Latest news with #Lian
The Sun
25-05-2025
- Health
- The Sun
Modern-day Atlas shouldering world of grief
PETALING JAYA: Beneath the gleaming towers and on the bustling streets of Kuala Lumpur lies a harsh reality – families sleeping on cardboard, mentally ill individuals wandering around without support and elderly people abandoned by their loved ones foraging for some semblance of a meal. For nearly a decade, Tony Lian Kam Leong, 76, fondly known as Uncle Tony, has been working relentlessly to help this vulnerable group. Through his NGO, Food4You, he provides meals, shelter and a vital sense of dignity to those overlooked by society. 'During the Covid-19 pandemic, the government tried to move homeless women and children to shelters run by the National Welfare Foundation and Kuala Lumpur City Hall. 'But there are still homeless people on the streets,' Lian said, adding that one of the most serious issues is the absence of safe spaces for homeless families. 'There is no dedicated centre for them. If a father, mother and two children are found sleeping on the street, the authorities tell them to split up. Imagine that, being forced to choose between shelter and staying together. No family should ever face that kind of decision.' 'We rent them a small room in Chow Kit for six months. We tell them to find work and settle down. If not, we encourage them to return to their hometown.' Many arrive in the city chasing dreams of a better life, only to find themselves stranded. 'They believe in the promise of jobs and security. But the dream shatters. No job. No savings. No help. They end up on the streets.' Among the most heartbreaking cases are those involving mental illness. 'Some are naked. Some talk to themselves. Some just stare into space. We take them to the hospital and the doctors do what they can. But once treatment is done, their families refuse to take them back. 'They say it's too difficult... and that they are too old or unstable. And just like that, the person is back on the streets.' Malaysia has only two major psychiatric institutions – Hospital Bahagia Ulu Kinta in Perak and Hospital Permai in Johor – but both require a family member to sign the admission documents. 'Even with letters from doctors, they won't admit the individual because I'm not family. We buy medication, and sometimes we even arrange for private psychiatric care. 'If they're not violent, we get them the help they need. We check in on them, making sure they're taking their medicine. And when the treatment starts working, you see something incredible. You see the person coming back to life.' While there are plans to build a dedicated centre for mentally ill homeless individuals, Lian said it remains a distant plan. In the meantime, NGOs such as Food4You take on the burden. Lian also spoke of a moment at a shelter for the elderly that deeply moved him. 'I saw a sea of old faces. I asked: 'Where are your children? Your families?' They said: 'They don't want us.'' His voice trembled as he recounted a conversation with an elderly man, frail and hollow-eyed, whose pleading gaze bore straight into his soul. 'Where is my son? Why am I here... begging for food?' the man had poignantly asked. 'That question has never left me. It wasn't just hunger in his voice, it was absolute heartbreak,' Lian stuttered through the lump in his throat. 'This is what people need to understand. Not everyone on the streets chose this life. Some were forced out. Some slipped through the cracks. Others were simply left behind.' He also urged the younger generation never to forget their parents or neglect them when they are old. 'Love and care, they're not optional. They're sacred. You don't just cut a string and say: 'I don't love you anymore.' That's your parent, your sibling, your spouse. You don't walk away when they need you most.' Lian recently helped a man who became bedridden with gout after his wife left him. 'He has two kids, 14 and 15. But because he's sick, his wife divorced him. Is that what love means now? You don't just leave someone because they fall ill. 'I may not be able to change the whole system, but I can change one life at a time. And that's enough for me to keep going.'
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Dining across the divide: ‘He asked what I think of Trump. He's a dangerous idiot'
Lian, 57, Darlington Occupation Former professor of chemistry, now head of growth for a green startup Voting record Labour party member. Before that had voted Green in some local elections. Describes himself as centre left Amuse bouche A former PhD student of Lian's is now his boss. 'I only went to work for her for five weeks. That was two and a half years ago' Carl, 46, Darlington Occupation Ex-Royal Navy, now a software developer Voting record Mainly Conservative, but has recently been flirting with Reform Amuse bouche Carl worked for Nato in Kabul from 2016 to 2018. 'Best two years of my life. Embassy parties all the time, like Ibiza with rifles' For starters Carl I know someone else called Lian. I thought it might be the same person, but it wasn't. I had a salmon starter and a haddock katsu curry. We shot the breeze, things like how we ended up doing this. I read the Guardian as much as the Telegraph – a 50:50 split. Lian Carl's wife is a caseworker for our local MP, who I'm quite good friends with, so we had a link. I had a coronation chicken terrine, then the market fish with new potatoes and samphire. The big beef Carl The BBC licence fee should be abolished. It's not like the old days where you had four channels and that was it; there's loads of choice. We have a TV, but it's just linked up to Netflix and YouTube. I don't pay the licence fee. We get threatening letters every year – I just ignore them. Lian I don't care whether it's funded by a licence fee or central taxation, but it should be funded in a way that underpins its long-term security. The BBC does things that other channels won't do. Would you ever see Question Time on another channel? Or the wonderful David Attenborough nature programmes that cost a fortune. Carl The BBC has always been a bit lefty. And bloated. How much do they pay Gary Lineker, for example? I like watching sport, but that should just be private subscription. Strictly Come Dancing, EastEnders – they could still be made by independent producers. And the BBC should be reduced to essentially a news agency. Lian He seemed quite anti-Strictly! I love the BBC; it is one of the jewels in our crown. If we lost it, in 20 years' time we would regret it beyond contemplation. The right pushes back against the BBC because it is one of the few organisations that will report objectively, and if it thinks that the right is doing something that it shouldn't, it will be critical of that. Sharing plate Lian We agreed that in some deprived areas – Middlesbrough, for example, where there are people who are heavily dependent on benefits – a combination of carrot and stick is better than purely stick. The threat to just cut benefits is not going to be helpful to these people. Carl We agreed that climate change is happening, and something needs to be done about it. I'm a bit more sceptical, though. The Chinese, Americans, Russians aren't on board with it. So, on that basis, we're pissing in the wind a bit. For afters Related: Dining across the divide: 'I felt like the atmosphere was quite hostile' Lian He asked what I think of Donald Trump. He's a dangerous idiot, which is the worst kind. The way he is trying to bully the great universities of the US into toeing the line is disgraceful. And the whole immigration thing terrifies me – pointing a finger at somebody you suspect of being a Venezuelan terrorist, then it's someone who happens to be Venezuelan, then a US citizen you just don't like … Carl That is a bit dystopian. I don't particularly like Trump as a person – he's a narcissist. But I just can't help but admire the brass neck of the man. And he's pushed some hard truths the way of UK and Europe. For a long time, we've relied too much on the United States for defence – that's changing, which is a good thing. Takeaways Carl There was a political difference: he's to the left of me. But people of different political persuasions often get on better than people from the same side. Lian's a really nice chap; we got on great. Lian It was an honest and open discussion. I like to be challenged, and in that respect it might have been fun to meet someone who I wouldn't want to meet again. But we swapped numbers – maybe we'll meet for a beer. Additional reporting: Kitty Drake • Carl and Lian ate at Saltfish in Darlington Want to meet someone from across the divide? Find out how to take part
The Guardian
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Dining across the divide: ‘He asked what I think of Trump. He's a dangerous idiot'
Occupation Former professor of chemistry, now head of growth for a green startup Voting record Labour party member. Before that had voted Green in some local elections. Describes himself as centre left Amuse bouche A former PhD student of Lian's is now his boss. 'I only went to work for her for five weeks. That was two and a half years ago' Occupation Ex-Royal Navy, now a software developer Voting record Mainly Conservative, but has recently been flirting with Reform Amuse bouche Carl worked for Nato in Kabul from 2016 to 2018. 'Best two years of my life. Embassy parties all the time, like Ibiza with rifles' Carl I know someone else called Lian. I thought it might be the same person, but it wasn't. I had a salmon starter and a haddock katsu curry. We shot the breeze, things like how we ended up doing this. I read the Guardian as much as the Telegraph – a 50:50 split. Lian Carl's wife is a caseworker for our local MP, who I'm quite good friends with, so we had a link. I had a coronation chicken terrine, then the market fish with new potatoes and samphire. Carl The BBC licence fee should be abolished. It's not like the old days where you had four channels and that was it; there's loads of choice. We have a TV, but it's just linked up to Netflix and YouTube. I don't pay the licence fee. We get threatening letters every year – I just ignore them. Lian I don't care whether it's funded by a licence fee or central taxation, but it should be funded in a way that underpins its long-term security. The BBC does things that other channels won't do. Would you ever see Question Time on another channel? Or the wonderful David Attenborough nature programmes that cost a fortune. Carl The BBC has always been a bit lefty. And bloated. How much do they pay Gary Lineker, for example? I like watching sport, but that should just be private subscription. Strictly Come Dancing, EastEnders – they could still be made by independent producers. And the BBC should be reduced to essentially a news agency. Lian He seemed quite anti-Strictly! I love the BBC; it is one of the jewels in our crown. If we lost it, in 20 years' time we would regret it beyond contemplation. The right pushes back against the BBC because it is one of the few organisations that will report objectively, and if it thinks that the right is doing something that it shouldn't, it will be critical of that. Sign up to Inside Saturday The only way to get a look behind the scenes of the Saturday magazine. Sign up to get the inside story from our top writers as well as all the must-read articles and columns, delivered to your inbox every weekend. after newsletter promotion Lian We agreed that in some deprived areas – Middlesbrough, for example, where there are people who are heavily dependent on benefits – a combination of carrot and stick is better than purely stick. The threat to just cut benefits is not going to be helpful to these people. Carl We agreed that climate change is happening, and something needs to be done about it. I'm a bit more sceptical, though. The Chinese, Americans, Russians aren't on board with it. So, on that basis, we're pissing in the wind a bit. Lian He asked what I think of Donald Trump. He's a dangerous idiot, which is the worst kind. The way he is trying to bully the great universities of the US into toeing the line is disgraceful. And the whole immigration thing terrifies me – pointing a finger at somebody you suspect of being a Venezuelan terrorist, then it's someone who happens to be Venezuelan, then a US citizen you just don't like … Carl That is a bit dystopian. I don't particularly like Trump as a person – he's a narcissist. But I just can't help but admire the brass neck of the man. And he's pushed some hard truths the way of UK and Europe. For a long time, we've relied too much on the United States for defence – that's changing, which is a good thing. Carl There was a political difference: he's to the left of me. But people of different political persuasions often get on better than people from the same side. Lian's a really nice chap; we got on great. Lian It was an honest and open discussion. I like to be challenged, and in that respect it might have been fun to meet someone who I wouldn't want to meet again. But we swapped numbers – maybe we'll meet for a beer. Additional reporting: Kitty Drake Carl and Lian ate at Saltfish in Darlington Want to meet someone from across the divide? Find out how to take part
Zawya
21-04-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Omani startup develops AI-powered device to aid deaf and mute
Muscat – A student-led startup in Oman has developed an AI-powered device to support communication for the deaf and mute, earning international recognition and attracting global investor interest. The company, Sirius, created a system called Language, which includes smart glasses that convert sound into readable text and then into speech. The setup is supported by a smartwatch and a digital app also designed to address literacy challenges, allowing users to interact more easily with the wider community. The innovation won a silver medal at Geneva International Exhibition of Inventions held from April 9 to 13. Lian Saeed al Rahbi, one of the innovators behind the project, said the idea was prompted by real-life needs of people with hearing and speech impairments. 'The product was born out of a personal connection and a desire to address a real social need,' Lian said. 'We conducted an in-depth study of the community's requirements before developing the system.' She added that feedback from users during trials helped the team refine the device. 'The confidence we saw from users was the greatest encouragement. We now have a fully functional digital model and we're working on a long-term plan to market it.' According to Lian, international investors have expressed interest in the device, which she described as 'a tech breakthrough with a purely Omani youthful touch'. The team is reviewing commercial proposals to determine the best route to take the device to a global audience. 'We want to build a future that promotes innovation, inclusion and dignity,' she said, urging young inventors to be confident and committed. 'Never give up. You must believe in your abilities to achieve your dreams through hard work and determination, because creativity knows no limits.' The team hopes to begin large-scale manufacturing of the device soon, with focus on accessibility and maintaining high production standards. © Apex Press and Publishing Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Muscat Daily
19-04-2025
- Business
- Muscat Daily
Omani startup develops AI-powered device to aid deaf and mute
Muscat – A student-led startup in Oman has developed an AI-powered device to support communication for the deaf and mute, earning international recognition and attracting global investor interest. The company, Sirius, created a system called Language, which includes smart glasses that convert sound into readable text and then into speech. The setup is supported by a smartwatch and a digital app also designed to address literacy challenges, allowing users to interact more easily with the wider community. The innovation won a silver medal at Geneva International Exhibition of Inventions held from April 9 to 13. Lian Saeed al Rahbi, one of the innovators behind the project, said the idea was prompted by real-life needs of people with hearing and speech impairments. 'The product was born out of a personal connection and a desire to address a real social need,' Lian said. 'We conducted an in-depth study of the community's requirements before developing the system.' She added that feedback from users during trials helped the team refine the device. 'The confidence we saw from users was the greatest encouragement. We now have a fully functional digital model and we're working on a long-term plan to market it.' According to Lian, international investors have expressed interest in the device, which she described as 'a tech breakthrough with a purely Omani youthful touch'. The team is reviewing commercial proposals to determine the best route to take the device to a global audience. 'We want to build a future that promotes innovation, inclusion and dignity,' she said, urging young inventors to be confident and committed. 'Never give up. You must believe in your abilities to achieve your dreams through hard work and determination, because creativity knows no limits.' The team hopes to begin large-scale manufacturing of the device soon, with focus on accessibility and maintaining high production standards.
