Ratnadewi Lim binti Sani Sukiman Lim believes that education is the key to inspiring and motivating the younger generation to lift themselves – and the nation – to new and greater heights. Read more to learn why Ratna teaches for Malaysia.

I have always believed that the majority of our society has been deprived of a meaningful education. This, in my opinion, contributes to the negative social issues in the country.

Joining Teach For Malaysia gives me tremendous personal satisfaction, knowing that I will directly contribute to the betterment of our society. It is my personal goal to develop passion for the English language amongst the students that I will be teaching in this programme, thus increasing their command for the language and also improve students’ confidence. I hope to make a positive impact on the students that I will be teaching and to gain a better understanding of education inequity in Malaysia.

I hope that I will be able to develop a deeper understanding of the challenges that the nation is facing in the education sector and tackle the challenges to improve Malaysia’s education landscape. We determine our future, and it is our responsibility to educate, shape and equip the younger generation to the best of our abilities, as it is they who will bring that vision to fruition.

Education is the key to a healthier society. Being a Teach For Malaysia Fellow gives me a great opportunity to educate, inspire and motivate future generations to lift themselves – and our nation – with great pride and unity. It is a chance to open young minds to love and respect one another, transcending the borders of colour and spiritual beliefs.

It took a heartrending journey into another country to make Angeline Oh Abai realise how much her own needed her. Read more for her take on why she teaches for Malaysia.

I felt driven to join Teach For Malaysia because of a personal encounter that inspired me to serve communities deprived of a good education. This occurred during my community work in Timor-Leste, where I was awestruck by the poverty-stricken children in the local village whose families did not even have proper housing. The country is still suffering from unrest and the after-effects of its civil war.

The moment that stuck with me until now, was when a mother came to me and pleaded, “Please do something for the future of my children. Help save my country.” That moment captured my heart as I caught a glimpse of the grief and hardship these people encounter on a daily basis.

I am much blessed to have been educated and to have received my bachelor’s degree in the United States. As I look back on my years, all along I have been provided a great education without financial difficulties. In comparing my life to that of the people in Timor-Leste, it became clear to me that a child’s origin and upbringing plays a significant role in determining the outcome of his or her life. Thus, the passion inside of me was fuelled to fight for educational equality. Teach For Malaysia will provide me the opportunity to answer this calling as improving educational outcomes are crucial to building our nation.

People need knowledge, help and hope. Nation building requires a leader who is willing to take on the role of meeting the demands for a quality education. I see the importance and significance of education in generating positive outcomes and a better future for students. To reach this lofty goal, steps in teaching must be taken beyond the conventional thinking and away from set school systems, socio-economic influences and restraining ideologies.

I want to teach for Malaysia because this opportunity will help prepare me to carry the baton of leadership and be a great example to the younger generation. Our commitment to their educational success will ensure they are one day able to invest their talents in this nation we are working to build together.

 Teach For Malaysia’s co-founder, Keeran Sivarajah, shares his view on the nation‘s conscience based on the thoughts of Malaysia’s Father of Independence, Tunku Abdul Rahman.

The right to an excellent education is one of our fundamental liberties as children of this country.

This past February 8, our nation celebrated what would have been the 109th birthday of Bapa Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj. The Tunku was a fan of educational excellence, and often lamented that good education remained beyond the dreams of the masses. “Half an education is no education at all,” he once said. “This young, newly-born nation of ours depends so much on good leadership and this can only come with good education.”

In what became his final speech as Prime Minister of Malaysia on the eve of Merdeka in 1970, the Tunku said, “A few of the well-to-do can simply pack up their belongings to escape if they wish to do so, and find new life in new lands. But for the rest of us, here we live and here we must die. But where there is life, there is also hope.”

Here we are now, in a country with 13 million children – where only 2 of 10 go on to university – with a vision that one day, very soon, all 13 million children will receive an excellent education. How do we solve this puzzle? What’s it going to take to reach all 13 million children? How can our movement’s impact be thundering and infectious? How do we build what we need…which is really strong, ethically and socially responsible leadership across schools, the government, companies and civil society?

How can we ensure that the Tunku’s ideals live on in our classrooms and communities long after his passing ? How can we operate with hope, and a clear sense of possibility to not only believe in education for all, but also to believe that all can be educated and shall succeed if they are afforded the right opportunities?

21 years since his passing, the Tunku remains this nation’s conscience. It is said that the only possibility of falling to tyranny is for people of good conscience to remain silent.