Fighting The Odds: The Penang Girl Whose Dad Poured Acid On Her Is Now An Auditor
Afraid at first, 23-year-old Tan Hui Linn says she is filled with appreciation.
By Sadho Ram — 22 Jul 2015, 05:17 AM
Some more than 5 years ago, in the wee hours of 24 October 2009, 23-year-old Tan Hui Linn, who back then was barely 18, was sleeping with her mum in their house in Jalan Batu Lanchang, Penang, when she was jolted out of her sleep, feeling her skin burn
However, after opening her eyes, Linn could not see a thing. She heard her mum ask, "Why are you doing this?" but had no idea what was going on. Later, she would find out that her own father had attacked her and her mother with acid while they were fast asleep.
The brutal acid attack left her blind in her right eye and killed her 50-year-old mum. It also left her in tremendous pain and emotionally traumatised to the point that she refused to leave the confines of her home.
Then, when she saw all the people surrounding her — her relatives, her brother, friends and teachers — who gave her their full support, she says she felt she had to stand up again. She rebuilt her confidence.
Fast forward to 2015, after undergoing numerous facial reconstruction surgeries in South Korea, the 23-year-old graduated from Sunway TES Centre for Accountancy Excellence in April, rising from the incident a stronger, more confident, and a happier individual. She also has no qualms telling people about her past.
Now that her face no longer attracts immediate stares, she said she could confidently leave her home anytime without feeling the need to wear a mask. Instead of looking at the incident as a black period in her life, Tan sees it as a blessing instead.
“Without the incident, I would not be so grateful for what I have now and I would not have had the opportunities offered to me to further my studies,” she said. She also believes that she is more cheerful and confident than before the incident.
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Today, the acid attack survivor draws strength from her friends and relatives and is enjoying her work as an auditor in an accounting firm in Penang, which she joined two months ago. Linn says she was touched when her colleagues welcomed her with open arms.
“I thought I needed some time to explain to my colleagues about my looks but they did not ask anything and treated me nicely,” she said.
“I still remember that I could not see anything at the beginning. So, I consider myself the luckiest person as I am able to see the world again with my left eye,” she said.
After her graduation, when asked if there was anything she wanted, Linn said that her wish was for her mum to "share this moment" with her. "I studied hard and really wanted to graduate because of her."
“I am proud of myself and hope she will be proud of me, too,” she told reporters after her graduation ceremony.
Jelutong MP Jeff Ooi, who had journeyed with the gritty girl and helped coordinate her trips to South Korea, was also there.
After the centre’s 30th graduation ceremony, TES executive director Teo Ee Sing said he was very proud of Hui Linn.This was because, in spite of all that she had gone through, she passed all the ACCA papers on her first attempt. “With her perseverance and her determination, Hui Linn proves to be a role model to all,” he said.
Hui Linn (third from left) with (back row, from left) her brother Jun Hong, Teo, uncles Chong Hai Eng and Koay Cheng Ui, Ooi and (bottom row, from left) nephew Ng Yu Rou and niece Ng Yu Bin following her graduation ceremony.
Image via The StarHowever, due to her vision problems, Linn, a Penangite, cannot drive and, therefore, has to depend on her brother to drive her to work. Previously, she forgave her father for what he did to her and her mum, who apologised to her when she visited him in prison.
“I look at my face in the mirror every day. I am filled with appreciation. I feel I have gained more than I have lost,” she said.
Tan’s father Teil Siew, 59, was acquitted by the High Court here in April 2011 of murdering his wife and grievously hurting his daughter by splashing acid on them. The court ruled that the man was of unsound mind when he committed the gruesome act, but ordered him to be detained at the pleasure of the Penang Yang di-Pertua Negri.