Starchild: What Malaysian kids think of their role models

Wong Jie Ern, 8

Many people have idols, who can be anyone from movie stars, singers to authors. Who is your idol? Do you like South Korean singer Rose, who is currently trending on social media for her song Apt, which she co-sung with Bruno Mars? How about comedian and YouTube personality Nigel Ng, who created the comedic character and food critic Uncle Roger? Or do you like Japanese music composer Joe Hisaishi, who created the music score for Howl’s Moving Castle, Kiki’s Delivery Service and Spirited Away?

Zara Colin, 11For me, my idol is Malaysian diver Pandelela Rinong, 31. The Sarawakian started diving at a young age, and her passion for the sport quickly grew. Over the years, she trained hard and became one of Malaysia’s top athletes. Pandelela made history when she won a bronze medal in the 2012 London Olympics.

She became the first Malaysian female athlete to win an Olympic medal in diving!

Having idols is important because they help inspire us to follow our dreams and work hard. Idols show us that with effort, we can overcome problems. They also teach us valuable lessons like being kind, never giving up, and believing in ourselves, even when things are difficult.

Recently Starchild asked readers to send in letters on the topic, My Idol. Here’s what they had to say.

Wong Cheng Yang, 10

Wong Cheng Yang, 10, has had many idols since small. Over the years, he has been inspired by singers, badminton players and actors. But he is most inspired by author J.K. Rowling.

“Rowling is the author of my favourite book series, Harry Potter, which has seven books in total. In the books, Rowling came up with a magical sport called Quidditch. There are many components of the game like the quaffle (ball), two bludgers (attacking balls), bats and a golden snitch (small, golden, winged ball that flies). My friends and I even made our own Quidditch box set. I have just started reading the series, and what impresses me most is her creativity in coming up with spells like lumos, incendio and wingardium leviosa. One day, I hope to become a successful writer like her.”

Chuah Seng Koon, 8“My idol is not famous to lots of people but only in the football world. His name is Brazilian former professional footballer Roberto Carlos. During his career, he scored an amazing free kick against France in 1997. It was fantastic, and one of the most remarkable free kicks in football history. Throughout his career, he played for Spain’s Real Madrid the most. He also played for Brazil’s national team in 1992. Carlos played in three World Cups. He has scored hundreds of goals in his career,” says Chuah Seng Koon, eight.

Younger sibling Wong Jie Ern, eight, thinks Dutch painter Van Gogh was an influential artist.

“His art is beautiful, especially the artwork named The Bedroom. Although he had a tough life, he also has great artwork. In 1888, Van Gogh cut his ear after an argument. Then, he drew another beautiful portrait of himself with a bandaged ear. There is also a Van Gogh museum which I’d like to visit one day. I like him because of his beautiful artwork and techniques. I hope one day my art will be like that.”

Zara Colin, 11, admires Disney’s Princess Ariel from The Little Mermaid. She says Ariel is lively and loving.

“Princess Ariel makes everything more fun. She stays true to herself, even when facing challenges. She is not afraid to follow her dreams, even if it means making big changes. This princess is truly unique.”

Sonia Anand, 7

“I like Disney’s Princess Rapunzel because she’s brave and she has a vibrant personality. Her long hair and determination to explore the world make her unique,” writes Sonia Anand, seven.

ITEM: Imagine you are a scientist and you have invented a new vegetable in a lab. What would you name it? What does it look like? What about the taste? Would you create it using tissue culture or genetic engineering? Would you make the vegetable more resistant to pests?

Email your contributions to [e-mail] by Nov 29. Please put “STARCHILD: My Vegetable Creation” in the subject line of your email.

Scanned drawings should be in jpeg format, with a resolution of 200dpi. Your contributions must carry your full name, age (open to children aged 12 and below only), gender, phone contact, and address. Instead of handwritten letters, please type out your letters.