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<P><FONT face=ARIAL size=+1><A href="http://thestar.com.my/default.asp">The Star
Online</A> > Nation</FONT></P>
<P></P>
<DIV align=right><FONT face=Arial color=#9f9f9f size=2><B>Sunday May 15,
2005</B></FONT></DIV>
<H1>Seeing the positive side of life pays off</H1><B><B>BY SHANTINI
SUNTHARAJAH</B></B>
<P><B>M</B>.SHAMINI was in the newspapers last week but she did not have the
pleasure of seeing her name or her photograph in print. </P>
<P>She scored one A and four Bs in the STPM examination in 2004 and was among 80
students honoured by the MIC for her excellent results. </P>
<P>What sets her apart from other students is not the plaque and certificate she
received or even her first-rate scores but the fact that she accomplished all
these despite being blind. </P>
<P>Shamini’s world plunged into darkness at the age of eight. “I remember a time
when I could see but I had an operation and after that I couldn’t see anymore,”
she tells <I>Sunday Star.</I> </P>
<P>She says she cannot remember the details of the operation. The question of
why she became blind does not seem to interest her. </P>
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<DIV class=caption>Shamini using the Braille typewriter at the Malaysian
Association for the Blind library to transcribe her lessons. - STARpic by
S.S. Kanesan</DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Shamini, who hails from Seremban,
explains that she prefers to focus on the future and it is this attitude that
has helped her through difficult times. </P>
<P>More than 10 years of inhabiting a world of darkness may have crushed a
weaker spirit but Shamini has not only learned to live with her disability, she
has excelled in spite of it. </P>
<P>“My father, mother and grandmother gave me confidence and sent me to a
special school when I was young to learn Braille,” she says. The 21-year-old
reveals that since then, she developed a love of reading, especially storybooks
and historical novels, even though books in Braille are limited. </P>
<P>Shamini is currently attending computer classes at the Malaysian Association
for the Blind and her love for music has inspired her take organ lessons at the
centre. </P>
<P>“I’ve passed the Do Re Mi stage and I can play simple tunes now,” she says,
with a smile. </P>
<P>Shamini’s ready laugh and positive outlook toward life often make people
forget the overwhelming odds she has had to overcome. She admits that it can be
very hard to keep smiling sometimes. </P>
<P>Preparing for examinations, for example, was a time-consuming, tedious
affair. </P>
<P>“I would tape record what the teachers say and then go home and type it out
using my Braille typewriter for revision. I revised practically 24 hours a
day.” </P>
<P>She explains that during exams, her questions are in Braille and that she
types out her answers using the Braille typrewriter. </P>
<P>Shamini, who plans to further her studies in a local university, aims to
become a lecturer someday but for now, the courageous young lady is
content. </P>
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<CENTER><FONT size=-1>© 1995-2005 Star Publications (Malaysia) Bhd (Co No
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