Youth steps up in times of need

Jie Yee: I enjoy the work that I’m doing because it’s something that I’m genuinely passionate about.

A matter of drive, purpose and choice for this young outreach worker and advocate

THE Covid-19 pandemic and the recent flood disaster have not stopped students like Ku Jie Yee from pursuing leadership and community service opportunities.

At the start of the enforcement of the movement restrictions in March 2020, she, along with her neighbourhood friends, launched a care package initiative with the intention of supporting frontline workers at University Malaya Medical Centre.

Their effort saw them raising RM10,000 to fund care packages and supply additional personal protective equipment for the workers.

Subsequently, as a member of YPolitics, an independent youth-led movement which aims to increase political awareness among Malaysian youths, she helped to make calls and ease deliveries for “Projek Rakyat Kenyang”, which provided underprivileged women with daily groceries and sanitary products.

“At the start of the pandemic, especially, being able to do something – anything – that helped to contribute to the bigger picture of combating Covid-19 helped me to remove the sense of helplessness and anxiousness that I felt,” she told StarEdu.

“It gave me some kind of drive and purpose to keep going, and an understanding that despite being confined at home, we could still choose how we could act under new circumstances.

“There were people who had less than me yet were giving so much more. I just wanted to take advantage of what I could do and really push myself,” she said.

More recently, the 17-year-old A-levels student was involved in a flood relief effort under YPolitics in which she was responsible for procuring sponsors of food aid for the victims. Jie Yee’s involvement in outreach work began at the age of 10 when she joined her parents in volunteering at a food aid bank in a mall.

Although she was only tasked with handing out flyers to passers-by, the experience impacted her greatly.

“I realised that people have different responses to helping others. Wanting to help someone is not intrinsic to everyone.

“So when I found out it was something that I enjoyed doing and didn’t find burdensome, I thought to myself, ‘Let me explore this even more!’” said the King Henry VIII College, Cyberjaya, student.

She went on to lend a helping hand to various non-governmental organisations (NGOs) which she had discovered via social media platforms.

Last year, Jie Yee was chosen to represent P150 Batu Pahat in Dewan Muda Malaysia, which is a two-year parliamentary programme created by youth organisation Undi18 in collaboration with Unicef Malaysia.

The programme gathers 222 youth representatives from all over the nation to promote greater political participation and educate youths on policymaking.

These youths take part in roundtable discussions, Kabinet Muda – a mock parliament to debate and discuss policymaking guided by an expert mentor assigned by Undi18 – and workshops to learn about topics such as parliamentary processes and programmes relevant to specific ministries.

When asked why she had applied for Dewan Muda, she said, “I grew up with the presumption that politics only mattered during elections because that was the time that engagement peaked, that people only started to pay attention to what their MPs were doing and what they stood for.

“I have since understood that democracy can only truly function when it’s in tandem with accountability; if those two mediums don’t work alongside each other, we would have a broken state,” she said.

Under Dewan Muda, Jie Yee has attended workshops on policymaking, design thinking and student activism.

She has also taken part in mentor-mentee sessions under the guidance of prominent NGOs in Malaysia, as well as hosted a virtual Back-to-School forum, a space designed to discuss education-related matters with stakeholders under the current circumstances.

In addition, last November, she was selected to give a short speech in Parliament as part of the Unicef World Children’s Day programme.

To students aspiring to do their part for their community, Jie Yee advised conducting research prior to joining a cause and to find a group best attuned to one’s capabilities.

“Don’t be afraid to join or engage with organisations where everyone is unfamiliar to you. Being proactive and willing to learn is the best way to push a project forward, as well as setting realistic expectations of how much you can accomplish,” she said.

She also emphasised the importance of maintaining integrity in the field of outreach work, and having a proper understanding before execution.

“It’s important to truly understand a problem before trying to come up with a solution.

“We have to properly engage and converse with the stakeholders, as opposed to coming up with a meaningless solution that does nothing to benefit the community and everything to boost our own curricula vitae,” she said.

With multiple projects on her plate, Jie Yee finds that writing things down and planning ahead to prevent overworking is the key for balance.

“Hustle culture isn’t the way to go, especially if you are a student,” she said.

“I have learned to understand my productive capacity, and that there are limits to how much I can accomplish with my limited time and experience.”

Moving forward, Jie Yee plans to take part in more projects that allow for engagement with people on the ground, as well as creating discourse and awareness about the present political climate.

“I enjoy the work that I’m doing because it’s something that I’m genuinely passionate about.

“I just want to take time and learn. There’s still so much more that I need to know and I’m definitely looking forward to the process,” she said.

Sydney, 17, is a participant of the BRATs Young Journalist Programme run by The Star’s Newspaper-in-Education (Star-NiE) team. Throughout the year-long programme, participants aged between 14 and 22 from all across the country experience life as journalists, contributing ideas, conducting interviews, and completing writing assignments. They get to earn bylines, attend workshops, and extend their social networks. To join Star-NiE’s online youth community, go to facebook.com/niebrats.

1. Community spirit was very much alive in the aftermath of the flood disaster that hit different parts of the country at the end of last year. Malaysians of different races and religions offered their help by donating essential items, cleaning up homes, and cooking and distributing meals to victims. As a student, how do you think you could offer a helping hand to the flood victims? Discuss with an activity partner.

2. Jie Yee said, “I realised that people have different responses to helping others. Wanting to help someone is not intrinsic to everyone.” Do you agree with this statement? Give reasons for your opinion. Then, brainstorm with your activity partner on ways you could be more involved in community service.

Since 1997, The Star’s Newspaper-in-Education (Star-NiE) programme has supported English language teaching and learning in primary and secondary schools nationwide. Through Star-NiE’s teacher and student workshops, annual contests and monthly English language resources for classroom use, participants of the programme have reportedly shown marked interest in the language and progress in their proficiency. Now in its 25th year, Star-NiE is continuing its role of promoting the use of English language through a weekly activity page in StarEdu. These activities are suitable for use individually and in groups, at home and in the classroom, across varied proficiency levels. Parents and teachers are encouraged to work on the activities with their children and students. In addition, Star-NiE’s BRATs Young Journalist Programme will continue to be a platform for participants to hone and showcase their English language skills, as well as develop their journalistic interests and instincts. Follow our updates at facebook.com/niebrats. For Star-NiE enquiries, email [e-mail].