About

Hi, I’m Sze Ning and this is my website largely dedicated to sharing my photography in both commercial and with grassroots non-governmental organizations (NGOs). I enjoy documentation in any form and being involved in activism which advances the causes of marginalized communities.

Before this, I have worked in a various organizations doing research, as a social entrepreneur, providing capacity building training for community-based groups and doing documentation related to the indigenous (Orang Asli / Orang Asal) rights movement in Malaysia.

One of my favorite NGO to volunteer for is the Center for Orang Asli Concerns (COAC). It is a resource center for the advocacy of the rights of the Orang Asli (the indigenous minorities of Peninsular Malaysia).

On this site, I describe myself as a documentary photographer because out of all the other work I do, I enjoy taking photos the most. But I like to consider myself firstly a member of a large community of people who would like to dedicate their life to look for solutions to social problems. A quote that I cling on to, by none other than Mahatma Ghandi: “A nation’s greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members.”

These are some projects which I have recently been part of:

• Elevyn (one of the founding members / field-coordinator), a web-based fair trade social enterprise which connects buyers to artisans from marginalized communities (2008 till now)
• The National Inquiry on Indigenous Peoples Land Rights (Researcher), a project of the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM) (2011).
• Chiq Clicks (founder/ editor), a photography blog for women (2010 till now)