Consul General of China in Penang Lu Shiwei conveyed the Consulate General and China’s care for the health and safety of the Chinese students studying abroad. He said, “The Chinese Consulate General in Penang has always been committed to providing Chinese citizens with necessary consular protection and assistance. We have been working together with schools, local departments, student organisations, and other relevant parties to build a ‘home’ for every overseas Chinese student to study abroad safely and successfully.”

He added, “When the pandemic broke out, we immediately prepared and distributed supplies to all the universities’ Chinese international students.  I also wrote to all the universities’ presidents with the hope that the universities will ensure everyone’s safety and make appropriate arrangements for the control and prevention of the Covid-19. Personal protection equipment (PPE) and ‘health packs’ consisting of face masks, hand sanitiser, hand soap, antibacterial wipes, Chinese medicine and brochures of Covid-19 were also distributed to each Chinese international student during the pandemic period. Recently, we also arranged Chinese international students for the Covid-19 vaccinations to ensure their safety.”

Consul General Lu Shiwei also appreciated the efforts taken by the respective universities to keep the Chinese international students safe. He promised to provide necessary assistance within the scope of their duty. Before ending his speech, Consul General Lu Shiwei advised the Chinese international students to make friends and learn about the different cultures from the students who came from different countries.

As the representative of the Malaysian universities, Prof Choong was invited to deliver a speech. He thanked the consulate general of China and said, “I feel very honoured to be invited to participate in this event. On behalf of UTAR and other universities, I would like to thank the Chinese Consulate General in Penang for all the support and assistance given during the Covid-19 pandemic period. Under the collaboration between the Consulate General of China, Malaysian Ministry of Health and UTAR, almost all (97%) Chinese international students in UTAR Kampar Campus have completed their Covid-19 vaccination.”

During the meeting, Quah, the lecturer in charge of international students’ affairs, was invited to conduct a case analysis on the precautions and common problems usually encountered by Chinese students when studying in Malaysia. Lim, a professional psychological counsellor, was also invited to share knowledge on how to self-adjust during the pandemic. He explained several common psychological problems that may occur during this period and provided techniques to overcome them.

Chinese international student representatives Chen Jiayi (陈嘉屹) from UTAR, Shi Yayun (石亚运) from USM and Chen Yanjie (陈彦杰) from UPSI shared their experiences of dealing with the pandemic through the help and supplies provided by the Chinese Consulate General in Penang.

Throughout the event, the staff of the Chinese Consulate General in Penang also promoted consular protection and provided tips for the Chinese international students to stay safe during their stay in Malaysia.