KEN LEE, NUR ATHIRAH MOHD NOR AND IZZAT NAIM ZULKIFLE are all from Malaysia, and have been living and working in the central city while studying at the University of Auckland and AUT. While they say the city could do better, they’re grateful for the welcome they’ve received and the way they’ve been able to shape their lives here.
JEREMY HANSEN Thanks for taking the time to do this today. Would you like to start by introducing yourselves, and maybe telling me what subjects you’re studying?
KEN LEE I’m Ken. I’m from Penang and I live just off Beach Road, close to Countdown. I’m a third-year at UoA, pursuing a conjoint in Commerce and Law.
NUR ATHIRAH MOHD NOR (TIRAH) I’m Tirah, I’m from Kuala Lumpur and I live at Mount Street. I’m a student but I also work as an auditor at a firm on Queen Street.
IZZAT NAIM ZULKIFLE And my name is Izzat. I’m from the southern part of Malaysia, Johor. I’m living at Anzac Avenue, and I’m an AUT student studying a Bachelor of Commerce and majoring in accounting. I’m also working as an auditor at the moment.
JEREMY HANSEN What made you choose Auckland as a place to come to study?
KEN LEE For me personally, I knew I wanted to emerge out of my studies in, and have a career in the Asia-Pacific region. But it was also the relative distance of New Zealand from everything else in the world – in a sense, that isolation appealed to me. I also found that the courses offered in subject areas that interest me, like international business and law, including tikanga Māori, very interesting and very different to anything else on offer in the Commonwealth.
NUR ATHIRAH MOHD NOR (TIRAH) I chose Auckland specifically other than Wellington and Christchurch because it’s livelier. Coming from Kuala Lumpur, I was accustomed to that life, so I figured that coming to Auckland was a much better option for me. Even though most of the shops close at 6, there’s still much more happening compared to Wellington or Christchurch.
IZZAT NAIM ZULKIFLE I’ve always been a city guy. I enjoy living in the city, there are so many things to experience. There’s a market, there’s a dance session from random people, which is very fun to spend your time at during the weekends.
JEREMY HANSEN How did the reality of the city measure up to your expectations?
KEN LEE I think when I first got here, New Zealand had just started reopening up to international travelers and international students. So it was not very lively. I think I was a bit disappointed, but slowly it came back to life. I never expected Auckland to be a perfect city, but there were a mix of things that concerned me – mostly seen on Queen Street or at night.
NUR ATHIRAH MOHD NOR (TIRAH) I honestly didn’t have that many expectations when I first came, but I was expecting that the shops would close a little bit later. In Malaysia, they usually close around 10. So, at night here, we’re not really sure, what do we do? So that’s one thing. But when we just arrived, the border had just opened. Since then, it has improved immensely. In terms of disappointment, I would say I feel a little bit unsafe, especially if I’m walking at night.
JEREMY HANSEN Is the feeling of the lack of safety enough to make you reconsider living in central Auckland?
NUR ATHIRAH MOHD NOR (TIRAH) I would say for me the benefits outweigh that. Living and working in the city is so convenient. The distance from my home to my office is like 15 minutes. It’s easy to find supermarkets, entertainment venues, hospitals and restaurants that are close by and within walking distance.
JEREMY HANSEN How about you Izzat? Has Auckland lived up to your expectations?
IZZAT NAIM ZULKIFLE When I first came here I was thinking about how clean it is, and how safe it is. Also, there’s so many other places close to the city where you can enjoy the nature, see the sunsets, the trees. Some of the best parts of living in the city are that great mixture of city life and nature. In terms of safety, I would say whenever there is a crime, the authorities seem to take really big actions, like an improvement in terms of the police who walk around. That makes the residents here feel safe, I guess. I’m still comfortable living in the city.
JEREMY HANSEN There’s been a lot of media attention in New Zealand on the feeling of safety in Auckland’s central city and I wondered if those stories had filtered back to your friends and families in Malaysia.
KEN LEE Some of them were shocked. They thought New Zealand was more peaceful. But you’ve got to put it into perspective. Some of my friends study in the UK, Australia, or the US. Crime isn’t as high in Auckland as it would be in other major cities.
JEREMY HANSEN So you don’t think it’s been a deterrent to international students like yourselves who may be choosing where to go?
KEN LEE Definitely not. To a certain extent, there will always be an element of crime and/or danger anywhere you go. No city is perfect.
NUR ATHIRAH MOHD NOR (TIRAH) I would say Auckland is a lot safer than Kuala Lumpur. I wouldn’t dare to walk at night there. But here, I’ve been walking around 4am, just to the harbour, alone. There’s sometimes a feeling of being unsafe, but I’ve never really been bothered by people around Queen Street.
JEREMY HANSEN Speaking in more general terms, has the city made you feel welcome?
IZZAT NAIM ZULKIFLE As far as I’ve experienced, the people here have been very, very welcoming. I’ve been working part-time, and every time I’ve met the customers, almost all of them ask where I came from and if I enjoy it here or not. It’s very comfortable communicating with the people here.
KEN LEE I think Kiwis tend to be very warm and kind-hearted people in general. Everyone’s very accommodating – remarkably tolerant of each other. I say that especially as someone who came here alone and had to find somewhere to rent, settle in and all. It was definitely very warm and welcoming for someone integrating into New Zealand society.
NUR ATHIRAH MOHD NOR (TIRAH) I agree. It’s the people here that makes people like us decide if we want to stay here or not. When we go into shops here around Queen Street, everyone’s welcoming and friendly, and I think that’s also a contributing factor to make us decide why we want to stay in Auckland.
JEREMY HANSEN If you had the opportunity to do so, would your experience so far in Auckland make you want to choose to stay here to build a career and a life here?
IZZAT NAIM ZULKIFLE I’m definitely planning to grow my career here in New Zealand. There are a lot of opportunities. The work-life balance also seems better. I want to have that as well as the opportunity to grow my potential as an employee.
NUR ATHIRAH MOHD NOR (TIRAH) Given the chance, I would definitely pick Auckland, and grow my career here in the audit firm.
KEN LEE I agree. We are eligible for a post-study work visa for three years max. I definitely look forward to maxing out those three years here as much as possible because I think I’ve grown attached to Auckland and this space, where I found myself and grew personally as well.
JEREMY HANSEN What has the central city offered you socially in terms of connection with other students and the ability to make friends?
IZZAT NAIM ZULKIFLE I guess because there’s so many places for you to hang out with other people, right? So many places where you can spend your time with your friends or your colleagues. That’s one of the main points on how you can build up your connections with other people.
KEN LEE There are networking events, and there are markets, and you can bump into friends and have a conversation. I think that it’s an environment where you can get to know other students from other universities as well.
JEREMY HANSEN Is the central city affordable for you?
IZZAT NAIM ZULKIFLE I think it really depends on your lifestyle. If you’re planning to enjoy your life the fullest, I guess that’s not really affordable. But for the basic necessities, I would say it’s quite affordable.
NUR ATHIRAH MOHD NOR (TIRAH) We’re all flatting, and I think it’s quite affordable if you live with friends. I would say for students, definitely get some friends to live with. That helps with the costings as well. And I’d say the public transport is very efficient.
KEN LEE It is, but it’s less affordable now because there are no longer subsidies like the 50 percent tertiary student discount. But at the end of the day, it’s your decision how much you choose to spend and where you choose to go, lifestyle choices matter. And if you have a job, the minimum wage or the living wage here compared to Malaysia is really not that bad.
IZZAT NAIM ZULKIFLE I think most of my friends have a part-time job. It’s pretty easy to find a job in the central city as well.
JEREMY HANSEN What would you like to change about the central city?
NUR ATHIRAH MOHD NOR (TIRAH) For me, I would say the surroundings – there’s a lot of construction and it’s sometimes a little bit hard to get from place to place. Some more events, like a market in Albert Park would be good. And a bit more greenery around Queen Street maybe.
KEN LEE From a student’s perspective, I would definitely welcome more events in public spaces like Silo Park or Albert Park and Freyberg Square.
IZZAT NAIM ZULKIFLE If I had the power to make changes, it would be to help the homeless around the city – I think that’s one of the city’s big issues. There are so many homeless around the Queen Street and K Road areas, it would be great if the government could help them to find a house or places to live.
JEREMY HANSEN A lot of people presume that accommodation in the central city is sub-standard. Are the places you’re living in OK?
IZZAT NAIM ZULKIFLE In my case, it’s been very good for the price that I pay.
NUR ATHIRAH MOHD NOR (TIRAH) Same for me. For the price we’re paying, it’s definitely comfortable.
JEREMY HANSEN How do you feel generally about the future of the city?
KEN LEE I definitely look forward to future Auckland regaining the momentum that it had pre-pandemic, where it’s just lively, constantly full, and there’s just a lot of activities and things going on.
NUR ATHIRAH MOHD NOR (TIRAH) I guess I’m hoping for the same. Once the construction’s all done, it’ll definitely look better than it does now.
KEN LEE But I think the construction gives a sort of hope that there’s some progress and development, rather than just being stale as a city.
BUILDING A BETTER CITY
KEN, TIRAH AND IZZAT’S SUGGESTIONS
1. Bring back public transport subsidies for students.
2. More markets and city events that invite people to mingle.
3. Keep retail open later to make shopping an evening activity.
