A table for everyone.

How it started

Teman began in 2023 with a simple complaint: networking in Kuala Lumpur felt like a job interview with worse coffee. Name tags, elevator pitches, a stack of business cards nobody looked at again. People who had just moved to the city, or were freelancing alone, or running a two-person business, kept telling us the same thing. They didn't need more contacts. They needed people they could actually call.

So we tried something different. A long table at a kopitiam, a handful of strangers, and one rule: talk to each other like kawan, not like sales leads. People came back, and brought friends. That table is still the model for everything we do.

What we do

• Events. Small borak sessions, industry nights and newcomers' evenings, built so you leave with at least one person you'd text again. Over 120 hosted since 2023.
• Mentorship. Teman Mentor pairs members with someone a few steps ahead of them. There are around 85 active pairs right now.
• Panduan Kerjaya. Practical career guides written by members, for the Malaysian job market: resumés, pay in Ringgit, freelance paperwork, starting an SME.
• Cerita Kawan. Real stories from members about career pivots, moving cities and the odd flop that turned out fine.

Who it's for

Young professionals in their first few years of work. Freelancers and gig workers. SME owners and founders. Students about to graduate. And anyone who just arrived in KL with two suitcases and no contacts. More than 2,400 kawan have joined so far.

How we run

Teman is independent and member-run. We aren't owned by a company or a recruiter, and we don't sell member data. Volunteers organise the events, write the guides and match the mentors. Membership is free and stays free. When an event has a cost, it's usually the price of your own makan, and we say so up front.

What we care about

• Warmth over polish. Nobody needs a pitch. Show up as you are.
• Useful over impressive. Local, specific advice beats generic motivation.
• Everyone at the table. All races, religions, backgrounds and experience levels. Respect is the one requirement.

Get involved

Come to an event as a guest, join as a member, or get in touch if you'd like to volunteer, mentor or partner with us.