Internship at the Centre for Public Policy Studies

During my 2 month stay in Malaysia, I interned at the Centre for Public Policy Studies (CPPS), a think-tank under the umbrella of the Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute (ASLI). This internship was thoroughly enjoyable and by far one of my most memorable internship experiences. From the aesthetics, to the office culture, to the actual assignments I was tasked with, this internship was definitely an experience I will never forget.

My first day at the internship (before I figured out the transportation system), involved me navigating a taxi up the steep, jungle-y hill to my office. My first surprise was the group of monkeys swinging on the trees beside my office. Coworkers would later tell me that these monkeys were very obnoxious, sometimes damaging cars and breaking into the office. I was advised to keep the windows shut, lest one of the monkeys decide to pay me a visit.

Just outside my office there were durian trees. The first time I had tried durian, I felt the sudden urge to gag. The second time I tried durian wasn’t much better. The third time was the charm. A fresh durian fell from one of the trees outside my office, and a coworker asked me to pick it up. After picking it up, and several minutes of manhandling the spiky fruit, I opened it, and enjoyed it. Ever since, I have been a durian convert. I may never learn to appreciate the smell, but I will eat it whenever it is offered.

My favorite part of the internship was getting to know the people in my office. I formed good relationships with my colleagues, and would spend most of my evenings getting to know them. This really helped me become immersed in my environment and facilitated my learning. I had studied Malaysian politics during classes I had taken back at AU, but now I actually had a chance to learn from actual Malaysians, who were very knowledgeable about not only Malaysia, but the United States as well. Some of my colleagues were also ethnic Chinese and I had the chance to communicate with them in English as well as Mandarin.

Beyond the friendships I formed with my coworkers, I also had the chance to make a few Persian friends. One time, my coworkers and my Persian friends met and we all went hiking. The hiking trail was rugged, and much more difficult than anything I've ever hiked in the U.S. When you see the pictures below, you will be surprised to find that the place we hiked was barely outside the city of KL.

During the Bersih protests (the peaceful, clean-government protests, which were met with a heavy-handed government crackdown), I avoided the protests and went to a colleague’s home and had a chance to meet her whole family (grandparents, children). My colleague made me homemade Malaysian food, which, in case you have been living under a rock, is some of the most delicious food in the world (no exaggeration). This was perhaps one of the most memorable experiences I had, and I will always regret forgetting my camera.

Besides these aspects of the internship experience, I also had very substantive work projects. I don’t know if it was my English language abilities or what, but I had a lot more responsibility than one would usually expect in a typical internship. Let me give you some examples of what I did: 1) I drafted multiple speeches for the former Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, Musa Hitam; 2) I drafted a speech for the Ministers of Energy and Transportation; 3) I drafted a speech for the Housing and Property Minister; 4) I drafted a speech for the CEO of ASLI. Beyond these tasks, I researched human trafficking and youth parliament in Malaysia, gathered research materials on the economic impacts of cloud computing, served as a rapporteur for the Shell Smart Mobility and Energy Conference, and I served as the rapporteur for the Annual Joint Chairman Meeting for the Malaysia-China Business Council. Furthermore, I had the chance to attend several events such as a forum with pro-democracy activists, a forum with young Malaysian scholars, and the press launching for the 3^rd World Chinese Economic forum.

Overall, my experience was very fulfilling. I made great friends, learned a lot, had meaningful work, and had a chance to really become immersed in the environment.

Vietnam in Retrospect

Looking back on my experience in Vietnam, I cannot express how happy I am that I participated in this program. Although I’ve studied abroad previously, it is hard to compare other programs to this one. My previous study abroad program was a language program and although it was the opportunity of a lifetime, AU’s graduate study abroad program in Vietnam offers you the chance to intensively study the history, politics, culture, and economy of this emerging and strategic country.

While the program was enjoyable, I will not deny that it was very challenging. You really do a semester’s worth of work in three weeks. Although this is very exhausting, after finishing the course, I wished there was some way to take all of my courses this way. I really don’t think there is a better way to study a country.

In the morning, we would conduct our seminar at the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences. This seminar would run roughly 2 ½ hours, and occasionally guest speakers would visit us. After the class, we would spend the afternoon meeting with a wide range of people, who had expertise on the topics we were studying. Here’s an example of some of the people we met with: officials from UNDP, USAID, NGO leaders, leaders of top Vietnamese economic think tanks, former politicians, company leaders, and legal experts. Besides these meetings, we made site visits to Vietnam’s industrial parks, where we could examine, first hand, Vietnam’s attempts to move its economy to higher-end industries. After these visits, we would have the evening to soak up the culture, and read, of course. In all, after studying and discussing a topics on Vietnam's economy and politics in depth, we had the chance to meet with and question the people that worked with these issues on a daily basis. Furthermore, by studying Vietnam’s political economy, I felt as though we could appreciate Vietnam from a different perspective. Just viewing Vietnam’s infrastructure, and local businesses, was highly illuminating.

Besides these opportunities, we also got to experience Vietnamese culture first hand – the dizzying motorcycle traffic, Vietnam’s well-known dishes (pho, banh mi, bun, etc.), and Confucian culture. It was fascinating to see the similarities between Vietnam and China. As Confucian countries, with Communist legacies, and rapid economic growth, and similar governing structures there were several similarities. Despite these similarities, Vietnam is very unique, and does not have the warmest relationship with China – to say the least. While we were in Vietnam, there were some skirmishes with Chinese and Vietnamese boats in the South China/East Sea. Furthermore, during our stay, massive ant-China protests took place outside the Chinese embassy in Vietnam (however, we just read about this, we never witnessed it).

Another reason Vietnam was fascinating was because after several years of military engagement during the Vietnam War, Vietnam’s history is uniquely tied with that of the United States, and the history of the Vietnam War permeates much of American culture. We had a chance to meet with NGO leaders that dealt with issues relating to the destruction caused by Agent Orange, and we went to the Vietnam War Museum. While the museum had an obvious agenda, it was eye-opening.

Lastly, during our trip we had the chance to travel. During the first two weeks we stayed in Hanoi, and during the last week we travelled to Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon). While it is regrettable that we could not view more of the country, we covered a lot of ground during these three weeks. During this time, we visited Ha Long Bay, which is truly one of the most beautiful sites in the world. We also travelled to the Mekong River, where we had the chance to ride in canoes in the Mekong River, bike through the jungle and visit the “floating market”, which is exactly what it sounds like, a market on the river. After studying issues such as the importance of the Mekong River for millions of Vietnamese, and its environmental degradation, it was interesting to see life on the Mekong. As an agricultural society, it was fascinating to see how many people relied on the Mekong River for their daily lives. Furthermore, as we were studying Vietnam’s economy transformation, it was interesting to see how many migrant workers traveled to the urban powerhouses of Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi.

The Vietnam trip was the opportunity of a lifetime, and I would highly recommend it to anyone considering doing it in the future. There is truly no better way to study a country.

Reflection

The seminar has come to an end and I have finally caught up on some sleep! It was an incredible three weeks with never a dull moment – from meetings to sightseeing, and of course, EATING. Our group was especially lucky because Professor Heng is from Malaysia and has been doing this program for ten years. She is extremely well connected to people from all different aspects of Malaysia and is hands down the Queen of Networking.

Besides the countless number of incredible meals, our time in Penang and our getaway to Teman Negara National Park, one of my personal highlights was spending the day at Parliament. We were fortunate enough to have meetings with representatives from the ruling party, Barisan Nasional. We had luncheon with a representative from the United Malays National Organization and afternoon tea with a member of parliament from the Malaysian Chinese Association. Additionally, we were able to have briefings from the opposition party- the Democratic Action Party and Party Islam and the People’s Alliance. This was such an interesting aspect of the seminar. We have spent so much time reading about the government, discussing issues, and analyzing challenges in the society. It was a great component to not only read up on these parties, but to then speak to these charming representatives face to face. This is certainly not something you get to do with every country you travel too.

The weekend after the seminar, Eva and I treated ourselves to a weekend in Borneo. (You can read more about it in her post). Now I am back to interning at AWAM for two more weeks. After that, I am off to explore Thailand before I head back to the States!

Until next time,

Caroline

Trip to Borneo!

Orangutans in Borneo

Eating..againBorneo Rainforest World Music Festival
Women performing at the music festival

While Kuala Lumpur was going crazy due to the Bersih protest, Caroline and I escaped to Borneo with a group of friends. Destination: World Rainforest Music Festival.

Malaysia is divided into two parts, Kuala Lumpur is located in the Western part of the country and Borneo in the Eastern part across the South China Sea. The festival was taking place outside of Kuching city, so we flew from KL after the seminar ended for some good music and nature!

The festival is a three day event featuring musicians from all over the world. We heard groups from Poland, the Dominican Republic, the US, Ireland, New Zealand, Malaysia and many, many more. The audience was also very international, but we had a great time mingling with the locals and enjoying tons of Malaysian food - our favorite pastime.

Borneo is also famous for its wildlife. It has beautiful coastlines, rainforests, and an animal population that it is desperately trying to conserve. We visited an Orangutan sanctuary before heading back to KL. The sanctuary was beautiful and allowed the animals to live in their natural habitat.

It was great to get away from the craziness of KL for a few days!

Refugees in Malaysia

Somali boys selling their baked goods at World Refugee Day

Two Somali children at World Refugee Day

World Refugee Day at KL Sentral

It's been almost three months since I arrived in Malaysia and the experience has been an incredible one. Malaysia is a huge melting pot of cultures and I have been lucky enough to work with people from all over the world through my job at the UNHCR. Both my colleagues at work and the refugees I see on a daily basis have taught me more in these few months than any other experience has ever given me.

We celebrated World Refugee Day a few weeks ago with a weekend long event held in Kuala Lumpur's major train station, KL Sentral. The event was held primarily to educate the cities population on the almost 95,000 refugees living within the country. This population, made up of people from Burma, Somalia, Afghanistan, Iran, and Sri Lanka, is seriously marginalized within Malay society. As Malaysia is not a signatory to the UN Refugee Convention, it is not obligated to care for the refugees living within its borders. As an intern and someone who sees the ongoing struggle of this population on a daily basis, this is all very frustrating. It is difficult to witness families without employment, healthcare, and in constant fear of deportation- all realities in the lives of refugees living in Malaysia.

The World Refugee Day event was quite a success. We had large turnouts and the refugees also had an opportunity to share their cultural music, dances, and crafts with a city which often seems to busy and preoccupied to pay much attention

Jungles and such

Our visit to the Teman Negara National Park was great. It felt like a retreat of sorts to visit the jungle and see what else Malaysia had to offer besides the booming city of Kuala Lampur or the bustling streets of Penang.

A few of us decided to take a morning hike which was great. We stumbled upon a trail leading up to a summit. The majority if the trail was made of tree roots, creating natural gradual steps for the ascent. We had hiked up the same hill the day before as a group from the other side. That proved a bit more strenuous but the view was rewarding.

The transportation was more unique than something could find in the US. Travel by longboat. To get to the restaurants in the area we had to cross the river. One night we were on a floating restaurant and a family of 4 got onto a boat to cross the river and the boat started floating away before the driver could get in. Luckily one of the family members knew how to use the motor and made their way back to the restaurant after some haphazard steering. The problem was that it had rained the night before and the river was much higher and flowing more quickly than the day before. So the boats going against the current were more difficult to control.

We also enjoyed a trip to some white water rapids with a swimming spot and a visit to the Oran Asli people. Again, it was a great learning experience to see the juxtaposition between the developed and undeveloped, NOT underdeveloped areas. I wouldn't mind living in the Jungle. Great part of the program!
-Sarah-

Malaysia Malaysia oh how I'll miss you

Looking back at the 3 week seminar here in Malaysia, I can sum it up with one word. AMAZING

With the Professors expansive knowledge concerning Malaysia and ASEAN, we were able to truly learn about this country and the politics playing into daily life.

The day at Parliament stands out in my mind. We met high ranking officials from each political party who were able to give us their version of what is going on in the government. It was very interesting to hear all different perspectives. I won't go into detail in hopes that you come to the program next year and find out for yourselves!

The city is an architectural wonder to me, as it is a fairly new city being a developmental state. Also, it is great the Mahathir was an authoritarian who had a love for architecture. The bridges in the area where are the ministries of the government are built are very unique. When you fly in to the city you can see 5 bridges close to each other each with their own unique modern style. Also the Petronas towers are just simply awesome.

I am surprised at how Western this city feels with shopping malls carrying brands like Forever 21, or Gucci. However, the food here makes me realize we are not in the West. That's because the spices here are delicious in every Indian dish they serve or in the Chinese food the things they do with tofu are wonderful. I think the food in Malaysia can only make people happy because it tastes so wonderful!

I will be sad to leave this country but can honestly say I hope to return and see how the country progresses and how as a regional player in ASEAN they develop.
-Sarah-

Malaysia's Most-Wanted

As a farewell, Hanim treated me to lunch at Lala Chong, a Chinese restaurant that specializes in extremely fresh seafood steamed in garlic, ginger, and Chinese wine; Chinese style fish head curry; and glass noodles stirfried with seafood. We ended up ordering steamed fish, along with many other sides. I must say that I was relieved not to have to try fish head. I even ate some beef because it looked so good.

Our meal was more somber than normal. I was slowly beginning to accept that I would be leaving Malaysia in a few days. More importantly, the day before, the Bersih 2.0protests had taken place in Kuala Lumpur. Put simply, Prime Minister Najib was appointed to his office. To prove his legitimacy, it is customary to hold elections. The opposition, led by Anwar Ibrahim (former Deputy Prime Minister/current member of Parliament), planned a protest demanding election reform (transparent, free, and fair). PM Najib legally banned the protests. He later changed his mind due to the intervention of King Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin and permitted the protest to occur inside of Stadium Merdeka. Later in the week, he retracted that permission. This caused them (the yellow shirts) to decide to march to the stadium anyway. The protests were not pretty.

Hanim did not participate in the protests, but watched them unfold on television with a heavy heart. She spent that whole day crying and worrying about the future of the country that she loved so much. The emotional drain was written all over her face. I could not completely empathize with her given her status as a member of the ethnic majority of her country. Hanim is a proud Malaysian (nationality) and a proud Malay (ethnicity) who understands the value of progress. The dichotomy of my US pride and her Malaysian passion is rooted in a sense of belonging. Hanim lives and breathes Malaysia. She looks, acts, and feels Malaysian.

While we continued discussing the politics of yesterday’s protest, a tall Chinese-looking man, wearing gym clothes sat a couple of tables away and began snapping photos of us with his iPhone. At first I just dismissed it as him being intrigued at the spectacle of a black man having a one-on-one meal with an older Malaysian woman. Then Hanim told me that she used to be a lot more politically active in her youth. She believes that she’s on a couple of watch lists and gets followed around sporadically. She turned to wave (mockingly) at him and I forced uncomfortable eye contact with him. Embarrassed, he got up and left without ordering any food.