Big Brother Is Always Watching

You ask us for our opinions, but to what extent do you listen?

This is often the case when it comes to us youth, us students.

Dealing with the officers from the Malaysian Students Department of Australia was often a challenging role, and dealing with them in an official capacity of a student leader is often even more frustrating. The role of these officers are to look out for the welfare and administrative issues regarding Malaysian students in Australia. In the past three or four years, I have seen the officers take a more active role in attempting to reach out to students.

However, the effectiveness of the department is only as effective as its officers.

There have been moments where I have sat in a talk and wondered about the effectiveness of the messages preached, moments where I have questioned if their intentions are truly to help us students and to help us grow, or to want us to conform to the idea of what the government wants us to be.

There is so much struggle that happens to try and work towards a student population that is educated, and interested in the general affairs of our country. It is difficult enough when you hit a blank wall with administration, and sometimes it has felt that we are not encouraged to explore beyond certain boundaries, to challenge and become truly enlightened about the on-goings of our country, be it politically inclined or not.

You tell us we are the leaders of tomorrow, but when we speak, you do not hear our words, and you do not hear our struggles. You ask for our advice, but you ignore us when we respond. You tell us we do not know any better, and we should listen to our elders.

There is a fine line between respect and the ability to voice out your own opinions.

I am gone now from the student scene, but I can finally voice out the discrepancies that I have often felt.

Please facilitate the growth of our students, please do not hinder their development. 

You are the first consistent contact we have with our government, and your actions may impact on our views.

We are the youth of tomorrow - and you are those who would lead us to become the best we can be, and part of that is letting us seek out the truth for ourselves, and to be aware of the ugly truth that is life. We are the leaders of tomorrow - so please do not attempt to remake us into your idea of the leaders of today. We are your future - so please don't hold us back, but guide us to our wings.

Is that too much to ask?