IMYEP 2014 (Indonesia Malaysia Youth Exchange Program 2014)

Oleh: Lalu Irwan

 

PDT , Arrival  in  Jakarta

As I arrived in Jakarta, a warm welcome from other candidates of IMYEP (Indonesia Malaysia Youth Exchange Program) covered me. They were very easy to talk with and so friendly. In sort, I found my room and prepared for the opening ceremony and Pre-Departure Training (PDT). In PDT, all candidates of IMYEP were had to know each other, learned some songs , and learn some cultural performance such traditional dance etc.  It was very valuable to me since I learned a lot of new things.

 

It came to the day of the arrival of Malaysian youths. We prepared to welcome them with attractive welcome greeting. As we met them, we directly guided them to have a lunch on prepared table.

Indonesia phase, Foster family in Bali

After a few days in Jakarta with Malaysian delegates, we departed to Bali to have foster family in Desa Mas, Ubud, Bali. The committee in Bali prepared everything well, from the welcome ceremony till the trip to some famous places in Bali. The most impressive days to me were living with foster family. Me and my pal (one of Malaysian delegate) placed in Mr. I Wayan sudjana , usually called “Pak Wayan“. Pak wayan’s family were very nice to us. They taught me the Balinese culture and their religion. they  also taught us the way they face modernization in this global era.  There were many trips we did with the candidates, one of them was the visiting the museum of mask in Desa Mas . the museum contains thousands of local and international masks, even I found “cupak gerantang mask” , a voracious half man-monster which belongs to Lombok’s ancient tale . this trip drove me to the wider point of view to this world, realizing that Indonesia has so many artistic things. 

The last day, we showed cultural performance , some traditional dances, and costume parade along with all candidates of Indonesian youth. Malaysian delegates showed their own cultural performance. We  after the show and closing ceremony, we separated from our foster family, and saying goodbye by the tears upon our face.

Malaysia phase, Trips in Malaysia

I had my passport and the flight passing board in my right pocket of my attire, I said to myself, “here I go negeri jiran “.It was sunny Tuesday, arrived in Kuala Lumpur International Airport along with the other 33 candidates over provinces in Indonesia. The sense of belonging among us had been built by the togetherness in Jakarta and Bali.

 

It felt so sad, since Malaysian delegates did not attend the program anymore for some reasons in Malaysia phase of the IMYEP. We merely accompanied by some committee from “kementrian Belia dan Sukan Malaysia” . The first day in Malaysia we went and spent night in Grand Season Hotel in Kuala Lumpur. Next days, we visited some impressive places over country such museum Hangtuah, Bank Negara Malaysia, Ministry of Communication Malaysia, ministry of youth and sport Malaysia , Majelis Belia Malaysia and many fabulous places.

Foster Family in Pacitan

In Malaysia phase, we also had a foster family program. We had our foster family in kampong Pacitan, Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan Malaysia. I was placed with Akbar and Majer the delegation from Banten and Kalimantan Barat. We were placed in Emak Lyza’s Family. Emak lyza was very very kind she hospitalized us well. Emak Lyza had us to have a walk about the village every afternoon. There was no shock culture to us the delegations from Indonesia, since the culture of the society in this village resemble to Javanese culture. Historically, this village built by the Indonesian comers from kampong Pacitan Jawa Timur. That is why this village named kampong pacitan. It felt like we were in Indonesia by the Malayan Language atmosphere. 

The most unforgettable memory in IMYEP was the goodbye ceremony, even the Malaysian delegates came visit us to the village by their own cost. Once again we showed the cultural performance like we did in Bali. But it was different , most of us couldn’t  hold our tears . we sang national Song, IMYEP’s Song, and some traditional dance with tears upon our face. It was very very sad night, especially for me. I thought that this is the last time i gather with the best youths over provinces in Indonesia and the best youths from Malaysia . we sang a lot of song that night, we spent the rest of night by hoping the night would never end.

The next day we prepare for the departure to Indonesia, my foster mother, Emak Lyza could not stop crying for our leaving. Me, Akbar and Majer gave some traditional gift from our own culture as a thanks for caring and hospitalizing us very well.

A learn a lot of thing from this program, especially when I was in Malaysia. After summarizing , there are one major different of Indonesian and Malaysian people, it is about the consciousness . in Malaysia, less of litter on the way, no one smoking in public place, and they appreciate the time. Those make Malaysia more developed than Indonesia .   we don’t need to see developed western country such America , Canada Etc. let us learn from our closest neighbor country Malaysia, learn how they appreciate time and learn how they appreciate life.