FORMER participants of The Star’s BRATs Young Journalist Programme may remember Dr Niki Cheong (pic) as a kind yet firm mentor.
But long before he became a familiar face at those training camps, he was an aspiring young journalist – just like them – flipping through the newspaper at his family home in Kuala Lumpur when an advertisement for the BRATs programme caught his eye.
That chance glance marked the beginning of a rewarding adventure in journalism, where he would also author The Bangsar Boy, a long-running sociocultural column in The Star.
Through BRATs, the teenage Cheong explored parts of Malaysia he might never have visited otherwise, like rafting down Sungai Perak in Perak and venturing into the depths of Danum Valley in Sabah, and met Malaysians outside of his own bubble, all experiences he described as “life-transforming”.
Exciting expeditions aside, Cheong still remembers the greatest thrill of his adventure: learning his BRATs tag would grant him access past security at the then-Section 13 Star building in Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
“For a 16-year-old who knew he wanted to be a journalist, being allowed to just walk into the newsroom and sit down at one of the computers to file a story felt like I was living out a movie scene.
“And I never get tired – still not – of seeing my byline in print,” he said, grinning.
After serving as a senior BRAT and mentor to newbies over several years, Cheong went on to become a facilitator for the programme in his mid-20s.
By then, he had taken on numerous projects across Malaysia, working and advocating for young, marginalised people, with many of these initiatives inspired by his BRATs experiences and the articles he had written for The Star for almost a decade.
“So, as assistant editor and then later editor overseeing Youth2 and R.AGE, it was only natural that I wanted to take on the role.
“I had great colleagues to run the programme with, including senior journalists like Ivy Soon, who was a facilitator back when I first joined the programme. So, it really was a full-circle moment in many ways,” he recalled.
Looking back, Cheong also thanked a key figure for dispensing impactful advice to his teenage self.
“The mastermind behind BRATs, Tan Ju-Eng, once told me that no one is indispensable. It was hard for an 18-year-old to hear at that time, but it is seared into my brain.
“It really anchors so much of my thinking over the years in different ways. For work, I think about how important it is to show up and do good work, and in my personal life, it is a reminder to be kind to myself and take care of myself,” he said.
Beyond the newsroom
Asked how his younger self would react to his life today, Cheong said: “Teenage Niki would be very surprised he actually left journalism!”
It was that newsroom foundation that gave him the courage to pivot.
“BRATs showed me the value of chasing every opportunity. Choosing to leave journalism for my second career as an academic really was me doing exactly that over a decade ago when I packed up and moved to London,” he said.
To this day, Cheong credits his ability to think on his feet, speak out, and juggle multiple things at the same time to his BRATs training.
“As an academic now, I find that I am in an equally challenging role, in that work just never ends and you’re chasing the next project or publication.
“When I think back to my experiences as a BRAT – and later as a facilitator of the programme – I know where my resilience comes from,” he said.
In addition to authoring an academic book on cybertroopers, Cheong is most excited about expanding his ongoing research projects.
The project most relevant to his journalism background, on which he has spent a good chunk of the past three years, sees him meeting and interviewing older online users to understand their digital behaviours and needs.
“Like before as a journalist, one of the values that drive me the most in my work now is: How can my project make a difference to people’s lives?
“I think of academic research as an extension of my journalist self – just that the pace of publication is much, much slower than when working in news!” he said.
Though cybertroopers and “the ‘aunties and uncles’ of the Internet” are his current research focus, the challenges facing the young in today’s fast-paced world are not far from his mind.
Asked for his advice to Malaysian youth forging their own path, Cheong shared the encouragement he gave young BRATs back then, and still offers to the PhD students he mentors today: Don’t let perfectionism hold you back.
“I used to tell the BRATs, just get the story done and send it in. The newsroom ecosystem has people in place to support each other – sub-editors and editors to help you flesh a story out,” he said, in an example of how support is almost always within reach.
“Be kind to yourself. Don’t chase perfection because it doesn’t exist. Do your best within your capacity, and take care of yourself.”
This feature is part of a series spotlighting alumni of The Star’s BRATs Young Journalist Programme in celebration of Star Media Group’s 55th anniversary. Since 1993, the programme has benefited thousands of Malaysian teenagers, instilling journalistic instincts and ethics, and above all, a spirit of curiosity. To stay connected, follow @starbrats on Instagram.
With the theme of the article in mind, carry out the following English language activities.
1 Look through today’s newspaper for opportunities to take part in an activity, programme or event. Choose one that interests you and complete these sentences:
I would apply for... because...
I might learn...
It could help me...
I would have to be brave because...
2 Imagine you can no longer pursue your favourite hobby. Choose a completely different hobby to try. What would you choose? How would you make the switch? What new skills or opportunities could it give you? Explain your choice to a partner.
The Star’s Newspaper-in-Education (Star-NiE) programme promotes English language learning in primary and secondary schools nationwide. For Star-NiE enquiries, email starnie@thestar.com.my.
