Is Passion a Privilege

30 Sep 2025

8 Min Read

Ms Hema Letchamanan (Academic Contributor)

IN THIS ARTICLE

Contributed by Ms Hema Letchamanan, whose research focuses on comparative and international education and the sociology of education, with particular interest in equity and access. She can be reached at hema.letchamanan@taylors.edu.my.

‘You should follow your passion.’

It sounds simple, even empowering, until you realise the conditions attached. Follow your passion, but only if it makes money. Only if it is safe. Only if it fits neatly into the plan your family or society has drawn out for you.

For many young Malaysians, passion isn’t a starting point. It is a measure of privilege. If you can afford to dream, you are lucky. If you can’t, you settle. Not because you lack ambition, but because ambition alone doesn’t pay the bills.

But what if the real problem isn’t dreaming too big? What if it is being told who gets the right to dream at all?

When Dreams Collide with the Wallet

Imagine a student who loves music but hesitates to audition because a new instrument costs more than their family earns in a month. Picture another who feels drawn to design, yet struggles to justify the price of software, equipment, and building a portfolio. For them, passion is not free. It carries a cost that weighs heavily before they even take the first step.

In Malaysia, socio-economic background shapes how young people approach their dreams in profound ways. Students from wealthier families often have a cushion to fall back on. They can afford to make mistakes, take a gap year, or switch courses if their interests change. For students in other groups, the stakes are far higher. One wrong decision could mean wasted time, wasted money, and disappointment for an entire family.

_{Even when tuition fees are subsidised, the pressure does not go away. Every choice must seem worthwhile, every course must promise stability, every path must ‘pay off’ quickly. Careers in music, film, culinary arts, or writing are still labelled unstable unless they translate into visible financial success. Creative work is too often brushed aside as a hobby rather than a profession.}

This creates a quiet but devastating reality: when passion becomes a luxury reserved for the few, talent becomes a casualty for the many. The nation loses voices, skills, and innovations that could have flourished if only the circumstances allowed it.

‘Make Your Parents Proud’ … Or Make Yourself Whole?

Career choices in Malaysia are rarely individual decisions. They are shaped by generations of cultural expectations. Many Gen Z students were raised by Gen X or early Millennial parents who grew up under a survival-first mindset: success meant becoming a doctor, lawyer, or engineer. Stability was safety. Risk was disrespect.

But there are cracks in this mould. Millennial parents raising Gen Alpha are beginning to emphasise individuality, emotional well-being, and creativity. Exposure to global cultures through the internet has opened up new career aspirations, from gaming to climate science and digital art. Some parents now say, ‘I just want my child to be happy,’ a sharp contrast to the survival-driven ethos of their own upbringing.

Yet the contradictions remain. A parent may urge their child to follow their dreams, but panic the moment grades slip or paths look unconventional. With rising living costs and the constant comparisons of social media, the anxiety deepens: ‘Is my child doing enough? Will they be secure?’

Gender expectations complicate the picture further. Girls are often nudged towards ‘safe’ professions aligned with caregiving roles, while boys may be discouraged from pursuing ‘soft’ or ‘feminine’ careers like nursing or fashion. In both cases, passion is filtered through the lens of cultural norms.

We Teach Knowledge … But Are We Teaching Purpose?

Malaysia’s education system, for all its strengths, still rewards exam results more than exploration. From primary school through SPM, students are measured by grades rather than growth. Passions are often sidelined, while rigid thresholds dictate who qualifies for which courses.

_{Malaysia’s education system, for all its strengths, still rewards exam results more than exploration. From primary school through SPM, students are measured by grades rather than growth. Passions are often sidelined, while rigid thresholds dictate who qualifies for which courses.}

Contrast this with Finland, where students are not weighed down by major exams until the end of secondary school, and where creativity and collaboration are central. Or the Netherlands, where teenagers start shaping study paths around aptitude and interest, supported by career coaching and real-world experiences. These systems do more than prepare students for university. They prepare them to direct their own futures.

Making Passion Possible

So, what would it take for passion not to be a privilege but a possibility for all?

It begins with social change. As a society, we need to move away from shaming unconventional careers and instead celebrate diverse success stories. A climate scientist who helps mitigate floods, an animator whose work reaches global audiences, or a chef who champions sustainable gastronomy should be given the same recognition as doctors or engineers. By broadening our definition of success, we validate the many ways young people can contribute to society.

Change also has to come from within our schools and universities. Education should create genuine spaces for exploration, embedding hands-on career discovery and project-based learning into the secondary years rather than treating them as afterthoughts. Students should be encouraged to try, fail, and learn without fear of jeopardising their future.

_{At the university level, admissions policies could evolve beyond a narrow reliance on exam results. Portfolios, interviews, and creative problem-solving tasks can provide a fuller picture of a student’s potential, opening doors for learners whose strengths cannot be neatly captured by numbers alone.}

Equally important is a cultural shift in the way we speak about education and careers. Too often, degrees in the arts, humanities, or vocational fields are dismissed as ‘useless.’ Such labels not only discourage students but also diminish the real value these fields bring to society.

Media, policy, and everyday conversation must elevate vocational, creative, and emerging careers, framing them not as fallback options but as vital to Malaysia’s growth. From culinary innovators tackling food sustainability to digital designers shaping the future of communication, these paths represent opportunities to redefine what progress means for the nation.

Universities should prepare students to be agile thinkers who can problem-solve and evolve with a fast-changing world. Education must give them tools for stability while allowing space to explore what excites them, because the real future lies in balancing passion with practicality.

— Ms Hema Letchamanan

Conclusion

Not everyone begins from the same starting line. Some inherit safety nets, others inherit pressure. Some are told to dream, others are told to be practical. But passion should not be a luxury, and purpose should not come with conditions.

If Malaysia truly values progress, we must stop asking young people to choose between survival and self-expression. We need systems that nurture curiosity, families that listen before directing, and schools that prepare students not just to fit in, but to stand out.

Because in the end, true success is learning to balance passion with practicality, and that balance is what lifts both individuals and the nation forward. To every young Malaysian wondering if it is selfish to pursue what you love: it is not. It is brave. It is necessary. Because when more of us are free to do what we care about, we do not just move forward alone, we lift the nation forward with us.

Shape the future by inspiring others to dream beyond limits. Discover how an Education degree can turn your passion into purpose.

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