KUALA LUMPUR: At a young age, Muhammad Rafiuddin Naufal Mohd Nazron already developed an interest in modelling balloons into various shapes that he learned through tutorial videos on YouTube.
Little did he know, his hobby would eventually lead him to become a street entertainer at the age of 11 in 2019.
After realising he has a knack for balloon crafts and entertaining, Muhammad Rafiuddin Naufal, now 14, then joined skills classes and formal training run by senior street performers to hone those skills.
"Through those classes, I was able to get to know more experienced clowns and then I was able to join Persatuan Seniman Badut Malaysia, which opened up more opportunities for me to perform," he told Bernama.
Often accompanied by his father, Mohd Nazron Wahih, 44, this teenage clown who is fondly known as 'Opal De Clown' did not feel awkward performing alongside other senior clowns with more experience in entertaining the crowd, especially children.
While other teenagers his age love music and games, Muhammad Rafiuddin Naufal is comfortable doing activities that are synonymous with children's interests, and he truly loves the sense of fulfilment he feels after making other people smile.
"My hard work pays off when I see people smile. When they are happy, I am delighted too.
"Among my unforgettable memories was when I entertained a group of disabled people at a restaurant. They patiently waited for me until I finished my last performance to take pictures with me because they were exhilarated by my show," he said.
However, Muhammad Rafiuddin Naufal admitted that not all audience loves a clown character; some even ran away out of fear.
"Some even cried, but it did not last long. I would try to cheer them up with various jokes and dancing, and usually, I managed to turn their frown upside down when I gave them some balloons," he said.
Being a student at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Bandar Baru Salak Tinggi, Sepang, the eldest of three siblings would usually go out to perform on weekends, public holidays and school holidays so as not to disrupt his studies.
Besides performing randomly and participating in carnivals, Muhammad Rafiuddin Naufal said he often received invitations to enliven birthday parties, weddings and graduations, and requests from people to surprise their loved ones.
Elaborating, the teenager said he would carry out the activities three times a week, each lasting for about four hours, adding that he could earn more than four figures a month.
When asked about his future plans, the Selangor native said he wants to become an art education teacher since the field is close to his heart, and he is genuinely passionate about becoming an educator.
"But I will also continue to perform as a clown to entertain people," he said.
-- BERNAMA
Bernama
Sun Sep 11 2022
Teenage clown, Muhammad Rafiuddin Naufal, who is fondly known as 'Opal De Clown' did not feel awkward performing alongside other senior clowns with more experience in entertaining the crowd, especially children. - FB Opal De' Clown
Bursa Malaysia dibuka tinggi seiring prestasi Wall Street
Bursa Malaysia dibuka rendah pada Isnin, mengambil petunjuk pasaran serantau dan kenaikan di Wall Street pada hari Jumaat.
Kementerian Perpaduan kaji keperluan pelan tindakan pendidikan & penghargaan Rukun Negara
Kementerian Perpaduan Negara melalui Jabatan Perpaduan dan Integrasi Nasional akan mengkaji keperluan untuk melancarkan Pelan Tindakan Pendidikan & Penghargaan Rukun Negara sejajar dengan Dasar Perpaduan Negara 2021-2030.
Akta pekerjaan bagi lindungi pekerja OKU/Autistik diperlukan
Beatrice yang juga merupakan individu autistik berkata, bagi mengadakan akta atau menggubal dasar berkaitan, kerajaan perlu libatkan lebih banyak golongan autistik sebagai pemegang taruh utama.
Mesyuarat FOMC: The Fed dijangka kekalkan kadar faedah Mei 2024
Ketua Ekonomi Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd, Dr Mohd Afzanizam Abdul Rashid berkata, ia selepas unjuran awal beberapa pakar ekonomi melihat The Fed masih belum cukup yakin dengan usaha menurunkan kadar inflasi di negara itu.
Apple perkenal HomePod, HomePod Mini di Malaysia, harga bermula RM529
Kedua-duanya akan mula dijual 10 Mei 2024 untuk pasaran tempatan.
[TERKINI] Chegu Bard didakwa keluar kenyataan fitnah, menghasut
Ahli Jawatankuasa Penerangan Bersatu Badrul Hisham Shaharin atau dikenali ramai dengan nama panggilan Chegu Bard didakwa di Mahkamah Sesyen di sini hari ini atas dua pertuduhan menghasut dan mengeluarkan kenyataan fitnah yang akan merosakkan nama baik Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim.
WEF: TotalEnergies setuju tingkat pelaburan di Malaysia - PM
TotalEnergies menyatakan komitmen dan bersetuju untuk mempertingkatkan pelaburan dalam sektor huluan minyak dan gas serta terus meneroka peluang dalam bidang penyimpanan karbon di Malaysia.
Kanak-kanak Malaysia tidak cukup belajar di sekolah - Laporan Bank Dunia
Laporan baharu Bank Dunia bertajuk “Bending Bamboo Shoots: Strengthening Foundation Skills" memberi gambaran membimbangkan tentang sistem pendidikan Malaysia.
Mesyuarat Khas WEF: Dunia perlukan persaingan sihat dalam transisi ke Orde Baharu - Menteri Luar Arab Saudi
Menteri Luar Negeri Arab Saudi, Putera Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud berkata dunia memerlukan persaingan sihat dalam transisi daripada Orde Dunia Lama kepada Orde Baharu. Jelasnya, persaingan ini akan memberi manfaat dalam bentuk kos pengeluaran lebih rendah, perkembangan inovasi dan pelaburan lebih baik.
Mesyuarat Khas WEF: Dunia saling tidak percaya akibat kebergantungan dipersenjatakan - Naib Presiden Suruhanjaya Eropah
Naib Presiden Suruhanjaya Eropah, Josep Borrell Fontelles berkata fenomena hilang kepercayaan yang melanda komuniti antarabangsa ketika ini adalah akibat kebergantungan yang dipersenjatakan oleh beberapa pihak. Jelasnya, situasi ini boleh membawa kepada pengasingan negara-negara tertentu dari pentas global, seterusnya menghambat pelaksanaan agenda antarabangsa.
Badut remaja 'Opal De Clown' tambat perhatian ramai
Anak jati Selangor itu berhasrat menjadi guru pendidikan seni memandangkan bidang tersebut berada dekat di hati.