SHORTLY after reading the article of Jocelyn Yow (pix), a Malaysian Vietnamese Chinese American, being elected as the new mayor of Eastvale, I realised that we have a lot to learn from her example.
There are also other stories of Malaysians who made a name overseas – a former journalist from Penang K. Gurunathan who was re-elected as a mayor in New Zealand, and two other young Malaysians, Siva Nagappan Visvesvaran, 20, and Wen Shin Chia, 26, were picked to receive the Queen’s Young Leaders Award.
While it is understandable that it is usually the senior citizens who have worked on politics for many years that get elected as mayor, Yow managed to get elected as mayor at 25.
I am sure this story will surely inspire many young Malaysians who look forward to achieve an important positions in the area of public service that can make an impact on society.
Instead of just daydreaming, I urge Malaysians to work harder to achieve their dreams in life.
Sometimes, I think Malaysians give up too easily because they feel that they are not qualified for the job. It is easy to quit before seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, but they will remain mediocre for life.
We should have the confidence in God and in ourselves and never give up, even if achieving a dream seems impossible.
I am always reminded of the words of Winston Churchill: “Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never – in nothing, great or small, large or petty – never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense.”
Another thing that Malaysians can learn from these young people is that they were always striving for excellence.
In the case of Jocelyn Yow, she hoped more young women and mothers will follow suit.
This, I think, is an important morale booster for young women like me.
Therefore, I hope this will encourage my fellow Malaysians who are still in school to build up their self-confidence to reach the stars.
Loo Jia Huey
Petaling Jaya
