In her sixties, Chang Nyuk Mui cherishes her time on a bicycle, for it gives her the freedom to go wherever she wishes. The bicycle has been her faithful mode of transport since childhood.
“You may be poor, but never poor in spirit.” These words of wisdom, said by Chang Nyuk Mui’s father, are etched in her deepest childhood memory, and have become her motto in life.
“Even though I wasn’t very good at studying, I don’t know why, my father’s words just touched the very core of my heart.” Because of this saying, the young Chang Nyuk Mui silently made three vows: “First, to be a filial child; second, to work hard and earn enough to buy a home for my family; third, once I have money, I have to help others.”
“We were very poor, but I believed that as long as I have hands and feet, I could work hard to change our situation.” Chang Nyuk Mui grew up in a wooden house in a rubber estate in Melaka, Malaysia, living with her family of nine. Arduous tasks like tapping rubber, emptying collection cups, fetching water, and chopping wood were a huge part of her childhood, and they strengthened her determination to change her circumstances.
Chang Nyuk Mui is the fourth child in her family. After graduating from secondary school, she had the chance to continue her studies. But with younger siblings at home, she had to face reality and stay in her hometown to work and earn money. In 1988, with just 50 Malaysian ringgit, and a mix of reluctance and resolve, she left for Singapore to pursue her aspiration, venturing into a city completely unfamiliar to her.
“I love my family deeply and never thought of leaving them,” she said, her voice choking with emotion. Although growing up in poverty made her feel inferior, she constantly reminded herself that no matter how scared she was, she had to face life head-on.
Chang Nyuk Mui with her beloved family. （Photo courtesy of Chang Nyuk Mui）
For her family, she set out for a foreign land
When she first arrived in Singapore, Chang Nyuk Mui worked as an operator in a factory and lived in an eleven-person worker dormitory. She lived frugally and worked overtime every day just to earn a little more.
She recalled, “Every year, I only had two days off during the Lunar New Year period to go home. The rest of the time, I couldn’t go back. What’s more, the factory held my passport.” What made it even more difficult was that at that time, retrieving one’s passport required a guarantor or a deposit of S$500, an almost impossible sum for Chang Nyuk Mui, whose monthly income was at most S$681.
A year later, Chang Nyuk Mui realised that such working conditions did not align with her original goals, and her meagre salary made it nearly impossible to save for a home. Ignoring her supervisor’s pleas, she decided to resign without another job lined up.
Her second job was as an operator in an aircraft parts factory. When she first joined, her basic salary was S$680 — a wage higher than she had ever dreamt of. She then stayed in this job for 18 and a half years.
“I didn’t want to bow to hardship.” During her time at the aircraft parts factory, Chang Nyuk Mui came close to depression due to excessive stress, but through sheer determination, she overcame her inner struggles.
It was this resilient spirit that caught her supervisor’s attention, leading to her promotion as the factory’s only female team leader. Later, she was transferred to the position of clerk. Despite her limited proficiency in English and lack of computer skills, she embraced the challenges and opportunities given by her supervisor, even attending English classes that she paid for herself after work.
During her time at the factory, she was also given the opportunity to represent the company at an awards ceremony in the United States (US). “I was very grateful. It was the first time I travelled so far,” she said with a smile. “The company even helped me obtain a ten-year US visa.”
Chang Nyuk Mui still keeps the documents and videos from her trip to the US.
Separated by life and death, she still sees her father in her dreams
Just as her life was improving, fate dealt Chang Nyuk Mui a heavy blow. In 1994, her father passed away from lung cancer.
As medical care was not that advanced back then, her father passed away four months after he was diagnosed. During that time, she rushed home every week just to spend a little more time with him in the hospital.
“I spent so much money, but it didn’t help…” When Chang Nyuk Mui heard that lingzhi (reishi) could treat cancer, she went all in. “After my father passed, I counted the amount of packaging in the room, it must have cost over twenty thousand dollars.”
Her father’s death plunged her into more than a decade of grief and longing, and she grew thinner day by day. “I dreamt of my father every night. I just couldn’t let go.”
Chang Nyuk Mui has worked alone in a foreign land for over thirty years. Besides buying a house for her family in her hometown of Melaka, she has also established a home for herself in Singapore.
Chang Nyuk Mui’s father was strict and had high expectations for his children. Under his discipline, she never dared to socialise with male classmates or go out, not even when she was out with her fellow female classmates.
In fact, whether in her youth or as an adult, Chang Nyuk Mui always had one thought: to earn money on her own and give her family a better life. Even when pursued by wealthy suitors, she chose to rely on herself.
In 2002, Chang Nyuk Mui finally fulfilled her second childhood vow by buying a house for her family in her hometown. “My father never had the fortune to enjoy the house,” she said, a mental obstacle she still had not fully overcome at the time.
With an open heart, life feels lighter
A turning point in life came in 2006, when Chang Nyuk Mui became connected with Tzu Chi.
“After learning about Buddhism, I realised that everything happens for a reason.” This helped Chang Nyuk Mui let go of the grief over her father’s passing and focus on the present.
At first an active Tzu Chi volunteer, Chang Nyuk Mui became a staff member at the Lakeside Family Medicine Clinic, which was taken over by Tzu Chi in May 2014, primarily handling front-desk registration and reception duties.
At first, Chang Nyuk Mui did good deeds simply as a way to transfer merit to her father. However, becoming a Tzu Chi volunteer helped her find direction in life and experience the true joy of helping others. From then on, she devoted more of her time to Tzu Chi activities such as charity home visits, environmental work, and helping out at free clinics.
Today, Chang Nyuk Mui is not only a Tzu Chi volunteer but also a staff member at the Lakeside Family Medicine Clinic, which is managed by Tzu Chi. Despite her busy schedule with Tzu Chi’s work, she makes time each month to return to Melaka to visit her elderly mother and family.
To expand one’s love is true wealth
Having passed the age of 60, Chang Nyuk Mui, like many migrants, came from Malaysia to Singapore with the intention of making a living. Many years later, she chose to settle down in this country.
During the pandemic, she became a Singaporean citizen and ended over 30 years of renting houses, finally owning her own home. Her home is minimalist yet neatly furnished, with most of the kitchenware and furniture second-hand. “This was given to me by someone, this too, and this as well…” she says.
Living a very frugal life, Chang Nyuk Mui brings her own lunch every day and rides her beloved bicycle to and from work. She jokingly calls herself a “millionaire,” having received four Tzu Chi “Honorary Board Member” recognitions (awarded each time one donates NT$1 million, roughly S$42,000, to Tzu Chi).
“If it weren’t for Tzu Chi, I’d probably still be working, doing overtime, sleeping, then back to work, do overtime and sleep. I can’t imagine where I’d be now.” She admits that without Tzu Chi, she wouldn’t spend her hard-earned money.
“Master Cheng Yen said to make every second count and to take each step steadily. So I also tell myself never to let this life pass by in vain.”
“Now I seize every opportunity to serve. What I earn is merit, not the worldly wealth I used to pursue. I believe it is more blessed to give than to receive.” For her, spiritual abundance is more important than material enjoyment, and she hopes that her actions can inspire others.
“Life is like riding a bicycle; the direction is in your own hands. You have to pedal hard to move forward. If you’re moving without effort, it means you’re going downhill. Whether facing headwinds or tailwinds, it’s all up to you!” Chang Nyuk Mui says this quote perfectly describes her personality.
She loves her family and extends that love to the community. Shouldering Tzu Chi’s charitable work as a volunteer, Chang Nyuk Mui has served for many years as a community leader, earning a reputation for her reliability. In turn, she has nurtured innumerable relationships. At the clinic counter, she is a trusted listener for patients; on her bicycle, she radiates a sense of freedom and vitality.
“It is perseverance that creates miracles, and faith that generates courage.” Chang Nyuk Mui is very fond of this saying by Master Cheng Yen, and it truly reflects her life journey.
Share 
