For my professional attachment during May and June, I was attached to United Overseas Bank (Malaysia) Bhd or UOBM, under the WorkAsia programme.  WorkAsia, a programme under the Singapore International Foundation (SIF), aims to provide exposure for local tertiary students to working life in an Asian country.  The programme has been approved by OPA as a substitute attachment for the mandatory professional attachment.

During the eight weeks I was attached to the UOB Credit Card Centre.  My attachment started in the Marketing Services Department.  As an accounts undergraduate, I found the work in marketing services refreshingly different from accounting.  In the five weeks there, I was involved in a wide range of jobs from preparing merchandise items in the store, to writing articles for the card centre's newsletter.  One of the most interesting tasks that I had was the chance to handle special requests and complaints from customers.  Through this experience I got to meet all kinds of people and picked up useful skills in business communication.

For the rest of my attachment, I was placed on rotation to the rest of the departments in the Card Centre. The advantage of this form of attachment was that it allowed me to gain insights into the credit card business and get a taste of life in different departments.

The best part of overseas attachment is probably the chance for you to discover a new place and immerse yourself in a new culture.   Outside work, my fellow trainee, Chuk Kwin, and I would try to explore as much of KL as we could. The most memorable place that we visited was Kuala Selangor.  This place boasts of the magical sight of fireflies.  On clear nights. visitors will be able to cruise down a river to view the fireflies which would have transformed the trees along the river into 'lighted Christmas trees'.

Eating and shopping also became some of our favourite pastimes.  I certainly miss the delicious nasi lemak and thc mouth-watering poh piah, not to mention the hor fun or the chee cheong fun and many other delicacies.  However, our 'best' experiences in KL were with the public transport system.  Getting squashed like sardines in a bus and waiting for more than 45 minutes to get on one, were experiences that we would never forget.

I must admit that I was a little apprehensive about this trip to KL.  After all, I had always held a rather poor impression of KL as a dirty, dangerous and inefficient city.  However, after spending two months there, I have developed a new form of respect for her people and their culture.

To all my hospitable and friendly Malaysian friends, thanks for making my trip truly memorable. Many thanks to UOB for this opportunity to be attached to its KL branch.  My thanks also go out to SIF, Nanyang Business School, OPA and all who have made this trip possible.  It has certainly been an unforgettable experience.