CEKU Editorials

It is ironic to admit that I am prouder to be Malaysian while studying in Manchester than back home in beautiful Pulau Pinang. Growing up in front of Astro Ceria, running along lorong’s carefreely, queueing up by the milo truck drenched in sweat, I took the Malaysian part of me for granted.

As an international student studying abroad, you often try to prepare as much as possible to get adjusted to the new environment. From classic university horror stories to advice from friends and relatives, preparation seems smooth until the actual experience kicks in. More often than not, you find yourself having to adapt to different situations on the fly that no amount of advice or preparation could save you from. This is the steep learning curve that everyone goes through when we become more independent. Having to rely on ourselves most of the time is especially true for international students studying abroad, as all forms of physical chains that confine us to our zone of comfort have been released. Once the dust has settled, the endless days of studying and preparing for exams begin. Between the hassle of improving our grades and balancing priorities in our life, we realise that we are alone most of the time with no one to rely on.

I have seen a loved one carrying a misdiagnosis for nearly a decade, an acquaintance prescribed medication for adenomyosis after countless doctors, and millions of women retelling the same stories differently. Women constitute half of the global population and yet, gender bias runs rampant in healthcare.

Ever since civilisations started establishing themselves on the planet, inequality, a phenomenon of unequal distributions of wealth, could be seen manifesting within these societies. In the early stages of civilisation, it is seen as who had more land, more livestock, and more of something, as it indicates that they had more “assets” than the other. However, these “assets” were not quantifiable as economic systems were not developed enough to quantify the value of these goods. As such, it was challenging to measure inequality.

As we browse through our favourite online shopping websites, a notification suddenly pops up, informing us our favourite brand has just released its latest collection. Suddenly, we feel a rush of endorphins and dopamine signalling through our brains as we imagine ourselves wearing these clothes, blindsided by the price tags. For a moment, we take a step back, telling ourselves not to give in. However, our desires soon take over as one item multiplies into two. Within 15 minutes of retail therapy, our shopping cart consists of four pairs of ZARA jeans, 7 H&M blouses, and three pairs of Shein shoes. Although we feel a sense of pleasure, the environment might think otherwise. Whether we are aware or not, we have contributed to one of the biggest polluters on Earth.

Can religion heal and cleanse the body? Is it able to protect us from diseases that attack us? Could it challenge the results of modern healthcare? Faith healing has existed for a long time as a practice for people to receive spiritual and physical healing when faced with physical, mental, or spiritual compromisation. This form of healing typically manifests through religious prayers and rituals that aim to evoke some form of divine intervention.

As 6,932 ballots are flown back to our homeland of Malaysia, each one containing a voter's voice, the postal voters' drive in the United Kingdom and Ireland comes to a conclusion. The past few weeks have not been easy on any Malaysian student abroad, and Cheng Jie interviews a few who were in the thick of the action in this editorial. As we count down the hours to a new Malaysia, the youths can sigh in collective relief, knowing that we have made a difference by speaking out and exercising our democratic rights to vote in the 15th General Election. The rest is up to fate.

Try binge-watching romantic films and you’ll realise one thing most of the films have in common; the male lead will stumble upon a different, “not-like-other-girls” female lead who helps him realise another perspective in life and aids him in his character development. This trope is known as the “Manic Pixie Dream Girl”. As we go deeper into this seemingly positive trope, the Manic Pixie Dream Girl has its cons and its dangerous effects towards film audiences, especially young women.

How do we stand apart from the rest without losing our sense of belonging? How do we gain that sense of belonging without losing our sense of self? What is the role of authenticity in all this? What is authenticity in the first place?

With the rise of speedy information and awareness in this generation, people are becoming more vocal about human rights. However, there are opposing views with regards to progressing human rights laws in Malaysia, especially from older generations and leaders like Mahathir and Lee Kuan Yew. Believing that human rights would jeopardise the development of the community due to excessive freedom, it is seen as a form of Western imperialism in disguise and Asian countries like Malaysia should stick to Asian Values.