September 3, 2015, by Emma Lowry
Malaysia and Britain: united by football and Formula One
In this blog post, to celebrate the 15th anniversary of The University of Nottingham in Malaysia, we explore more of the long-standing, and surprising, cultural references and passions that Britain and Malaysia share.
Driving force
Malaysians are BIG car lovers, with vehicle ownership levels exceeding that in many western European countries. This can make driving, with epic tailbacks and motorbikes weaving between queuing traffic to contend with, quite an experience in Malaysia (particularly for the uninitiated road-user).
While many visitors opt to take taxis and public transport to get around, British visitors do have something of an advantage on the road. This is because unlike most countries in Asia, road-users in Malaysia drive on the left; a legacy from the days of British rule.
Malaysia also shares a love of professional car-racing with Britain. In May 1950 the first Formula One world championship race was held at Silverstone in England. Britain has also had its fair share of famous F1 drivers over the years, including Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton and Nigel Mansell.
F1 is now a “shining example” of engineering excellence in Britain. For The University of Nottingham this is certainly true; third-year electronic engineering student, Daniel Sanham (below – left), 24, has just won a coveted year-long internship as a design engineer with the Infiniti Red Bull Formula One team, after being selected in a competitive European heat.
As part of ambitious national development plans in the 1990s, Malaysia began building a state-of-the-art race track to compete with the world’s best. Formula One racing was first held in Malaysia 1999 at Kuala Lumpur’s Sepang International Circuit, now known as the Malaysian Grand Prix. Sepang is one of the most technical circuits in F1, with long, high-speed straights and tight twisting complexes. Drivers love it and, along with Malaysia’s distinct atmosphere, it makes for a unique experience in Formula One.
The 2015 Malaysian Grand Prix, which took place at the end of March, saw British F1 champion, Lewis Hamilton slip from pole position to be beaten by Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel.
Football mad in Malaysia
England’s Premier League is, by far, the nation’s most successful sporting export, watched live each week in more than 200 countries. Nowhere more so than in Malaysia; it’s a football-crazy nation.
Malaysians are especially devoted to Premier League teams. It is said there are more Manchester United fans in Malaysia than anywhere else in the world (although how this can be verified is unclear).
The Malaysia Cup, first held in 1921, is the oldest national cup competition in Asia. And today, Malaysians are very proud of their national team, which won the ASEAN Football Championship in 2010, and has recently been performing well against United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea.
Malaysian entrepreneurs and corporations are also making their mark on British football, with Tony Fernandes (above) now owning Queens’ Park Rangers and Vincent Tan at the helm at Cardiff City. Malaysian sponsorship is increasingly visible too, with Malaysian Airlines and Air Asia logos on the QPR players’ shirts and Malaysian conglomerate, Genting Group on those of Aston Villa footballers.
If you have memories to share of working or studying at The University of Nottingham in Malaysia, please email emma.lowry@nottingham.ac.uk. Keep up with the 15th anniversary celebrations of Malaysia campus, using #UNMC15 on Twitter until 27 September 2015.
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