This article was written by Zoe Wood, fourth year Bachelor of Commerce (Management) and International Relations student.
Just an 8-hour flight away, Malaysia is a somewhat underrated country in Southeast Asia. Yet, it’s a gem filled with rich cultural heritage, modern skylines, vast natural environments and diverse ecosystems. Surprisingly close to home, it’s a destination that I didn’t want to miss!
I applied to the Universiti of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur (KL), the capital of Malaysia for my exchange experience as the university is ranked in the top 70 worldwide as well as my ancestral ties to East Malaysia.
In my initial two months in KL, I’ve explored West Malaysia, visiting places like Pangkor Island, Georgetown and the Perhentian Islands, all of which have been incredibly beautiful. The crystal-clear waters surrounding the islands and the opportunity to delve into Malaysia’s diverse cultures— particularly Malay, Chinese and Indian—ensure we’re enjoying delicious food and an immersive experience in cultural richness, especially when shared with other exchange students for the first time.
The highlight of my trip has been my return to Kota Kinabalu (KK) in Sabah, East Malaysia, during the mid-semester break, where I was able to visit my grandma, my cousins and some of my extended family. It has been seven years since I had last returned to KK, so it was great to catch up and spend some long overdue quality time with my family and eat some delicious homemade food. While I was there, I was able to learn more about my family’s heritage and Chinese migrants in the late 1800s, as well as our connection to the Indigenous Tribe of the Kadazan people, who are synonymous with headhunters! This enabled me to establish more of a connection to my background and ethnicity, even though my white tokenism prevails. In the photo I have shared with my grandma, I am wearing a traditional costume of the Kadazan people that is typically made with velvet, brass buckles and many silver belts and jewellry. I’ll be investing in one!
As Malaysia is a Muslim country, the Hari Raya season also proved to be a fantastic community experience as the nights came alive with markets, free foods for students and campus events that celebrated the end of Ramadan.
While the weather is very hot and humid (it takes guts, plenty of water, and plenty of standing in the shade to handle the heat), Malaysia, thus far, has been such a wonderful experience, and I cannot wait to see what more it has to offer!
My new campus is also 890.77 acres, so I was expecting a bit of a workout, but each of the faculties are in their own designated area of the university which has made it easy to navigate.
My advice if you’d like to undertake your exchange in Malaysia is to definitely pack light and be prepared for weather changes (i.e., very heavy rain). The Australian dollar is also stronger than the Malaysian ringgit, so spend cautiously but also experience everything!
Consider participating in a student exchange program overseas.
Contact the Learning Abroad team at studyabroad@latrobe.edu.au for more information.