Monday November 24, 2008
Although they are still pursuing their studies, 60 tertiary students spent their time preparing for the working world at the March Forward: Road to Graduation workshop at Menara Star yesterday.
The students participated in interactive sessions on how to give a good first impression and interview sessions.
"I find the topics very relevant, especially the image class as I'll be in the marketing line in the future.
"Grooming is very important for us and it's good to have the knowledge beforehand," said twenty-four-year-old marketing student Nurul Asyikin Jamal Azmi.
The students learned about personal grooming through demonstrations on how to dress for an interview.
The sessions became livelier as they played team-building games which included role playing on interviewing skills.
"Although we spoke different languages we could work together when we have a common goal in the games.
"We were also thrown into sudden changes halfway through the game and it made me realise that we must be able to adapt and have a Plan B," says Phang Wen Bin, 19.
Although it is still months or years away before they graduate, the participants have a better grasp of what employers are looking for and how they can position themselves to get a head start in their future career.
The workshop is organised by R.AGE and supported by Maybank Graduate Banking.
R.AGE is The Star's youth pullout dedicated to tertiary and Form Six students.
TS
November 28, 2008
Getting more to pledge organs
Monday November 24, 2008
More than 4,000 people, on the waiting list for the "Gift of Life" would have their wishes granted if only the organs of 7,000 who died in road accidents last year had been transplanted.
To get more Malaysians to donate organs, the Government has launched a media campaign costing RM2.4mil which started yesterday.
National Transplantation Council Action Committee chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said it was unfortunate that there had only been 229 cadaveric donors since 1976.
"These donors were either brain dead or had died in accidents.
"Currently, our database has about 121,000 pledges for donation."
However, he said that most of those people who had pledged had not informed their next of kin, causing problems later if they refuse.
"It is sad that donors have pledged to donate but the authorities cannot harvest the organs to save a life."
Lee said the media played a vital role in creating awareness.
Stressing on the power and easy access of the Internet today as a tool, Lee also launched the transplant resource centre's website.
"The website is designed to provide the public with the mechanics and details of organ donation and how one can pledge to be an organ donor."
For more information on organ donation, go to www.agiftoflife.gov.my or call 03-2615 6576 or 1-800-88-9080.
TS
More than 4,000 people, on the waiting list for the "Gift of Life" would have their wishes granted if only the organs of 7,000 who died in road accidents last year had been transplanted.
To get more Malaysians to donate organs, the Government has launched a media campaign costing RM2.4mil which started yesterday.
National Transplantation Council Action Committee chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said it was unfortunate that there had only been 229 cadaveric donors since 1976.
"These donors were either brain dead or had died in accidents.
"Currently, our database has about 121,000 pledges for donation."
However, he said that most of those people who had pledged had not informed their next of kin, causing problems later if they refuse.
"It is sad that donors have pledged to donate but the authorities cannot harvest the organs to save a life."
Lee said the media played a vital role in creating awareness.
Stressing on the power and easy access of the Internet today as a tool, Lee also launched the transplant resource centre's website.
"The website is designed to provide the public with the mechanics and details of organ donation and how one can pledge to be an organ donor."
For more information on organ donation, go to www.agiftoflife.gov.my or call 03-2615 6576 or 1-800-88-9080.
TS
November 23, 2008
Student year-long burden
Sunday November 23, 2008
SPM candidate Maragatha Ambiga wakes up at 3am to tap rubber for three hours before rushing to school.
This is what the Fifth Former, 16, has been doing since her parents fell ill in August last year.
She would ride a motorcycle to the 4.6ha rubber estate in Bukit Jalor, about 10km away, and help a neighbour tap rubber for three hours before returning home at 6am.
She would then clean up and head to SM Bukit Jalor which is 3km away.
She gets RM20 a day tapping the rubber. If it rains, she would not get any money.
Student breadwinner: Rajagopalu taking a look at Ambiga’s SPM’s revision books. With them are her father Ramasamy mother Tamil Shelvy and brother Suriya. Looking on is Tampin MIC division chairman R. Rajendran
He mother V. Tamil Shelvy, 42, became asthmatic in August last year and was unable to work.
Her father P. Ramasamy, 48, was a lorry driver before joining his wife to tap rubber.
He also had to stop working because he is a diabetic and has high blood pressure and heart problem.
She has a brother, Suriya, 10, who is studying in a Tamil primary school.
Ambiga’s plight was brought to the attention of Negri Sembilan MIC chairman Datuk T. Rajagopalu who visited the family in Taman Air Kuning Selatan, near Gemen-cheh about 75km from here.
Tamil Shelvy said her daughter’s rubber tapping provides the only source of income for the family in addition to the RM200 welfare assistance for the children’s schooling.
She said that her family members had refused to help her out and instead, had asked her to get her daughter married off.
“I want my daughter to study hard and be somebody in life.
“I have confidence in her,” she said.
Ambiga, who is currently sitting for her Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examinations, said she had to work for the sake of her family.
“I am confident of passing and hope to secure a place to attend teacher training course as I want to become a teacher,” she said.
Rajagopalu said he would assist the children with their education.
He had also made arrangement for Ambiga’s parents to receive treatment at Seremban Hospital and for a contractor to do some repairs to their house.
TS
SPM candidate Maragatha Ambiga wakes up at 3am to tap rubber for three hours before rushing to school.
This is what the Fifth Former, 16, has been doing since her parents fell ill in August last year.
She would ride a motorcycle to the 4.6ha rubber estate in Bukit Jalor, about 10km away, and help a neighbour tap rubber for three hours before returning home at 6am.
She would then clean up and head to SM Bukit Jalor which is 3km away.
She gets RM20 a day tapping the rubber. If it rains, she would not get any money.
Student breadwinner: Rajagopalu taking a look at Ambiga’s SPM’s revision books. With them are her father Ramasamy mother Tamil Shelvy and brother Suriya. Looking on is Tampin MIC division chairman R. Rajendran
He mother V. Tamil Shelvy, 42, became asthmatic in August last year and was unable to work.
Her father P. Ramasamy, 48, was a lorry driver before joining his wife to tap rubber.
He also had to stop working because he is a diabetic and has high blood pressure and heart problem.
She has a brother, Suriya, 10, who is studying in a Tamil primary school.
Ambiga’s plight was brought to the attention of Negri Sembilan MIC chairman Datuk T. Rajagopalu who visited the family in Taman Air Kuning Selatan, near Gemen-cheh about 75km from here.
Tamil Shelvy said her daughter’s rubber tapping provides the only source of income for the family in addition to the RM200 welfare assistance for the children’s schooling.
She said that her family members had refused to help her out and instead, had asked her to get her daughter married off.
“I want my daughter to study hard and be somebody in life.
“I have confidence in her,” she said.
Ambiga, who is currently sitting for her Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examinations, said she had to work for the sake of her family.
“I am confident of passing and hope to secure a place to attend teacher training course as I want to become a teacher,” she said.
Rajagopalu said he would assist the children with their education.
He had also made arrangement for Ambiga’s parents to receive treatment at Seremban Hospital and for a contractor to do some repairs to their house.
TS
November 07, 2008
Changing the Indian Mind-set
Saturday November 8, 2008
Nothing seems impossible for academic Dr Siva Kumar Balasundram and his colleagues, who between them, have set up TheMind (Malaysian Indian Educational Development) Association, an organisation of high academic achievers who are helping some Malaysian Indians achieve excellence and success through education.
They themselves had struggled to achieve high academic status and believe that with the right help, encouragement and motivation, other Indians too can achieve similar success through education.
“We believe educational attainment is the one sure path for Malaysian Indians to advancement in life and success,” said Dr Siva, 37, a senior lecturer at UPM and a specialist on precision agriculture.
A core group of about 20 high achievers are running TheMind, and they organise opportunity seminars, motivation forums, courses and seminars for Indians.
They also organise sessions with rural Indian youths to place them in training institutes after they have completed their SPM.
In addition, TheMind has set up an e-mail network of over 50,000 individuals who act as initiators or helpers, offering advice, job vacancies and other pointers to needy individuals, for instance, where to get loans, scholarships and jobs.
“It is like a help-line and it’s growing in size,” said association vice-president Dr Ganesan Vadamalai, 36, an agricultural scientist, referring to TheMind Bulletin Board.
In 2005, the group organised the 9th Malaysia Plan – Voices of the Grassroots, a joint programme with ERA Consumer that was supported by the Friedrich Nauman Foundation and the European Union.
In 2007, they organised the National Indian Youth Convention, which attracted widespread attention from Indian youths, teachers, professionals and business people hungry to develop themselves, network and succeed in life.
Among the speakers at this convention was Petra Group founder president and CEO Datuk Vinod Sekhar, whose late father Tan Sri B. C. Sekhar was a world-reknown rubber specialist.
A one-day seminar in Kulim in April this year saw TheMind enthusiasts like Dr Ganesan coming face-to-face with the myriad problems Indian youths face – poverty, low skills, low academic achievements, lack of scholarships and being sidelined from mainstream development.
“They were in the low information group, and did not have adequate information on how to seize the opportunities and advance themselves,” Dr Ganesan said, adding that 15 youths who had completed their SPM and were about to enter the job market as low-skilled employees were persuaded to study new skills at vocational institutes.
“They can get much higher wages with higher skills,” Dr Ganesan said, adding the TheMind intended to conduct more forums to place Indian youths in skills training centres.
“We want to make this a permanent feature of our activities because Indian enrolment in skills institutes is low.”
TheMind is a registered organisation and entirely voluntary, said Dr Siva.
“We could use more support and help. We also hope others set up similar voluntary organisations to show the way and motivate our people.”
TheMind started with one man, Saravanan Kandasamy, an electronic engineer with Maxis who sent out e-mails in 2004 to Indian professionals whose addresses he had collected after diligent research on the Internet.
“Saravanan argued that Indian professionals needed to get involved to help the community and not just take care of themselves,” Dr Siva said.
A meeting was held, attended by about 20 people and from that, a core group of five formed TheMind.
Saravanan runs its bulletin board from Porta City, Portugal, where he is studying for his PhD on a Portuguese government scholarship.
“Although he is far away, we keep in regular touch,” Dr Siva said.
TheMind’s latest initiative is “An Afternoon with Datuk Vinod Sekhar” at the UPM campus from 2pm today where the successful businessman appears as a role model for Indian youths.
He will be offering pointers, sharing ideas and taking questions on the subject of the challenges facing Indian youths today.
The event is sponsored by the Sekhar Foundation, which is chaired by Vinod who was impressed enough by TheMind to promise help and funding for the group’s initiatives.
TS
Nothing seems impossible for academic Dr Siva Kumar Balasundram and his colleagues, who between them, have set up TheMind (Malaysian Indian Educational Development) Association, an organisation of high academic achievers who are helping some Malaysian Indians achieve excellence and success through education.
They themselves had struggled to achieve high academic status and believe that with the right help, encouragement and motivation, other Indians too can achieve similar success through education.
“We believe educational attainment is the one sure path for Malaysian Indians to advancement in life and success,” said Dr Siva, 37, a senior lecturer at UPM and a specialist on precision agriculture.
A core group of about 20 high achievers are running TheMind, and they organise opportunity seminars, motivation forums, courses and seminars for Indians.
They also organise sessions with rural Indian youths to place them in training institutes after they have completed their SPM.
In addition, TheMind has set up an e-mail network of over 50,000 individuals who act as initiators or helpers, offering advice, job vacancies and other pointers to needy individuals, for instance, where to get loans, scholarships and jobs.
“It is like a help-line and it’s growing in size,” said association vice-president Dr Ganesan Vadamalai, 36, an agricultural scientist, referring to TheMind Bulletin Board.
In 2005, the group organised the 9th Malaysia Plan – Voices of the Grassroots, a joint programme with ERA Consumer that was supported by the Friedrich Nauman Foundation and the European Union.
In 2007, they organised the National Indian Youth Convention, which attracted widespread attention from Indian youths, teachers, professionals and business people hungry to develop themselves, network and succeed in life.
Among the speakers at this convention was Petra Group founder president and CEO Datuk Vinod Sekhar, whose late father Tan Sri B. C. Sekhar was a world-reknown rubber specialist.
A one-day seminar in Kulim in April this year saw TheMind enthusiasts like Dr Ganesan coming face-to-face with the myriad problems Indian youths face – poverty, low skills, low academic achievements, lack of scholarships and being sidelined from mainstream development.
“They were in the low information group, and did not have adequate information on how to seize the opportunities and advance themselves,” Dr Ganesan said, adding that 15 youths who had completed their SPM and were about to enter the job market as low-skilled employees were persuaded to study new skills at vocational institutes.
“They can get much higher wages with higher skills,” Dr Ganesan said, adding the TheMind intended to conduct more forums to place Indian youths in skills training centres.
“We want to make this a permanent feature of our activities because Indian enrolment in skills institutes is low.”
TheMind is a registered organisation and entirely voluntary, said Dr Siva.
“We could use more support and help. We also hope others set up similar voluntary organisations to show the way and motivate our people.”
TheMind started with one man, Saravanan Kandasamy, an electronic engineer with Maxis who sent out e-mails in 2004 to Indian professionals whose addresses he had collected after diligent research on the Internet.
“Saravanan argued that Indian professionals needed to get involved to help the community and not just take care of themselves,” Dr Siva said.
A meeting was held, attended by about 20 people and from that, a core group of five formed TheMind.
Saravanan runs its bulletin board from Porta City, Portugal, where he is studying for his PhD on a Portuguese government scholarship.
“Although he is far away, we keep in regular touch,” Dr Siva said.
TheMind’s latest initiative is “An Afternoon with Datuk Vinod Sekhar” at the UPM campus from 2pm today where the successful businessman appears as a role model for Indian youths.
He will be offering pointers, sharing ideas and taking questions on the subject of the challenges facing Indian youths today.
The event is sponsored by the Sekhar Foundation, which is chaired by Vinod who was impressed enough by TheMind to promise help and funding for the group’s initiatives.
TS
443,000 to sit for SPM exam for 2008
Saturday November 8, 2008
A total of 442,936 students will sit for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination at 3,939 testing centres nationwide beginning Wednesday.
The examination will end on Dec 5.
Education director-general Datuk Alimuddin Mohd Dom reminded students to check the examination timetable to be sure of when they needed to sit for their test papers.
“They must also have their identity cards with them at all times,’’ he said in a statement.
Alimuddin also reminded students to watch out for news on any change in the examination schedule or venue if there were floods or fires.
He also advised students and parents to disregard rumours that the examination papers had been leaked.
TS
A total of 442,936 students will sit for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination at 3,939 testing centres nationwide beginning Wednesday.
The examination will end on Dec 5.
Education director-general Datuk Alimuddin Mohd Dom reminded students to check the examination timetable to be sure of when they needed to sit for their test papers.
“They must also have their identity cards with them at all times,’’ he said in a statement.
Alimuddin also reminded students to watch out for news on any change in the examination schedule or venue if there were floods or fires.
He also advised students and parents to disregard rumours that the examination papers had been leaked.
TS
November 03, 2008
Discuss Maths and Science at Cabinet level first
The Education Ministry cannot decide whether to continue having Science and Mathematics taught in English or revert to Bahasa Malaysia before the matter is discussed in the Cabinet.
Minister Datuk Seri Hisham-muddin Tun Hussein said the ministry must also wait for the release of the UPSR results which is expected in the middle of next month.
"We also have to analyse what has been said in the four roundtable discussions we have held with stakeholders for their views," he told reporters after presenting certificates to 331 excellent teachers at a teaching conference.
Making a point: Hishammuddin (third from right) having an informal chat with some of the excellent teachers at the teaching conference Thursday.
Asked whether it was possible to make an announcement at the end of this year or early next year, Hishammuddin said it would depend on how long it took to analyse the differing views.
"Whatever we decide, we can't start in January anyway as it is far too soon," he said, adding that any decision would not affect those already in the system and that it would start with a new group of Year One pupils.
He advised people not to worry about pupils' ability to master English as there were plans to strengthen the subject in primary school.
"Whatever decision we make will not fulfil everyone's wish or satisfy everyone but at least we have the facts and figures to back our decision," he said, adding that the decision could include fine-tuning the existing policy.
Hishammuddin said the decision "did not have to be black and white, or a yes and no".
The policy of teaching Science and Mathematics in English was implemented in phases, starting with Year One, Form One and Lower Six in 2003.
Hishammuddin also announced that 233 graduate headmasters in primary schools have created history by being promoted to grade DG44 from DG41 with a minimum salary increase at about RM300.
The Government, he added, considered requests from teaching unions for faster promotions for headmasters who had served at least three years in the DG41 grade.
National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) secretary-general Lok Yim Pheng who welcomed the move hoped that the Government would also consider extending the scheme to
senior assistants who had to wait at least 10 years to be upgraded to DG44.
TS
Minister Datuk Seri Hisham-muddin Tun Hussein said the ministry must also wait for the release of the UPSR results which is expected in the middle of next month.
"We also have to analyse what has been said in the four roundtable discussions we have held with stakeholders for their views," he told reporters after presenting certificates to 331 excellent teachers at a teaching conference.
Making a point: Hishammuddin (third from right) having an informal chat with some of the excellent teachers at the teaching conference Thursday.
Asked whether it was possible to make an announcement at the end of this year or early next year, Hishammuddin said it would depend on how long it took to analyse the differing views.
"Whatever we decide, we can't start in January anyway as it is far too soon," he said, adding that any decision would not affect those already in the system and that it would start with a new group of Year One pupils.
He advised people not to worry about pupils' ability to master English as there were plans to strengthen the subject in primary school.
"Whatever decision we make will not fulfil everyone's wish or satisfy everyone but at least we have the facts and figures to back our decision," he said, adding that the decision could include fine-tuning the existing policy.
Hishammuddin said the decision "did not have to be black and white, or a yes and no".
The policy of teaching Science and Mathematics in English was implemented in phases, starting with Year One, Form One and Lower Six in 2003.
Hishammuddin also announced that 233 graduate headmasters in primary schools have created history by being promoted to grade DG44 from DG41 with a minimum salary increase at about RM300.
The Government, he added, considered requests from teaching unions for faster promotions for headmasters who had served at least three years in the DG41 grade.
National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) secretary-general Lok Yim Pheng who welcomed the move hoped that the Government would also consider extending the scheme to
senior assistants who had to wait at least 10 years to be upgraded to DG44.
TS
November 02, 2008
Matriculation stays
Sunday November 2, 2008
The matriculation programme will not be abolished, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said.
He said the Government was committed to ensuring its continuous existence in line with the country’s mainstream development.
“This programme has proven to be successful in paving the way for SPM students, particularly bumiputras, who obtained good results to enter local universities.
“The selection process is based on meritocracy which is fair to all parties. I believe non-bumiputras too benefited as a quota of 10% has been set aside for them,’’ he said in his speech during the celebration of a decade of matriculation programme in Felda Chini Timur near here yesterday.
He said there was no manipulation in the programme.
His speech was read out by Deputy Education Minister Datuk Razali Ismail, who also launched a foster parents programme in which matriculation students were adopted by the local community here.
The matriculation programme was started in 1998 when Najib was Education Minister.
Najib, who is also Pekan MP, said the Government would ensure the programme would be of high standard in terms of management, up-to-date and relevant curriculum, in addition to receiving recognition both in and out of the country.
“So far, we have nine matriculation and two Mara colleges throughout the country.
“Under the 9th Malaysia Plan, three more colleges will be built to further strengthen the programme to churn out more graduates in critical fields such as medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, engineering, architecture, accounting and management,” he said.
Najib said the Selangor Matricula- tion College would receive its first intake of students by 2010, to be followed by the colleges in Kelantan, Sabah and Terengganu.
“There are plans to upgrade four initial colleges to meet the present development needs and increasing number of applicants,” he said.
He said plans were in the pipeline to award matriculation certificates so that graduates of the programme would be recognised overseas.
“Recently, several universities in Britain had accepted and recognised the programme’s syllabus,” he said, adding that 50 matriculation students had been selected to participate in a teachers’ training programme in Britain this year.
TS
The matriculation programme will not be abolished, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said.
He said the Government was committed to ensuring its continuous existence in line with the country’s mainstream development.
“This programme has proven to be successful in paving the way for SPM students, particularly bumiputras, who obtained good results to enter local universities.
“The selection process is based on meritocracy which is fair to all parties. I believe non-bumiputras too benefited as a quota of 10% has been set aside for them,’’ he said in his speech during the celebration of a decade of matriculation programme in Felda Chini Timur near here yesterday.
He said there was no manipulation in the programme.
His speech was read out by Deputy Education Minister Datuk Razali Ismail, who also launched a foster parents programme in which matriculation students were adopted by the local community here.
The matriculation programme was started in 1998 when Najib was Education Minister.
Najib, who is also Pekan MP, said the Government would ensure the programme would be of high standard in terms of management, up-to-date and relevant curriculum, in addition to receiving recognition both in and out of the country.
“So far, we have nine matriculation and two Mara colleges throughout the country.
“Under the 9th Malaysia Plan, three more colleges will be built to further strengthen the programme to churn out more graduates in critical fields such as medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, engineering, architecture, accounting and management,” he said.
Najib said the Selangor Matricula- tion College would receive its first intake of students by 2010, to be followed by the colleges in Kelantan, Sabah and Terengganu.
“There are plans to upgrade four initial colleges to meet the present development needs and increasing number of applicants,” he said.
He said plans were in the pipeline to award matriculation certificates so that graduates of the programme would be recognised overseas.
“Recently, several universities in Britain had accepted and recognised the programme’s syllabus,” he said, adding that 50 matriculation students had been selected to participate in a teachers’ training programme in Britain this year.
TS
Apply online for admission to IPTAs
Sunday November 2, 2008
SPM school leavers who sat for the examination in 2006, 2007 and 2008 must apply online for admission to public institutions of higher learning (IPTAs) for the 2008/2009 academic session.
The Higher Education Ministry, said yesterday that the online application registration would be implemented in two phases with Phase 1 opened from Nov 3 to Dec 31.
Applicants are only required to use their identity card/MyKad numbers and a password.
The rule applies to applicants with qualifications equivalent to the SPM as well. The applications are to be sent to www.mohe.gov.my.
The second phase, to be opened at noon on Feb 3, 2009, is for applicants to verify their applications.
To submit the applications for the second phase, applicants are required to buy the Unique ID Numbers for RM10.60 at any Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN) counter, through SMS banking and at Automated Teller Machines (only for BSN Giro account holders).
Applicants will be allowed to submit their applications once. They are also allowed three times to make changes to their applications before the closing date.
For clarification and enquiries, they can contact the Student Admission Management Division of the Higher Education Department at 03-88835801 or 03-88835802 or send an e-mail to upu@mohe.gov.my.
TS
SPM school leavers who sat for the examination in 2006, 2007 and 2008 must apply online for admission to public institutions of higher learning (IPTAs) for the 2008/2009 academic session.
The Higher Education Ministry, said yesterday that the online application registration would be implemented in two phases with Phase 1 opened from Nov 3 to Dec 31.
Applicants are only required to use their identity card/MyKad numbers and a password.
The rule applies to applicants with qualifications equivalent to the SPM as well. The applications are to be sent to www.mohe.gov.my.
The second phase, to be opened at noon on Feb 3, 2009, is for applicants to verify their applications.
To submit the applications for the second phase, applicants are required to buy the Unique ID Numbers for RM10.60 at any Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN) counter, through SMS banking and at Automated Teller Machines (only for BSN Giro account holders).
Applicants will be allowed to submit their applications once. They are also allowed three times to make changes to their applications before the closing date.
For clarification and enquiries, they can contact the Student Admission Management Division of the Higher Education Department at 03-88835801 or 03-88835802 or send an e-mail to upu@mohe.gov.my.
TS
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