Emily Heng is a Law and Global Studies student at Monash University. Currently, she is also the Operations Director of AIYA (Australia-Indonesia Youth Association) and works as a paralegal at the Maurice Blackburn law firm.
Born in Malacca and moved to Melbourne at the age of 15, Emily was raised in a Chinese-Malaysian family, with no Indonesian background. However, she is fluent in Indonesian, as well as English and Mandarin.
"I learned Bahasa Indonesia because I was interested in Indonesia and the relationship between Australia and Indonesia," she admitted to SBS Indonesian. "Indonesian culture is very interesting and varied."
A photo of participants at AIYA Kongres Sydney 2022. Currently, Emily Heng is Director of Operations at the Australia-Indonesia Youth Association (AIYA). Credit: Australia-Indonesia Youth Organisation (AIYA)
"Because Indonesia's economy is getting bigger," she said.
"I think that if more people learn about Indonesia, we can cooperate and understand more about the two countries and how to strengthen the relationship between the two countries."
In March, Emily was included on the list of '2022 Young Women to Watch in International Affairs'. The annual list was released in conjunction with the commemoration of International Women's Day.
What's her story? Listen to the full conversation:
