Michelle Ng did not forsake her generation...

will you forsake yours?

"I thought long and hard about it — if the path that I’m going to walk will cause my family to turn against me, if the path that I am taking will leave me with huge financial burdens, if the path that I take will be so hindered such that, at the end of the day, I wouldn’t be anywhere near what I intend to achieve, is it worth it?

My parents told me: “Michelle, you’re a smart child. Get a job overseas. Don’t come back.”

I thought that the suggestion had merit and, at one point, gave huge weight to it. Law enforcement in Malaysia seemed hopeless. So they say, “one man can’t change the world”.

I went through a tough battle with myself. My mum had a point. If the system was already corrupted, and if you are going to work in the system, you’re not going to get anywhere. Logically, I thought to myself — the only way to achieve my dreams will be to change the system. And the only way to do that was, well, politics.

I thought myself crazy for a moment. I felt that everything would be working against me if I went into that field. I am a Chinese, Christian, female. Who would want to hear what I say? I kept this to myself for a long time. I didn’t dare say anything to anyone for fear that I will be made fun of.

But since making that decision, it has rested well with my soul. I felt good about it.

In 2009, when I held office in the Malaysian Society in LSE, I was approached to organise a talk in LSE for Anwar Ibrahim. For the safety and wellbeing of the community I represented, I felt that it would have been suicidal to say yes to organising this event. Surely, since his release from prison, he will inadvertently draw a huge crowd with hugely varying interests and opinions. I made my stance clear to his organising committee, but directed them to the right sources so that they can organise their event in LSE nonetheless."...

Source:

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/breakingviews/article/i-almost-forsook-my-generation-michelle-ng/
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