In public service
> Michelle Ng belives in paving a better future for generations to come
“Interest has peaked, I think, substantially due to the young faces that young people now see as their elected representatives, which indirectly ... has given some sort of hope that it can be done, whereas in the past, maybe it seemed like a far-fetched dream [because] the people that you see leading the country were of a certain age.
“But now, when you see [my] colleagues, for example, [Lim] Yi Wei, Aliah (Jamaliah Jamaluddin) Edry [Faizal Eddy Yusof], Rara (Young Syefura Othman), they are at about the same age, just entering the workforce, starting to build a career, and are able now to lead.
“Even with the young people that I meet in my constituency, there is not just interest, but also awareness about politics, awareness about policy making, about national issues, which in the past, was not present.”
How would you recommend a young person to get involved in politics? “[The] first step is to get involved in a political party – that is, [to have] a platform. “Politics is intimidating, but one important quality when it comes to politics is learning how to compartmentalise. [Our job] is dealing with other people’s problems. “It’s important to know how to segment these issues in order to not let it become personal ... People get blocked out, and you become uninspired. “Compartmentalising is not easy to learn. Inevitably there will be a period of discomfort, I say that for myself as well, even now.”
What are the issues close to your heart that you’d like to tackle? “In Subang Jaya, there are local issues, but I think … [what] on an emotional level really affected me is the suicide rate in this constituency. “There seems to be a need to recognise [this] and also the issue of mental health. “I think the community is ready to engage in such discussions. Since I’ve been here, there have been ... a number of suicides in Subang Jaya.
“I’m wondering whether it has to do with it being a working population, with it being a student town, because that’s where the pressure points are [during] stages of life, where ... you face work pressure, or even if you’re aged, being in a city means that there’s a possibility of it being very lonely at home.
“So a lot of social work needs to be done in order to address these problems and also to alleviate the stigma of recognising suicide. In an Asian context, you always shove it under the table, or shove it under the carpet because it’s not nice to talk about death. But when someone is suffering from it, especially when it comes from mental illness, it starts from there, then it builds up.
“It’s also not new, because Hannah [Yeoh] has been doing work here, so those are some of the issues that are close to my heart, and I want to see what I can do about it.”
Tun Mahathir recently said he wished there were more hours in a day. If you had more hours, what would you do with the extra time? “In political life our family, unfortunately, is impacted the most, because a lot of time now is spent with other people. So, if I had a lot more time, I would definitely stay at home and spend it with my parents, and my brother [who] just came back from America.
“But they’ve been supportive so far, and I’m very thankful for that, which at times also, [I] feel a little bit guilty because they have to let you go, to serve elsewhere.”
Who has impressed you the most with what they’ve accomplished? “[It] would be my parents, because they actually [rose] from poverty. Both of them come from poor kampungs. My dad used to only be able to eat chicken if it was run down by a car (laughs).
“Both of them they did very well [and] went to university. Dad got a scholarship, and was able to bring up four kids [and] have a successful career, which is not easy at all.
“I didn’t understand how difficult it was when I was younger, but now I do. I realise the kind of consideration and emotion that goes into leading a family, and my parents have both done a very good job. I know that because [I was] not an easy kid to deal with [laughs].
“And I’m, unfortunately, a bit opinionated, so things like which university to go to, what course to do – I put up a [fight].
“I was supposed to be an accountant according to my dad’s plan for me. [Since] I wanted to do law, the plan was for me to go to Australia, but I insisted I wanted to go to the UK.
“My dad said Australia is cheaper, if you want to go to the UK, you need to find your [own] way there. So I got myself a scholarship.
“My dad ... knew how to set goals for us, and know how to push us a little bit further ... He told me that if you want to go to the UK, you only go to the best, because otherwise ... there’s no point sending you overseas (laughs).
“But now I see his reason [for] doing that because he knew what I was capable [of]. By encouraging me in that direction, he pushed me to fulfil what he knew I could.”