AFTER attending one of the social events organised by the University of Auckland’s Union of Malaysian Students in Auckland (Umsa), Ian Lee, an undergraduate at the Auckland University of Technology (AUT), decided that AUT should have a similar association.
MaSA members on campus.
“AUT has a relatively large number of Malaysian students, but we do not necessarily know or interact with one another. I felt that by establishing a Malaysian students’ association, it would not only create a ‘Malaysian family’ of some sort, but also help us better adapt to studying and living overseas,” said Lee, who is currently a Bachelor of English and New Media undergraduate student at AUT.
Lee took action and with the support of his close friend Murugapan Palaniappan, and other Malaysian students studying at AUT, he formed the Malaysian Students’ Association (MaSA) in May this year.
To date, MaSA has participated in a number of AUT’s events including AUT’s Diversity Week, in which they sold Malaysian food – an activity which not only gave AUT students a taste of Malaysia, but also helped MaSA raise funds.
“We have also organised a get-together lunch for all MaSA members, which gave us the opportunity to meet and get to know the different Malaysians studying at AUT,” said Lee, who is now the president.
He took over the role from Murugapan, who is now an AUT alumnus.
“Support for this new association has been overwhelming – it has come from both the university as well as other groups from all over New Zealand.
“It was fantastic to receive encouragement from the Christchurch Malaysian Students’ Association and Education Malaysia New Zealand (EMNZ) as well as guidance on how to start up MaSA from the Auckland Student Movement (AUSM) at AUT.
“Without all of this help, I would have been lost as to how to go about establishing the association,” said Lee.
He also highlighted the recognition MaSA has already received.
“We are honoured to be named ‘New Club of the Year 2014’ by AUSM in October,” he said.
AUT International Centre regional marketing manager for Middle East and Southeast Asia Marcel Fletcher said that MaSA is a good initiative as it helps Malaysian students feel more at home, despite being in another country.
“It is fantastic that AUT now has its own Malaysian student association. The association brings the Malaysian students together through the different events and friendship-building activities they organise.
“This provides a supportive environment for the students as they adapt to a life overseas far from home.
“The association also helps foster a sense of community not only among the international Malaysian students, but also among the other students at AUT.
‘In many ways, the activities planned and organised by the Malaysian students promote the Malaysian culture to the local AUT student body.
“For example, at a recent Market Day in our university, where students can sell things to other students, the association had decided to sell local Malaysian sweet treats – or kuih-muih. This attracted a number of other students to the booth and from there, they began to learn more about the food culture in Malaysia,” said Fletcher.
Lee said the internal and external support that MaSA has received thus far has been very encouraging.
Looking forward, he hopes that the association will continue to provide support to Malaysian students at AUT.
“I want MaSA to be an avenue where the Malaysian students are able to come to us to get any kind of help or support they need.
“More importantly, I hope that the association can continue to provide our Malaysians with a familial sense and be the ‘go to’ place where Malaysians can feel comfortable and welcomed.
“Being so far away from home, what else can be more comforting to a Malaysian, other than food, than to hear the word ‘lah’ being used in conversations,” joked Lee.
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