Despite being miles away from their homes and family, Limkokwing’s Muslim students from countries as far away as Nigeria, Sudan and Uzbekistan celebrated the joyous season of Aidilfitri together, albeit in a completely different manner this year.

In an effort to introduce international students to the Malaysian culture of “Open Houses” and celebrating festivals together during the festive season, Limkokwing Borneo arranged for an Aidilfitri celebration for students who were away from their families.

Muslim students were brought to the mosque to complete their Syawal prayers, before meeting the other international students for a day of visiting fellow students and staff from the Limkokwing Borneo family. 

The students were introduced to local delicacies such as the Malay kek lapis, rendang, satay and ketupat as well as other traditional dishes and were given warm welcomes in every house they visited. This was a new experience for the students, as they were wary at first to the reception that they were given.

“I was initially worried that we wouldn’t be welcomed, as we were literally strangers to everyone we visited,” said Aliyu Jibril Yunusa, a Nigerian student currently undertaking the Anglia Ruskin University degree programme in Computer Science. “However, when we saw the warm smiles on the faces of everyone as they ushered us into their houses, I felt like we were members of one family. To be able to be a part of this during the month of Syawal is truly a humbling experience for me,” he added.

Adamu Dauda, on the other hand, was very much reminded of the celebrations that his friends and family would be having back home in Africa. “There are certain similarities between the way Aidilfitri is celebrated here and in Africa, such as the way everyone gathers together and share the feast prepared by their friends and family,” said Adamu who is undertaking Anglia Ruskin’s Computer Science programme. “However, our celebrations are more like a gathering of many different families, as opposed to visiting individual houses here.”

“We would also have events to commemorate the celebrations such as horse riding, and a large feast comprising of our delicacies and cakes,” he added.

The festivities was not limited to only the Muslim students as several non-Muslim international students followed along with their Muslim friends, eager to participate in the activities as well as celebrate with the others. The students also witnessed first-hand the harmony that Sarawakians have with each other as they saw everyone; be it Chinese, Indian, Iban or Bidayuhs, gathering together in celebration of Aidilfitri. It was clear that Malay traditions were practiced by everyone as they greeted each other in the same fashion and asked for forgiveness from their respective friends and families, an act that truly spelt out the harmony and peace practiced by all Malaysians.

This was the sentiment of Peter Duop, a Sudanese student, who was very much surprised and amazed to see the way Aidilfitri was celebrated here. “I had no idea that the culture of visiting friends and family existed here in Malaysia,” he said. “It was amazing to see how everyone, regardless of race and religion, got together and celebrated this festive season together. This is definitely an eye-opener for me and the hospitality I received is something that I will tell all my friends and family back home.”

The efforts made by Limkokwing in ensuring that the students do not miss out on the festivities was truly appreciated by all the students, as could be seen on the wide smiles and happy faces of all those who participated in the event that day.

“I was very sad at first to know that I would not be celebrating Aidilfitri with my family back home but when I learnt of the arrangements that had been made by Limkokwing for us during Aidilfitri, I felt very touched,” said Abdulrahman Mohammad, a student from Nigeria.

“It felt good to know that even though we were away from our families, the staff from our college was thoughtful and considerate enough to ensure that we celebrated our festival happily, instead of having a lonely Aidilfitri,” he added.

Kenny Ley, Limkokwing’s architecture lecturer, accompanied the students as they went house visiting, and was pleased to see that the students were enjoying themselves. “We at Limkokwing Borneo, feel that it is important that all our students are well taken care of, in every aspect. It is only natural that we think of the students during the festive season and ensure that they too feel the festive cheer as they are so far away from their homes and families,” he said.

This years Hari Raya Aidilfitri saw the staff and students of Limkokwing sharing a special experience together in one way or another. The event was not only an ideal way to get to know the other students and staff during the holiday season but was also a great learning experience for the international students as they were directly involved in the preservations of the Sarawakian culture which has been practiced for centuries.

“It was a truly great experience for me to be able to pray at the State mosque, visit my friends and the staff of Limkokwing Borneo, and taste the traditional foods served at every house we went to,” said Mohammad Aliyu. “I hope to be able to partake in this activity again throughout my stay here in Malaysia,” he added.

Limkokwing is a creative destination for the world with students from 15 different countries studying at its campus in Kuching. It is a premier institute of higher learning and its quality in education is assured at international standards. As a digital innovation hub, Limkokwing Borneo offers British 3+0 Degrees and Diploma courses in Design, Architecture, Communications, Business and Information Technology.

The Institute is part of the Limkokwing University of Creative Technology Worldwide network of campuses in seven countries as well as university partners in 177 countries.