'Dark, low points in my life will always mature me' - Syed Saddiq
He said his political journey was founded by his passion for debate and love towards the country, which he realised through training at the Royal Military College.
PETALING JAYA - Despite facing many challenges throughout his life, former youth and sports minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman believes that these experiences have been crucial to his growth, especially in his political career.
He said he has also consistently promoted the importance of maturity in politics.
He admitted that while growing up, he made his fair share of mistakes. However, he viewed these mistakes as valuable life lessons that have shaped him into a better and stronger person.
He shared that when he was younger, he was quite "naughty", engaging in activities like jumping fences and illegally swimming in the lake near the Alamanda shopping centre in Putrajaya.
These experiences, he said gave meaning to his life.
"When I was younger, there were times when I was lazy and get easily carried away which led me to do those kind of things.
"Throughout my university years, I gained extensive experience in debate, despite facing losses in some competitions.
"These failures motivated me to continuously raise my political awareness and shape my political outlook. As a result, I always strive for the truth," he said during a press conference about his book entitled "Jalan Tegak" which will be launched on June 2.
He also credited his primary school training at all-boys military boarding school Royal Military College (RMC) for instilling the patriotism he held today.
"My love and discipline towards the country had developed extraordinarily due to the experience I gained from RMC and if I had kids, I would send them to RMC," he said.
As a person who used to go to boarding school, Syed Saddiq emphasised the importance of ending the culture of ragging.
He urged relevant parties in educational institutions to take action to stop such culture to prevent further cases of bullying.
"There were no cases of bullying (when I was in RMC), and if there were, we all would have stood together; if we fell, we got up together, supporting each other.
"Ragging needs to stop. I don't like this culture," he said.
Syed Saddiq said his political journey was founded by his passion for debate and love towards the country, which he realised through the training provided at RMC.
He said his objective in politics was to be the voice of the people.
"For this, I have faced various threats, but it is important to remain steadfast.
"Experiences like these make people braver in fighting for what is right for the country. They help in developing the nation for the better and foster integrity, ensuring people don't give up easily when faced with difficulties," he said.