If you’ve been following FMT’s content lately, you might have spotted some new faces and foreign names.
Last month, FMT welcomed six young women from City St George’s, University of London, as part of an internship programme.
Their university’s Global Leadership Award programme offered them an overseas work placement in Malaysia, and FMT was their pick.
In just three weeks, each of them earned a byline on articles published on the news site, and some even appeared in videos on FMT’s social media channels.
On the last day of their internship, FMT Lifestyle spoke with these undergraduates about what it was like working at a leading media organisation for the first time.
“It was interesting learning how the media works, because you always see the articles and content but you never get to see what goes on in the background,” shared Emily Aheto.
For some of them, their work here hit close to home. Adina Ahmed and Manahil Rahman, both of Pakistani descent, collaborated on an opinion piece about the recent conflict in the Middle East.
Adina, who is currently studying international politics, shared that a close friend was in Iran during the Israel-Iran conflict, which made her wary about writing such a sensitive piece.
“I was really emotional about it, but now that I’ve written it, it’s like I was able to do something for her. So, it’s genuinely one of the most heartfelt pieces I’ve ever written,” Adina said.
Manahil, who is pursuing law, said she would never forget the day the article was published.
“I sent the article to my parents first thing and they spread it around our family group chats.
“I felt that we’re not only in this company to serve a purpose of sitting there doing nothing; we’ve actually done something memorable, something that’s had an impact, hopefully, and something that’s made us grow as people,” Manahil said.
Anastasiya Yushchenko, a native of Ukraine, had a rather difficult journey to university. “After I finished school, the Russian invasion happened. My parents decided to move out of the country for the sake of my education.”
She later obtained a scholarship to study in the UK but has never forgotten her roots. At FMT, she chose to write about the complex question of neutrality during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“Journalism is a creative area where you can actually influence opinion. This gave me the opportunity to be heard,” she said.
Meanwhile, Greta Bagdonite wrote about the elephants at Kuala Gandah, while Aheto tackled the timely rise of influencer politicians.
Marianna Valentina drew on her Colombian roots, covering a story that celebrated salsa dancing in Malaysia. She also had a cross-cultural experience writing her first food review of a Chinese restaurant in Petaling Street.
Being the youngest in the group at just 18, she said this experience has truly prepared her for the real world. “There was a day where I was just glued to my chair, but it was really fun because you really learn to understand that this is what work truly is.”
For every one of them, the internship with FMT marked their first experience of Malaysia and they were quick to praise the friendly locals and delicious food – though not all were fans of durian!
But what stood out most was the country’s multiculturalism – something they felt even London doesn’t quite offer. Several even learnt a bit of Bahasa Malaysia, greeting locals with “apa khabar” and saying “terima kasih”.
And for Manahil, these few weeks proved truly life-changing.
“I’m a changed person, my parents don’t even recognise this new me. Even though we’ve been at FMT for three weeks, it feels like I’m an employee here. Maybe in the future I will be,” she said.
This all shows that real learning happens beyond textbooks – and who’s to say? Maybe someday these girls will be debating in the UK House of Parliament or making headlines as some of the world’s leading journalists.
So, what did these few weeks ultimately teach them?
Bagdonite said: “My biggest takeaway is to always say ‘yes’. Even if you’re uncertain about something and it’s out of your comfort zone, don’t be afraid to say ‘yes’. Don’t reject the opportunity, because you never know what may come out of it.”
