Category: Non-Bumi

I very recently applied for a scholarship offered by Yayasan Daya Diri, a really amazing non-profit organisation that is working on developing education and community initiatives for the Bumiputera and indigenous communities in Malaysia (read more about them on their website, here). They are offering to pay for half of the tuition fees for students in the top ranking universities, with a focus on niche or speciality subjects.

I was pretty ecstatic when I found out that my unpopular degree choice would actually work to my benefit. However, disaster struck on the "eligibility" section, where "bumiputera" was one of the criteria for applicants, a blip that is pretty specific to Malaysian culture.

I understand that Yayasan Daya Diri specifically states that it caters to the development of Bumiputera and indigenous communities, but it is quite frustrating to be constrained from a cause to improve Malaysia because you are not the "right kind of Malaysian". One would think that an effort to promote the study of niche areas that need to be developed in Malaysia would not be closing it's doors to more than 30% of the population. 

Despite the objections of my mother who told me that applying would be a waste of time, I sat down and did it anyway (the teenage rebellion lives on). After filling up the typical CV type information, I got to the essay writing bit. It was not intended to be malicious in any way - this is what I hashed this out in 20 minutes of pasta-fuelled passion. 

Personal Statement

Why have you chosen this course of study and how will your long term ambitions contribute to the development of Malaysia?
(500 word limit)

My choice to pursue Physics, an area of study that is commonly seen as overly specialised, dry, "impractical" and dominated by anti-social geniuses did not make sense to a lot of people. However, being utterly intrigued by how the world works at the largest and smallest scales, I knew that I wanted to invest my time and effort into understanding the mathematically driven processes that underlie our everyday lives.

As a Malaysian student who spent half of her life going through the government school syllabus, I can very surely say that very little, if not no support or encouragement is given to students to take a genuine interest in Science or Mathematics. I myself only became interested in Physics and Mathematics after secondary school due to my own research and initiative. In my own experience, I have met so many students and peers who have intellectual capabilities and passion that would make them the researches and innovators of the future, but with skills that have been horribly underdeveloped by the educational material and support. Coming to University in England has shown me how my education has taught me how to memorize, not how to think.

I plan on entering the field of scientific research, possibly in particle physics, after I complete my education, but my true ambition is to provide an educational support system for Malaysian students. I want to create an avenue for students to learn how to think critically and learn the soft skills that matter the most. Students should be cultivating skills such as creative problem solving and communication, not studying for hours and going to tuition classes to get good exam results. I want to develop content in all areas of knowledge- science, mathematics, literature, languages, history , geography, art and everything else, in a way that always relates it in a larger context so that students understand how it relates to their lives and the real world. I want to help Malaysian students learn to love learning.

I believe that this is the ultimate way I will be able to contribute to the country that I call home, a country that has talent that the world needs. I understand that I am not "bumiputera" in the definition of the word, and therefore not eligible for the scholarship, but I believe that what is important is that I am Malaysian, and I want to play my part in developing this country. My race should not be a reason why I am not able to.