Five young Malaysian leaders, handpicked by the Australian High Commission, are playing AFL at the Sydney Cricket Ground as part of their visit to Australia to study interfaith and intercultural relations.
Their program began with the AFL Sydney Swans team where they learned more about its community outreach programmes and pathways in the AFL for players from multicultural backgrounds.
They say they hope to take back what they learn to their own country to improve relationships between cultures there.
Shakirah Rahman, an advocate for protecting children against child abuse who was selected for the program, said she believed the experience was meaningful.
“It would expose us to Australia, the culture, exchange of ideas,” she said.
“Much like Australia, Malaysia is very racially diverse so perhaps what we can take away from this is to empower ourselves and to create more diversity and to make that centre of community more meaningful.”
The group will soon arrive in Canberra to meet politicians, and then Melbourne to meet community leaders.
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