Fees for prestigious international MUN conferences often exceed thousands of ringgit, intended to reflect a premium experience and unparalleled educational opportunities. Such barriers exclude the majority of Malaysian students from taking part in Model United Nations. Undoubtedly, the activity is hindered by stereotypes of elitism, limited awareness and understanding, and difficulty gaining traction even among local students who can afford it, due to the STEM-focused nature of our education system.

Private institutions in Kuala Lumpur have long recognised this situation and have sought to address it, leading to the development of various localised MUN conferences, typically established by their respective MUN clubs, with a focus on academic quality and affordable fees. The MUN Congress by the Malaysian Youth Association for Diplomacy and Policy (MYADP) currently lists 25 registered Model United Nations clubs. Of these 25 clubs, an extremely disproportionate amount are concentrated in a) international schools, and b) Kuala Lumpur. 

It is therefore our opinion that MUN remains largely plagued with uneven access. Many of these conferences still do not offer public registration, typically due to institutional constraints, symbolising the closed, perpetuating cycle that has befell Model United Nations in Malaysia for years. That also does not address the core issue that the concentration of conferences in Kuala Lumpur leads to a lack of opportunity elsewhere, with conferences moving towards developing schedules which increasingly hinder participation for participants with significant geographical distances, while simultaneously choosing not to offer accommodation or travel support that further perpetuates inaccessibility. 

Ultimately, this cycle has led to a lack of inclusion that continues to suppress Model United Nations as a potential activity for public school students. Government recognition of MUN conferences is crucial for public school students as government-recognised events allow them to gain PAJSK (co-curricular points). PAJSK points are crucial for admission into and scholarships for the top universities in Malaysia following the public education system. Yet, even the most prestigious and reputable international MUN conferences struggle to obtain government recognition, which is notoriously difficult due to its significant regulations and requirements. We believe many such conferences do not feel the need to do so, given their success within the existing closed system of international schools.

Ipoh Model United Nations is built by an experienced team of Malaysian students, privileged enough to understand the situation, and passionate enough to decide to do something about it. It is our firm conviction that such a system detracts from the potential impacts Model United Nations could have on hundreds of thousands of students equally passionate about international issues, keen to learn new skills, and that otherwise would have chosen to participate should such barriers cease to exist. 

As such, the values of IpohMUN can be surmised to be the following:

1. Combatting misconceptions and spreading awareness about the educational and other opportunities MUN offers for all students, regardless of socioeconomic status, academic pursuits, or others;

2. Working towards the removal of financial, geographic, and other constraints which would otherwise limit participation from any student, and consistently developing innovative solutions to further this goal;

3. Ensuring global-standard, premium-quality, authentic offerings and experiences reminiscent of top global conferences. while mixing in top local academic expertise and locally-relevant topics, ultimately seeking to empower students;

4. Guaranteeing educational benefits.

IpohMUN's initial conception, team, initiatives, and binding compass is built entirely and solely to serve these values and our vision. From being the first physical conference outside of the Klang Valley post-pandemic and the first community-led and non-institutional conference post-pandemic, to the only MUN conference nationally in 2024 to obtain government recognition, to offer 60% subsidies for public school students, to establish transport and accommodation programmes for those travelling from elsewhere.