Keeping Malaysia close to heart even when you’re living abroad

Different ways you can stay connected with fellow Malaysians around the world

Whether you’ve left our beloved nation for decades, or just recently relocated, those greener pastures still haven’t quite clicked for you, have they?

You could have already achieved most, if not all your career goals, or you could just well be on your way up the ladder as you’re reading this. You’ve already made lifelong friends. You’ve acclimatised yourself to the local way of doing things. Yet, it feels like there’s a small piece missing.

Luckily, in an ever-connecting world, there are ways to bring Malaysia back into your life (and your social circle). Here are some ways you can do that:

It starts with who you already know

Chances are, you could’ve already bumped into a fellow Malaysian (or perhaps even a few), throughout your stay so far. That would be your first place to start. As Ryan Ng, a Senior Account Director for LinkedIn based in Singapore suggests, “the easiest way to build connections is organically through your work colleagues”. By reaching out to people you already know within your area, it will help you quickly start your little village, regardless of how recently you’ve arrived in the country.

Find like-minded people through groups

Maybe you haven’t had luck finding Malaysian associations where you are. No sweat. You can always look up and join a group of Malaysians who might be in your area. For example, like most Malaysians living away from home, familiar food is the first thing that comes to mind. That’s why Malaysians abroad like Firdaus Kamaruddin, Finance Director of GE Grid Solutions in Berlin and Jo Ann Lim, Enterprise Client Partner at Meta in London, would seek out Malaysian cuisine and bond with fellow Malaysians abroad. MyHeart’s Network and Connect now include Malaysians and Malaysian associations in close to 50 countries such as United Kingdom, Australia, Republic of Korea, Indonesia, United Arab Emirates and many others. Simply use the function to source out information on these organisations to connect directly with them.

Stay in touch!

Now that you’ve got to know some fellow Malaysians in your area, don’t forget to stay connected. While it can be challenging to maintain these connections, just be mindful of your initial goals for connecting with these people. This will help you prioritise relationships that you know will flourish and can be maintained for the long run.

One simple way to keep the momentum going is by attending events organised by fellow Malaysians. You can scroll through MyHeart’s Events page to discover and join events, be it nearby your area or even virtually!

Start connecting with MyHeart portal.

No matter where you are in the world, the good news is that you no longer have to start from scratch when it comes to building your Malaysian network. By signing up with MyHeart, you’ll be able to tap into an established network of thousands of Malaysians staying abroad from close to 50 countries around the world. 

Countless Malaysians abroad like Firdaus and Jo Ann see the MyHeart portal as a valuable initiative to connect Malaysians abroad, to foster a sense of unity and collaboration with one another. 

Not only can you connect to fellow Malaysians and Malaysian associations nearby with pinpoint accuracy using the filter and map functions to narrow down to your specific location, you can also register your own business or organisation so other Malaysians within the area can find you easily. 

Although, it’s so much more than just about making connections alone. Lam Ka Jhun, a Circular Economy & Sustainability Program Manager based in Australia, also sees it as a means for Malaysians abroad to offer their knowledge and expertise to contribute back to the country too.

You can try it out for yourself by clicking this link here: www.myheart.my/network-and-connect/