I was scrolling Threads today and came across a post from a medical student, asking where would be the best place to do housemanship. Since I’ve only been in Hospital Umum Sarawak (HUS), my answer was obviously Kuching. Personally, I think Kuching is a great place for a Malay from Semenanjung to work because, despite the cultural shock bound to happen, it should be less intense if you’ve been born and bred in Semenanjung for a while. My husband was from Melaka and he did very well in his housemanship. I ended up marrying him and following him to Melaka. Ha ha ha.

If you are a Malay, working in HUS will force you to learn and adjust on how to work with bosses and seniors who are majority, non-Malay. We do not have as many Sarawakians to cover the whole state in the healthcare industry, especially in the medical role of doctors. The vibe is different. The language you use with the patients is also different. Your interaction with your colleagues would also be enriched as you struggle together to get the job done. Is the workplace environment toxic? If toxic is defined as your welfare not being taken off. The answer is a definite yes. In fact, no matter which hospital you go to, toxicity is part of the training. Like it or not it happens. Mind you, I do not condone bullying or ‘during my time’ gloating sort of thing, but it is inevitable.

However, it is what you get out of the housemanship period

• the empathy towards our fellow Malaysians upon realising that we still have a long way to go in empowering healthcare literacy among patients and the community as a whole
• Malay supremacy means nothing in this part of the state
• racism exists but tolerance is a must to live in harmony. Raya, Christmas, Gawai and Chinese New Year is so meriah here. Deepavali not so much because there’s not many Indians but it is still celebrated by them on a smaller scale.
• housemanship is hard everywhere but being in Kuching gives you that unique experience when it comes to the people and the natural beauty of the state. Do visit it’s local islands, caves etc. As for the people, they are the true embodiment of Bangsa Sarawak. You couldn’t tell if they were Iban ka, Malay ka,or Melanau ka. It kind of reminds you of Indonesia. They talk in the same language and turns out to be of Chinese ethnicity and all. The only difference is we are not compelled to have Indonesian names like they do in Indonesia. So you could still guess their ethnicity. And did I tell you Sarawakians talk so soft and gentle? They have a beautiful rhythm to their speech.
• if you’re Muslim, you would InsyaAllah become a better Muslim as you would be creative in thinking how, when and where to perform your prayers. Be extra vigilant in choosing places to eat or cooking your own stuff. Cause honestly the nasi paprik I bought in Kuching tasted weird. Halal eateries are easily available in certain areas only. Otherwise, you would need to check with the local website. Ha ha. But the local dishes are to die for.

What if you are a non-Malay or non-Bumi? I would recommend Kelantan. Don’t worry. You wouldn’t be Islam tiba-tiba. Somehow I think the locals would adore you and want to give you their best hospitality. That is what I THINK. PLEASE DO NOT TAKE IN EVERY WORD OF IT. The dialect will be challenging but just like in Kuching, it is nice to see everyone of all ethnics talking in Kelantan. I am saying this because I used to have a Chinese colleague coming from Kelantan. Talking to him in Malay with a tinge of Kelantan accent sounds so cute. He could speak Chinese too.

Housemanship is intense. You will feel stupid. Your feet will swell. You will feel that you want to quit or die. But just hang on. Pray. Doa. The hardship will pass and you will reminisce on the good times. Entah2 jumpa pasangan hidup. Macam tu lah.