Ehem. I rarely write about this sort of thing but today I will.
This is going to be a long entry.
You have been warned.
Few days ago I came across an article about the wonder boy of Malaysia. Adi Putra. Only 9 but could handle intricate math question better than I could and perhaps better than you could. It is marvel. A great gift from God.
I could not help myself to think about sufiah and malcom in the middle.
Yew bunnies remember sufiah, the genius who entered Oxford when she just 13? I know I do. If I am not mistaken she was home schooled. Because of her great mind she became the youngest student ever in Oxford, which was in 1997. But after 3 years there, she decided not to continue and demand for foster care till she was 18. This was an excerpt from The Star dated January 29th. I remembered reading few years back, she claimed that her parents stole her teenage life from her by asking her to skip the whole teenage years. Well, maybe the parents didn’t meant to do that but what were they thinking by asking 13 year old girl to go to Oxford? She maybe a whiz in studying but what about emotionally factors? If you are wondering, sufiah returned to Oxford in 2002 but did not manage to complete her study. Got married in 2004 but divorced 13 months later. How old was she? You do the math.
And malcolm. I became a fan of that series few years back and noticed that malcom is a whiz in Maths. But he was not sent to any university and was allowed to live like a normal teenager [and get yelled by the mother almost everyday]. If you read the curious incident of the dog in the night time, you will also come across to a same personality like malcolm. Save for, the main character Christopher is not so keen in socialising but a total genius in maths and physic. Read the book and you will understand what I mean. There are certain things in the book that I could never figure out coz either a) those things bore me :P or b) I just don’t know how to. He too was did not go to some university and only took special paper for his maths.
Ok. I know those two are fictional but it shows that the way people think. The writers I mean. The idea, the possibility that might happen if they are such kid exists among their community.
Back to the wonder boy, I read that he complained the curriculum in the school bore him and he wanted something challenging and I came across some people opinion, saying perhaps the wonder boy should get his chance to enter university, rather than go to school.
Tsk. Ok fine, he is a genius, in science subjects especially in maths but what about the others? So bahasa melayu, english, sejarah, kemahiran hidup is not important? And please, he is only 7. Maybe he did whine but generally do they think this boy really knows what it takes to go to class, meet the jocks, meet the gadis berbaju ketat tetek macam nak terkelur and pembuli yang selalu nak tiru assignment? What about when it comes to real life assignment? Surely you can’t just depend on your book. I am not as smart as he is but I know, he should be given a chance to live like any other 7 years old boys.
Makan ice cream sambil berlari, and fall down so you know not to do that again in the future. Main panjat-panjat lepas tu seluar koyak and kene rotan dengan mak. I mean those things are lessons in life that you cannot get by skipping childhood. And don’t you think when you mendewa-dewakan someone when that person doesn’t really have much experience in life [meaning still very young] dia akan menjadi mua dan spoil? Like ahhh, akulah rajaaaaaa, everyone thought I am great so everyone must bow and make a great fuss about me.
Oh I read that the wonder boy also lead the authority to a place where he believed had to do something with Sharlini. Don’t get me wrong, it was a good deed to do that but are we mistaken a genius for a shrine?
This boy is something, He is! But just let him lives like a normal kid. Don’t let him think he is bigger and higher than KLCC because he might ended like those people who always brag about their achievement in life and make others feel like little pieces of shit just because everyone bows on him. Why not be a genius and loved by everyone?
Just let the government do something about it because according to the article I am reading, he is an asset to the country. So the government should be doing something about it especially when the election is just around the corner.
Or if they still want to take things in their own hands, perhaps just do what Christopher fathers did. Allow him to sit for certain paper or gave him projects to keep his mind running.
Or gave him special coaching to develop his talent or..anything at all.. since I also not too sure of the solutions.
But please don’t take the child away from where he belongs.
Or the wonder boy will only remain as a great story.
