In preparing the celebration in Malaysia to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first manned flight to space, which took place on the 12th of April 1961 by the Soviet astronaut Y.A. Gagarin, representatives from the Federal Agency for Commonwealth of Independent States Affairs, compatriots living abroad, and international humanitarian cooperation (otherwise known as Rossotrudnichestvo) took part in conducting a youth competition “Become an astronaut!”, which was organized by the Malaysian National space agency. In the course of almost half a year, a total of 38 thousand young Malaysians participated in the competition: school children, students, representatives of the intelligentsia, entrepreneurs and so on.

The competition required participants to undertake physical and psychological tests and exercises, measured their intelligence quotient, contested their knowledge on the history of space exploration, tested their skills in surviving in harsh and extreme conditions, and so forth. During the competition, an international educational program-olympiad dedicated to the memory of Y.A. Gagarin entitled “Star Challenge” was jointly prepared and presented by the Rossotrudnichestvo and Roskosmos (Russian Federal Space Agency). [www.starchallenge.org]

The Malaysian astronaut Faiz Khalid was chosen to be the curator for the youth competition by the National space agency. Mr. Khalid in 2007 had completed the training program for flight aboard the Russian spaceship “Soyuz Tm-10”at the Training centre in the city of Korolyov (Korolev).

The winner for the national youth competition was the young entrepreneur from the city of Malacca, Sarawakian Awang Anak. He was awarded the grand prize – a trip to Russia which included a visit to the Cosmonaut Training Centre and Mission Control Centre in Korolyov.

On the 18th of March, the Russian Centre of Science and Culture ceremonially hosted Awang Anak and Faiz Khalid, both of whom will be in Russia for the duration from the 21st to the 25th of March for the purpose of visiting the many places which are associated with the life and work of Y.A. Gagarin.

In honour of the guests, the cultural centre had prepared a multimedia presentation on Y.A. Gagarin as well as other soviet and Russian space heroes. Talk ensued of the productive collaboration between Russia and Malaysia in the field of space travel. Faiz Khalid, in correct Russian, warmly called to remembrance the fact that while at the Cosmonaut training centre, his work locker for training suits was literally adjacent to the locker that which Y.A. Gagarin has previously used.

It was agreed with Faiz Khalid and Awang Anak that upon their return from Russia, they would participate in the preplanned memorial events dedicated to Y.A.Gagarin at the RCSC, where they will be sharing their impressions of their stay at our country.