From its humble establishment at the grounds of the Istana Negara in 1965, to moving to its new home at the Ampang Hilir campus in 2018, The International School of Kuala Lumpur (ISKL) has always recognized and appreciated our host country, Malaysia, for the diverse cultures, languages, food, history, and more, that is enriching our school experience. To honor Malaysian culture, we started a series titled ‘Jom Belajar’ (Bahasa Malaysia for ‘Let’s Learn’) that covers a variety of topics, including local festivals, delicacies, and customs, to showcase all the wonderful things that Malaysia has to offer to our diverse community.
Jom Belajar was ISKL’s love letter to the country that has given and enriched us so much, and a way for all of us to learn from each other, as ISKL community members themselves often took centre stage to talk about their identities and heritage, or present on several eclectic Malaysian culture related topics.
We kickstarted the series with an in-depth look at Malaysia’s Merdeka (Independence) Day and the history behind it. One of our very own ISKL staff members, Ross Idris from the Advancement Department, graciously hosted the video segment and even donned a Baju Melayu, a traditional Malay outfit, to suit the theme. Brought back by popular demand, Ross also hosted another video segment in which he took us on a mouthwatering journey to explore the wonderful world of mamak food! We salivated in front of our screens as we watched him explain each element of the nasi kandar experience.
We continued to have special appearances from guest hosts within our ISKL community, with Alumni and Elementary School Teacher Najihah Athar taking us through a visual batik journey. Najihah, who is also a member of the Staff Association, showcased Malaysia’s finest craft form through her extensive batik collection. In this episode, we not only learned about the history of batik, but were also treated to a fashion show!
As months went by, we celebrated various festivals across our multicultural society. We learned about the legendary stories behind the Winter Solstice and Mooncake Festival, and the traditional food that accompanies each festival. ISKL’s Staff Association also showed their support through several guest contributors who graciously invited us into their homes by sharing their Deepavali experiences with us. We had an invaluable insider’s look into the meticulous preparations for the festival, the delicious food served, and the beautiful outfits worn.
In another Jom Belajar video segment, two of our staff members, Nadine Levone, Teacher’s Assistant for Prep Senior, and Krystle van Dijk, Global Events Marketing Specialist, shared the fascinating story of their native Sarawakian heritage, as they are descendants of the Berawan Tribe. We heard their amazing family history and saw their longhouse;
learned about their customs and discovered the beauty of their land. Jom Belajar covered many more informative and interesting topics, such as traditional Malaysian games, basic Bahasa Malaysia phrases, and a guide to the local monsoon season. Thank you to all our Jom Belajar contributors, we are so grateful for your valuable input and experiences! Panthers who would like to share their insights on Malaysia, so please email us at [email protected] if you’re interested.
Check out our #JomBelajarwithISKL on social media to see more!
