MIRI: Malay student Irdina Batrisyia Mohd Faizul, who stands out among her Chinese peers with erhu performance at the school graduation ceremony in Miri, now owns an erhu, thanks to a Sin Chew Daily reader from Johor.

Moved by her passion, dedication and perseverance to overcome language, cultural and religious barriers to master the two-stringed bowed musical instrument also known as Chinese violin, the reader, who only wishes to be known as Lim, gifted an erhu to Irdina Batrisyia of SMK St Columbia in Miri.

After reading the heart-warming story published on Sin Chew Daily last month, Lim made an arrangement to present Irdina Batrisyia, 14, an erhu through Sin Chew Daily.

Lim sent a brand new erhu from Johor Bahru on October 28 for delivery to Irdina Batrisyia through Sin Chew Daily’s Miri office.

Sarawak Deputy Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Datuk Sebastian Ting witnessed the handover of erhu to Irdina Batrisyia.

Also present were Irdina Batrisyia’s parents, the school principal, Chinese orchestra instructor Khiu Chiong Tieu, and the Assistant Chief Reporter of Sin Chew Daily’s Northern Sarawak Region Jong Wan Joon.

Irdina Batrisyia received the unexpected gift with visible joy and emotion as her dream to own the musical instrument had come through.

She expressed heartfelt thanks to the Johor giver whom she has never met, and Sin Chew Daily for making the connection.

This encouragement, traveling across the South China Sea from Johor to Miri, Sarawak, has strengthened her determination to continue learning erhu.

Chinese orchestra instructor Khiu said another Chinese reader personally presented RM1,000 to the school in support of the Chinese orchestra after reading the story.

However, the reader wished to remain a low profile and declined to be named.

Khiu said the school wished to thank both donors for supporting the school and its Chinese orchestra.

In an interview with Sin Chew Daily, Irdina revealed that she first encountered the Chinese orchestra when she was in Form One, and was instantly captivated by the instrument’s hauntingly beautiful sound, prompting her to join the school’s Chinese orchestra.

Irdina shared that she faced many challenges at the beginning—language barrier and difficulty keeping up with the rhythm—but she never gave up.

Instead, her interest grew stronger with every practice session.

After three months of intensive training, she gradually managed to master the basics, and within half a year, she was ready to perform on stage.

Due to her family’s financial situation, she still borrows the school’s erhu for practice. Her greatest wish is to own her very own erhu one day.

Read also: Malay girl’s erhu performance steals the show at Miri school graduation ceremony