Speaking to FMT, 24-year-old Azmil Bajir said he never expected to one day dress up as a clown and entertain people.
“I do feel some embarrassment because my friends have great jobs,” said the Sabahan, who started working part-time as a clown after graduating from Universiti Selangor (Unisel).
But he said he has put aside such feelings and pays little heed to what society thinks because at the end of the day, he is working and earning a living.
Azmil also said he is grateful his family does not object to him working as a clown, adding that they are always praying for his success.
“I always remind myself there’s nothing wrong with what I’m doing. I’m the second of nine siblings, I know I have many younger siblings,” he said, adding he did not like to trouble his parents.
Every weekend, Azmil, who works at ClownBadut, entertains children with balloon sculptures, something he picked up from other clowns and YouTube.
“It’s challenging and you have to focus. If we take an interest in what we do, it will work out.”
Azmil said he wants to improve his showmanship so that he can compete with clowns from overseas who have greater skills, especially in entertaining their audiences.
Such clowns, he said, could capture the imagination of their audiences in under a minute.
“I want to be like that and, at the same time, earn a lot of money,” said Azmil. who has a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Management.
He said he is used to working, having done so while studying, and that the thought of taking a break has not crossed his mind.
“I did all sorts of part-time jobs. I’ve worked in hotels, catering companies, printing shops, been a Grab driver and painted roads,” he said.
On the high rate of unemployment among youths, Azmil said graduates should take a leaf from migrant workers who come to work here.
“I feel graduates need to travel. If you stay in a place that’s comfortable, you will become lazy and dependent on your family.”
According to the Department of Statistics, there were 516,500 unemployed people in the first quarter of 2019, with 174,327 of these being graduates who are actively looking for jobs on the JobsMalaysia system.