Friends of Malaysia
Malaysia Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) and other friends of Malaysia
More than 3,000 mostly young American women and men from every geographic region, race and ethnic heritage, and creed were Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) in Malaysia from 1961 to 1983. They worked alongside Malaysians in education, health care, agriculture, community development, and in many other fields as equals, learning from each other, and forming enduring friendships. This website is intended to be an enduring record of the Peace Corps in Malaysia and of the achievements, contributions, and reflections of the Volunteers after they returned home. Friends of Malaysia (FoM) is an affiliate organization of the National Peace Corps Association (NPCA) and strives to continue the ideals of the Peace Corps by promoting international exchange, supporting charitable organizations in Malaysia (more than $23,000 has been contributed since 2000), and working for world peace.
Join Friends of Malaysia
Friends of Malaysia (FoM) NO LONGER REQUIRES PAYMENT OF ANNUAL DUES to become a member. If you are a current FoM member, there is no need to renew--you are a permanent member. If you are a Malaysia RPCV and share our objectives of continuing the ideals of the Peace Corps, we would love to have you as a member. Friends and family of Malaysia RPCVs are also welcome to join.
To join, just click on this link Join Friends of Malaysia and fill out the form. Be sure to click on the submit button at the end of the form. FoM members receive Apa Khabar (the quarterly FoM newsletter) and are eligible to participate in all FoM activities, including suggesting Malaysian non-profits that FoM could donate to, participating in Malaysian dinners, attending meetings at the Malaysian Embassy, serving on committees, and voting for officers and board members.
Please Contribute to FoM
Help to support the mission of Friends of Malaysia with a voluntary contribution. Peace Corps Volunteers contributed their skills, dedication, friendship, and often their love to support Malaysia and Malaysians for two or more years. Now, Friends of Malaysia is asking RPCVs to support worthy NGOs and charitable organizations in Malaysia with their dollars (or ringgit). Recent FoM contributions have been made to the National Cancer Society of Malaysia, a Malaysian NGO that provides assistance for poor retired trishaw drivers, and a Sarawak NGO for the purchase a hydroelectric generator for an isolated village.
The funds for these contributions come from the generosity of Malaysia RPCVs. This commitment was recognized with the Loret Miller Ruppe Award from the National Peace Corps Association (NPCA) in 2000. When FoM collected dues, everyone contributed the same amount--$15 per year. Now, we hope that those of you who are able will give generously (perhaps $100 or $500), so that FoM might be able to expand its charitable donations to Malaysian non-profits that are dedicated to helping those in need. If you would like to contribute, please write a check, payable to “Friends of Malaysia,” and mail it to FoM Treasurer: Paul Murphy, 510 Little John Hill, Sherwood Forest, MD 21405. FoM is a 501(c) nonprofit organization and donations are tax deductible.
The Future of Friends of Malaysia
In the coming months Friends of Malaysia plans to expand its program of outreach to our dwindling band of surviving Malaysia RPCVs. Most of us are getting pretty old--ranging from the youthful 60s, to the hardy 70s, and to the hopeful 80s. In a few decades, our legacy will only be found in the memories of those who knew us and in written records. To ensure that the record is as wide as possible, FoM plans to launch a brief survey of all Malaysia RPCVs (through this website) of who we are and what we did in the Peace Corps and afterwards. The responses will be posted on this website (for as long as FoM exists), and we intend to share this website and RPCV comments with the American Embassy in Malaysia, universities in the U.S. and Malaysia, and Peace Corps archives, so that our service in Malaysia will not be forgotten.
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