant. His duties included emptying and washing potties, cleaning beds, mopping the floor and delivering drinks.
Heng Pak Nang
She said that in the past, all the bedsheets; blankets; pillowcases; mosquito nets and hooks; surgical coats, caps and masks; and even drip bottle covers were made by them.
Chia Eng
She applied to be a laundry worker but was assigned to be a garbage collector and street cleaner instead. She never thought that one day, she would find her second Prince Charming while sweeping the streets.
Lam Tow
He had what was considered the dirtiest job – cleaning toilets. However, that never made him feel inferior to others. He was a good and responsible worker who worked hard and abided by the rules.
Ng Cheong Heong
He used to help the warehouse manager run the warehouse. He said that his duties were light and easy. They included sweeping the floor, cleaning the drains and distributing the daily necessities from the government to the residents.
Ang Ah Sim
Besides daily necessities, all the equipment used by the settlement staff for their daily tasks were provided by the government. His job was to manage and record all the resources provided. Thus, being literate was an advantage to him.
Lee Chor Seng
He is the leader of the Sungai Buloh Settlement Council and had previously led the residents in protesting against the government’s unfair policies. He used to be the Section Steward and was responsible for the catering and distribution of food for all the patients in the Central Section.l the survivals at Central Section.
Cheang Toh Koon
For the past 37 years, he has reported to work at 8 a.m. sharp at the carpenter’s workshop. All the tables, chairs, medicine cabinets, wooden shelves were jointly produced by him and the other carpenters.
