Malaysia has been home to international students for the longest time especially students from Thailand, Indonesia, Egypt, China and Nigeria, to name a few. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) reported that the country has hosted over 120,000 international students1.
Kanyapat Sukhapat is currently pursuing her Master of Business Administration (MBA) in collaboration with Coventry University, United Kingdom at INTI International College Subang.
With the world being shaken by the COVID-19 pandemic, every industry is affected, and higher education is not spared. The return of foreign students to their respective educational institutions abroad had been rather difficult due to travel bans imposed in most countries, including Malaysia.
On 19 June 2020, Defence Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced good news which allowed international students currently enrolled in public and private educational institutions in Malaysia to return provided they observe the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
“Malaysia’s initiative in curbing the COVID-19 crisis has to be applauded. The various measures taken to prevent the spread of the virus has given international students like me the confidence to return to Malaysia to continue my studies,” said 39-year-old Kanyapat Sukhapat, who is currently pursuing her Master of Business Administration (MBA) in collaboration with Coventry University, UK programme at INTI International College Subang.
She further added, “The whole process to return to Malaysia was straightforward. I logged onto the Education Malaysia Global Services (EMGS) website and voila, here I am back in Malaysia. The process was efficient, easy, reliable and we could track the application timeline. There was no delay. I was impressed that they strictly followed the timeline as notified by EMGS.”
“It was a long five-hour experience right after I landed at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) but the airport staff made it easy for the passengers. They were friendly and attentive. Best of all, there was a welcome pack for us and that definitely put a smile on my face!” chuckled Kanyapat about her airport adventure.
“I underwent a comfortable 14-day quarantine at Impiana KLCC Hotel. It was during this time that I attended INTI’s English programme. The programme was initially a hybrid class with online and face-to-face classes, but since I was quarantined, the lecturers allowed me to access the classes online. I was so grateful to them for being accommodative and understanding,” said the Thai national.
The highlight of her learning experience during the quarantine period, according to Kanyapat, was when the Head of the Intensive English Programme delivered revision books to the hotel. She said it was a thoughtful gesture that showed how supportive her head of programme was about her education.
Since her enrolment at INTI International College Subang, Meitha Sari Dewi has joined several clubs and societies including the International Student Club.
Meanwhile, Meitha Sari Dewi from Indonesia also shared her experience on her return to Malaysia to continue her Bachelor of Interior Design (Hons) in collaboration with Sheffield Hallam University, UK, at INTI International College Subang after the travel ban was lifted.
When she enrolled in 2018, Meitha knew she had picked the best higher education institution for her future endeavors. “I knew that INTI was the right fit. Besides gaining the knowledge I need, I would also be able to study a UK programme in a country not far from Indonesia! When I’m homesick, it’s easy to go home,” joked Meitha.
Meitha, who was also put up in the same hotel as Kanyapat, admitted that despite the occasional feelings of boredom, she made good use of her time by doing things she loved such as watch movies and learn new languages.
“Not only was the hotel nice and clean, but it was also located in front of the Twin Towers. I got to watch my favorite movies and learn new languages with an amazing view! Furthermore, I joined a WhatsApp group with other people under surveillance and that made communication easier. We received daily updates and could also clear our doubts pertaining our quarantine,” Meitha shared.
Ahmed Hesham is grateful to the International Office staff as they have been helpful from day one.
For Ahmed Hesham, coming back to Malaysia different this time around. Ahmed, who usually takes between one to two hours to reach home from KLIA on his regular trips back to Malaysia, took 10 hours to reach the quarantine centre. “The number of people coming back and the meticulous procedures involved were time consuming. It was very tiring, but I was in no place to complain as it was all for our good,” he said.
Growing up in Cairo, Ahmed had always dreamed of pursuing his education overseas but circumstances were not in his favour then, so he enrolled in the Arab Academy for Science and Technology, a prestigious university in Egypt.
“I completed my first year and decided to take a one year break to explore my options and decide if I wanted to stay in Egypt or take on a new challenge. I had a friend who was studying in Malaysia then and he suggested INTI as an option to continue my studies. So I took that next step and here I am pursuing my Bachelor in Business Administration (Hons) in collaboration with University of Hertfordshire,” shared Ahmed.
Ahmed, who was quarantined at the Ibis Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, said his 14 days in quarantine were not pleasant. “The hotel itself was not bad but being stuck in the same room for a long period time can be frustrating. You start to realize how much time you actually spend outside of your home and how boring it can be to be confined to one place. The only way to fight the boredom was working out and binging on shows I had saved on my watch list,” he said.
INTI’s International Office (IO) assisted Kanyapat, Meitha and Ahmed from the moment they had returned to Malaysia. These international students were picked up from the hotel by IO personnel and dropped off at their homes after concluding their quarantine.
Although these students experienced their share of ups and downs in their return to Malaysia, they felt blessed to be back to continue their classes on campus.