“Malaysia boleh!“ was once the symbol and spirit of every Malaysian. We strongly believe that change is possible and that we should always strive for excellence no matter what we’re doing in the journey to improve our nation, set forth our name in the global plenary and carve it deep in the history that Malaysia is indeed boleh!
However, as times changed, we no longer create wonders and in fact we are now in a state of stagnation (if not moving backward), which is really bad. As the old generations go and the new generations gradually coming in to set forth our nation’s future direction, we can’t help but to think, are we qualified enough to do so? Do we truly possess the skills to make it happen? Will we bring back our nation’s glory and even amplify it?
Below are our top ten reasons of why we think Malaysians should travel at least once in the journey of transforming Malaysia from Malaysia mungkin boleh toMalaysia memang boleh!
10. You will learn (practical) essential life skills
The world is increasingly progressing faster everyday and it has proven to us that even though technology has made our lives easier, we are essentially becoming more dependent and lazier than ever before. When was the last time you fix the leaking water pipe or cook yourself a meal?
Many Malaysians are living comfortably in our own haven without realizing that we are taking all of this comfort for granted, one day, we will need to be independent and there’s no better way to learn all these practical and essential skills by travelling.
Allen – Global Citizen in Cambodia
9. It’s the connections you made that counts
It is basic human instinct to crave for connection with others, Malaysians included. What’s more? Malaysians are well-known all over the world that we are friendly and warm in nature, so why not make connections whenever we can?
Throughout your travelling journey, you will be sure to meet many new people, form new connections which will last for a lifetime, share experiences and most importantly is that it opens up an entire new social circle for you!
Jane – Global Citizen in Laos
8. You will know other cultures, and they will know ours
One exciting thing about travelling is that we get the chance to expose ourselves to other cultures unfamiliar to ours and learn all sorts of new traditions, languages, ways of life etc. Through these newfound cultural differences, we will get the chance to debunk common stereotypes, expand our knowledge horizon, challenge our own wisdom and ultimately allow us to be more acceptable of all the differences between us.
Not forgetting to mention that travelling also allows us to be an ambassador (we’ll talk more about this next)!
Mohd Syafiq Bin Zamri – Global Citizen in China
7. It makes us Malaysia’s ambassadors
As a fellow Malaysian, we often find ourselves questioning our existence in the eyes of the global plenary. We would sometimes wonder how will the others view us as Malaysians given all the recent unfortunate events happening in and out of our country.
We would even wonder what can we do to show them that Malaysians are not what they think we are, we are neither corrupted, nor are we lacking behind in terms of capability. Well, travelling gives you just this opportunity to show the world what Malaysians can really accomplish! For once we leave our country’s borders, we represent not ourselves, but as an ambassador of Malaysia!
Amanda Fong – Global Citizen in Vietnam
6. Travelling widens our world view
When we think about the country Libya in the African continent, what will you associate it with? Poverty? Famine? Diseases and wars? NOPE. If you think it’s just another poor underdeveloped country in Africa then you’re in for a big shock! Libya is in fact ranked top two in the most developed country throughout Africa with its growing investment in scientific researches and higher education institutions.
This shows just how ignorant Malaysians can be and sometimes, the best way to verify the truth is simply to live it yourself.
Ai Yun – Global Citizen in Vietnam
5. Your perspectives will be challenged
Be it the way you think, or the way you act upon emergencies, or even how you dress, these common perspectives will be challenged on a daily basis when you’re out there travelling abroad.
Things that are common to you (for example toilets with a water faucet in Malaysia) might not be so common in other countries (did you know that Taiwan only provides toilet paper in their toilet?). Getting out there and travel will definitely bring you new perspectives out of our own!
Yee Shen – Global Citizen in Vietnam
4. It teaches you compassion
Being thrown out there and seeing the real world through your own eyes will bring you more compassion than watching the news in Facebook or TV. You will start to care for the world’s issues, things that are bigger than our everyday problems, issues that are relevant and important to solve.
Travelling not only allows you to be compassionate, but it makes you think what can you — an independent individual do to contribute in solving those problems.
Wen Sin – Global Citizen in Sri Lanka
3. Travelling makes you a problem solver
Travelling alone is a guaranteed journey to a whole bunch of problems and issues in the road, be it lack of cash, minor accidents, getting lost in the middle of nowhere etc. All these will ultimately forge you into a problem solver (not like Sherlock Holmes, more like a jigsaw puzzle player) where you will have to look at the bigger picture and solve it step-by-step, one piece at a time.
2. It also heightens your self awareness
The one lacking thing about Malaysian youths is that we do not have many chances to be challenged and thus do not have the privilege to understand our strengths and weaknesses soon. So by travelling abroad, we will finally get the chance and exposure to fully understand what we truly are capable of and how we can improve ourselves to be not just a better individual, but a better Malaysian overall!
Li Ting – Global Citizen in Thailand
1. You’ll discover that the world is not just about you
Remember the time when your parents and friends emphasized that studies and experience are important only for you to have a better future? And the time when your teachers and lecturers mentioned that you have to score well in your exams to go to a better university? What about that time when you and your friends study just because you’re aiming for the scores but not for the knowledge itself?
The world is more than just you and your future. It is more than just exams and studies. And most important of all, it is more than just you and me. When you go out there to travel, you’ll see things that you’ve never seen before. You’ll get to experience the real world, and you’ll discover that ultimately what makes the world beautiful is the people. You’ll want to change things. You’ll want to solve issues. And you’ll want to impact the world.
