Born an ethnic Iban to Iban parents from Bintulu, Mclarren Jenson who was born and raised in Johor Bahru, arrived in UNIMAS (Kota Samarahan, Sarawak) some 14+ weeks ago feeling both hopeful and intimidated. On one side, it felt like a homecoming. On another, it almost felt like a test. Is this (coming back to my parent’s home state) the right decision? Would I fit in? How about my old mates in JB? Will I like the food? Will I be forced to trade my JB slang for a more local one? (Mclarren would soon discover that UNIMAS is very much a melting pot of cultures and languages, so no, he won’t have to change a thing!)
We caught up with Mclarren, who was the Oath Taker at the Majlis Ikrar Pelajar Sesi 2022/2023 on 4 October 2022 (slide left for the photo from the ceremony), to see how far he has come, and what he feels about his future in UNIMAS (more on this in the upcoming feature on UNIMAS website).
Name: Mclarren Jenson Anak Guang
Program: Industrial Relations and Labour Studies
Year of Study: Year 1
Faculty: Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities
U: Can you tell us a little bit about your background?
Hi, I’m Mclarren. I was born on 16 March 2002 at Sultanah Aminah Hospital, Johor. My parents are Ibans from Bintulu, Sarawak who moved to Johor for job opportunities. They raised me and my brothers and sisters (I am the second child of 4 siblings) in Johor Bahru, but we are still very connected to our Sarawakian side, especially through language and food.
I went to primary school at Sekolah Kebangsaan Taman Bukit Indah and then I continued my secondary education at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Taman Bukit Indah. I completed my Form 6 at Maktab Sultan Abu Bakar school or better known as English College (EC).
U: Can you recall some of the most memorable moments you have experienced so far in UNIMAS?
One of the highlights is of course the orientation week or “Minggu Aluan Pelajar”, especially because my batch was the first to experience the physical version since the pandemic hit the world. I was grateful to have had the chance to meet new friends from different backgrounds and did many fun activities together throughout the week. And of course, to my surprise, I was chosen to lead the student pledge at the “Majlis Ikrar Pelajar Baharu Sesi 2022/2023”. To be honest, I felt so nervous standing in front of so many people including the University’s top management team. I’m glad it went well.
U: Yes, you did very well! So, Mclarren, what do you think makes studying in UNIMAS (or Sarawak) different from other places?
In my opinion, what differentiates the study experience at UNIMAS and Sarawak from other places is the flight fares to come here (haha). That said, flying can be fun and a cool experience, so that’s a plus. The rich and diverse cultures also add to the experience: people speak different languages and dialects such as Iban, Melanau, Bidayuh, Kayan and also the Sarawakian Malay (my favourite words are sikmok [I don’t want that/to], gurin [to lie down], makseh [thank you] and lelah [tired]). I would say that, if anyone has the chance to come here to study, they should grab the golden opportunity because when you study in Sarawak, you are not only studying Engineering, Linguistics or Industrial Relations, but you are also here to learn about the cultures, heritage, nature and of course, the people.
As an Iban who lives in Johor, coming back here also gives me a chance to use the language and widen my vocabulary (I can proudly say that my Iban language repertoire is more expansive now). I guess it’s true then, practice does make perfect.
U: Our theme for January-March is PASSION. What are you passionate about? What motivated you to get up in the morning and get out there?
I love to sweat it out. I play futsal, soccer and badminton. I enjoy challenging my body physically like that. I am also very interested in playing musical instruments. I picked up the acoustic guitar in 2019, influenced by a friend who plays it very well. I only know the basic chords and strumming patterns for now, but I’m getting there.
I also enjoy museum trips, going into nature to experience the flora and fauna and photography. I mainly take photos of scenery on my phone.
U: Tell us about some of the activities that you participated in UNIMAS so far.
I joined this adoption program called Jalinan Mesra Keluargaku Komunitiku Sayang. This program was conducted in Kampung Baru, Kota Samarahan which is located not far from UNIMAS as part of the subject MPU3192 Ethics and Civilization under the supervision of Dr Adibah Yusuf. During this program, we stayed at the host family's house for 2 days and 1 night. We went around the village, met the locals and bonded with our adoptive family. This experience is so valuable to me as I have never actually visited and experienced a Malay kampong before.
In addition, throughout my time at UNIMAS and Sarawak, I have been to Bengoh Dam, Borneo Cultures Museum, Kuching Waterfront, Kampung Budaya, Pantai Damai and Santubong. Sarawak is huge so there are still many interesting places I want to go to, and I am working on that. A lot of planning to do. But I intend to use my time in UNIMAS to experience everything that Sarawak has to offer. I think this will be a great adventure.
Photo by : Rafiq Olek, Dabif Jack Shaw and Mclarren Jenson
#facesofUNIMAS #UniquelyUNIMAS #UNIMAS #UNIMASofficial #communitydrivenuniversity #FBF #FlashbackFriday
Born an ethnic Iban to Iban parents from Bintulu, Mclarren Jenson who was born and raised in Johor Bahru, arrived in UNIMAS (Kota Samarahan, Sarawak) some 14+ weeks ago feeling both hopeful and intimidated. On one side, it felt like a homecoming. On another, it almost felt like a test. Is this (coming back to my parent’s home state) the right decision? Would I fit in? How about my old mates in JB? Will I like the food? Will I be forced to trade my JB slang for a more local one? (Mclarren would soon discover that UNIMAS is very much a melting pot of cultures and languages, so no, he won’t have to change a thing!)
We caught up with Mclarren, who was the Oath Taker at the Majlis Ikrar Pelajar Sesi 2022/2023 on 4 October 2022 (slide left for the photo from the ceremony), to see how far he has come, and what he feels about his future in UNIMAS (more on this in the upcoming feature on UNIMAS website).
Name: Mclarren Jenson Anak Guang
Program: Industrial Relations and Labour Studies
Year of Study: Year 1
Faculty: Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities
U: Can you tell us a little bit about your background?
Hi, I’m Mclarren. I was born on 16 March 2002 at Sultanah Aminah Hospital, Johor. My parents are Ibans from Bintulu, Sarawak who moved to Johor for job opportunities. They raised me and my brothers and sisters (I am the second child of 4 siblings) in Johor Bahru, but we are still very connected to our Sarawakian side, especially through language and food.
I went to primary school at Sekolah Kebangsaan Taman Bukit Indah and then I continued my secondary education at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Taman Bukit Indah. I completed my Form 6 at Maktab Sultan Abu Bakar school or better known as English College (EC).
U: Can you recall some of the most memorable moments you have experienced so far in UNIMAS?
One of the highlights is of course the orientation week or “Minggu Aluan Pelajar”, especially because my batch was the first to experience the physical version since the pandemic hit the world. I was grateful to have had the chance to meet new friends from different backgrounds and did many fun activities together throughout the week. And of course, to my surprise, I was chosen to lead the student pledge at the “Majlis Ikrar Pelajar Baharu Sesi 2022/2023”. To be honest, I felt so nervous standing in front of so many people including the University’s top management team. I’m glad it went well.
U: Yes, you did very well! So, Mclarren, what do you think makes studying in UNIMAS (or Sarawak) different from other places?
In my opinion, what differentiates the study experience at UNIMAS and Sarawak from other places is the flight fares to come here (haha). That said, flying can be fun and a cool experience, so that’s a plus. The rich and diverse cultures also add to the experience: people speak different languages and dialects such as Iban, Melanau, Bidayuh, Kayan and also the Sarawakian Malay (my favourite words are sikmok [I don’t want that/to], gurin [to lie down], makseh [thank you] and lelah [tired]). I would say that, if anyone has the chance to come here to study, they should grab the golden opportunity because when you study in Sarawak, you are not only studying Engineering, Linguistics or Industrial Relations, but you are also here to learn about the cultures, heritage, nature and of course, the people.
As an Iban who lives in Johor, coming back here also gives me a chance to use the language and widen my vocabulary (I can proudly say that my Iban language repertoire is more expansive now). I guess it’s true then, practice does make perfect.
U: Our theme for January-March is PASSION. What are you passionate about? What motivated you to get up in the morning and get out there?
I love to sweat it out. I play futsal, soccer and badminton. I enjoy challenging my body physically like that. I am also very interested in playing musical instruments. I picked up the acoustic guitar in 2019, influenced by a friend who plays it very well. I only know the basic chords and strumming patterns for now, but I’m getting there.
I also enjoy museum trips, going into nature to experience the flora and fauna and photography. I mainly take photos of scenery on my phone.
U: Tell us about some of the activities that you participated in UNIMAS so far.
I joined this adoption program called Jalinan Mesra Keluargaku Komunitiku Sayang. This program was conducted in Kampung Baru, Kota Samarahan which is located not far from UNIMAS as part of the subject MPU3192 Ethics and Civilization under the supervision of Dr Adibah Yusuf. During this program, we stayed at the host family's house for 2 days and 1 night. We went around the village, met the locals and bonded with our adoptive family. This experience is so valuable to me as I have never actually visited and experienced a Malay kampong before.
In addition, throughout my time at UNIMAS and Sarawak, I have been to Bengoh Dam, Borneo Cultures Museum, Kuching Waterfront, Kampung Budaya, Pantai Damai and Santubong. Sarawak is huge so there are still many interesting places I want to go to, and I am working on that. A lot of planning to do. But I intend to use my time in UNIMAS to experience everything that Sarawak has to offer. I think this will be a great adventure.
Photo by : Rafiq Olek, Dabif Jack Shaw and Mclarren Jenson
#facesofUNIMAS #UniquelyUNIMAS #UNIMAS #UNIMASofficial #communitydrivenuniversity #FBF #FlashbackFriday
