Share with us the story of your career in astrophysics.
I began working at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia as a lecturer, specialising in astrophysics. There was little knowledge about the subject then. There’s a saying in academics, "You have to publish or perish." My loved ones told me I was never going to publish if I chose such an unconventional field. Everyone tried to talk me out of taking the job.
But I am forever indebted to my colleagues overseas who helped me out. They sponsored me to go abroad so I can do research, they sent books so I can build a proper curriculum for my students and helped me with grants for my personal research. Their support allowed me to publish research papers, despite the limitations I faced then.
Why did you switch from academics to public service?
When I first started my career, I was focused on my own ambitions. I dreamt of working at one of the best observatories in the world, writing groundbreaking papers and winning a Nobel prize. Everything I sought to achieve was self-centric. My time with UKM has taught me that I cannot make a difference to the world if I only thought of myself.
The general public doesn’t understand why studies on outer space is important. People are more curious about scientific fields that are down-to-earth, like solar energy. I realised that for people to see how beautiful space exploration is, I would have to go on a crusade.