One of The Expat’s longtime and most prolific writers takes a look back at the publication’s 18-year journey from a thin newsletter to a well-known monthly magazine in Malaysia.

Scoring a double century in cricket is quite an achievement. Spectators would rise to their feet and applaud the batsman who would then salute the crowd. So with The Expat attaining its landmark 200th edition, the readers of the magazine I know will recognise this achievement and all those associated with the magazine will graciously accept the accolades.

Apart from the publisher, Andy Davison, I suspect I’m the longest-serving writer with the magazine, having written for the first edition and now its 200th… plus many others in between. I’m not sure if this means I will receive a golden pen, a bonus, muffled applause from the readers, or a mere pat on the back, but it has been a rewarding journey watching and contributing to what is now a highly respected Malaysian publication.

A Humble Beginning

I’m not even sure how Andy’s then-partner Nora Marzuki ended up at my place one Saturday afternoon back in the mid 1990s. There was obviously a telephone call (land-line, mind you, no mobiles to speak of then) to make the appointment and then a discussion about starting a newsletter for the expatriate community in Kuala Lumpur. Nora had worked for the New Straits Times, so knew her way around the written word, and the idea sounded like a good one.

Having arrived into Malaysia a few years earlier, I remembered bumbling around trying to make sense of my temporary home while I worked here. (Little did I know then that Malaysia would become my permanent home.) While assistance was forthcoming from my work colleagues and new friends, having reference material to refer to would have been helpful. I could see the expat newsletter as suggested by Nora serving such a valuable function.

I wasn’t quite sure what I could bring to the party, but Nora reassured me that, because I’d been to school, I must be able to cobble a few words together and that my experience as an expat was something I could share with others. Having written a few books by that stage, the writing wasn’t seen as a problem but I wasn’t sure I was the “typical” expat and was undecided about what such an expat did or wanted to read. (Nearly 20 years later, I’m still not clear on this!) Expat packages with lucrative bonuses and rewards were typical then, but having come to Malaysia to work for the NGO, the World Wide Fund for Malaysia (WWF), there were certainly no frills for me in my package.

However, I think it was through WWF that I initially met Nora and Andy, and it was my environmental and ecotourism background that they wanted me to share with the readers of the newsletter.

A First in Black and White

I can’t remember what my first story for the newsletter was, but I’m sure it was brief as there were very few pages in the first few editions. The first edition may have just been a few pages, merely folded, but within months, it went to several sheets and the luxury of staples was added to bind the newsletter together.

Disseminating the news was important, and direct mailing was then, and still is, a feature of The Expat. Slowly, the necessary ads came in and the newsletter became an economically viable proposition. I’m sure for the first few editions, I donated my stories to get the whole thing up and running; I’m reasonably sure most of the other contributors did the same.

Roamings and Rantings

I’ve been fortunate to have worked in various positions in Malaysia that have enabled me to travel, and the various Expat editors over the years have always encouraged me to document these travels from the well-visited to some of the remotest parts of the country.

While never quite sure of what people want to read, I have always tried to offer various perspectives from budget to luxury travel, couples to families, and adventurous to the indulgent. Malaysia is a country that, while sounding clichéd, offers something for almost everyone. Another thing I like about Malaysia is that it’s easy to escape from, and with some 10 or so countries within two to four hours’ travel away, extended weekend holidays are always possible. While many expats come to Malaysia to see and experience the country, I would also argue that they come to explore the region, too. The various editors of The Expat have shared this belief, and over the many issues, I’ve been able to document my travels in the magazine.

I’m led to believe – and ever hopeful – that the editors receive favourable responses to these articles, but as a writer working in isolation, feedback is rarely provided directly from readers to me. This can be frustrating, but it makes me work harder to discover new places and experiences and document things as accurately as possible in the belief that there may be readers out there who religiously follow my suggestions.

Regional Reflections

Over years of travelling professionally, I feel fortunate in having discovered many parts of Malaysia and the region. There are many destinations that I’m glad I discovered when I did, and there are other places that I really don’t want to return to as they have now been well and truly discovered by mass tourism.

There are many favourite Malaysian destinations such as Langkawi, the Kinabatangan River, Mount Mulu National Park, Frasers Hill, Penang, and Taman Negara. In the region, I have no problems in returning to destinations such as Luang Prabang, Hanoi, Siem Reap, Chiang Mai, Yangon, Bangkok, Koh Hai, parts of Bali, Bagan, Mount Bromo, Doi Tung, Lang Co, and Dalat.

One of the pleasant things about travelling is that there is always something new to see and experience. Returning to old destinations is just as rewarding, as nothing ever remains constant. For me, there really is never a bad time to travel.

Happy birthday to The Expat… and thanks for allowing me an avenue to share my stories with your readers.

Source: The Expat Magazine May 2014

Read more:

• The Expat Magazine: A Short History and Overview of Malaysia’s Leading Expatriate Information Service
• A Short History of “The Expat Group”
• Hi There (October 2013): Subscription to The Expat Magazine

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