Overcoming stigma so she can 'speak' for the deaf

MALAYSIANSKINI | Growing up as a hearing child in a deaf household, it didn't take long for Goh Soo Leng to find herself in the role of an unofficial interpreter for her parents.

Trips to the bank would see Goh accompanying her father, as she was tasked to be his ears.

At home, Goh said, most of her time was spent alone, although she recalled how her late grandmother and uncles, who played the roles of "substitute parents" to her and her two other siblings, would often dish out scoldings and reminders for them to behave.

In a recent Skype interview with Malaysiakini, the bubbly 41-year-old opened up about her unique self-identity, shaped by a journey through languages.

Unlike some Chinese Malaysians, Goh described herself as a "banana" who identified herself more with the deaf culture, rather than skin colour or her cultural heritage...