For many, retirement is seen as a time to slow down and rest, but for Tham Thin Yin, better known as Uncle Tham, it became the moment that pushed him to give even more of himself to others.
What began as a single emotional visit to a home for children with disabilities slowly turned into a lifelong commitment.
Born and raised in Kuala Lumpur, Tham grew up fascinated by how things worked. This curiosity led him to pursue engineering, eventually specialising in Elevator Engineering. After decades in the field, Tham retired in 2023 but continued to be involved in social work.
For more than 30 years, he organised marathons and charity events to raise funds for underprivileged families and children with disabilities. Yet it was a single visit to a home for children with disabilities that transformed his approach to life.
Helping people with disabilities
A few years ago, Tham attended a seminar on people with disabilities (PWDs) and learned that only 1.8% of Malaysians are registered as one.
This then inspired him to advocate for independent living and workforce inclusion for PWD, as it benefits both individuals and the country.
“10 years ago, my 80-year-old aunt fell at home and could only get help hours later. This made me realise the dangers of elderly people living alone.
“I first tried designing a system of alarms in her home to ensure her safety, but it didn’t work. She kept falling as she couldn’t move even half a metre to trigger the sensors.
“I then imported a mobile GPS alarm from China, which worked well at first. However, when China switched their GPS system to BeiDou, the alarms became ineffective.
“Seeing the daily mobility challenges faced by the 90 disabled individuals in my care motivated me to design devices tailored to each person’s specific needs. This became the driving force behind my inventions,” he explained.
Tham’s engineering experience does not influence his inventions much as he only used basic engineering knowledge. However, he believes anyone can create solutions for disabled people.
What really matters is passion. You need to carefully observe each person’s movement, because every disabled individual has different needs and physical abilities.
Start of a new journey
20 years ago, Tham visited a home as a representative of the World Runner Association of Malaysia to donate funds.
However, the scene that met his eyes left him with a kind of shock he never felt before.
When I first walked through the main entrance, I felt an electric shock through my body. There were about 15 children with cerebral palsy sleeping on the floor with only thin mattresses.
“Being an electrical engineer, I initially thought there was a current leakage at the door frame, so I brought a tester to check, but there was none.
“I’ve never seen such a miserable situation before, and it deeply touched my heart. I then spent time talking to the children and learning about their needs and feelings,” he recounted.
From that moment, Tham decided to dedicate himself to helping the centre, and today it has become like his second home. He began talking to the children, understanding their daily struggles, and learning about their needs
Creating For Everyone
Tham created mobility aids for PWDs and shared them on his Instagram page (@uncle.tham), where it has since garnered widespread attention.
“Many people have engaged and commented on my videos, saying my ideas are good. I also share instructions on social media so people can build these devices and provide them for free if funding is available.
“I mostly use recycled materials to keep costs low, because many PWDs cannot afford expensive equipment as you don’t need fancy tools or advanced engineering to make a difference,” he says.
When asked what he feels about the impact he left behind for PWDs, Tham said he’s overjoyed and hopes to see more PWDs step out into society, learn to live independently, and empower themselves to achieve their goals.
“As an individual, my capabilities are limited, but I hope more NGOs will adopt and organise these ideas to make a bigger, lasting impact for PWDs.
“If we are blessed with good health, we should take care of ourselves and help those less fortunate. This is what makes life meaningful.”
What matters is passion, careful observation, and a desire to solve real problems.”
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