10/09/2026
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๐๐๐๐๐๐ || ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐
๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐๐: ๐ ๐๐ญ๐๐ฉ ๐๐ง๐ญ๐จ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ข๐
The vibrancy of festivals, the colors of traditional crafts, and the quiet presence of a cave came together inside one booth.
For the 3rd ASEAN Fusion 2026, held on September 3โ4 at the Heritage Convention Hall, the College of Education transformed its Malaysian booth into more than a display. It became a small journey through Malaysia, inviting visitors to experience the country's culture through its celebrations, food, crafts, traditions, and landmarks.
From the first step, visitors were welcomed by a 3D Twin Towers, the โVisit Malaysia, Truly Asiaโ slogan, a photo booth, and Malaysia's beloved sun bear mascots, Wira and Maja. For one visitor, the arrangement offered more than an impressive display: it felt like โa glimpse of Malaysiaโ within the convention hall. The right side of the booth introduced visitors to Malaysian celebrations and flavors.
Visitors learned about Hari Raya Aidilfitri, which marks the end of Ramadan; Chinese New Year, known for lion dances and family reunions; and Deepavali, the Festival of Lights celebrated with oil lamps and kolam designs. The menu brought these cultural elements closer to the senses. Nasi Lemak, Kuih Lapis, and Teh C Peng allowed guests to experience a taste of Malaysia, while the Sustainable Development Goals presented in Malay demonstrated how global ideas can also be communicated through local language.
On the opposite side, Malaysia unfolded through its arts and everyday customs. Batik, weaving, Songket embroidery, and wood carving highlighted traditional craftsmanship, while Wayang Kulit introduced visitors to the country's traditional shadow play.
The booth also brought childhood traditions into the experience through the Wau, a giant traditional kite, and Gasing, a spinning top. Signs, symbols, and language completed the display, reminding visitors that culture is found not only in grand celebrations but also in the ordinary objects, practices, and traditions that people create and pass on.
At the center stood the entrance to Batu Caves, marked by its golden statue. Beyond it was a realistic cave installation that gave visitors the impression of stepping deeper into one of Malaysia's most recognizable landmarks. For a moment, the convention hall became more than a venue for an ASEAN celebration; it became a place where visitors could pause, look around, and imagine themselves somewhere beyond the country's borders.
Together, these sections reflected the spirit of ASEAN Fusion: bringing cultures together so that students and visitors can experience, appreciate, and learn from the identities of neighboring Southeast Asian nations.
For COE, the Malaysian booth was the product of teamwork, creativity, and cultural appreciation. That effort was recognized with First Runner-Up in the ASEAN Booth Competition and First Runner-Up in the ASEAN Food Fest. In ASEAN LACE, FTO Mayor Kaede Akira G. Camat received Outstanding Team Synergy, while Rushel Naila of BSED English 3 placed in the Top 10 of the Recorded Free Speech Competition. These achievements contributed to COE's finish as 2nd Runner-Up Overall.
Yet what remained after the booths came down was more than the recognition. It was the experience of encountering another culture through food shared, stories told, traditions displayed, and hands that brought an idea to life. The booth showed that culture need not remain distant or confined to maps. It can be experienced in a meal, admired in a craft, heard in a language, or discovered through a story.
COE did not simply bring Malaysia to the Heritage Convention Hall. For two days, it created a space where visitors could take a step beyond familiar borders and into another culture's worldโreminding everyone that sometimes understanding another nation begins with something as simple as taking a single step.
โ๏ธ: Jigi Beth Dumangeng
๐ท: Trisha Joy Cablinan
