So we handpicked some of the best Malaysia moments for us this year and here are our favourites:

#1 GE14

We can’t talk about the country’s biggest moments this year without mentioning the fateful 14th General Election (GE14) on 9 May. After more than six decades, a new government took over the Parliament in a peaceful manner and made headlines all around the world.

No matter which side you’re on, the one thing that made the biggest impact on the nation was not the results of the elections, it was the rakyat.

Who can forget the whole #PulangMengundi movement? When Malaysians willingly offered carpool rides to help those who can’t afford to return home to vote and most of them have never even met one another!

And of course, we need to give a special mention to the people involved in the wild ‘GE14 Amazing Race’. Malaysians living overseas who were not able to send their postal votes back in time had volunteers to bring back boxes of ballot papers by hand!

Seeing this form of unity among Malaysians still brings us to tears till this day.

#2 The old new Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister

Following GE14, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad became Prime Minister once again as the head of the winning political party Pakatan Harapan, making him the oldest elected prime minister in the world at 93 years old!

We’re still trying to implement his secret to good health and longevity. The keyword here is trying.

Besides that, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail set another important record for Malaysia by becoming the country’s first ever female deputy prime minister. This inspiring woman achieved a feat that not many had seen coming so soon, and yet she did it.

Needless to say, 2018 has been a ground-breaking year for Malaysian politics.

#3 Asam Laksa makes it to CNN

Now, Penang is often known to Malaysians as pure food haven (some non-Penangites may beg to differ but please don’t pick a fight with us).

Well, our food is one thing we Malaysians take pride of regardless of our ethnicity, culture or background and we bring this pride wherever we go.

So, the moment word got around that asam laksa made it into CNN’s list of ‘World’s Best 50 Foods’, that Malaysian pride skyrocketed!

Not only did this “addictive spicy and sour fish broth with noodles” break Top 50 foods in the world, according to the global news network, asam laksa placed seventh in rank!

Congratulations to all makers of asam laksa across Malaysia!

#4 AFF Suzuki Cup 2018 finals

The Harimau Malaya did it again.

Led by coach Tan Cheng Hoe, the well-loved national football team made it to the finals of the AFF Suzuki Cup held just a couple of weeks ago.

The two-legged finals against Vietnam – one held here in Kuala Lumpur and another in Hanoi – was a nail-biting match.

Even though we lost 3-2 on aggregate, the atmosphere during the first leg at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium on 11 December was unforgettable.

The sea of yellow, the cheers of Malaysians and the chants of the Ultras Malaya raised every hair on our body. Check out this video we made and you’ll understand what we’re talking about.

Despite the results, we’re still proud of you, Harimau Malaya!

#5 Yeo Bee Yin in Top 10 most important people in science

Our very own Minister of Energy, Technology, Science, Climate Change and Environment Yeo Bee Yin was featured in ‘Nature’s 10 People Who Mattered This Year’ in terms of science.

The young minister who became a force to be reckoned with against plastic pollution and championing renewable energy caught the attention of Nature Research, a weekly international journal that is all about science and technology.

The publication recognised Yeo’s efforts in the field since she took office on 2 July, where she introduced steps to help reform how our country manages the environment.

These measures include setting goals to increase renewable energy from two per cent to 20 per cent of total energy generation by 2030, to reform the electricity market, to ramp up energy efficiency and more.

The University of Cambridge graduate certainly made a name for herself as well as the nation, and we’re just talking about politics!

#6 Henry Golding and Crazy Rich Asians

Henry Golding should probably be a household name in Malaysia by now.

Not only did he star as the leading man in the highly successful Crazy Rich Asians alongside Constance Wu and Michelle Yeoh in his first attempt at acting (which totally exceeded industry expectations btw), he also scored two other Hollywood films – A Simple Favor alongside Blake Lively and Anna Kendrink, and the upcoming Last Christmas with Emilia Clarke.

And to make this Malaysian moment extra proud, Golding also became the prestigious magazine GQ’s Star of the Year, calling him one of the industry’s must-hire new actors.

From Sarawak to Hollywood, he definitely made Malaysians super proud!

#7 Eliminated mother-child HIV transmission

This year, Malaysia hit an amazing milestone by becoming the first country in the World Health Organisation (WHO) Western Pacific Region to get rid of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis.

Thanks to the nation’s efforts over the years, all parents here can now rest assured that their babies are born free of HIV and syphilis.

WHO Western Pacific regional director Dr Shin Young-soo said in a statement that this would not have been possible without Malaysia’s “strong commitment to ensuring access to quality and affordable health services for all women, children and families”.

Malaysia actually became one of the earliest adopters of the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV and syphilis since 1998.

This achievement was no simple feat and we believe all citizens and soon-to-be parents are happy and proud to know this.

#8 University of Malaya is one of the world’s Top 100 universities

The national university of Malaysia officially achieved its highest rank this year according to global standards.

In the coveted Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University rankings released in June, University of Malaya (UM) broke the top 100 universities mark and took 87th place! This is a big upgrade from the 114th spot in the previous year.

Later in the year, UM also became one of the top 20 universities in Asia, jumping four spots up to no.19 this year.

Now, we’re pretty sure all you UM students, lecturers and alumni out there are happy to hear this because you definitely made the right decision being a part of this institution!