Yeoh Soon Hwa
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Title: 《Football》
Title (Original Language): 足球
Words in the Drawing: “During that time, the students had a lot of activities after school; ball sports were football, basketball, table tennis, etc. There was a sports day at school. We had four houses, which were represented by the colors: red, yellow, blue, and green. I cannot remember which color house I was in. During sports day, we had the 100 meters, 400 meters, and relay races.
When playing football, I always wore casually, not in uniform. The yellow and red colors of the clothing, in the painting, were added by me. Everyone knew each other and also, who is in which team. The person wearing the white shirt in the middle is the referee. We only have him during matches. There is no referee when we play by ourselves. It is not fixed who would be the referee or what is worn.
I remember a football match - there was a team from the Council (Patient Council), one from the hospital office, and one from our school. Altogether there were three or four teams. In the end, our school won.
The persons on the drawing are not Simon (my schoolmate) and me. I drew it just to let people know that our school had this football team last time. I want to convey a little bit about school life and life here.”
Size：17.5cm X 15.2 cm
Location: The Valley of Hope Art Gallery
Owner: Yeoh Soon Hwa
Copyright: Yeoh Soon Hwa
Title: 《Picking Coconuts》
Title (Original Language): 採椰子
Words in the Drawing: “Initially, the harvesting of coconuts was done by our patient, a "kuli head" (Ketua Tukang Sapu) named Kerk Kim Lee. He was an experienced worker who helped Ng Fook Thong (a Chinese Association) pick coconuts. All the fruit trees in the settlement belonged to Ng Fook Thong. If a patient steals coconuts or rambutans, he would be fined RM5.00. Kerk Kim Lee worked for more than ten years until he was ill and could no longer pick coconuts. His job was then replaced by another person called "Coconut Guy"
"Coconut Guy" was a "discharged" patient. He came into the settlement after the Leprosy Control Program was implemented in 1969, with the sickness, but because his sickness was very mild, he was discharged soon after that. However, after leaving the settlement, he probably could not find a job, and so, he returned here, living secretly in a chalet at the East Section. The place I have drawn is behind Ward 88, next to the Scout Den (Scout Center). There really is such a person as "Coconut Guy", but because the artwork is going to be exhibited at the National Gallery, I have drawn him as a Malay man and therefore cannot put his name down. In actual fact, the ones who picked the coconuts in our settlement were Chinese.”
Size：17.5cm X 15.2 cm
Location: The Valley of Hope Art Gallery
Owner: Yeoh Soon Hwa
Copyright: Yeoh Soon Hwa
Title: 《Firewood》
Title (Original Language): 烧火柴
Words in the Drawing:“There were three woodcutters, namely: Ng Chiew Seng, Uncle Chiam and Lee Hong, all of whom are Chinese. The place where they chopped the firewood was in the row of shops behind the Council Hall. There was a path down the bend, and there was a ditch below. That was where they chopped the firewood. The place is gone now. It has become someone's garden. I heard them say that in the early days' mangrove trees were used as firewood. After I graduated, I used rubber trees as firewood.
The wood came in large chunks and some in half. Rubber trees are not very big, the logs not big. After the contractor has delivered them, it would be left at this place. The woodcutters would chop firewood every day, tie them into bundles and put them away.
The chalet ‘Kepala’ (Section attendant) was responsible for distributing our food, firewood, salt, oil, rice, and other supplies. After he informs us about the firewood distribution day, we would go to the place where the firewood is chopped and pick it up. The bundled ready wood would be piled up, with the ‘kepala's name on it. Everyone would get them according to their ‘kepala's name list. Each pile is fixed. You will know it once you get used to it. Occasionally, if a car is available, the firewood would be delivered here, but it is not always.”
Size：17.5cm X 15.2 cm
Location: The Valley of Hope Art Gallery
Owner: Yeoh Soon Hwa
Copyright: Yeoh Soon Hwa
Title: 《林玉荣》
Title (Original Language): Lim Geok Eng
Words in the Drawing:“ Lim Geok Eng is the ‘Kepala’ for Ward 88. He was the attendant in charge of taking care of us. He would take the vegetables to the kitchen every day and then help in the kitchen. I have especially painted him because he was very good to the children and very good for us. During Chinese New Year and festive days, he would buy chicken or other ingredients to cook for me. After his death, I, and two other classmates asked a Buddhist Reverend to recite prayers for her.
At that time, Ward 88 was like this current ward building. Beds were placed on the left and right sides. The beds were Hong Kong beds. There were three beds in the upper, middle, and lower areas, and there were probably more than 20 people. In the night, he slept with us at Ward 88. Lights were switched off at 11 o'clock, leaving on only the middle one.”
Size：17.5cm X 15.2 cm
Location: The Valley of Hope Art Gallery
Owner: Yeoh Soon Hwa
Copyright: Yeoh Soon Hwa
Title: 《The Sewing Room》
Title (Original Language): 车衣房
Words in the Drawing:“In the past, there used to be two sewing rooms, one was at the Council Hall side, and the other, at the hospital side. The sewing room is near to the Council Hall, on the forked road facing the building. Now, it became the station for guard on duty. The sewing room on the other side of the Council hall was used for making our school uniforms.
The sewing room at the other side of the hospital was responsible for the tailoring work for the hospital, which includes patients' clothing and bed covers. The seamstresses were also patients here, but I don't know them.
At that time, if the students' clothing got torn, the female students would have to mend it for us. Some female students were unhappy and would deliberately say that they hadn't mended it yet. I cannot remember if I went to talk to the Matron (the head nurse) or the "big aunty" (wardens), to tell her that we male students could also mend the clothes by ourselves. After that, two sewing machines were given to us and were placed at Ward 88. I learned to sew with another classmate, Khang Chye. Later, I learned to make pants by myself.”
Size：17.5cm X 15.2 cm
Location: The Valley of Hope Art Gallery
Owner: Yeoh Soon Hwa
Copyright: Yeoh Soon Hwa
Title: 《The Patients’ Perseverance》
Title (Original Language): 病人的毅力
Words in the Drawing:“ I have forgotten this patient's name. He was already like this when he hoed the ground. Without one leg, he held a crutch, took a stool, and sat on it to hoe the ground. Back then, the crutches were made of wood.
Some patients had no fingers and so, they cut the vegetables with a knife tied to their hands. Although their hands and feet were inconvenient, they did not give up. They still had the perseverance to do things, plant something, and make themselves self-reliant. Although they are physically disabled, they are no worse than those with good hands and feet.”
Size：17.5cm X 15.2 cm
Location: The Valley of Hope Art Gallery
Owner: Yeoh Soon Hwa
Copyright: Yeoh Soon Hwa
Title: 《The School Kitchen》
Title (Original Language): 学校的厨房
Words in the Drawing:“ This painting is of my classmate, Chan Ah Lap's father. He was also one of the patients and was responsible for cooking.
This is a ‘Chinese’ kitchen (non-halal). There are two stoves and big woks, one for cooking rice, and the other should be for cooking dishes. A person without experience would not be able to do the cooking. When the person is cooking, he would stand above to cook, like how is shown in this painting. In the past, rubber tree firewood was used.
Sometimes in the afternoons, when I am hungry after school, I would go to the cook and ask for some burnt crusted rice (锅巴饭) to eat. If we had money, we would buy dried noodles and ask for some boiling water from him for cooking. Previously, the noodles were round in shape, just like the cup noodles. After using boiling water to boil until the noodles are cooked, I would drain off the water and add some lard and light soy sauce to the noodle, and it would be ready for eating. When I was hungry, I would go and look for the cook, he is very kind and would make food for us to eat.”
Size：17.5cm X 15.2 cm
Location: The Valley of Hope Art Gallery
Owner: Yeoh Soon Hwa
Copyright: Yeoh Soon Hwa
Title: 《Students Sports》
Title (Original Language): 学生的运动
Words in the Drawing:“ Playing table tennis was one of the students' sports after school. We didn't have any sports festivity. Students did whatever they liked after school. There used to be an activity center next to the school canteen, where we played table tennis. As Christmas approached, we would also practice singing in the activity center. ”
Size：17.5cm X 15.2 cm
Location: The Valley of Hope Art Gallery
Owner: Yeoh Soon Hwa
Copyright: Yeoh Soon Hwa
Title: 《Cheng Guan is painting》
Title (Original Language): 清源在画画
Words in the Drawing:“ One day, I went to her ward and saw her preoccupied with drawing a pineapple and took a photo of it with my mobile phone. Later, I showed the photo to her and said that she had painted very meticulously. She smiled when she saw it.
We have known each other for decades but didn’t have much contact before, but now that she and I are participating in painting classes, we have gotten more familiar with each other.”
Size：17.5cm X 15.2 cm
Location: The Valley of Hope Art Gallery
Owner: Yeoh Soon Hwa
Copyright: Yeoh Soon Hwa
Title: 《Patients Planting Vegetables》
Title (Original Language): 病人种菜
Words in the Drawing:“ During secondary school, I planted vegetables with my friends. We went to the place where they planted vegetables and asked for a piece of land from them and started planting mustard greens. We didn't make any money after the harvest, each person getting only RM 5.00. The person who bought the vegetables would count and give us 20 cents today, then the vegetable price would drop, and be 10 cents tomorrow. A few days later, it would drop again to 5 cents - for the price of one kilo!
The school dormitory provided us with food, so we had planted just for fun. That friend was discharged very early, later, I heard that he had gone to Singapore, and did not contact us anymore.”
Size：17.5cm X 15.2 cm
Location: The Valley of Hope Art Gallery
Owner: Yeoh Soon Hwa
Copyright: Yeoh Soon Hwa
Title: 《In Memory of Mr. Joshua》
Title (Original Language): 纪念 Mr Joshua
Words in the Drawing:“This picture is to commemorate Mr. Joshua, the teacher who taught me in Form 4 and Form 5. He was an easy-going person and was like an old friend. He loved reading novels very much, and the books we used at that time were all shipped from England.
One day, Mr. Joshua told us that mankind would go to the moon in the future. We thought he was joking and did not believe it, and teased at him. Later, mankind did land on the moon, and all of us felt very embarrassed when we meet him, and would rather hide than see him.
The four students in this painting are only representatives as there are too many students in a class. Mr. Joshua's clothes are not like this. I am afraid to paint him like a doctor, so I have changed it to this. Mr. Joshua usually wears white clothes with a big collar and is very special. The trousers are plain shorts. He wears casually.
After the school closed down, he had no dormitory to stay in. Later, because he wanted to write the history of this place, he was approved to live in the Scout Den (Scout Center) for a long time, and finally, he died in the hospital.”
Size：17.5cm X 15.2 cm
Location: The Valley of Hope Art Gallery
Owner: Yeoh Soon Hwa
Copyright: Yeoh Soon Hwa
Title: 《 Legend of the Immortal 》
Title (Original Language): 不朽的传说
Words in the Drawing:“Chang’E flying to the moon" is a Classical Chinese story, which is replayed over the radio every year during the Mid-Autumn Festival. The version of the story I read was slightly different: Hou Yi shot down nine of the suns and acquired merit, so the empress mother rewarded him with an elixir. Chang’E ate the elixir and fluttered to the moon palace (also called "Cold palace” or "Graceful palace"). The empress mother, feeling pity for Chang’E because she was very lonely at the moon palace, sent her medicine masher jade rabbit to accompany her. Wu Gang initially chopped trees in the moon palace, the trees that he chopped down, would have its roots immediately grow back into new big trees, so Wu Gang was always busy chopping down the trees and never had the free time to talk with Chang’E. ”
Size：17.5cm X 15.2 cm
Location: The Valley of Hope Art Gallery
Owner: Yeoh Soon Hwa
Copyright: Yeoh Soon Hwa
Title: 《 Confidence 》
Title (Original Language): 信心
Words in the Drawing:“ There used to be a basketball court in the settlement.
I didn’t play basketball; I like volleyball. But, my brother was worried that having leprosy would cause my bones to be fragile, and playing volleyball would cause the bones of the hands to break, so he didn’t allow me to play it. Later, I fell in love with playing football. The old football field is now the female ward. The ground is lower there, and it would flood when it rains, but playing football in the rain is what we liked most. There used to be an inmate, I cannot remember his name, only that he loved being a goalkeeper. His hand would get dislocated easily, but after each dislocation, he would put it back effortlessly, Haha! All of us felt that he was incredible; that is why I can remember him till now. ”
Size：17.5cm X 15.2 cm
Location: The Valley of Hope Art Gallery
Owner: Yeoh Soon Hwa
Copyright: Yeoh Soon Hwa
Title: 《 The Boundless Sea and Sky - Pleasant》
Title (Original Language): 海阔天空。自在
Words in the Drawing:“When I was young, we had to go to Gospel Hall every Friday to hear the sister preach. I shunned going, but if I did not, I would be pointed out by the principal the next day, so I had to go even when I didn’t like it. But, every Christmas and Children's Day, I had to go because there would be gifts to receive. I received a toy motorbike that could move before and was so happy. We didn't have any toys here during our childhood.
After school, we either played football together or run around here and there with friends, catching "fighting tiger" (wild spider). When we come back, we would put the spider in a box and have 'spider fighting' with our classmates "fighting tiger"! If not, together with a big group of friends, would go to the back of the school where the shower place is, turn on the water hose at full speed and spray the lime Crete floor beside the school full of water. Each of us would cover our bodies with soap, get down on our legs and slide from one end to the other end, back and forth like a flyer, which was extremely happy.”
Size：17.5cm X 15.2 cm
Location: The Valley of Hope Art Gallery
Owner: Yeoh Soon Hwa
Copyright: Yeoh Soon Hwa
Title: 《 Alms 》
Title (Original Language): 化缘
Words in the Drawing:“ The painting teacher came in to teach the inmates to paint in 2017. I didn’t participate, but once, there was a painting activity, and I went to the hall very early to help with the set-up. At that time, I saw a painting by Chuar Gim Thuan from a distance; which looked like a monk begging for alms, with a glow above his head. Perhaps what I saw was due to the morning sunbeam effects, but at that very moment, I felt very touched. Monks come out early to beg for food, and we have to give with joy. This image has always been in my mind, but I didn’t paint it until a year later.”
Size：17.5cm X 15.2 cm
Location: The Valley of Hope Art Gallery
Owner: Yeoh Soon Hwa
Copyright: Yeoh Soon Hwa
Title: 《Auspicious》
Title (Original Language): 吉祥
Words in the Drawing:“Dragons and phoenixes are the symbols of auspiciousness. When I was studying, I liked drawing dragons & phoenixes very much. Usually, the phoenixes painted by others are with three tail feathers, but I prefer to paint mine with five, because it would make the picture look rich, and more even. That is my style of painting. Whenever I receive New Year cards, I would save it, and when I am free, I will take it out to look at the patterns on the cards and draw it my style.”
Size：17.5cm X 15.2 cm
Location: The Valley of Hope Art Gallery
Owner: Yeoh Soon Hwa
Copyright: Yeoh Soon Hwa
Title: 《Simplicity – Back to Nature 》
Title (Original Language): 朴素
Words in the Drawing:“That is the life that I long for, where there is an attap house built in a place where there are mountains and water, where I can go fishing, grow vegetables, and be self-sufficient at all times.
When I was a child in my hometown in Indonesia, the walls of the house were double-paneled, and the middle part is empty. I do not know why they built it like that.
I have a goddaughter, Bee Eng, whose father was a Malaysian. Bee Eng's mother and I are from the same hometown in Bagan Siapi-api, Indonesia. After Bee Eng's mother got married, her husband applied for a Malaysian residency for her. Over here, if we have a partner, we can apply for marriage with the Medical Superintendent. I saw some locals here get married to Indonesian women or married to Indonesian men. It is a pity, however, that after their marriage, their partners did not help the other half to apply for a Malaysian residency. I think they must be worried that once the application is approved, their mate would leave them, and so, they do not apply for them, but this is just my guess only.”
Size：17.5cm X 15.2 cm
Location: The Valley of Hope Art Gallery
Owner: Yeoh Soon Hwa
Copyright: Yeoh Soon Hwa
Title: 《Faith》
Title (Original Language): 信念
Words in the Drawing:“ In the story of the "Tortoise and Rabbit." The tortoises' perseverance, determination, and spirit enabled it to win the race against the rabbit. When I encounter difficulties in life, I would always remind myself that "I can! I can!" and tell myself that I can do it! It is also the spirit of our inmates. Although we have leprosy and some of the inmates have deformities, but we have perseverance, and we are strong. Even though some inmates have deformed hands and feet, they are still able to do many things. We have learned that everything depends on ourselves, and do everything by ourselves.”
Size：17.5cm X 15.2 cm
Location: The Valley of Hope Art Gallery
Owner: Yeoh Soon Hwa
Copyright: Yeoh Soon Hwa
Title: 《Gratitude》
Title (Original Language): 感恩
Words in the Drawing:“ That is the picture I received on my WeChat. Because it has touched me very much, so I saved it up. Before the leprosy isolation policy ban was lifted, the inmates of the Valley of Hope were a group of people forgotten by the outside world. Our world was in this valley, and we will be spending the remaining of our life here. But I never expected that one day the place would be opened to the public. Now that we are connected with the outside world, we can go in and out of the Valley of Hope freely. Many kind-hearted people have come in to help and send supplies to us. Volunteers come in frequently to accompany us and organize activities. I am deeply grateful for everything that has happened. The name "Mu Chuan Cao" written on the drawing is one of my pen names.”
Size：17.5cm X 15.2 cm
Location: The Valley of Hope Art Gallery
Owner: Yeoh Soon Hwa
Copyright: Yeoh Soon Hwa
Title: 《Time》
Title (Original Language): 光阴
Words in the Drawing:“The early bird catches the worm! The revered chicken crows "Oh oh oh oh~~" The farmer gets up early to work. I have never plowed a field before, but I do know that the farmer starts work at sunrise, and rests only after sunset. All meals on the plates, and like every grain of rice, are from the product of toiling. The purpose of drawing this picture is to remind myself and others that time is like an arrow we have to race against time every day, don't waste time!”
Size：17.5cm X 15.2 cm
Location: The Valley of Hope Art Gallery
Owner: Yeoh Soon Hwa
Copyright: Yeoh Soon Hwa