Many have asked my thoughts on Roger Teoh - a young brilliant Malaysian who showed unbridled enthusiasm to contribute to Malaysia but so far, I have chosen to keep quiet. I’ve always had a soft spot for him as I strongly believed that this country needs young minds like his to help repair the damage Malaysia has gone through. Unfortunately, keeping mum has come to an end and I must now share my thoughts on this matter.

I’ll always remember Roger Teoh as this young man who was always more than enthusiastic to help our party. He was a loyal supporter, a hard-working volunteer and I thought of him as the younger brother I never had.

The recent statements issued by Roger came as a surprise, to be honest. Somewhere in between, something happened to this young man and caused him to snap.

The statements he issued were malicious and destructive, far from offering any productive solutions for us to consider seriously. Its content filled with slander and armed with syntaxes aimed to maim progressive ideas that can only be beneficial for Penangites, especially those living in the outskirts (far from the well-connected areas) in places like Batu Ferringhi, where I reside, for example.

I had many encounters with this young man which should have raised a few alarms, such incidences would be best kept private but all I can hint at is that these were far from this squeaky clean image that he tries so hard to portray to the public.

No doubt, Roger is academically smart but unfortunately, he is naïve and hardly clued in to the ways of the world. To an extent, he has lived a tremendously sheltered life, kept away from the anxieties average blue collared Malaysians feel on a daily basis.

For most Malaysians, myself included, DAP has always been the party of choice for the youth. The party has always advocated for the importance of empowering future leaders and that is exactly what we did.

We presented a platform for Roger to grow intellectually and evolve. We presented a platform where his opinions could be heard and read by curious minds beyond domestic borders but most of all, we nurtured him and made sure he knew we were his safety net - comrades he could rely on if things became tough. The party, through our little team, fostered confidence into this young man because we wanted him to be a part of the struggle for socio-political reforms.

Publishing slanderous statements as a result of personal grudge is low and does not exude the class that often comes with being known as one of the top students in a prestigious school. Many have referred to his remarks as childish tantrums and downright immature but I simply see it as a call for help by a misguided soul that is lost and in dire need of direction.

In other words, airing out your dirty laundry is at best, borne out of cowardice and desperation; this is not what DAP is about and neither will DAP condone such acts from its present and former members.

It is sad to see comrades leave us in crucial times, especially when the 14th general election draws closer. The battle to save Malaysia is bigger than all of us, bigger than what you can imagine and for us to move forward, we must never lose sight of the bigger picture. Malaysians must muster the courage to do the needful in order to reinstate democratic freedom for every single Malaysian out there, regardless of race, religion, gender and social class.

As once famously quoted by Rumi, “Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.” For a young man, he still has a lot to learn and experience in life; Roger must understand that most of these experiences cannot be taught in classrooms nor can it be learnt through books.

These are the experiences life bestows upon us - journeys often seasoned with struggles and occasional moments of victor but what is crucial is how you learn from these experiences and help empower those surrounding you in a positive manner. It would be best for Roger to take a few steps back, take a piece of the humble pie and embody some level of humility and class. The young man needs a lot of growing up to do.

With that being said, I do sincerely wish the best for Roger and his future undertakings.

SYERLEENA ABDUL RASHID is DAP Wanita national assistant publicity secretary, Penang DAP assistant publicity secretary, Penang DAP Wanita political education director and Penang Island City Council (MBPP) councillor.