A salute to UPNM for going the extra mile

I REFER to the letter by the Academic and International Division, UPNM (The Star, April 16). My gratitude to Dr Tang Siew Mun, a senior lecturer.
Immediately after he had read my letter, published on April 8, he spoke to the higher authorities in the university.
I am too young to study at UPNM as cadet officers need to be at least 17 years and six months.
The concern and urgency that Dr Tang, the UPNM officers and a Major Roziman showed touched my parents and me so much.
I received several phone calls explaining why I was not called for the interview and advising me on what to do. The authorities concerned went a step further to make arrangements for me to attend an interview and a physical test on May 26 to June 10.
All these were done within 24 hours. The efficiency and professionalism in handling my case really befits the name of the university and the army. I have no regrets at all in applying to do a course in this university.
I would like to thank the Public Services Department (PSD) for answering my prayers and making my dream come true. And, you have given my mother the best Mothers Day present from a 17-year-old son.
I checked the JPA website on May 11 and received the good news; I have successfully secured the scholarship to do an engineering course overseas.
I do not want to seem ungrateful to UPNM for helping me secure a place in the university but as I have yet to undergo the tests and there is no guarantee that I will qualify, I have accepted the PSD scholarship on my father’s advice.
He said when I have completed my studies overseas I could apply to the army as a volunteer (Askar Wataniah).
To all the straight As students out there who are unsuccessful in their application for scholarships, be strong, brave and patient.
Pray for a person like Dr Tang or Major Roziman to come to your rescue.
KENG WEI JIN,
Kuala Lipis, Pahang.

UiTM goes from gold to platinum

SHAH ALAM: Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) has become the first public university to receive the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) Platinum Award for its professional accountancy tuition programmes.
The award comes a year after the varsity bagged the Gold Award.
“The short duration that took us to move to Platinum from Gold proves that public universities have what it takes to put themselves on the world map,” UiTM vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Sahol Hamid Abu Bakar said.
He received the award from ACCA brand executive director Neil Stevenson at a ceremony witnessed by Deputy Higher Education Minister Saifuddin Abdullah here yesterday.
Dr Sahol Hamid said the marked improvement stemmed from the efforts of the varsity’s Department of Professional Accounting Studies.
“Unlike students at private institutions, accounting students at public universities take up other subjects which may not be entirely related to the ACCA course.
“The university activities differ as well,” he told The Star after the opening of the National Conference on Student Development and Services at UiTM here yesterday.
Dr Sahol Hamid said UiTM’s decision to bring in lecturers from the industry contributed to the award as students were well exposed to the challenges of the working world.
With the award, UiTM is now officially recognised by ACCA as an Approved Learning Partner.
Saifuddin said the ACCA recognition of UiTM was an achievement at the global level and proved that Malaysia’s manpower, especially that in accounting, was of international standard.

UTeM hoping for more research grants

MALACCA: Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM) Vice-Chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Ahmad Yusoff Hassan hopes that more research grants would be allocated under the 2012 Budget.
He said the funds are needed to ensure continued research and advances in science and technology.
“We must strive harder as competition for reserach grants is stiff,” he said at UTeM Quality Day 2011 and excellent service award presentation ceremony in Durian Tunggal here.
Ahmad Yusoff said he is proud with the average 82.59% score achieved by UTeM straff and the 41 awards won last year.
The university has 7,500 students and 750 staff and won 18 awards so far including five foreign honours at a design and invention exhibition in Geneva, Switzerland.
He said UTeM will try to secure more research grants and also financial assistance to build a Faculty of Mechanical Engineering.
UTeM, added Ahmad Yusoff, would also introduce new Bachelor’s degree programmes in electrical, electronic, mechanical and manufacturing engineering for its intake in September. –Bernama.

Scholarships pour in for UMK

DESPITE been the newest local public university, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK) has within eight months secured several scholarship funds for its students.
Maybank Bhd recently became the latest corporate sponsor to give scholarships, laptops and allowances for training courses to three students of UMK, which is at a temporary campus in Taman Bendahara, Pengkalan Chepa in Kelantan.
The three are Chan Khar Hor, 22, from the Entrepreneurship and Business Faculty, Yap Ee Ting, 21, and Nur Fa’iqa Zamri, 20, both from the Agro-Industry and Natural Resources Faculty.
Maybank vice-president of corporate human resource and talent management head Raja Ahhmad Hidzir Raja Muhamad handed over the inaugural scholarships at the Sutera Inn Hotel in Kota Baru.
Present at the ceremony were Maybank vice president (regional retail financial services head) Yusoff Ghani and Maybank assistant vice president (management associates head and scholarship resourcing, talent manager corporate) Hishamuddin Salleh.

Financial support: (From left) Prof Dr Zainai, Chan, Hishamuddin, Yap, Raja Ahamad Hidzir, Nur Fa'iqa and Yusoff Ghani posing at the cheque presentation ceremony.

Besides scholarships, UMK vice-chancellor Prof Dr Zainai Mohamad said grants would also be provided to UMK academicians who are keen to pursue higher studies locally or overseas.He also said earthworks to build UMK’s main campus in Bachok and a satellite one in Jeli would start this year.

UMK has targeted to its own main campus by 2010, Dr Zainai said.

UPSI gets new museum

THE Suluh Budiman building in Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI), Tanjung Malim, has the distinct honour of housing the country’s National Education Museum.
The RM9.8mil museum was officially opened by university chancellor Raja Permaisuri Perak Tuanku Bainun yesterday.

Royal archives: Tuanku Bainun (left) and Raja Azureen (second left) accompanied by Dr Aminah visiting the Pameran Payung Negara exhibition during the opening ceremony of the museum.

Work on the museum started in August 2009 and completed in December last year.
It has 19 exhibition galleries, two reading and research rooms complete with a computerised system and a curator room.
The Suluh Budiman building, with its built up area of 3,239 sq m, was opened by the then Sultan of Perak Sultan Iskandar Shah on Nov 29, 1922.
In her message in the Pameran Payung Negara coffee table book, Tuanku Bainun hoped the museum would be able to record and illustrate the glorious history of national education in order to instil an understanding that today’s excellence is the outcome of struggles by past educators.
“I pray that this museum will continue to progress and can serve as an educational institution in a historic and meritorious institution of higher learning,” she added.
UPSI vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Aminah Ayob said the idea to have the museum was proposed even before UPSI was set up.
“The museum became a reality when the Higher Education Ministry allocated funds under the Ninth Malaysia Plan to rehabilitate and re-develop the heritage building,” she said in her speech.
Besides being a tourist attraction, Dr Aminah hoped that the museum would be used by students and researchers as a resource centre.
“We will digitalise the exhibition materials to be unloaded into our UPSI website to enable the world to learn of our country’s education,” she said.
Among those present at the launch were Raja Datuk Seri Azureen Sultan Azlan Shah, Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir and state secretary Datuk Seri Dr Abdul Rahman Hashim.
In conjunction with the museum’s opening, an exhibition entitled Pameran Payung Negara will be held for three months.
The exhibition will focus on the world’s royal institutions.

UMT building RM12m research ship

KUALA TERENGGANU: Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) will be the first local university to have a research and training ship when its vessel named RV Discovery is completed in April next year.

Prof Dr Aziz: It will provide exposure and training to students.

Its vice-chancellor Prof Dr Aziz Deraman said the ship, costing RM12mil, would have dry and wet laboratories and make UMT the top Malaysian university in oceanography studies.
“Construction began in September last year and is 80% completed. With the vessel, UMT will be able to conduct extensive research across the seas.
“It will provide exposure and training to students taking up Maritime Science, Marine Biology, Nautical Science, Maritime Transportation and Maritime Technology,” he said.
Prof Aziz said this to reporters at the handing-over of a model of the RV Discovery here recently.
Kay Marine Sdn Bhd chairman Datuk Wan Mohd Albakri Wan Md Noor also present.

Diversity of creatures: UMT researchers at Pulau Bidong checking on marine life. — File photo

Prof Aziz said the 35m vessel being built by Kay Marine could travel 4,500 nautical miles over three weeks at a time.
Fitted with scientific equipment, the vessel will conduct research involving seaweed and marine organisms, among others.

On-site training: File photo of a UMT student collecting data in waters off Pulau Bidong.

“We are planning scientific expeditions in the South China Sea to collect data. In the long term, we want to establish research co-operation with local and international agencies, especially in regard to the South China Sea,” Aziz said.
UMT currently has nine boats for research purposes in Tasik Kenyir, Pulau Kapas, Pulau Redang and Pulau Bidong. — Bernama

UUM plans to open shops to public and have CIQ on campus

ALOR SETAR: Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) plans to set up a duty-free zone in its main campus in Sintok.
UUM vice-chancellor Prof Dr Mohamed Mustafa Ishak said that if the idea received Cabinet approval, UUM would be the first university in the country to have such a facility on its campus.
He said the idea was still being discussed in detail by the Higher Education and Finance ministries.
“It involves legal and technical aspects and we hope to have the proposal ready before the 2012 Budget in October. If approved, we hope to start the project next year,” he said yesterday.
Dr Mohamed Mustafa said the outlets at the duty-free zone would sell various types of products except cigarettes and liquor.
He said UUM had identified an area within the campus for the project.
Dr Mohamed Mustafa said the duty-free zone would be open to the public as the university also planned to build a Customs, Immigration and Quarantine complex (CIQ) in the area.
He said the area earmarked for the zone and the CIQ complex was located about 2km from the Malaysia-Thai border.
Dr Mohamed Mustafa also said the duty-free zone was part of the university’s four strategies in its transformation plan to become a world-class university in management and research and development by 2013.
He said the proposal had received positive reaction from entrepreneurs who were keen to take part in the project.

UMS to have a 6ha botanical garden in its campus

KOTA KINABALU: Tourists to Sabah may have yet another attraction in this city to visit if things go according to Universiti Malaysia Sabah’s (UMS) plans to adopt a ‘University in a Garden’ concept at its campus.

Kamaruzaman: We want to retain the campus greenery alongside our efforts to develop an intellectual world.

Its vice-chancellor Professor Datuk Dr Kamaruzaman Ampon said the university would create a 6ha botanical garden to make the campus one of the most beautiful in Malaysia.
More importantly, he said, the UMS Botanical Garden would become a learning and reference centre on botany, ecology, phenology, ethnobotany, and flora and fauna biology.
In addition, trees lining roads within the campus would be rearranged according to the plan outlined in the UMS Landscape Policy.
“Previously we did not have a clear guideline on the landscape, but with the landscape policy we want to transform UMS into a university-in-a-garden, surrounded by forest and lush environment.
“We want to retain the campus greenery alongside our efforts to develop an intellectual world, and if possible, we would like UMS to become a tourist attraction too,” Prof Kamaruzaman told reporters after launching the UMS Botanical Garden at its main campus in Likas, here.
He said the botanical garden would be developed in stages.

In future: The full effect of the garden at University Malaysia Sabah (UMS) can be enjoyed in 20 to 30 years time.

The university, through the Institute of Tropical Biology and Conservation, would plant a collection of rare forest trees such as ironwood, shorea and putat.
“More trees and plants will be added to the garden including plants from the islands of Borneo. However, the full effect of the garden will only be enjoyed in 20 to 30 years’ time, by the future generation,” he said.
He said that besides acting as a collection centre for plants, the garden located on the UMS hill peak would also be a recreational area complete with a pavilion overlooking the Kota Kinabalu city, Teluk Sepanggar and the Crocker range.
He added that the botanical garden would be open to the public when it was fully developed. — BERNAMA

Unimas researchers to preserve indigenous languages digitally

KUCHING: Researchers at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) hope to preserve the state’s indigenous languages through the use of information and communication technology (ICT).
Led by associate professor of information systems Alvin Yeo, the Sarawak Language Technology Research Group (SALT) is working on various research projects to digitise indigenous languages and develop tools such as spell checkers, online dictionaries and machine translation.
“We’re focusing on how to ensure that the indigenous languages of Sarawak will still exist. For a lot of these languages, the number of speakers is getting fewer.
“According to Sarawak Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP), there are 63 known languages in the state and 76% of these languages have fewer than 10,000 speakers,” he said.
According to Yeo, one reason for the declining number of speakers is migration from rural to urban areas, where people will mostly speak English or Bahasa Melayu.
“In addition, the younger generation is exposed to a lot of television and other media which are generally not in their local languages.
“Another factor is inter-marriages. For example if a Bidayuh marries an Iban, maybe one of the languages will be spoken but sometimes neither of the languages is spoken and English or Bahasa Melayu becomes the language spoken in the family instead,” he told reporters after giving a talk on SALT’s work at Sarawak Development Institute here yesterday.
As such, he said the research group aimed to use ICT to create resources which would be able to record and store information on indigenous languages, which could then be shared through the Internet and further developed into useful tools.
Yeo said various research projects were being undertaken by Master’s students at Unimas under SALT. These include developing machine translation for Iban into English and vice versa, a spell checker for Iban and Melanau and the Singai Dialect Online Project to compile a Bidayuh glossary and document the community’s traditional songs and stories.
“We are still in the early stages of these research projects, which we started one or two years ago. We hope that in about a year or two we’ll have some prototype which will be workable.
“For example, the machine translation tool is not perfect with an accuracy rate of about 60%, so we’re continually trying to improve,” Yeo said.
He said the researchers welcomed feedback and assistance from the indigenous communities and language experts to collect the necessary data and help ensure its accuracy.
SALT is currently collaborating with other local and foreign universities, the Tun Jugah Foundation, DBP, Majlis Adat Istiadat Sarawak, the State Library and various community associations.

Palm oil industry set to gain from new invention from UTM researchers

JOHOR BARU: A group of researchers from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) have invented a scanner that can help increase productivity in the country’s palm oil industry.
They came up with an Electric Capacitor Thermography (ECT) machine that rapidly detects and gives an accurate reading on water content (which is considered an impurity) in palm oil.
One of the researchers Mohd Hafiz Fazalul Rahiman said the ECT, that took two years to plan and design, could also detect gas content and would help to further boost the palm oil industry.

Smart invention: Mohd Hafiz (left) and Elmy Johana Mohamed (right) showing how the Electric Capacitor Thermography (ECT) works at UTM campus in Johor Baru recently.

He said currently, many palm oil companies have to take the readings manually which takes a long time.
“Basically researchers at the palm oil factories have to identify the impurities in the oil everyday by taking samples from the storage tanks.
“They have to conduct the tests manually and it can take them up to two days to get the correct results from the lab,” he said.
Mohd Hafiz who is currently pursuing his PhD in Electrical Engineering added that by enabling accurate readings of impurities such as water, palm oil companies would be able to save valuable time and money.
“The companies just have to attach the device to the surface of the pipes and scanners in the device would be able to detect impurities in the oil and transmit the data into a computer,” he said.
Mohd Hafiz said the device has won three gold medals and picked up the Best of The Best Award in the Malaysia Technology Exhibition in Kuala Lumpur recently.
He also said that the group decided to focus on palm oil, as it is one of the country’s commodities and Malaysia is one of the biggest palm oil producers in the world.
“We are currently negotiating with several key industry players in the palm oil industry here who seem interested in purchasing the ECT.
“The Malaysia Palm Oil Berhad (MPOB) has also shown their interest towards the device,” he said.

Muhyiddin: UKM proves Malay language works

BANGI: Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s (UKM) contribution to the national education system proves that Bahasa Malaysia can be used in higher education, said the Deputy Prime Minister.
Set up on May 18, 1970, it is the third local public university, but the first to use Bahasa Malaysia as the medium of instruction.
The founders of UKM had provided the confidence that Malay was a modern language of knowledge, capable of discussing complex scientific, technological, spiritual and humanitarian issues, said Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
“Much work has been produced in the Malay language, thanks to the efforts of the UKM lecturers, researchers, professors and the students for the past 40 years,” he said at the UKM alumni dinner held at Dewan Canselor Tun Abdul Razak.
Muhyiddin, also the Education Minister, said these included academic papers, books and doctoral theses written in the Malay language.
“We are proud of UKM’s achievements of being recognised as a research university which has been given self-accreditation status,” he said.
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin announced last month that UKM was one of eight higher education institutions given the status.
As such, it can now accredit its own programmes without going through the Malay-sian Qualifications Agency.
Muhyddin said the ethos and philosophy of UKM were based on the people’s struggle.
“This is the soul of UKM,” he said.
The university has produced 132,000 graduates to date.

University of Malaya (UM) is 39 out of 200 Asian Universities

By Boo Su-Lyn@www.themalaysianinsider.com

Six out of seven Malaysian universities improved their ranking on the QS Asian University Rankings this year, with Universiti Malaya (UM) climbing three spots to 39th.Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) also jumped 20 slots to 57th out of 200 Asian universities.

No Malaysian university entered the top 10 ranks while the National University of Singapore (NUS) retained its third place.QS also said in a statement the Hong Kong University of Science & Technology (HKUST) knocked the University of Hong Kong down to the second spot.

The global higher education information specialist noted that Malaysia had seven universities in the top 200 Asian universities compared to Thailand’s nine and Indonesia’s eight. Japan was the best-represented nation with five universities in the top 10 ranks and 57 in the top 200.

In contrast, China had 40, South Korea 35, Taiwan 16, India 11, and Hong Kong had seven universities in the top 200 Asian institutions.

The QS Asian University Rankings last year showed that the top Malaysian university was UM at the 42nd spot while Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) was the second best university here at 58th.

The ranking of public institutions in Malaysia has dived throughout the past years to the point of dropping out of the top 200 universities in the QS World University Rankings last year.

QS noted that the “dynamism” of the Asian region was bolstered by the fact that one out of five universities in the top 50 universities was less than 50 years old.

The rankings were based on the following factors: academic peer review (30 per cent), recruiter review (10 per cent), student/ faculty ratio (20 per cent), papers per faculty (15 per cent), citations per paper (15 per cent), and 2.5 per cent each for international faculty review, international student review, and inbound and outbound student exchanges.

UM Vice-Chancellor Dr Ghauth Jasmon had reportedly urged Malaysia’s oldest university last year to take world rankings seriously if it wanted to remain globally competitive.

Curtin bags prize at national road safety film contest

MIRI: Mass Communication students Cecilia Yii Siew Chen, Irene Wong Tien Tien and Wong Kee Fong of Curtin University of Technology Sarawak have every reason to be elated at bagging the second runner-up prize in the short film-mini documentary category of The Mufors Road Reels Short Film Competition recently.

The trio put in a great deal of time and effort into producing their three-minute film entitled Turn Back under the supervision of their lecturers in the Department of Media, Culture and Communication.

Their entry impressed the panel of judges and online voters and they walked away with RM5,000, trophies and certificates at an awards ceremony held in Petaling Jaya recently.

In addition, the university was awarded RM1,000.

Turn Back is a touching tale of a mother’s prayers for her rebellious son after he stormed out of their house in a fit of rage after an argument with her.

The son almost had a road accident which brings him to his senses and prompts him to return home to seek his mother’s forgiveness.

The competition was organised by Malaysians United for Road Safety (Mufors) to provide a platform for students of institutions of higher learning in the country to promote the importance of road safety.

Yii, the film’s producer, described the experience as mind-blowing as they did not expect to be among the top winners.

They decided to give the competition a try for the experience and coming in third was a real bonus for them.

Winning in the competition has spurred the trio to produce even better films and attempt other competitions in the future.

Their production supervisor Juliana Yong praised the girls for their initiative and hard work, adding that their win in the competition was also a feather in the cap for the department.

Other entries from the university were You Nampak Tak?, All It Takesand Don’t Text and Drive.

A total of 142 entries were received for the competition which ran from August to November last year.

Mufors is a community project undertaken by Plus Expressway Berhad that encourages young filmmakers in universities and colleges to create short films that would help instil road safety awareness among Malaysians.

To view the winning films, log on to www.mufors.org.my

For more information on Curtin Sarawak, visit www.curtin.edu.my or e-mail enquiries@curtin.edu.my.

CUCMS, a viable choice

THE job of an occupational safety and health (OSH) professional is to anticipate and identify potential hazards, and to provide suitable recommendations so that an employer can make appropriate changes before accidents happen.

Safety and health officer work to prevent harm to property, workers, the public, and the environment

They are responsible for implementing regulations that improve buildings, equipment and work practices.

Working closely with many different organisations and regulatory agencies such as the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH), occupational safety and health professionals as well as safety and health officers educate employer on safer and healthier working practices.

For most economic sector, it is a mandatory requirement to employ a competent person to assist the employer to manage safety and health at work.

According to a recent survey, employment opportunities are available from a range of sectors, including insurance and banking, service and utilities industries, construction, manufacturing, consulting firms, agriculture and government.

At Cyberjaya University College of Medical Sciences (CUCMS), the Diploma programme in Occupational Safety and Health is designed with the objective of providing multidisciplinary training to equip students with basic principles of occupational safety and health.

This programme is under the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, that is led by Professor Dr Mohamad Khan Jamal Khan, who is the Dean of the faculty.

SPM leavers encouraged to enrol for the Diploma in Occupational Safety and Health at CUCMS.

How HELP University grew

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Dr Paul ChanTuck Hoong never envisioned that his small shoplot education business would grow to be a multi-millionringgit venture with an international appeal.

The co-founder and president of HELP University College decided on education after experimenting with limited success on a number of other businesses. But education was what he knew and what he was most passionate about, and that was where he made his mark.

Datuk Dr Paul Chan Tuck Hoong says setting up an education business was his calling.

He decided to set up an education business given his sheer love for teaching and wanting to impart knowledge, despite not knowing how to go about running an education outfit.

All he knew was that he wanted to make tertiary education readily available to Malaysians.

Chan and his wife, Datin Low Kam Yoke, started HELP in 1986 with a capital of RM25,000. He was 43 then.

The higher learning centre first started business in a small shoplot with only two classrooms and some 30 students in Kampung Attap, Kuala Lumpur, offering the BSc Economics external programme from the University of London.

Since then, HELP has grown into a large-scale education business operating locally and overseas with close to 14,000 students. It was listed as part of a larger group, HELP International Corp Bhd, in 2007 and has a paid-up capital of RM71mil as at the end of the financial year on Oct 31, 2010, with a turnover of RM105.2mil and net income of RM19.1mil for the year.

While Chan, his wife and two grown kids Juliet and Adam still own some 8.62% of the company, the major shareholder of HELP International now is property developer Selangor Properties Bhd with a 51% stake.

Selangor Properties first bought into the company in 1992 with a capital injection of RM3mil and its entry as a shareholder paved the way for HELP to re-locate to its current premises in Pusat Bandar Damansara.

Chan, who left his teaching career in Universiti Malaya to start the education business, admitted to knowing nothing about running such a business initially.

“But our minds were open like a parachute, which was our greatest asset,” he said in an interview with StarBiz.

An economist by training, Chan said his upbringing had limited his ability to dream big and he had to unlearn many things he had grown to know.

“When we first started, there were no examples of how big a private university college could be. We only had public universities at that time. I didn't have the vocabulary to think about conquering the world but the digital age has enabled us to think big,” he said.

The 68-year old said setting up an education business was his calling, after having dabbled in several other businesses such as manufacturing and construction.

The passion for learning and reading combined with the thirst for acquiring knowledge, was the perfect formula in establishing an education business.

“I believe it takes at least 10 years to hone your skills. Whatever you do, it has to come from conviction and you need to enjoy what you are doing. We decided on education as we wanted to create access as well as the opportunity for Malaysians to enter tertiary education (back in the 80s),” said Chan.

HELP was able to carve out its niche by offering external and twinning programmes, which worked out to be a lower-cost option for individuals seeking overseas accredited university degrees.

Since then, it has continued to offer attractive twining courses and as HELP offered a wider range of programmes drawing in more students, HELP attained the “university college status” by the Government in 2004.

But Chan is quick to add that success does not come without its fair share of failures or pitfalls.

“When I was about to leave my teaching career, I was involved in several types of businesses. And I never took the trouble to really learn the businesses and thought I would succeed.

“Even though I made a little money, I never continued so I never became an expert. I was involved in construction and made a little money but I never continued. Then, I was involved in doing oil filters and lost money but I never continued. I was involved in making rubber gloves and did not succeed but I never continued.

“So I was more a watering can than a laser beam. But that cannot be because to succeed, you need to be driven and focused,” he said.

Chan had a difficult upbringing having to tough it out in the slums of Pudu, Kuala Lumpur, and being born into a large family.

Until he was 10 years of age, he lived with his aunt while his father supported a family of nine on his wages as a petition writer.

The greatest lesson Chan has learnt is having self-awareness and knowing one's limitations.

“Self-awareness and self-questioning keeps us on alert. Many of us don't have self-awareness and that is why we can't break certain habits. After all, one's character is an accumulation of habits the way we think, act and conduct ourselves. It gives us the composite of our personality and if we develop a certain thinking or decision-making process or associate with a certain group, that is who we are,” said Chan.

He added that self-awareness is pivotal in what one does, what decisions are made and whom one associates with.

While the day will come when Chan needs to relinquish his position within the education company, he said he would never retire from education.

“There will always be other avenues for me to continue contributing (to the group). One aspect we are trying to build now is the (right and sustainable) culture within an organisation. It provides the climate for each individual to grow and define themselves,” he added.

It's evident that Chan's love for education has helped him build a successful and profitable business, which should continue to flourish with the right culture in place.

Broadband coverage for Kolej Universiti Insaniah

KOLEJ Universiti Insaniah (KUIN) students will receive full 24-hour broadband service at a speed of 128kbps by end of May.

According to KUIN Insan System Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Mansor Mahmud, the system was now undergoing tests to ensure the service would run smoothly by next month.

He said the 128kbps speed was sufficient for students to surf the Internet and to download emails and documents at the campus and hostel.

“Those who wish to enjoy a higher speed of up to 512kbps speed will have to purchase an additional booster from the company,” he said.

Mansor also said the students did not get free broadband service provided by Packet One Networks (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd (P1) as reported in MetroNorth on March 17 under the heading ‘Varsity gets free 24-hour broadband service’.

He said the fee for the broadband had already been included in the students’ study fees and they only need to register online to enjoy the broadband service.

He added that for the 512kbps speed booster, students could purchase the booster online or at Insan ICT shop located within the campus for a minimum price that would be announced later.

He said with the 512kbps speed, students could download videos and conduct video calls.

Two reasons for Islamic finance’s move into world financial system - INCEIF

PETALING JAYA: The accelerated development of Islamic financial markets and increased liberalisation are the two important trends which have increased the integration of Islamic finance into the international financial system, according to Bank Negara governor Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz.

In her keynote address entitled “Islamic Finance: A Central Bank’s Perspective” at a seminar on Islamic finance in Rome on Wednesday night, she said: “The development in the Islamic financial markets has contributed to the availability of a wide spectrum of Islamic financial instruments that ranged from instruments to manage liquidity, to structures for financing of mega investments.”

Her speech text was released to news organisations yesterday.

“The higher level of foreign participation in the Islamic financial markets has resulted in the increase in cross border flows in the international Islamic financial system thereby, enhancing international financial linkages between financial systems,” she said.

Liberalisation, Zeti added, had also brought greater foreign institutional presence in Islamic financial systems, resulting in greater diversity of players and strengthening further international financial linkages.

Malaysia had very much been part of this process, she noted.

In 2003, the Islamic financial system was liberalised to allow for increased foreign presence. In 2007, the sukuk market was liberalised to allow the raising of funds by eligible corporates from any part of the world in any currency.

This year, the first foreign currency sukuk of US$1.5bil was successfully issued by Petronas, which was significantly oversubscribed by investors from Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

As part of an international collaborative effort, Zeti said a Task Force on Liquidity Management was set up by the the Islamic Financial Services Board and the Islamic Development Bank early this year to develop solutions to enhance the efficiency of Islamic financial institutions in managing liquidity at both the national and international levels.

Another area of international collaboration is in the promotion of value-added investments in human capital to ensure the sustainable growth of the Islamic financial industry.

The International Centre for Education in Islamic Finance (INCEIF) in Malaysia was set up by the central bank with programmes for practitioners and post-graduate studies to ensure the continuous supply of talent in Islamic finance.

At present, INCEIF students come from more than 60 countries, including Britian, Canada, France and Japan, South Korea and the Middle East.

“Equally important to innovative development is a deeper understanding of syariah and knowledge of Islamic finance and for a greater convergence in the theoretical understanding and practical considerations in resolving the contemporary issues faced by Islamic financial industry players,” Zeti said.

KUIS Terima Sumbangan Komputer Riba

5 Oktober 2010, BANDAR SERI PUTRA :  Kolej Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Selangor (KUIS) telah menerima sumbangan komputer riba (netbook) daripada Syarikat KM Telecommunications Sdn Bhd. Sebanyak 5 buah komputer telah disumbangkan oleh syarikat berkenaan dimana 4 buah untuk pelajar KUIS yang terpilih manakala sebuah lagi untuk kegunaan Unit Masjid Al-Azhar KUIS.  Sumbangan tersebut telah disampaikan oleh Pengurus Besarnya, Encik Mustafa Mod Wari kepada wakil KUIS iaitu Encik Jahaluddin Hassan selaku Bendahari KUIS di pejabatnya.  “Terima kasih yang tidak terhingga kepada pihak KMT dan diharapkan agar bantuan seperti ini akan dapat dinikmati oleh pelajar-pelajar KUIS selari dengan kemajuan teknologi”, ujarnya selepas menerima sumbangan tersebut. Sumbangan tersebut merupakan suatu tanggungjawab sosial yang  mana akan dapat memberikan manfaat besar kepada KUIS dan juga pelajar yang menerimanya.

Interviewed by NST: Unhealthy Growth of Medical Schools in M'sia - IMU

Source: New Straits Times
Date: March 6, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR - With too many medical schools, lack of teaching staff and insufficient training facilities, Malaysia is in danger of producing sub-standard medical graduates. Former director-general of health Tan Sri Dr Abu Bakar Suleiman said: "Too many medical schools have been allowed to be started in too short a time." He said this could become a problem when the country produced thousands of doctors who may not be as good "as they could be". "We don"t want numbers. We want quality: quality of medical schools, quality of medical graduates, quality of post-graduates. What we should be doing is working hard to make sure our medical schools are of international standard." Commenting on the mushrooming of medical schools and the low quality of medical graduates, Dr Abu Bakar, who was D-G of health from 1991 to 2001, said the the authorities needed to consider the country"s health planning when setting up medical schools. "During my time, we used to advise the Education Ministry (the authority for higher education before the setting up of the Higher Education Ministry) on the formation of new medical schools, based on the country"s health planning needs. "There was coordination in terms of what was needed and what was the production capacity. "For example, whenever there was a request for a medical school to be formed, the ministry would enquire which hospital would be used for training. The prospective universities would come to us and we would discuss with them what they were going to do. "We allocated hospitals to them so that they had facilities for training and clinical experience. Without that, they could not go to the ministry to consider their application. They had to consult the ministry before it could get the approval. "That was how it was when universities such as Sheffield, International Medical University and Monash set up their medical schools. It was difficult to get a medical school licence then. But now it appears that this link between the Health Ministry and the Higher Education Ministry in terms of manpower needs is not there." Dr Abu Bakar, who is now IMU president, said co-ordination between the authorities was important, otherwise, the process of educating doctorswould not be done in a way that met the standards of local and foreign universities. "Too many public universities are also being built too quickly and this is not healthy. There are too many housemen now, so supervising them can be difficult. And we worry they may not get adequate training." He said producing 20-odd medical schools in fewer than 10 years did not make sense, adding that there was a need for the authorities to justify the existence of these schools through evidence-based decision making. "At present, every state wants to have a medical school. But is there a need? Some don"t even have enough training hospitals." Having too many medical schools also results in difficulties in recruiting academic staff, who are in short supply locally and abroad. He said even IMU, which has been in the industry for 19 years, found it difficult to recruit the right staff, adding that although a doctor may be a specialist, he may not necessarily make a good academic. "We need experienced people with academic management skills, curriculum planning, assessment, benchmarking and accreditation." On the quality of students pursuing medical studies, Dr Abu Bakar said while good grades were important criteria for entry to medical schools, students should also have the aptitude and desire to serve the community. "The essence of being a doctor is to serve. Just because you are a bright student doesn"t make you a good doctor. "You must have other attributes such as being interested in people, the desire to help others, patience, and the independence of thinking and learning," He added that he had come across cases of intelligent students not doing well in their medical exams because of a lack of interest. "Some students graduate but they don"t want to practise because they are not interested in medicine; they took it up only because of pressure from their parents." Those intending to pursue medical studies, he added, should opt for local public and private medical schools, especially in terms of meeting the local needs, failing which they should consider medical schools in the Commonwealth countries or the United States, which have a similar healthcare system to Malaysia. He advised them to avoid studying medicine in other countries where the healthcare system was different than that of Malaysia. "If you send them to Russia or the Ukraine, they are trained to perform in the healthcare system of their host country, which is not similar to the system here. I have reservations about that. But that does not mean they cannot perform. "And why do you need to send them to other places where they have to learn a different language? Why do you place such a huge burden on them? There are more than enough local programmes here for them."

Navigating Turbulence and Clear Skies, with Malaysia Airlines’ High-flying CEO - INTI International University

A well-known and popular choice of both national and international travelers, Malaysia Airlines (MAS) continues to soar despite intense competition and volatile operating costs in the aviation industry. INTI’s Business Leadership Series was proud to host Tengku Dato’ Sri Azmil Zahruddin, the managing director and CEO of MAS, as its first guest speaker for 2011. A packed lecture theatre at INTI International University provided more than 200 students and faculty the exclusive opportunity to listen and interact with him when he spoke on the opportunities and challenges in managing an international airline. The event was also streamed live to five other INTI institutions in the country, with an audience totaling over 500 students and staff members. Bearing a charming smile and a down-to-earth demeanour, Tengku Azmil was part of the well-known management team which steered the airline’s business back on track. He talked about the effectiveness of that plan as well as ongoing initiatives which firmly position MAS as a world-class airline. “Transforming MAS into a world-class carrier involves more than just changing the hardware which includes refreshing our fleet and putting the right infrastructure and processes in place. It involves transforming people too.”
		Tengku Dato’ Sri Azmil Zahruddin says transforming MAS involves transforming people too.
“We aim to make MAS one of the best places to work in Malaysia. To do this, we have to make sure that we are recognized for our service. We must also grow as a leader and ensure we are competitive in terms of employee benefits. These are the things that we are doing to move people,” he said. The BLS serves as a platform for INTI’s 14,000 strong student community to engage with the industry in addition to having real time dialogues and debates on topical issues. Graham Doxey, CEO of Laureate Malaysia and Deputy CEO of INTI said: “Students who have attended our Business Leadership Series last year would have met, heard from and been instructed by the top minds and thought leaders in the country and region. We have a commitment to our students to set them apart from their peers and we believe we can do so by giving them access to these captains of industry.” Doxey added that the series was part of INTI’s initiative to bring industry into the classroom under its Enrolment to Employment (E2E) programme and help shape students into becoming highly employable upon graduation. In addition to speakers from the industry, adjunct professors from across the Laureate network also make regular visits to INTI campuses whereby students can expect to have world-renowned names as part of their faculty. Students of INTI benefit not only from its 25 years of experience and strong track record, but also gain from the global synergy and resources that Laureate International Universities provides. INTI is part of Laureate, the world’s largest private education network with a presence in 25 countries, with more than 55 accredited universities and 130 campuses, serving more than 600,000 students globally.

Twintech's innovative biotech programmes - International University College of Technology Twintech

THE growing world population demands a safe environment, adequate and nutritious food and health care against a variety of diseases.

The field of biotechnology has found many solutions by developing new drugs, increasing agricultural productivity, replacing hazardous industrial chemicals with biological catalysts or enzymes and modified organisms as biological factories.

Biotechnology utilises the sciences of biology, chemistry, physics, engineering, computers and information technology to develop tools and products that hold great promise and concern.

Malaysia is one of the world's 12 mega biodiversity centres with abundant natural resources in flora, fauna and marine ecosystems.

The government is committed to promoting this industry as one of the new growth areas, and its concerted efforts have resulted in the realisation of more joint-ventures and collaborations between local and foreign parties in undertaking research and development activities for the production of vaccines, diagnostic kits and other biotech related products.

The International University College of Technology Twintech has positioned itself as a key centre for biotechnology, with innovative education programmes, world-class teaching and research.

Courses offered are Diploma in Biotechnology, B.Sc (Hons) Biotechnology, B.Sc (Hons) Industrial Biotechnology, M.Sc Agricultural Biotechnology and M.Sc (Environmental Biotechnology).

Graduates from each of these courses have a variety of employment opportunities in industry, research institutes and universities.

MoU with Asia e University - KLIUC

12 July 2011, Kuala Lumpur – Kuala Lumpur Infrastructure University College (KLIUC) and Asia e University (AeU) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at a ceremony held at Asia e University Campus in Kuala Lumpur. The MoU was signed by Prof. Dr. Zulklifi Abdul Hamid, President of KLIUC and Prof. Dato’ Dr. Ansary Ahmed, President and CEO of AeU. Also present to witness the signing were Prof. Dr. Roslan Zainal Abidin, Vice President (Academic) I of KLIUC and Prof. Dr. Hairudin Harun, Deputy President of AeU.

The collaboration is to facilitate the development and jointly offer a dual award of Master in Construction Technology and Management to be delivered in India, and to promote other academic activities of mutual benefits. The ceremony ended with an exchange of souvenirs.

Real Learning Experience for KLMUC's Broadcasting & Film students

Kuala Lumpur Metropolitan University College (KLMUC) students received a surprised appearance by Indian heart-throbs BharathSrinivasan and Shamsuddin Ibrahim aka Shaamat the campus recently. Both celebrities had come to Malaysia film scenes for their upcoming movie project and were taking time off from their busy schedule to meet KLMUC’s Broadcasting and Film students. Thisvisit provided an opportunity for KLMUC to inspire local students, especially in the Broadcasting and Film programmes and to develop a better understanding on how the Cinema industry in Indiaworks. This visit would also help prepare the students in their chosen field to their future careers. Students were very enthusiastic to see Bharath and Shaamin person and threw various questions about the actors and their working experience.

Heart-throb Indian actor Bharath at KLMU

Bharath in Q&A session with fans		Speaking to students in Tamil, Bharath was able to share his own personal experience in the film industry to the students adding success it is an effort that requires a lot of commitment. "There is no such thing as shortcuts in life. Take life as it goes and work hard for your dreams," he said in Tamil. Shaamalso conveyed to students that opportunities in life are numerous and that the potential for creativity is something that should not be missed. "You young guys should take the challenge and don't miss it. It's not just about acting but it involves a lot of creativity,"Shaam said while adding that success in any venture requires a strong passion and a belief in oneself to move on forward. Shaam also explained that technology in the world is changing quickly which creates a highly competitive industry that is often unpredictable. He also stressed that even in any field, one must also not forget to create their own network and to always allow themselves room for the flexibility to learn.

"First you must understand that there are several crafts of the movie industry that you must learn," Shaam advised. But more importantly, his advice for the student is to have the discipline, determination and dedication as the key to success. Shaam first started as a model in Bangalore, he ventured into the film industry in 2000 with the Tamil movie Kushi directed by S.J. Suryah. With over 20 films under his belt, Shaam is a multilingual actor whose works include Kick, 12B and Iyarkai. He was recently in Malaysia for scene in his upcoming film, 6. Bharath who was already a trained dancer since he was 11, debuted in a musical box office hit directed by S.Shankar, Boys, where his dance skills made him famous.His other releases include Chennai Kadhal, February 14 and Veyil. His upcoming releases are Thiruthani, Perarasu, Vaanamand the Tamil remake of Silambarasan, from a telugu blockbuster Vedam.

Shaam shown around by the President

Shaam with his fans		KLMUC offers more than 50 different courses under seven Faculty schools. Students will be able to pursue a course in Media Studies, Built Environment, Health Science, Art & Design, Engineering & Information Technology, Business & Management as well as Hospitality & Tourism. Application fees are only RM100 while Registration is RM300 for both Diploma and Degree level programmes. Students can also receive assistance in the form of financial aid from PTPTN (National Higher Education Fund Corporation) and MARA. The campus also offers a well-equipped accommodation facility for non-resident students with easy transportation access to ensure a positive learning experience.