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It was never the big sum that Ain Ahmad remembered most; it was the 20 sen.
That was the amount her Geography teacher, Koay Aun Chuan, would sometimes leave on her desk — quietly, without a word — when she needed money for photocopying.
Sometimes it was for books or other small school costs.
He never made a show of it.
He simply noticed when she was short, and made up the difference before she had to ask.
More than two decades later, that small habit is what stayed with her.
“Even if it was just 20 sen for photocopying, he would give it to me,” Ain recalled.
The Year She Almost Couldn’t Sit Her Exam
The kindness began in 2003, when Ain was in Form Six at SMK Kuala Ketil in Kedah and facing a problem she couldn’t solve on her own.
She could not afford her STPM examination fees, and the deadline was only a week away.
It was not that she didn’t want to pay; her family was poor, and the money simply wasn’t there.
She was desperate enough to consider pawning her belongings to raise the funds.
When Koay asked her about the payment, she explained her situation, and he stepped in and helped her secure the financial assistance she needed — so she could sit for the exam.
For Ain, the help carried extra weight because the two came from different racial backgrounds.
Even though we were of different races, Teacher Koay always helped me when my family was poor.
Education Is the Key
Koay’s support didn’t stop at the exam fees.
Through her school days, he kept an eye out for the small costs that can quietly pile up for a struggling student — and covered them, often without drawing attention to himself.
He also offered something beyond money.
Ain said he often reminded his students that education was the key to changing their lives.
It was advice that stayed with her long after she left school, and one she carried into her career as a police officer.
For years, Ain tried to find the teacher who had made such a lasting impact on her life.
She recently managed to reconnect with him.
The Reunion She Spent Years Searching For
First came a fruit basket, sent as a token of appreciation; then, during a recent holiday, she finally met him in person — fulfilling a wish she had held for a long time.
Koay, now retired, shared that he had been involved in a road accident several years ago but is now in good health.
Ain is not the only student to have sought him out; over the years, many of his former students have come back to visit him.
Ain shared her story on TikTok last month, in conjunction with Teacher’s Day.
It quickly resonated, with many online praising Koay’s quiet generosity — and Ain’s gratitude in remembering the teacher who helped her when she needed it most.
There is a Chinese proverb, 一日為師，終身為父 / yī rì wéi shī, zhōng shēn wèi fù, which means, “A teacher for one day is a father for a lifetime.”
Ain would probably not disagree.
@ainsofeaadam27 #CapCut Alhamdulillah, akhirnya dah jumpa Cikgu Koay, gembira sgt dapat jumpa Cikgu dan dengar cerita cikgu. Semoga dengan video ni dapat menggembirakan hati semua yg menanti video saya berjumpa Cikgu. Banyak yang dikongsi oleh Cikgu Koay. Cikgu ada baca semua komen2 positif dan sangat2 menghargai semua. Kata cikgu kepada semua“ jaga kesihatan dan teruskan berbuat baik”🩷 #fyp #cikgukoay #fypage ♬ Memori Tercipta – <3
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