In retrospect: a retirement interview with Rasaya Marimuthu / Nazima Versay Kudus

1. Please describe your work history, beginning with your first job.
I started my teaching career as a secondary school English language teacher in 1988 after undergoing training at the Language
Institute, KL. My first posting was at a state Islamic Religious School in a remote part of Pahang, in a place called
Padang Tengku. Two years later, I was transferred to a government funded Secondary School - SM Padang Tengku. After 6
years, upon my application to return closer to my parents, I was posted to SM Mahang in Kulim, Kedah. In 1994, I left to pursue
my TESL degree in UPM and upon my return, was posted to another rural school in Kedah, in the district of Sik – SMK
Jeneri, and then on to SMK Bakai in Baling. In 2003, I was offered and accepted the post of Educational Technology lecturer
at the Teachers Training College of Perlis, as I had then completed my M. Ed. (Edu. Tech.). Later the same year, I joined
UiTM as an English language lecturer in its Dungun Campus. In late 2008, I managed to get a transfer to its Penang Campus
and have been here ever since.

2. What inspired you to become a language lecturer?
On a frank note, teaching was never my preferred vocation at one time, let alone being an English language teacher. It was
at the insistence of my family that I had applied to pursue a career in teaching. However, I have always had this knack for
the English language from very early on and excelled in the subject, despite the fact that Tamil was fully used at home and
studying in the full Malay medium. I was an avid reader of Reader's Digest and other English language materials back then.
I must say that my real love for the English language started in college while undergoing my training and upon exposure to
the intricacies and nuances of the language. There was no turning back after that – I wanted to excel as an English teacher.
I just enjoyed the process of teaching the language to my pupils, in creative ways.