Gary Tang honoured for guiding M’sian students in Japan

More than forty years may have passed, but Gary Tang still remembers the experience fondly, as if it happened yesterday. After all, moving to a country whose language he could barely speak was a daunting prospect for a teenager from Batu Pahat, Johor.

So, when a senior student, just a couple of years older, at Tokyo’s University of Electro-Communications took the trouble to ease his move to the land of the rising sun, the gesture left a lasting impression on Tang.

“My senior was a committee member of the Malaysian Students Association in Japan. He didn’t know me, but when I wrote to ask about studying in Japan, he went out of his way to get the necessary documents, help me secure a place at a school and even find a guarantor for me,” Tang shared with FMT Lifestyle.

When he arrived in Japan, his senior picked him up at the airport and brought him to the clubhouse, where he was briefed on life in the country, from living conditions to the universities he could apply to, based on his examination results.

Today, the 63-year-old seeks to extend the same kindness to other Malaysian students moving to Japan in his role as president of the Japan Graduates Association of Malaysia (Jagam).

And in recognition of all of his efforts, the father of three recently received the Japanese Foreign Minister’s Commendation from the Japanese foreign affairs ministry.

“I never expected this. I was shocked because this award is normally given to organisations. Whatever I’ve done, I did it out of my heart and passion.

“I never expected anything in return because I want to help the next generation, just like my senior helped me back then,” said the cultural exchange advocate.

Through Jagam, Tang has promoted study opportunities in Japan through initiatives such as the annual Japan Education Fair and the Daihatsu Jagam Scholarship.

He has also strengthened business and cultural ties, helping establish the Asean Council of Japan Alumni’s Business Advisory Board this year and co-organising the annual Pavilion x Jagam Matsuri to showcase Japanese culture in Malaysia.

Tang’s time in Japan began in 1983, when Japanese electronics giants such as Sony, Fujitsu and NEC were household names in the technology world. Fujitsu had even established a factory in his hometown, sparking his father’s interest in sending Tang to Japan.

He spent his first year at a Japanese language school called Kokusai Gakuyukai, where he attended classes from 9am to 4pm before applying to university.

“I came from an STPM background, not a Chinese school, so learning Japanese was a struggle,” he admitted.

But he found comfort in the Malaysian student community there, which included seniors who helped newcomers settle in.

His first year was relatively smooth, thanks to accommodation in a student dormitory. The following year, however, he encountered a different challenge when trying to rent an apartment.

“The first thing they said was, ‘No foreigners.’ That was the most shocking experience I ever had,” Tang recounted. “I thought those days were over, but when my son tried to rent an apartment in Tokyo recently, he faced the same problem.”

For Malaysian students unfamiliar with Japanese customs, adjusting to daily life can be just as challenging as navigating university admissions. His own experiences when he was just a student now inform Tang’s work with Jagam, where he hopes to prepare Japan-bound young Malaysians.

“We want to advise students based on the difficulties we faced and how to overcome them, before they run into the same problems,” he said.

Living in Japan also taught Tang two values that continue to guide him today: sonkei, or respect for others, and kansha, or gratitude.

“You have to remember the people who gave you the opportunity to excel,” he said, recalling the senior who helped him find his feet in Japan and inspired him to do the same for Malaysians back home.

The experience taught him that a lasting relationship between two countries is built through everyday acts of understanding, generosity and mutual respect – lessons he hopes more Malaysians will discover for themselves.

Find out more about the Japan Graduates Association of Malaysia here.

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