KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 5 — “This is my home. I grew up eating durian, and I love sambal petai with prawns.”
Malaysian basketball reached a historic milestone last Saturday when Malaysian Basketball Association (MABA) president Dato Seri Lee Tian Hock announced at the association’s annual dinner that three foreign-born players — Tychique Bosango (DR Congo), Joseph Obasa (Nigeria), and Malaysia–United States mixed-heritage player Aalia Carlson — have officially completed the country’s naturalization process.
It marks the first time in Malaysia’s basketball history that naturalized players have been introduced into the national setup.
Among them, Carlson, whose mother is Malaysian, spoke with clear affection for the country. She revealed that the seed for her decision was planted six years ago.
“I watched Malaysia’s women’s team win the gold medal at the 2017 SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur, and at that moment I told myself I wanted to do the same — to win gold for Malaysia,” recalled the 24-year-old.
As for adapting to life in Malaysia, Carlson laughed it off, saying it was never an issue.
“We’ve been coming back to Malaysia every year since I was a baby to visit family. Eating durian or sambal petai with prawns is completely normal to me,” she said. While she is still learning Bahasa Malaysia, Carlson set herself a clear goal: “Hopefully by 2028, I’ll be fluent.”
Unlike Carlson, who has familial ties to Malaysia, 24-year-old men’s wing player Bosango described his naturalization journey as a true test of endurance.
Bosango admitted the process was demanding and highly rigorous. “We went through countless interviews and visited many government departments. The toughest part was that some interviews were conducted in Bahasa Malaysia, and we had to find ways to get through them,” he said.
To demonstrate commitment to the country, Bosango also had to pass what he described as a form of “patriotism test.”
“We had to sing the national anthem, ‘Negaraku,’ and memorise and understand the five principles of the Rukun Negara. It really wasn’t easy — there were so many interviews,” he added.
With his status now resolved, Bosango pledged that he is willing to serve both the national 3×3 and 5×5 teams, as long as his physical condition allows.
The third newly naturalized player, Nigerian centre Obasa, 27, is currently overseas but also shared his excitement through a brief interview. He is presently competing in the Jordanian professional league, where his team is ranked third as the regular season approaches its conclusion.
“The naturalization process was complex, but overall it went relatively smoothly. I’m very excited about the future and looking forward to bringing success to Malaysian basketball,” Obasa said.
With the official inclusion of these three players, Malaysia’s basketball program is set to gain a significant boost as it prepares for future international competitions.
