By Niza Shimi
Kudos to Minister of Communications and Digital Ahmad Fahmi Mohamad Fadzil (Fahmi Fadzil) for being on the ball to the plight of popular Youtubers Ai Nishida (iChang) and Yusuke Nishida (Jimmy).
Through their Youtube channel, iChangRM, the couple told of their problems in getting the DE Rantau Nomad Pass as a digital nomad to be approved by the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC).
The pass as a digital nomad would have made it easier for them to stay in Malaysia without having to use a tourist visa that requires them to leave the country and re-enter every 90 days.
I am a fan of iChang and Jimmy, I have been following them since they only had less than 500 subscribers and the channel was called iChang Hong Kong. Something about their Japanese politeness and sincerity resonates with Malaysians.
The Japanese couple lived in Hong Kong (HK) where Jimmy worked in the airline industry and iChang was a Japanese language teacher. Jimmy’s job enabled them to travel in the region to explore Southeast Asia. But all that changed when iChang became obsessed with durians.
She has been hailed as the Japanese durian queen for having a special notebook to scribble details of every kind of durian she has taste tested. She even has a cute durian sling bag and a durian cushion.
IChang is the kawaii (cute) part of the duo. Her husband Jimmy is the cheeky hamsap (womaniser) who often gives the lecherous look when salivating over delicious food. Together they are great fun. Mostly, this couple have fallen in love with Malaysia.
Being forced to stay in Hong Kong during the COVID-19 lockdowns was hard on the much-travelled couple. But they used the time to learn how to cook Malaysian food that they loved using recipes posted by other popular Youtubers such as Che Nom and Sugu Pavithra.
When Hong Kong finally opened its borders, the couple decided to make a move to Malaysia, mostly on the lure of the newly announced DE Rantau Nomad Pass by the Malaysian Digitial Economy Corporation (MDEC).
I was truly touched when iChang shed tears as the plane landed on Malaysian soil, like many Malaysians abroad when coming home. (As Youtuber Logesh Kumar of the Kumaar Family channel says it, even the air in Malaysia smells different.)
Jimmy and iChang felt the warmth of Malaysians who welcomed them with open arms for they are already Malaysians at heart. I like rediscovering Malaysia through their eyes. They make us appreciate the simplest and humblest food that Malaysia has to offer as it is made and served with love.
As Jimmy said in his recent video, Malaysians were sending them the Genki Dama Dragonball force to uplift their spirits and warm their hearts while they await official approval in cold HK. Jimmy even quit the HK job he has worked with for ten years.
What is a digital nomad? Simply put, they are people who are adept at using technology that enables them to work from home anywhere they please. It’s not just YouTubers. Those nomads can be in design, are freelancers and consultants or in any kind of work that allows you to travel.
Countries are vying to lure digital nomads with what they need; good IT connectivity and support, easy visa, affordable housing and a communal environment.
Can Fahmi Fadzil help other digital nomads expedite their visa applications without having to post their frustrations on social media? That would be a big help to make Malaysia a preferred destination. These digital nomads provide free publicity too, both good and bad.
For me, Newswav offers an opportunity to be a digital nomad. It’s opening a whole new world for opinionated writers who can write anywhere, anytime and about whatever they please, within reason of course. May 2023 be a great year for digital nomads.
Niza Shimi is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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