KALUMPANG: Kamaleswaran Subramaniam, 24, thought he would never amount to much after he was almost expelled from school due to lack of self-discipline when he was in Form Four.
“I did not have any interest in studies, I just wanted to get a skill,” he told theSun yesterday.
As he was loitering around his school in 2011, he came across MySkills Foundation, a non-profit organisation that provides skills to the so-called “at-risk youths”.
“The most important thing I learned was that I needed to do something with my life.
“MySkills thought me to think positively, to give to your family, to take responsibility and even how to contribute back to the community.
“I used to work as a water filter technician and part of my job required me to go to the U Mobile offices to service their water-filteration systems.
“Their assistant manager took notice of me and offered me a job.
“I thought he was joking, but he was serious and so I sent in my resume and got the job (of senior technician),” he said.
Another MySkills alumni, Hemanathan Subramaniam, 23, said he came across the foundation through a recommendation from his church pastor after failing to obtain enough credits for tertiary education.
“I only managed to get a pass in Bahasa Malaysia and English.”
Armed with determination to want to succeed in life, Hemanathan enrolled with MySkills and took up an executive secretary course.
“I passed and worked at a law firm for a year, then I worked with a security company that helps transfer money between banks.”
He eventually got to know a policeman, who urged him to join the police force.
“I just passed my physical and mental health test and I am now waiting for my letter to join the police force as a cadet,” he said.
Kamaleswaran and Hemanathan were among those who shared their stories with Berjaya Corporation Bhd chief executive officer Datuk Seri Robin Tan during his visit to MySkills’ campus in Kalumpang yesterday.
Tan was also given an overview of the foundation by its CEO Devasharma Gangadaran and director S. Pasupathi.
The students received ang pau from Tan and Berjaya Corporation’s management team, and were treated to lunch courtesy of Kenny Rogers Roasters and Krispy Kreme.
