PACOS Trust - Malaysia, Sabah, Borneo 

Help create resilient community organisations in Malaysia

PACOS Trust is a community-based organisation dedicated to supporting indigenous communities in Sabah, Malaysia.

PACOS Trust strives to empower indigenous communities through systematic building and strengthening of community organisations to act collectively on their own. They also strive to support networking among organisations struggling to assert right over community resources and revitalising indigenous systems.

PACE activities

All PACE International activities at PACOS Trust include a 4-5 day field trip to the surrounding villages. Students must be able to manage basic (safe, clean and homely) living conditions and have a basic level of fitness to undertake the field trip.

Law

Students created documentation to preserve institutional knowledge of successful native title claims. This included a review and analysis of the recorded material, along with an interview of legal professionals and community elders.

Students collated evidence and data on the social and economic history of an indigenous community-based in Sabah for a report on native customary rights (NCR). Through their work, the students helped to preserve the story of the community and to aid PACOS Trust in providing legal advice.

Social research

Students researched and documented a language that is only spoken in the Kiau Forest. The boundary of the community was eroding due to deforestation and it was feared the community’s connection to the forest language might disappear. Students documented the reason the language is different in the forest and used it as a tool for the future preservation of the forest.

Working with 6 different villages in Sabah, students developed a social impact assessment on the proposed establishment of a hydroelectric dam in a remote and pristine area of Sabah. The dam would impact on the displacement of over 2000 indigenous people residing in the area. The aim of the students' report was to look at alternatives to the dam and the social impacts on local communities if it were to proceed.

Student experience

Perri Reynolds

Q: What do you study and where did you go on your PACE International activity?

A: Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Criminology – Sabah, Malaysia (PACOS Trust)

Q: What was your role or project at your host organisation?

A: My role at PACOS Trust was to act as a Legal Intern in relation to matters of Native Title Land Rights in Sabah and to ultimately produce a report including a case study of a local communities’ struggle in protecting their land rights against corporation interference.

Q: What attracted you to the PACE International program?

A: What initially attracted me to undertaking PACE International was the prospect of being able to put my legal skills and knowledge to the test within an international setting, and having the opportunity to help benefit communities in Sabah seemed like the perfect chance to do that. However, ultimately, I would say that what really attracted me to undertaking PACE International was the prospect of challenging myself to do something different and to step outside my comfort zone.

Q: What advice would you give a student who is thinking of applying for a PACE International activity?

A: Definitely do it. I cannot think of a single reason why you shouldn’t apply for a PACE International opportunity. It has literally been life-changing, invigorating, and has shaped me as a human more so than I would care to admit!

Q: What was the best part of your PACE International experience?

A: The friendships I made and the confidence that undertaking the activity gave me in pursuing a career in law. That and the amazing food whilst I was over in Malaysia!

Lyle Tamlyn

“My PACE experience in Borneo was amazing, and something that I certainly would not have been able to do outside the programme. It helped me build on my capacity to adapt to new working environments and allowed me to meet so many inspiring people. It also gave me the opportunity to put my academic knowledge into practice, greatly contributing to my knowledge of the discipline. Being able to produce a report that should meaningfully assist the communities we interacted with was definitely the highlight, and something I will value. The greater PACE initiative and long-standing relationship with PACOS is something that Macquarie should be proud of! ”

Ashlee Taylor

“My experience in Malaysian Borneo was nothing but positive... I learnt so much in such a small amount of time... I am proud of what I achieved and will forever remember my time there. I will treasure the friendships formed with both my fellow students and the PACOS staff. I will miss my days in Malaysian Borneo.”

Lizz King

"Applying for a PACE International project was the best decision I’ve made in my undergraduate degree, as it gave me an incredible opportunity to travel overseas, experience the workings and structure of a grassroots NGO, and engage in international human rights law, as well as domestic Sabahan land law... My experiences in Borneo helped me develop the courage and skills to live and work overseas and immerse myself in a different culture, and as a result of this incredible internship, I have recently been selected to work at the United Nations Assistance to the Khmer Rouge Trials in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. You never know where a PACE International project will take you, or how it will shape your life, so take the leap and apply! You won’t regret it."

Anna Glen

"PACOS Trust is a wonderful organisation that conducts meaningful work and has friendly staff. The feeling of community and support in this organisation cannot be understated; PACOS is more of a family than an organisation. From the moment I started, I felt welcomed and supported and could sense their passion for indigenous land rights... You learn so much more than a textbook could ever teach you!"

Nigel Khine

"No other program in the university allows you to go overseas and engage in this life-changing experience. The people you meet, the places you go and the cultures you see will challenge views and understanding of the world. Although the program was of little cost to us, our work had the potential to drastically change the lives of others, for the better. I would definitely do it again."

Kerstin Siegmund

“The trip to Sabah has been one of the highlights of my degree. I can’t recommend it enough to others to participate in a PACE international experience. The preparation for the activity was great and the in-country support too. The skills and knowledge I have gained will definitely be beneficial for my future personal and professional development. ”

Nicholas Wasiliev

"This experience has been one of the most life-changing experiences. Before this trip, I was struggling with university and couldn't see any worth in my work. This trip has reminded me of how important our work is, how lucky we are, and how much we can contribute to the world. Without a doubt, one of the best experiences I have ever been involved in, and I cannot stress enough how useful this trip has been, and I now look to the future, not with the dread of finishing my degree, but with the optimism of being able to go out and make a difference to peoples lives. I resolutely recommend this experience."

Thomas Lyons

"I could not help but feel an overwhelming sense of achievement and satisfaction at the completion of our report compiled for the local native community we had been working with for the past month. After the one-week field trip to the community, it no longer became a university project I had to complete to gain credit points. It was bigger than that. After meeting the people and hearing their stories, I began to feel a personal and professional obligation to give my absolute best effort to help them in their struggles."

Nathan Winter

“PACE International is an opportunity that few get to experience. I would encourage anyone offered this opportunity to take it. You come away feeling elated at the prospect that in some way you have been able to help. You are broadening your understanding while acknowledging the importance of life. It is an environment I wish you all to acknowledge and understand, as it is an environment that has opened my mind to the nature that is life.”

Jessie Strange

"This is experience was the most incredible thing I have done. I have learnt so much about myself. Everything I've Learnt in a classroom at uni does not compare to the feeling I got when I completed a report that was solely researched by my team and me. I was fully supported and had the most incredible trip."

Naomi Gibson

"PACE International gave me an opportunity to safely and comfortably work in an area I never would have otherwise - with wonderful people (both locals and other students) from whom I learnt so, so much. I have come away with both professional and personal skills that will be invaluable in my life looking forward. I'm so glad I grasped one of the last opportunities I will have to undertake study overseas."