From The Student Room

Applied For and Offers From: LSE (AAB for Government and History), UCL (ABB for Politics and East European Studies), SOAS (AAB for Politics and History), St. Andrews (AAB for International Relations and Modern History)

Since young, I have been fascinated by human behaviour- more specifically, with the reasons and rationale behind our actions. It is this fascination that has led me to the intertwined fields of Politics and History, both of which provide unique insights into the complexities of the past and present. It is my thirst to know the reasons and the motives behind every action and event which drives me in my interests for both disciplines.

I have always approached History with the mantra that facts and truths are merely generally accepted theory. I do not study history as the past- I study it as a range of interpretations of what the past could possibly have been. It is within this which one derives enjoyment in History- being able to approach what others may see as fact with a critical and analytical approach in order to try and prise away what one may describe as the fog of time and the refractions of the historian's mind in order to reach my own judgements to see motive, action and consequence. My interests in history lie in the political events and international relations of the past, which is a key reason for my choice of Politics, combined with History. I am fascinated by the ideas behind the study of history and the philosophy of history, aspects which I have encountered in my wider reading of books and academic journals. By taking History further at university, I hope to be able to feed my thirst for knowledge and understanding of things both in the past and present.

Politics to me is not an interest- it is a passion. I have always been fascinated by the structures and concepts behind what I would describe as an intricate maze of power relations. I enjoy pursing my interests in Politics; from my regular reading of the Parliamentary Affairs Journal, debates outside the classroom and my wide reading on the subject. I have never agreed with the concept of restricted liberty advocated by my own country, and it is this which has led me to my human rights activism, working with Amnesty International in 2006 to organize an international conference on policing in Malaysia. Having lived all my life in territories where real democracy is regularly denied, I have interests in the nature of illiberal democracy. It is this which led me to seek the opportunity to work with Dr. Lily Neo, an MP for the ruling People's Action Party in Singapore, writing a policy review on antisocial behaviour, while gaining rare insights into how the PAP has retained its grip on power. I hope to develop my understanding of politics further at university.

I also have strong interests in debating and oratory. This has led me to my participation in the Model United Nations- starting off as a Delegate at THIMUN, serving as a Judge and Court Registrar on the prestigious THIMUN-Singapore International Court of Justice to my role as founder and Secretary-General of the Kuala Lumpur Model United Nations, Malaysia's largest high school MUN Conference. I am a believer in community service, having served as Secretary to a Rotary scheme to improve the lives of residents in an inner city area of Kuala Lumpur. I am an avid saxophonist, something that I have pursued for over 7 years- and I currently lead a jazz quartet and perform with the School Orchestra. I enjoy the outdoors and a good hike; having climbed Malaysia's highest mountain as part of my Silver Intl' Award, and I take an active role in school life through duties as a Prefect, a member of the school Tennis squad and elected Student Representative.

I look forward to university not with fear or apprehension, but with longing and optimism, as I hope to stretch my intellectual abilities through the study of what I truly enjoy and cherish- the noble disciplines of Politics and History.