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IN June, a brave young girl from one of Sabah’s inland villages refused to allow poor internet connectivity to be an excuse for not standing out.
Veveonah Mosibin (Photo) became a YouTube sensation after videos of her hiking in the jungle and climbing trees to sit for her exams went viral.
As a 42-year-old PhD candidate struggling like any other student to cope with learning in the new normal, I followed the coverage and social media comments about Veveonah with great empathy and respect.
But unlike her, I am fortunate to have the devices and a relatively fast internet connection for digital learning.
However, even with such advantages, virtual learning is stressful because technology is temperamental.
When you have a task to do or a Zoom meeting to attend and you can’t connect, it’s not mere frustration or annoyance that comes over you, it’s panic and anxiety.
So when Deputy Minister of Communications and Multimedia, Datuk Zahidi Zainul Abidin, and Deputy Minister of Finance, Datuk Abdul Rahim Bakri, claimed that Veveonah only intended to take his university exams in the top of a tree to gain publicity, I, like many Malaysians, I was surprised and upset.
In general, Malaysians rallied to support the Universiti Malaysia Sabah student, but there were also those who told her to just hang on and it was no big deal, dismissing her as a fame-seeking YouTuber. Some said that if she was hurt by such petty comments, she would never be able to handle the pressures of life.
Understandably hurt and disturbed, Veveonah disconnected from all social media, after posting a proof of her test schedule online, accompanied by the caption: “Fake news is dangerous, I get a lot of negative comments.”
He said the pressure was not something he could handle and that it had caused a lot of damage. Expressing his sadness and disappointment at the hurtful comments, he reminded Internet users that such comments could cause distress to others.
She returned to social media recently with photos of herself and the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Khairy Jamaluddin, who had apologized for the comments made by the vice ministers. Soon a photo of her smiling appeared alongside Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
Now unless you’re in their shoes, and by that I mean being an 18-year-old who’s trying her best despite the obvious challenges, it’s not fair for anyone to assume she knows what she’s going through. or tell him how he should feel.
Faced with the same circumstances, an adult who has had the privilege of the experience to mature in confidence and character is likely to be unfazed by the attention and cyberbullying that Veveonah has endured.
But let’s not forget, she is just a teenager, albeit an amazing one, still learning to navigate her way through life. Expecting her to ignore rude and insulting comments because that’s part of growing up is condescending and downright insensitive.
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