The Association of Malaysian Students at Iowa State (AMSISU) hosted Malaysian Cultural Night 2017 Sunday night in the Memorial Union.

There are exactly 296 Malaysian students at Iowa State. AMSISU has been active on campus for 39 years. The organization has sought to allow students to feel at home though they are away from home.

The night consisted of a three part event that included an exhibition, play performance and a ‘Taste of Malaysia’ reception located at the Memorial Lutheran Church and Student Center.

The exhibition included booths that showcased traditional games, clothing and other aspects of Malaysian culture.

After the exhibition, students and families gathered to watch student performers perform traditional music, dances and  plays that included the theme of the event,  “Finding Hang Tuah’.

Before the performances began, Senior Vice President of Student Affairs Martino Harmon gave a speech thanking AMSISU for putting on an event that introduces Malaysian culture every year.

“It’s a wonderful event to learn Malaysian culture and what it means to be a Malaysian student here at Iowa State,” Harmon said.

The plays and performances gave the audience insight to Malaysain culture as the performances included a famous fan dance, lion dance and even a Hindu traditional song.

Jackson Chan Kahi Sheng, President of AMSISU, said Malaysian night is an annual event held in the spring. 

“We put on Malaysian night to introduce our country and our culture to residents and Iowa State students who have no clue what Malaysia is,” Sheng said. 

Ending the night with a reception at the Memorial Lutheran Church and Student Center named ‘Taste of Malaysia’ offered traditional Malaysian food that included Nasi Lemak and Bihun soup as entrees, Kuih Tako or Cekodak Pisang as desserts and Teh Tarik as the main beverage.

Nasi Lemak is known as the national dish of Malaysia. The dish consists of rice cooked in coconut milk and pandon leaf.

AMSISU hopes to continue putting on this annual event for the community and Iowa State students to enjoy.