BEIJING, Sept 29 – Malaysian students in China have been encouraged to play a role as cultural bridges in fostering the more than half-century-long bilateral relations between Malaysia and the land of the Great Wall, said Malaysia’s Ambassador to China, Datuk Norman Muhamad.
He said this was a golden opportunity for Malaysian students to appreciate the richness of civilisation, understand the country’s technological and economic advancements, and gain valuable experience in preparing themselves to meet future industry demands.
“It is hoped that when you return to Malaysia, you will be able to act as agents of change and share the positive values you have learnt with your peers back home,” he said in his address at the Orientation Programme for New Malaysian Students in China, held at the Malaysian Embassy here on Sunday.
Norman also advised Malaysian students to safeguard their identity and personal safety while abroad and to avoid being easily enticed by offers of lucrative part-time jobs.
“We (the Malaysian Embassy) do not want students to be involved in unlawful activities such as money laundering and the like,” he added.
A total of 120 students, out of 1,459 Malaysians who registered for higher education in China just three weeks ago, attended the event on Sunday.
Among those present were 38 students enrolled in the Dual Degree in Railway Engineering programme between Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah (UMPSA) and Beijing Jiaotong University (BJTU), eight in the UMPSA–Tianjin University (TJU) Dual Degree in Engineering and Chemical Technology, four pursuing a Bachelor’s in Business and Economics at Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU), and 70 recipients of various Chinese Scholarship Council awards.
Beijing recorded the largest intake of new Malaysian students with 400, making the city home to the highest concentration of the Malaysian student diaspora – 1,700 out of a total of 5,735 Malaysians currently studying across China.
