It's been weeks Yasmin did left us. Just to share with you guys a meaningful speech given by our colleague during our get-together in studio after Yasmin's funeral on the Monday. It simply touched our heart and tears dropped like nobody business ...
For many people, when they think of Yasmin Ahmad, they think of the commercials and movies she has produced. Even though her body of work is undeniably wonderful, that is not what I think of when someone mentions Yasmin’s name.
I won’t claim that I know her that well, nor am I that close to her. A lot of other people knew her better and longer. But the beauty of Yasmin Ahmad is that you don’t have to be that close to her to know what kind of person she was.
Every time Yasmin comes into the office, she would be singing at the top of her lungs, not a care in her voice. When she passes the MD’s room, and sees him, she would shout “Ah Eng ah, Ah Eng!”. There was such bounce in her steps and we all looked at her with envy every time she goes lovey-dovey with her husband. She treated everyone equally nice, even the cleaners. She would joke with you, or play around with you, or at the very least she would be cordial with you, even if she doesn’t know you. You can come to her room at almost anytime, and just talk to her, and she would never turn you away.
In LB, we always talk about HumanKind. If there is ever a personification of the HumanKind spirit, it would be Yasmin Ahmad.
Yasmin was someone who was not afraid to stand up for what she believed in. No matter what people felt about her and her work, she just kept being herself. She was true to her faith and no one could tell her otherwise. And she was humble. If she was to hear us giving her all these praises, she would just rubbish it all and say she is nothing. Rather than be something, she would rather be nothing and at the same time a part of something bigger.
A couple of days before Yasmin fell ill, I approached her as I wanted to ask for her advice on a personal project that I was working on. She was busy and was doing her own work but she didn’t tell me to come back later. She just smiled and said “Sure!”, even though she didn’t have to. She took time and gave me some words of advice that I will remember for a long time.
I’m sure everyone has their very own special memory of Yasmin. It’s hard to believe that we won’t be able to have more of those memories. I’m even half-expecting her to just come into the office again, singing for all to hear. The way she has affected our lives, whether directly or indirectly, is incredible. Even the Bangladeshi guy from the sundry shop downstairs of our office was at her funeral, proof that she made a difference to a lot of people.
But to me, she is not really gone. She still lives on inside us. With every kind gesture, with every joyous laughter, with every sincere smile, with every joke she made, Yasmin lives in our memories. Her philosophies, her way of seeing things, all have left a mark in our souls. And she will continue to live on in every one of us as long as we make an effort to be more like her. Instead of mourning her passing, we should celebrate her life and the way she lived her life. We should continue carrying the messages that she has been trying to deliver all these years. We should be as caring and compassionate as her. We should strive to give the best in whatever we do just like her. But most importantly, we should live life like Yasmin Ahmad did.
-Indra Irwan Mohd Sari-
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