WHEN I was in Year Five, I didn’t like my English language teacher.
Madam Tan had this outrageous rule: if we spoke Mandarin in class, we’d get fined one ringgit.
My wallet was practically empty most of the time, so this rule felt like daylight robbery.
In the first week alone, I got fined RM10! For a kid with only RM20 a month, it felt like the end of the world.
And if that wasn’t bad enough, she made us read English newspapers every weekend and write down 100 new vocabulary words.
For someone whose first language wasn’t English, this was pure torture.
But looking back, that’s how I was introduced to The Star.
By the time I entered secondary school, I realised my English was actually pretty decent. At least I was on the same level as my English- speaking classmates.
It turned out that Madam Tan’s so-called crazy teaching methods worked.
Later, when I transferred to an international school, everything around me changed – my environment, my friends – but one thing stayed the same: my habit of reading.
These days, I regularly read The Star. I love reading news, as it helps me stay curious, connect with the world and think more critically about different perspectives. It has also opened my eyes to the inequalities and hardships many people face.
Once, during my driving class, I met a girl from a rural village in Pahang. She worked at a contact lens factory but had a passion for aeroplane models.
I asked her why she didn’t continue studying. Her answer stunned me: “My father said I’m not as smart as my younger brother, so studying would be a waste of money. He told me to give up my chance so my brother could study instead.”
I didn’t know what to say. Her story reflected more than just unfairness – it was a painful reminder of the gender stereotypes and struggles many Asian kids face.
It led me to co-found a non-profit organisation with a group of high school girls and young women to empower them to pursue science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
To me, women’s independence isn’t about surpassing men – it’s about creating a more equal world. When women strive to do better, their place in society improves too. That’s what I believe, and I want to do my part.
I’ve always wanted to be a BRATs Young Journalist. It’s not just about writing and connecting with readers through words, but because I truly believe news has the power to make a difference.
If given the chance, I’d love to interview women from different fields, explore the challenges they face, and share their stories to empower others.
With my passion for news and current affairs, along with my persistence and ability to build trust with others, I believe I’m ready for this responsibility.
At the end of the day, I just want to do something meaningful – something that contributes to society, no matter how big or small.
Yee Hui, 19, a student in Johor, is a newly accepted BRATs participant. She is among the 50 applicants selected for the BRATs 2025 Young Journalist Programme, run by The Star’s Newspaper-in-Education (Star-NiE) team. For updates on the BRATs programme, go to facebook.com/niebrats.
