CE-KU; noun {malay}: To press sharply against soft objects poor policies weak ideas

Our vision is to promote the exchange of ideas, opinions and solutions among Malaysian students.

Our mission is to provide a platform for students to discuss pertinent Malaysian issues in an open and constructive way.

About Us

CEKU's Editorial team 2022/23

CEKU is the editorial arm of UKEC. We are a team of passionate student writers from the Catalyst Office, committed to promoting the values of democracy, free speech, justice and holism. 

Our articles are written to be informative, persuasive and analytical in nature. We believe in the power of the pen, and that by encouraging participation in intellectual discourse, the collective wisdom of our dreams of a better nation will lead Malaysia to the right path of sustainable progress.

While still being part of UKEC, our writers operate at an arm’s length from UKEC itself. This gives them the freedom and independence to pursue any articles they deem important without fear of influence from any organisations. As such, the opinions offered on this platform are not an indication of UKEC’s position on a particular topic. We are merely the vessel that carries the voices and opinions of the Malaysian Student Community.

Our writers, writing for YOU

Lee Cheng Jie

Lee Cheng Jie

Editor-in-Chief
2nd Year, BA (Hons.) Philosophy, Politics and Economics
University of Manchester

If you ever fail to locate Cheng Jie, lay out a trail of teh tarik, pineapple pizza, B99 episodes, Malcolm Gladwell books, and she will come running to you.

Emilia Lye

Emilia Lye

Executive Editor
3rd year, LLB Law
Queen's University Belfast

Emilia's weekly routine sums up her character in which she: (1) listens to either BFM/BBC every morning (2) binge reality tv (3) consumes chocolate religiously.

Nur Damia Qaisara Noh

Nur Damia Qaisara Noh

Creative Editor
1st Year, BASc Politics, International Studies and Global Sustainable Development
University of Warwick

Damia’s idea of fun are 3 Bs: bed, books, and (kpop) boys. She tries different hobbies to fill time, but has concluded that she’s best at wasting time by bingeing something in bed.

Maisarah Abdullah

Maisarah Abdullah

Writer
1st Year, BA/BSc Philosophy, Politics and Economics
University of Warwick

When she’s not contemplating life choices, Maisarah is browsing through easy-to-cook uni meals since the UK ones are just too bland for her tastebuds. Cili padi? A necessity.

Iman Afif

Iman Afif

Writer
2nd year, MEng (Hons.) Chemical Engineering with Energy and Environment,
University of Manchester

Baking and petting street cats are Iman's top-tier dopamine boosts. Now, we fear she has gotten too powerful with her new oven and neighbour's kittens.

Lim Hong Bin

Lim Hong Bin

Writer
2nd year, BSc Economics,
University of Manchester

Hong Bin is always cooking something up—either an argument in his head or an experimental dish in the kitchen. Else, catch him diving for discs on the frisbee court.

Sailesh Krishnakumar

Editor-in-Chief

2nd Year, BSc Economics

University of Warwick

History buff. He will drag you down to have a hours long deep conversation with him, its a slippery slope once he begins speaking to you. 

Diya Aisha Sharizal

Creative Editor
2nd Year BSc Economics and Environment
University of Edinburgh

Ong Li Jun

Ong Li Jun

Writer
2nd year, LLB Law,
University of Manchester

Weeb; daydreamer; aspiring lawyer. With a heart stronger than his motivation, Li Jun's passion in Malaysian politics resonates through his writing and terrible puns.

Qadirah Stephens

Qadirah Stephens

Writer
1st year, LLB Law and Politics,
Cardiff University

Other than reading 3 books at a time, you can find Qadirah over-analysing pop culture in her writing or sipping teh tarik.

CEKU Articles: Pressing for Change

Browse the next big idea, here on CEKU!

Sacred, Scared & Scarred

Sacred, scared & scarred Sailesh Krishnakumar I love bodies of water. They keep me calm and peaceful. There was a river. It snaked and slithered through valleys and mountains, cutting

EPF Loan: More Joy or More Suffering?

Starting from April 7, 2023, Employees Provident Fund (EPF) members who fulfill certain conditions were allowed to apply for a loan of up to RM5,0000 from banks, with lower interest rates compared to other loan schemes. It seems the government has given in to the pressure from various groups, including the opposition, to open another round of EPF special withdrawal to help members in dire need of money. As helpful as it sounds, this loan scheme would lead to more long-term problems while leaving the urgent short-term ones unresolved.

Mogok Doktor Malaysia: The Dilemma of Malaysian Protests

A group of government doctors who work under the contract system of Malaysia had claimed that more than 8,000 of them would go on a strike from 3 to 5 April 2023 to protest against the “unfair system” and “low wages” under the “Mogok Doktor Malaysia” (MDM) movement. This was the second effort of contract doctors’ protest since the “Hartal Doktor Kontrak” (HDK) movement in 2021.

A Cautionary Tale: The Time I Got Scammed

I used to think that scams were easy to avoid as long as one was vigilant. Whether it be in person or online, signs of a scam are obvious when you spot an abnormality that arises outside of a normal circumstance. Moreover, in the digital age, where we get notified of all sorts of scams from news outlets and stories, it seems inevitable that one feels confident in identifying a scam if and when they come across one. I was that way, having traversed most of London on my own while avoiding the typical tourist scams that are part and parcel of big cities. However, after one particular encounter, I had to realign my viewpoint on scams.

Climate Justice: Policies and Promises

Climate change has been a crisis brewing ever since the Second Industrial Revolution. From carbon emissions to food insecurity and rising sea levels, climate outbursts are slowly becoming a constant occurrence with more pressing long-term concerns looming in the future. After decades of awareness campaigns and education, the public generally understands that the solution to reversing climate change involves everyone – individuals, corporations, and every governing body there is in the world – and requires faster and larger preventive measures and remediation. Braced with this knowledge, ordinary people suffer in silence as their trust in climate action by authoritative bodies and belief in community efforts dwindle.

‘I don’t belong here’: Why Radiohead was right about imposter syndrome

“I’m a creep / I’m a weirdo / what the hell am I doing here / I don’t belong here” are not only words from Radiohead’s 1993 hit song Creep but also very prevalent thoughts associated with imposter syndrome. Simply put, imposter syndrome involves feelings of self-doubt and incompetence, as well as feeling like a fraud for reasons related to low self-esteem or high expectations which may be set from childhood. In other words, it is the inability to internalise one’s own achievements, giving us a delusional, distorted lens of our accomplishments and work ethic.

picture of 10th prime minister of malaysia anwar ibrahim

What is Malaysia’s philosophy of geopolitics?

The study of geopolitics concerns the way in which nations interact with one another, the nature of the policies instituted that govern these interactions, and how the motivations that underlie these policies can be reasoned to in light of a country’s interest, particularly from the perspective of geography, politics, and international relations.

Malaysian perspectives on foreign policy, since its independence in 1957, have almost always—as highlighted by Sharifah Munirah of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia—revolved around “regime legitimization.” Having transitioned from colonial rule into independent governance, Malaysia’s primary aspiration it wished to realise—concerning its foreign policy objectives—was to progressively transform into a reputable geopolitical power in the eyes of the international community; one that is efficient, self-sufficient, and capable of forging diplomatic alliances indiscriminately to both facilitate and expedite economic growth for domestic empowerment.

graphic cartoon of a daughter accompanied by her father visting her mother in a hospital

When Love Becomes Compulsion: Malaysia’s Proposed Filial Piety Law

Would you take care of your parents when they are old? Rolling your eyes, you might be thinking, duh, of course I will. As Malaysians, many of us were brought up with traditional values emphasising filial piety. Customary Malaysian values of filial piety have always dictated that adults should care for their ageing parents, but what happens when the government proposes a filial piety law? Will it be a welcome reminder of cultural values, or will it lead to tension between parents and their children?

Stop playing games; can you make money from it? (pt. 2)

The esports landscape is widely controversial since many question whether it is a legitimate sport. It seems intuitive that e“sports” should be a sport, yet many countries, such as Germany, are very vocal in opposing esports being a sport. So what influences the support of Esports? And what does the landscape look like now? Among the mist, let’s take a glimpse at the growing industry.

graphic of person sitting down and looking out to a colourful forest and starry sky

The Here and Now (In Between Two Worlds)

“Selamat pulang ke tanah air”—these words strike a chord within the hearts of many Malaysians; I am no exception. This is the phrase I have yearned to echo in my ears and heart again since I first touched down in KLIA after a year of loss, solitude, and sorrow in my distant home, the UK.