Struggling to be the right kind of human:

The trouble with being a Malaysian that isn’t Malay, or fully Chinese, or fully Punjabi, or accepted as Canadian, is that I’m always trying to find my footing.

My life to this point is about figuring out the person I am, not the person I must be in the eyes of others. “Be an award-winning creative.” —Done. “Be an effective creative.” —Done. “Be a kickboxer like Van Damme.” —Not quite.

Maybe that’s my sei-katsu-sha* struggle. Maybe if I strive to understand my people, my environment, my clients, my agency, my audience, I’ll be able to finally stop struggling to find the right kind of human to be and just be.

Maybe there are others like me.

Maybe our work will find them and speak truth to their struggle.

Maybe that campaign will be yours.

Roles and titles current when this article was published in April 2026.

* “Sei-katsu-sha” is a term we use to describe people not simply as consumers, but as fully rounded individuals with their own lifestyles, aspirations and dreams.