Building Bridges : IKIM's Visit Strengthens Malaysian Students' Connection to Home

KYOTO, 1 Feb – The invitation from Institut Kefahaman Islam Malaysia (IKIM) gave Malaysian students in Kyoto engaged with distinguished representatives from IKIM over an evening of meaningful dialogue and connection. The gathering, held at Asian Halal Kitchen Salman in Kyoto, brought together approximately 26 participants, including 19 Malaysian students.

The IKIM delegation was led by Prof Emeritus Dato' Dr Mohamad Yusof bin Othman, Deputy Chairman of IKIM, and Prof Madya Dato' Dr Mohamed Azam bin Mohamed Adil, Director General of IKIM. They were accompanied by Prof Madya Dr Zul Ilham bin Zulkiflee Lubes, Director of Pusat Kajian Sains & Alam Sekitar (KIAS), along with several other officers from IKIM. Representing MSAJ was Izzat Haiqal, who attended in his capacity as Vice President of MSAJ.

The evening began at 6 p.m. with self-introductions, followed by sharing sessions and a question-and-answer segment with the IKIM representatives. The discussions delved into the concept of Malaysia Madani values in a global context, offering students fresh perspectives on how our core values can stand strong on the international stage. 

A Malaysian student from Kyoto Institute of Technology stated that one particularly resonant theme was the role of Malaysian students abroad as small ambassadors of the nation. While this responsibility may appear modest, the impact of representing Malaysia's identity and dignity on the world stage is significant.

Izzat Haiqal added that this gathering served as a meaningful platform to connect with government agencies that support Malaysian students abroad and to feel that sense of "kekitaan", that Malaysian unity and spirit, even whilst living far from home.

As the evening drew to a close, IKIM presented an appreciation token to MSAJ, symbolising the strong ties of "kekitaan" and the continuation of Madani's aspiration amongst Malaysian students in Japan.