Timely for Malaysia to integrate Model UN in school system
August 2, 2010, Monday
http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=54573

KUALA LUMPUR: It is timely for Malaysia to integrate the Model United Nations (Model UN), an academic simulation of the UN, into its national school system as it could promote critical thinking among the younger generation, a UN official said.

UN Resident Coordinator for Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore, Kamal Malhotra said the programme, which aims to educate participants about civics, current events, effective communication, globalisation and multilateral diplomacy, could benefit the Malaysian school curriculum.

“We in the UN sees that the human right approach is central to everything we do; so if it is to be adopted in the Malaysian school system, it has to be done as part of curriculum reform,” he told Bernama in a recent interview.

For Malaysia, however, there would be challenges because it also had a vernacular school system, he said.

“This works best in a multicultural context where everyone is in one school,” he said, adding that for a start, Malaysia could target the national school system which has students from all ethnic groups.

Kamal said with Malaysia hosting the Second Global Model UN Conference 2010 (GMUN) starting Aug 14, it could promote the Model UN among the young Malaysians.

“In many countries, there is a tradition of holding Model UN conferences at the school level, but this is not the case in Malaysia. Perhaps the students are not too exposed to the UN, even at university level.

“So maybe it is new for Malaysia but I think it is good for both Malaysia and Malaysian students to be exposed to the Model UN because issues on intercultural dialogue are very relevant in the Malaysian context given its multi-ethnicity,” he said.

About 1,000 brightest students from 90 UN members are expected to take part in the GMUN 2010 organised by the UN Department of Public Information, UN Alliance of Civilisations and Commonwealth secretariat and Malaysia’s Youth and Sport Ministry.

Malaysia will be represented by 50 participants at the assembly, themed ‘Towards an Alliance of Civilisations: Bridging Cultures to Achieve Peace and Development’.

The five-day event will see participants aged between 18 and 24, comprising college and university students, deliberating cultural, globalisation and socio-economic issues.

At the end of the assembly, the delegates will pass a resolution which will be tabled to the President of the UN General Assembly.

Kamal said Malaysia’s selection as the host country was relevant taking into account its geographical position and its role as an Islamic country.

“Malaysia sits at the intersection of a number of major blocks of countries as well as playing a key role in the Organisation of the Islamic Conference. It has got a key role in Asean and in the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM),” he said.

Kamal hoped that the conference could strive to bridge cultural and religious ‘miscommunication and misperception’ as well as several other issues to built a stronger network among the global youth.

The first GMUN was held in Geneva, Switzerland in August last year.

Blind among 920 who graduate with master’s degree at UM
August 4, 2010, Wednesday
http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=55108

KUALA LUMPUR: Being blind does not mean that one cannot pursue tertiary education.N Laxme Preyalatha is testament to this. She was among 920 Universiti Malaya (UM) graduates who received their master’s degree at the second session of the university’s 49th convocation here yesterday.

Laxme, 34, who has been blind since birth, received her Masters in Education degree from UM Pro-Chancellor Raja Dr Nazrin Shah, who is also the Raja Muda of Perak.

“Although blind, one should always have passion for knowledge because the door to employment for people with disabilities will be opened wider with knowledge,” said the second of three siblings who plans to pursue a doctorate degree in the same field. — Bernama

UiTM Graduates Have Chance To Study At Oxford University
August 06, 2010 17:06 PM

KUALA TERENGGANU, Aug 6 (Bernama) -- Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) graduates who pass with first class master's degree will get the chance to study at world renowned universities including Oxford University.

Vice-chancellor Datuk Dr Prof Sahol Hamid Abu Bakar said 25 graduates with 3.75 grade point average (GPA) would be given scholarships annually to pursue doctorate (PhD) under 'Meletak Melayu Dalam Peta Dunia' programme.

"The first group of graduates chosen to study at Oxford, Harvard, Cambridge, Yale and other reputable universities will be announced in November," he said after opening an international economy and business seminar here Friday.

Prof Sahol said UiTM had discussed the placement of 25 graduates with the universities.

He said the graduates would have to serve UiTM seven years after completion of their courses.

"Scholarships for this special project is borne by UiTM which will also choose the courses and suitable universities," he added.

-- BERNAMA

Iban language to be a major varsity subject
by Jacqueline R. David August 10, 2010, Tuesday
http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=56780

http://www.theborneopost.com/newsimages/0948.jpg

1MALAYSIA SPIRIT: Jabu (seated centre) flanked by Uggah (right) and
Aminah pose with the East Malaysian students in their traditional costumes
as UPSI celebrates the Gawai-Kaamatan closing ceremony.

KUCHING: The Iban language, currently a minor subject at Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI), Tanjung Malim, Perak is already under consideration to be upgraded as a major subject in the future. Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu Numpang revealed the UPSI had asked the State to ‘adopt a chair’ (sponsoring fund) for the university to conduct research on the Iban language, customs and social living for its plan of turning it into a major subject.

He also said UPSI is hopeful the studies could be completed in five years time before the first batch of student taking the subject as a major could proceed.

“Let’s work together to develop the Iban language. Learning a certain language is not an easy task. As far as I could recall, our nation took a long time to develop the Bahasa Melayu, let alone developing the Iban language, which only gained recognition as a minor subject starting December.

“That’s why we shall monitor first the development of the subject. From this platform we hope that the Iban language would be able to gain recognition as a ‘People’s Own Language’ (POL) such as the Mandarin and Tamil. Only then, we could bring this matter up with the cabinet,” he told reporters after UPSI’s Gawai-Kaamatan ‘1Gawai, 1Kaamatan, 1Malaysia’ closing ceremony at its Panggung Budaya (theatre) last Saturday.

He added that the ‘Bahasa Iban’ was well received in schools on par with the Mandarin and Tamil languages. To date, about 32,000 primary school students and 22,000 secondary school students took the Iban language and sat for the Penilaian Menengah Rendah (PMR) and Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination in the Iban language subject.

Jabu went on to say that since UPSI is the first university in the country to offer the Iban language subject (starting December) the Government should do all it can to help UPSI develop the subject.

“We can offer expertise in addition to adopting a chair. The programme would benefit the students not only on mastering the language, but it will teach them on Iban customs, traditional games, social ethics and cultures. This programme could be extended to other ethnics in Sabah-Sarawak as well. In addition, it would benefit all East Malaysian students who took the subject.

“That’s why, if the study within five years is a success, we will allocate more grant for the research,” he explained.

Jabu who is also Dayak Cultural Foundation (DCF) chairman, also announced an allocation of about RM100,000 for the research development of the Iban language which were to become a minor subject.

“As the nation’s future, the youths should strive hard to get a place in the higher learning institute. As they continue their studies, please be reminded that our tradition and customs should never be forgotten. We must further develop and promote our cultures so that it would not disappear in the globalisation era.

“When we talk about education it is about guiding, skills, innovation, discipline, integrity and knowledge all at once,” he said.

UPSI has two lecturers to teach the Iban subject namely Rosline Sandai who is also the UPSI’s Iban and Kadazandusun language coordinator and Dr Chermaline Osup.

The intake for the minor Bahasa Iban subject will begin Dec 20. About 20 students who are currently taking other subject from various major programmes in UPSI have registered for the Iban language minor subject. Currently, there were 1,200 East Malaysian students in the university.

The event was organised by UPSI student council chairman Samuel Sila Mathew Unjah in collaboration with the student affairs department and the university’s alumni.

Also present were Natural Resources and Environment Minister Dato Sri Douglas Uggah Embas, UPSI Vice-Chancellor Professor Dato Dr Aminah Ayob and vice-chancellor Professor Dr Zakaria Kasa.

‘Our school cooperatives a model for other countries’
August 10, 2010, Tuesday
http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=56766

http://www.theborneopost.com/newsimages/T02482.jpg

LAUNCHING CEREMONY: Muhyiddin (centre) looking at a crystal ball after
launching the National School Cooperative Day 2010 which carried the
theme ‘Creativity and Innovation Empowers School Cooperatives’ at Sekolah
Menengah Kebangsaan Bera, Bandar 32. At left is Ismail Sabri.
— Bernama photo


BERA: The well-administered school cooperatives in Malaysia have become the model for similar entities in many other countries, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said yesterday.

He said South Korea, Thailand and Singapore had sent delegations to visit school cooperatives in Malaysia.

Fiji, India and Japan, which were keen to set up school cooperatives, had sent representatives to conduct studies at the National Cooperative Organisation of Malaysia (Angkasa) and to find out about school cooperative management, he said.

Muhyiddin was launching the National School Cooperative Day 2010, which carried the theme ‘Creativity and Innovation Empowers School Cooperatives’, at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Bera, Bandar 32, here.

Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob and Angkasa president Prof Datuk Dr Mohd Ali Baharum were present at the event.

Muhyiddin said Iran had also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Malaysia for a school cooperative tourism programme.

“It goes to show that these countries have confidence in the organisation, establishment and management of school cooperatives in our country, which are undertaken well and in an orderly manner under the supervision of Angkasa and the Cooperative Commission of Malaysia,” he said.

Muhyiddin, who is also Education Minister, said he believed that school cooperatives were the best platform to foster the culture of cooperatives, business and entrepreneurship.

The consistent guidance from Angkasa and the commission would enable those who ran school cooperatives to develop into able leaders of cooperatives later in life as well as become successful entrepreneurs, he said.

He said the various programmes and projects linked to education, business, entrepreneurship and the economy implemented by school cooperatives could generate creative and innovative skills in the pupils and students.

Their education and training through the school cooperative would help the pupils and students gain more knowledge on the finer points of business at an early age and enable them develop a positive personality, he said.

Muhyiddin said 2,090 of the 2,190 secondary schools in the country had established cooperatives, almost fulfilling the objective of the Education Ministry to have cooperatives in all secondary schools.— Bernama

Dr Mahathir urges Muslims to master science and technology
August 10, 2010, Tuesday
http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=57042

NILAI: Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said one of the reasons for the Muslim community to be weak today was their failure in fulfilling their religious obligation of seeking knowledge, especially in science and technology.He said Muslims were required to have basic knowledge of Islam but not all had to study it too deeply as they were also required to master other disciplines.

“Mastering science, physics and mathematics for their own protection and defence does not mean Muslims forget about the hereafter,” he said at the Premier Lecture session in conjunction with Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia’s (USIM) 10th anniversary celebration, here, yesterday.

About 5,000 people including USIM students listened to Dr Mahathir’s lecture at the Nilai Indoor Stadium yesterday.

“If 1.6 billion Muslims are knowledgeable in Islam to the level of ulama, there will be greater divide as everyone will have different interpretations of religious teachings, like what is happening between Sunni and Shiite Muslims.

“But if there are groups who could master technology and the science of defence, this would suffice to save Muslim communities like in Bosnia (Herzegovina).

“At one time, the Russians defeated the Muslims in Central Asia and Islam was stifled but the Muslims could not do anything. This was the result of their own weakness due to their lack of knowledge including on defence.” Dr Mahathir said Muslims in Malaysia too needed to master science and technology so that they could come up with their own inventions without copying the work of others.

“In many places in the world like Afghanistan and Iraq, Muslims are being oppressed. Muslims are ridiculed, and I myself had been ridiculed and told to take off my shoes for fear there were bombs in them.

“Others are also checked, but they are not being treated like what Muslims have to endure as they are often thought to be terrorists.

“When Prophet Muhammad was called a terrorist, we (Muslims) became angry and demonstrated but this made no impact on the enemies of Islam as the Muslim ummah (community) today is weak,” he said. — Bernama

Dr M backs English language
Wednesday August 11, 2010
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/8/11/nation/6831255&sec=nation

http://thestar.com.my/archives/2010/8/11/nation/n_12mahathir.jpg

Guest-of-honour: Dr Mahathir launching e-Learning Innovations Tuesday.
With him are Open University Malaysia pro-chancellor Tan Sri Azman Hashim
(left) and the university’s president/vice-chancellor Prof Emeritus Tan Sri Anuwar Ali.

PETALING JAYA: Mastering the English language will not make one less patriotic, said former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

“People should accept the fact that English is currently the language of knowledge,” he said.

He said the Internet came with various languages but English was still the main language on websites.

Dr Mahathir, who initiated the change to use English for teaching Science and Mathematics, said the two subjects should be taught in English as most of the information and research were written in the international language.

“You cannot rely on someone to translate the latest information for you as it changes every minute.

“If you master the language, you can acquire the information by yourself and search for the information that will benefit you,” he said in a talk on Impact of Technology on the Future of Higher Education at a hotel here yesterday.

Separately, in his blog posting on Monday, Dr Mahathir wrote that the Malays had not gained for themselves the 30% target in corporate ownership.

“In the political field, the Malays appear to be in control.

“Most of the high posts, such as PM and MB, are held by the Malays. If these posts are held by the Chinese, then not only will the economy be under Chinese control but the political arena will also be under the Chinese,” he said.

However, he said the Malays were also at fault for not making correct use of the opportunities created for them under the New Economic Policy which had been around for nearly 40 years.

HELP and MACC join forces in fight against corruption
August 11, 2010, Wednesday
http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=57198

KUALA LUMPUR: The HELP University College (HELP) will collaborate with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to develop knowledge and expertise in curbing corruption in the country.

This was contained in the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by both parties to develop

an academic training programme through the establishment of the Institute Of Crime And Criminology (ICC), to raise the standard and quality of investigation on white-collar crime.

MACC Chief Commissioner, Datuk Seri Abu Kassim Mohamed and the president and founder of HELP, Datuk Dr Paul Chan signed the MoU for their respective organisations.

ICC will offer programmes leading to the bachelors degree and professional executive training and a Master of Science in Economic Crime Management which would be the first in Asia.

HELP will offer five scholarships to MACC each year for its officers to take up academic programmes at the institute.

“We have invested a total of RM1 million for research and teaching capability and development of the institute,” Dr Chan told reporters.

Earlier, Abu Kassim in his speech said that the establishment of ICC was well timed and significant in the fight against crime.

It was also parallel with the government’s effort to reduce crime and fight corruption, which is among the six focus in the National Key Result Areas (NKRA).

“I concur with the views of many intellectuals that fighting crime and corruption needs cooperation and hand-in-hand involvement of various sectors including educational institution,” he said at the launching.

ICC will be headed by president of the Association Of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE), Malaysia Chapter, Akhbar Satar.— Bernama

http://xtive.utusan.com.my/tools/utusan/update_gambar/100811213401.jpg

SEBAHAGIAN daripada 300 pelajar sekolah gembira selepas menerima komputer netbook 1 Malaysia sempena pelancaran Pusat Jalur Lebar Komuniti, di Felda Chuping, Padang Besar, Perlis, 11 Ogos. - Utusan/FAIZAL ABU HASSAN

University of London to boost ties with SEGi
Friday August 13, 2010
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2010/8/13/sarawak/6847622&sec=sarawak

THE University of London recognises SEGi College Sarawak as a strong and reputable educational partner and is strengthening ties with the college with a second visit to the Kuching campus this year.

Two of the university’s top staff members, External Undergraduate Laws Programme director Professor Jenny Hamilton and External Undergraduate Laws Programme deputy director Simon Askey will be in Kuching to confer on future collaborations.

“This includes guest lecturers and other add-on services that will enhance the UK’s Bachelor of Laws (Hons) programme in Kuching,” said Segi College Sarawak’s Faculty of Law Programme coordinator James Loi.

“This prestigious qualification is approved by the Ministry of Higher Education and hundreds of lawyers who are graduates of this programme are now having successful law careers.”

Students considering to take up law could rest assured that studying at SEGi would not put them at a disadvantage, he added.

Loi said, contrary to common belief, students studying in Kuching had equally good chances of passing their examinations as those studying on-campus in Britain.

UOL External Systems Institutions liaison manager Michael Davies, when he was in Kuching, said the results showed that many students doing the course off-campus were actually getting better results.

The university has invested much time and effort in developing the programme over the years so that its high standards and quality assurance is maintained worldwide.

The Bachelor of Laws (Hons) degree, Loi said, was the only external law programme that was recognised for the Malaysian Certificate of Legal Practice (CLP) course.

“The university ensures that its off-campus students are examined to exactly the same standards as its internal students. The examination papers are prepared by the university and are marked by the university.”

The University of London has a student population of about 125,000 and nearly 50,000 off-campus students in 180 countries.

It is one of the oldest and largest universities in Britain comprising 20 self-governing colleges of outstanding reputation together with the prestigious School of Advanced Study and a number of other central academic activities.

“Studying law has an appeal to anyone considering a career in the legal profession. A Bachelor of Laws (Hons) degree provides a firm foundation for those who wish to train as an advocate and solicitor,” said Loi.

SEGi College Sarawak is the only private law school in Sarawak and Sabah and has been providing tutorial support for law students for over two decades.

“Students of the college have achieved high levels of passes at the University of London examinations,” he said, adding that this was due to the dedicated and qualified lecturers and facilitators who were willing to help the students.

The August intake is on and those interested can call SEGi’s toll-free number at 1-300-88-SEGI or 1-300-88-7344 or e-mail: infoswk@segi.edu.my for further information.

Meanwhile, representatives of two other distinguished universities namely Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Australia, and Northumbria University, Britain, recently visited SEGi.

QUT Faculty of Law executive dean Professor Michael Mavarch visited the city campus to streamline their working partnership with the college as did Northumbria University School of Law international activities director Russell Hewitson.

QUT’s Faculty of Law representative Iola Ternel-Wong was also in Kuching to provide guidance to students intending to further their studies at the university in Australia.

UM, Panasonic Joint Programme To Expose Students To Working Environment
August 17, 2010 22:47 PM
http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsgeneral.php?id=521953

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 17 (Bernama) -- Universiti Malaya (UM) and Panasonic Malaysia Sdn Bhd will jointly implement a structured training programme for university students to enhance soft skills and expose them to the working environment.

The programme, 'From Cradle to Career', which is the first of its kind between academia and industry, targets first-year students from various faculties to participate in Panasonic's sales ambassadorship.

Set to begin next year, the three-year programme offers structured training and development for UM students.

UM Vice-Chancellor Datuk Ghauth Jasmon said the programme would provide a path for students to become industry leaders and help the university to continue being top-ranked.

He also welcomed other industries to provide work-based learning or other forms of collaboration, such as joint research and commercialisation of research output.

"Many top universities in China, Korea and Japan have worked closely with the industries to produce a great graduates. Thus, I want to see more industries train our students and staff," he said at the signing ceremony of the programme's memorandum of understanding (MoU) between UM and Panasonic Malaysia here Tuesday.

In the first year, students under the programme will become mobile promoters at Panasonic outlets.

If they excel in their performance, they would be offered to undergo a three to six-month internship program, the following year.

During the final year of training, students will participate in Panasonic's retail sales certification programme and be offered the posts of sales ambassador if their performance and work discipline were exemplary.

Panasonic Malaysia managing director Jeff Lee Wee Leong said the programme was in line with the government's call to industry leaders to provide a platform for students to increase their employability skills, as well promote sales ambassadorship as a career of choice.

-- BERNAMA

Kuching Art School To Be Ready By 2012
August 18, 2010 13:09 PM

KUCHING, Aug 18 (Bernama) -- The construction of the Kuching Art School (SSK) in Jalan Santubong here will be implemented under the 10th Malaysia Plan and is expected to be completed by 2012.

Minister in the Chief Minister's Office Datin Fatimah Abdullah said the project was supposed to have been implemented last year, but was held up by the economic crisis and problems faced by the contractors.

"The total cost of the construction has yet to be ascertained because the school design is still in the process of being finalised.

"Right now, the clearing work at the site is being done and the construction is expected to begin next year," she told reporters after attending a briefing on the project given by principal Dr Sluhi Lamat, here Wednesday.

At present, the school, which was established on Jan 1, 2007, is operating from Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Tun Abang Haji Openg in Jalan Demak.

Upon the completion of the project, the school is expected to facilitate over 600 students, ranging from Form One to Form Five.

It is one of the two art schools in the country which offer education in theatre, music, visual arts and dance, besides the compulsory subjects like Mathematics, Bahasa Malaysia and English.

The other art school is in Johor.

-- BERNAMA

Malaysia the 37th best country in the world, says survey
Sunday August 22, 2010

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia is ranked 37th in the “Best Countries in the World” survey by Newsweek international magazine.

It is also among the top four Asian nations that are regarded as among the best in the world. Japan is at ninth place South Korea 15th and Singapore 20th.

The first-ever survey by the magazine on best countries in the world also listed Malaysia as the eighth best in education among the upper middle-income countries.

Singapore emerged tops in the economic dynamism category. The magazine attributed it to the island nation’s “manageable” size. Newsweek also noted that although the Singapore government had control over more than half of its economy through state-run sovereign wealth funds and corporations, it was extremely pro-free trade and pro-business.

Education is also tops in Singapore. It was listed as having the world’s fourth best education quality.

The other Asian countries listed in the overall best countries survey were Thailand (58th), China (59th), Philippines (63rd), Sri Lanka (66th), Indonesia (73rd), India (78th), Vietnam (81st), Bangladesh (88th), and Pakistan (89th).

Newsweek said that overall, the top three best countries in the world are Finland, Switzerland, and Sweden.

The survey was aided by an advisory board whose members comprised, among others, Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz and Brookings-Tsinghua Center for Public Policy director Geng Xiao.

RELATED LINK:
The American magazine Newsweek
http://www.newsweek.com/

http://www.newsweek.com/content/newsweek/feature/2010/the-world-s-best-countries/_jcr_content/body/packageidentityheade.img.jpg/1282066028474.jpg
by Newsweek international magazine.
http://www.newsweek.com/2010/08/15/interactive-infographic-of-the-worlds-best-countries.html
GREATER ASIA
Japan (9th)
S.Korea (15th)
Singapore (20th)
Malaysia (37th)
Thailand (58th)
China (59th)
Philippines (63rd)
Sri Lanka (66th)
Indonesia (73rd)
India (78th)
Vietnam (81st)
Bangladesh (88th)
Pakistan (89th)

KSPK to kick off nationwide next year
Monday August 23, 2010
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/8/23/nation/6879681&sec=nation

KUALA LUMPUR: The Education Ministry has recently issued a circular requiring all private pre-schools (kindergartens) established before 2010 to adopt the National Pre-School Curriculum Standard (KSPK), an initiative under the education national Key results Area (NKRA) of the Government Transformation Programme (GTP) beginning Jan 1 next year.

Under the KSPK, children aged 5 and above are required to attend classes at least four hours daily while children aged 4 and above are required to attend at least three and a half hours of classes daily, five days a week inclusive of break times.

As of 2011, all pre-schools with Bahasa Malaysia as the medium of instruction need to fulfill a 600-minute requirement in lessons using Bahasa Malaysia as the medium of instruction and another 600 minutes for lessons using English as the medium of instruction. As for pre-schools with medium of instruction other than Bahasa Malaysia, they would need to fulfill a 400-minute requirement in lessons using Bahasa Malaysia as the medium of instruction, another 400 minutes of lessons using English as the medium of instruction and another 400 minutes of lessons using Mandarin or Tamil as the medium of instruction.

If a class has at least five Muslim students, the Muslim students would be required to attend an Islamic education class which would be conducted by teachers who are qualified and approved by the state religious authorities. If a class has more than five non-Muslim students, they would be required to attend moral education classes. Both classes are to be held no less than two hours a week.

French School Kuala Lumpur
by Satu Lagi

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3124/3162296188_1e6a7eab2e_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3258/3161462671_241f825827_o.jpg
Lycée Française de Kuala Lumpur, LFKL
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/22698832
http://img801.imageshack.us/img801/4247/43551443.jpg

http://www.newsweek.com/content/newsweek/feature/2010/the-world-s-best-countries/_jcr_content/body/packageidentityheade.img.jpg/1282066028474.jpg
by Newsweek international magazine.
http://www.newsweek.com/2010/08/15/interactive-infographic-of-the-worlds-best-countries.html
GREATER ASIA
Japan (9th)
S.Korea (15th)
Singapore (20th)
Malaysia (37th)
Thailand (58th)
China (59th)
Philippines (63rd)
Sri Lanka (66th)
Indonesia (73rd)
India (78th)
Vietnam (81st)
Bangladesh (88th)
Pakistan (89th)

i LOVE malaysia
i hope all malaysian,regardless races, skin colour, religion and political notions can stand together to make malaysia as abetter place to live.
sorry out of topic.

The first-ever survey by the magazine on best countries in the world also listed Malaysia as the eighth best in education among the upper middle-income countries.

Top 10 Best countries in the world in education among the upper middle-income countries
http://www.newsweek.com/2010/08/15/interactive-infographic-of-the-worlds-best-countries.html
- Kazakhstan
- Poland
- Cuba
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Russia
- Belarus
- Malaysia
- Peru
- Bulgaria

USM To Collaborate With AIU In Several Projects
August 26, 2010 17:21 PM

GEORGE TOWN, Aug 26 (Bernama) -- Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) and Albukhary International University (AIU) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) today to collaborate in several projects for mutual benefit.

USM vice-chancellor Tan Sri Dzulkifli Abdul Razak said among the collaboration would be in curriculum development, staff training and exchange and secondment of staff.

"We are glad to assist AIU in the academic sector as we share the same mission, which is to provide the disadvantaged communities that live well below the poverty line, with knowledge," he told reporters after the MOU-signing ceremony here.

The MOU was signed by Dzulkifli, representing USM, while AIU was represented by member of its Board of Governors, Datuk Dr Sharom Ahmat.

Sharom said the first intake for foundation studies at the newly-completed RM350 million AIU in Alor Setar would start in November.

"We expect 20 per cent of the intake to be Malaysians while the rest will come from overseas who may total up to about 100," he said.

He said AIU would be offering three main courses, namely Business Management, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Social Science.

AIU is funded by Yayasan Albukhary and all undergraduates, who are selected based on their family-income level and academic excellence, are fully sponsored.

Earlier, USM also signed an MoU with Health Action International (HAI) Asia Pacific to operate a centre in the campus.

Dzukifli said the university was proud to be chosen by HAI as this would allow them to collaborate in many projects and share expertise.

The MoU was signed between Dzulkifli, representing USM, and HAI Administrative Council chairman Dr Ken Harvey.

-- BERNAMA

ACMS To Be Upgraded As University College
August 26, 2010 14:25 PM

KEPALA BATAS, Aug 26 (Bernama) -- Allianze College of Medical Sciences (ACMS) will be upgraded as university college soon, said executive chairman Datuk Dr Zainuddin Md Wazir.

He said the upgrading would enable ACMS to offer 15 new courses including medicine and medical science at degree and PhD level.

"ACMS was invited to become a university college by the Higher Education Ministry on July 19.

"We are equipped with infrastructure to provide quality education and are ready for the challenge," he told reporters at a break of fast here Wednesday night.

Meanwhile, ACMS president and Raja Muda of Perlis Tuanku Syed Faizuddin Putra Jamalullail urged students interested in doing medicine to study locally.

"The learning method and system overseas and locally are similar but the cost in Malaysia is much lower. Studying locally will also check outflow of foreign exchange."

Syed Faizuddin said other countries had recognised Malaysia as an education hub with the same status as those in western and middle eastern countries.

-- BERNAMA

USM out to boost education, healthcare
Monday August 30, 2010
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2010/8/30/north/6928372&sec=North

UNIVERSITI Sains Malaysia (USM) has signed two memorandums of understanding (MoU) with two organisations to boost its standing in education and healthcare.

USM inked the agreements with Health Action International Asia Pacific (HAIAP) and Albukhary International University (AIU) recently.

Vice-chancellor Prof Tan Sri Dzulkifli Abdul Razak signed both MoUs on behalf of USM while HAIAP was represented by its governing council head Dr Ken Harvey and AIU by its board of governors member Datuk Dr Sharom Ahmat.

HAIAP is an independent global organisation working to help the poor increase their access to essential medicines.

It is working towards a world where all people, especially the poor, have equal access to health-care.

HAIAP recently relocated from Sri Lanka to USM’s School of Pharmacy which will act as a coordinating body for the organisation’s activities in Malaysia.

By 2011, HAIAP will operate independently but its facilities will be housed inside USM.

“One-third of the world still lacks access to essential drugs,” said Dr Harvey.

“HAIAP will link with activists from various countries as we are committed to change,” he said.

USM will assist HAIAP by providing advice, manpower and research materials.

In the second signing, USM will assist AIU in the form of staff exchanges and advice on curriculum besides helping to set up its linguistics and computer laboratories,

The newly established private university, which is located in Alor Setar, Kedah, accepts mostly students who come from underprivileged backgrounds.

“The founder of the university came from a marginalised background so he wanted to give poor students an opportunity to further their education. The whole idea is to make a difference,” Dr Sharom said.

AIU will award degrees in Information Technology, Business Studies, and Social Sciences.

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Kolej Tafe Seremban to offer EASA programme
September 2, 2010, Thursday
http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=63553

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SEALING COLLABORATION: Samy (third right) witnesses the exchange of
memorandum of understanding between the representatives of Air-Tech
Building (ATB) from Germany and Dnest Aviation Services Sdn Bhd in
Seremban. — Bernama photo

SEREMBAN: Kolej TAFE Seremban yesterday signed an agreement with Air-Tech Bildung (ATB) from Germany and Dnest Aviation Services Sdn Bhd.

This follows a memorandum of understanding signed between the college and ATB in May on a collaboration to offer the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) programme.

At yesterday’s ceremony here, Kolej TAFE Seremban was represented by Chief Executive Tan Sri G Vadiveloo, while ATB Technical Training Head Ronald John Simpson and Dnest Aviation Managing Director Capt Earnest Koilpillai signed on behalf of their companies.

Present was Maju Institute Educational Development Chairman Datuk Seri S Samy Vellu.

Samy said that under the collaboration, Kolej TAFE Seremban would offer a three-year diploma course in aircraft maintenance technology as well as training and examination for EASA Part 66.

The first intake of 25 students would begin in January 2011, he said.

The course would also involve 600 hours practical training at Dnest Aviation.

“A student who has completed the diploma course and the EASA Part 66 training and examination will only need an additional two years experience in aircraft maintenance to apply and become a licenced aircraft maintenance engineer,” he said. — Bernama

UM drops from top 200 list of world ranking
By KAREN CHAPMAN
educate@thestar.com.my


PETALING JAYA: Universiti Malaya (UM) has dropped from the top 200 of the prestigious 2010 QS World University Rankings – slipping to 207 this year compared to 180 in 2009.

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) and Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) all improved on their 2009 positions.

UKM is ranked 263 this year compared to 291 in 2009; USM at 309 (314) and UPM is 319 (345).

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) dropped to 365 this year compared to 320 in 2009.

Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin told The Star it was normal to see fluctuation in the rankings.

“We do not want to be obsessive about world rankings,” he said.

The ministry, he added, had its own strategic plan which was benchmarked against world’s best practices, and would take note of the rankings.

“We also cannot be ‘ranked’ against other universities whose ‘conditions’ and ‘environments’ are different from ours. It is like comparing apples with oranges,” he said.

QS Quacquarelli Symonds Ltd managing director Nunzio Quacquarelli said the QS which conducts and compiles the annual World University Rankings measures university research quality, graduate employability, teaching commitment and international commitment.

“QS rankings use a combination of global surveys and audited data, including citation counts from Scopus, the world’s largest database of academic publishing,” he said in a statement to The Star.

UKM vice-chancellor Prof Tan Sri Sharifah Hapsah Syed Hasan Shahabudin said the university would continue with its change agenda.

“We will not be distracted by rankings although those who want to celebrate can do so,” she said.

UTM vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Zaini Ujang said the university has improved in all aspects of the ranking parameters such as doubling the publication in ISI indexed journals as well as international staff and students.

“However, others have improved in terms of percentage,” he said.

QS World University Rankings Academic Advisory Board convenor Martin Ince said there was an overall mixed set of results for Malaysian universities.

“Although our academic reputation survey shows that many of Malaysia’s top universities are increasingly well-regarded around the world, the country’s leading institution UM has dropped in this measure, as well as in the employer review,” he added.

He said continued investment in the coming years would be the key to Malaysian universities consolidating their positions.

> See StarEducation for full report this Sunday

Malaysia And China To Sign MRA To Recognise Higher Education Degree
By Vincent Low September 09, 2010 20:38 PM
http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v5/newsgeneral.php?id=527279

BEIJING, Sept 9 (Bernama) -- Malaysia and China are to sign a Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) on higher education degree soon as a catalyst to increase student-exchange between both countries.

Malaysia's Ambassador to China Datuk Iskandar Sarudin told Bernama during a special interview that the agreement was being finalised.

"With university degrees from China recognized, it will provide Malaysian students more options for courses or fields of study, especially in nuclear science, aero space engineering and advance technology. On the other hand, it will also attract more Chinese students to Malaysia.

"Now we have 150 sponsored students studying Mandarin at the Beijing University of Foreign Studies, but Chinese universities are also proficient in other fields like nuclear science, automotive and aerospace engineering, including some of the modern technology such as high speed trains," he said.

Iskandar was elaborating the government's effort to attract more Chinese students to Malaysia, when commenting on a survey that showed a decline in the number of Chinese students studying in Malaysia, beginning this year.

He added that the Higher Education ministers of both countries had recently discussed a proposal for Chinese universities to set up campuses in Malaysia and that the matter was in the follow up stage between the two ministries.

Iskandar said, in fact some Malaysian private universities, like Limkokwing University of Creative Technology had opened its branch campus in China and also introduced twinning programmes with local universities.

He said Chinese Universities were planning to go global while Malaysia had already opened its higher education sectors to the world, enabling many universities to set up campuses.

Meanwhile, Iskandar also disclosed that more Malaysian agriculture products, especially fruits like durian, would be gaining access to Chinese markets soon.

He said officials from the Agriculture ministry of China had visited Malaysia recently to conduct studies on agricultural products in Malaysia and they are expected to come out with a report soon.

Once Malaysian agricultural products gained entry into the Chinese market, there would be a big potential for our agriculture products, he said.

-- BERNAMA

Set up Internet centre at mosques, Taib suggests
by Lee Ya Yun September 10, 2010, Friday
http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=65497

SANTUBONG: Mosques and ‘surau’ could be used as Internet education centres for the younger generation to acquire religious and other knowledge.

Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud who said this Wednesday night pointed out that in the current era of information technology, the Internet is an alternative and effective education tool.

“We should utilise the tool (Internet) which is free, to better educate our children. That’s why the government is giving free computers to students. However, it is not enough. We need someone who could teach and guide our children.

“We have many mosques in Sarawak which are in good condition. I feel that it would be best if we could use mosques or ‘surau’ as the (Internet) centre,” said Taib before handing over financial aid to the needy at Masjid Darul Muttaqin at Kampung Buntal here.

The aid comprised RM36,000 from Sarawak Baitulmal Fund distributed to 56 people as well as school bags for 150 students.

Taib pointed out that education was the main key to success and the responsibility to educate younger generations should be shared by everyone in a community.

Hence, all residents in an area should take the initiative to volunteer their time to the centre, such as to assist the young to locate useful information and steer clear of negative sites.

Taib said he believed that setting up the education centre at the place of worship would help to revive the spirit of mutual help which is becoming scarce nowadays.

He recalled his early days in the village where the neighbourhood ties were very strong and events such as a wedding party were like a communal affair where everyone could interact.

“Unfortunately, most people stay in housing estates now. Many of them don’t know who their neighbours are. They don’t know who could help them in time of danger. The neighbourhood tie has been broken.

“Therefore, we need to find a place that could bring us together. For Muslims, the mosque is the best place. I hope that the spirit of mutual help could be spread through the mosque network,” he said.

The Chief Minister also called on Muslims to provide financial support to the education centre.

Citing the increasing contribution of zakat as an example, Taib said Muslims today are more capable in helping the needy as well as playing a part in the social development of the state.

“The annual zakat contribution in Sarawak is about RM25 million, and it is increasing. Therefore, we should ask more people to pool their resources together and contribute to education to benefit our children,” he urged.

Among those present were Housing and Urban Development Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg who is Satok assemblyman, Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department Datuk Daud Abdul Rahman (Tupong assemblyman), Parliament Deputy Speaker Datuk Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar who is Santubong MP and Pantai Damai assemblyman Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi.

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SEBAHAGIAN daripada 300 pelajar sekolah gembira selepas menerima komputer netbook 1 Malaysia sempena pelancaran Pusat Jalur Lebar Komuniti, di Felda Chuping, Padang Besar, Perlis, 11 Ogos. - Utusan/FAIZAL ABU HASSAN

UMT research vessel set for maiden voyage at year-end
Published: Sunday September 12, 2010 MYT 12:34:00 PM
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/9/12/nation/20100912124223&sec=nation

KUALA TERENGGANU: The research and training ship of Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) is expected to make its maiden voyage at the end of this year.

The RV Discovery is now at the dock of Kay Marine Sdn Bhd here where the 35-metre long 300-tonne vessel is being built at a cost of RM13mil since September 2008.

UMT vice-chancellor Prof Dr Aziz Deraman said the maiden voyage would be on the South China Sea and may include visits to Sarawak and Sabah, and added that a trip could be made to Langkawi as well.

Several crew and a number of scientists would be on board, he said.

"Equipped with dry and wet laboratories and a room for processing all accumulated data, the vessel will make UMT the top Malaysian university in oceanography studies," he told Bernama.

"It will also provide exposure and training to students taking up Maritime Science, Marine Biology, Nautical Science, Maritime Transportation and Maritime Technology," he said.

Prof Aziz said the RV Discovery was the first vessel in Malaysia dedicated to oceanography studies and could travel more than 4,000 nautical miles and be at sea for a long period of time.

"It is equipped with electronic maps, travel aids, water depth measuring devices, water temperature detectors and listening devices able to function 30,000 metres below the surface of the sea," he said.

The RV Discovery, equipped with comfortable cabins, can accommodate 12 crew and 23 trainees at any one time.

Prof Aziz said UMT was preparing an oceanography database on the South China Sea and a working paper would be sent to the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry to ensure that the database met the country's requirements. - Bernama

RM30mil Islamic college in Beaufort
Monday September 13, 2010
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2010/9/13/southneast/7023918&sec=southneast

SEMPORNA: A RM30mil Islamic college will be built in Beaufort, about 90km from Kota Kinabalu said Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department Datuk Nasir Tun Sakaran.

The location for the college, which will be completed in two years, he added, had been identified. “The construction is expected to start by the end of this year.

“The college would allow school leavers to pursue Islamic education without having to go to other states or abroad.

“This does not mean we are not encouraging students to pursue studies outside Sabah or even to Egypt, for instance. If they want to study there we can’t stop them,” he said.

Nasir, who is the minister in charge of Islamic affairs, said apart from modern infrastructure, the college’s design also took into consideration future expansions on its over 12ha site.

He added that for a start, students would be offered diploma courses. — Bernama.

Prime Minister launches YTL's establishment of 4G Innovation Network in Malaysia
YTLcommunity News, November 10, 2009
http://www.ytlcommunity.com/commnews/shownews.asp?newsid=49692

http://www.ytlcommunity.com/common/showimage.asp?imgid=116401

KH Lee, CEO of GCT Semiconductor, Inc, Ali Tabassi, SVP Global Ecosystems
& Standards, Clearwire Corp, Wing K. Lee, CEO of YTL Communications,
Sameer Padhye, SVP Cisco Systems Inc, & Myung Ho Jung, Senior Director,
Samsung

YTL Communications Sdn Bhd today announced the formation of a 4G Innovation Network (The Network) in Malaysia in cooperation with some of the preeminent players in technology, including: Cisco, Clearwire, GCT and SAMSUNG. High-ranking executives from each participating company marked the official start of the initiative during a ceremony at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre in Kuala Lumpur witnessed by the Honourable Prime Minister of Malaysia Y.A.B Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib Bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak.
...
UPM, UM Join YTL Comms Education Partner Programme
September 13, 2010 19:30 PM
http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v5/newsbusiness.php?id=527760

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 13 (Bernama) -- Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) and Universiti Malaya (UM) have joined YTL Communications Sdn Bhd's (YTL Comms) Education Partner Programme.

In a statement here Monday, YTL Comms said under the programme, both universities would apply the power of fourth-generation (4G) mobile Internet campus-wide.

"This will give their students cutting-edge learning facilities and further enhance the quality of life on the campuses for both students and academic staff," it said.

YTL Comms executive director, Yasmin Mahmood, said the company was building a better Internet for everyone.

"The 4G mobile Net network will empower all people, and we want the students to be the first to experience this most advanced technology," she said.

UPM vice chancellor, Prof Tan Sri Dr Nik Mustapha R. Abdullah, said the varsity wanted its students to access its enterprise, learning and research services from anywhere and at anytime.

"We are pleased to partner YTL Comms to give our students the freedom and the convenience of 4G mobile Internet," he said.

Meanwhile, UM vice chancellor, Datuk Dr Ghauth Jasmon, said the participation in the programme was a major milestone towards realising the vision to be among the top 100 universities in the world next five years.

UPM and UM are the third and fourth local university respectively to join the programme after Universiti Teknology Malaysia and Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman.

All twenty of the country's public universities and selected private universities are expected to join the programme by end-2010.

-- BERNAMA

Universiti Malaya Aims For World's Top 100 By 2015
July 24, 2010 00:24 AM
http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsgeneral.php?id=516048

KUALA LUMPUR, July 23 (Bernama) -- Universiti Malaya (UM) aims to be recognised as one of the world's top 100 universities by 2015, said its vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Ghauth Jasmon.

He said this was spurred by its achievement as the 42nd best university in Asia as well being ranked top local public institution of higher learning (IPTA).

"Of course, we are proud of our success in maintaining our position among local IPTAs but UM should not be satisfied by being merely a 'village champion'.

"Our mission is to become an internationally renowned university as it is where the big challenge lies for us," he said at the presentation of the UM Excellent Awards here Friday night.

The Raja Muda of Perak Raja Dr Nazrin Shah, who is also UM pro-chancellor graced the ceremony.

The Sultan of Perak Sultan Azlan Shah, who is also UM chancellor was present.

At the ceremony, 15 awards were presented in recognition of outstanding achievements registered by UM lecturers.

Assoc Prof Dr Azhar M. Merican of the Department of Orthopaedics, Faculty of Medicine received RM31,000 for his outstanding effort.

-- BERNAMA

Plans to propel education into international limelight
Wednesday September 22, 2010
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/9/22/nation/7080322&sec=nation

KUALA LUMPUR: Education in Malaysia will be branded and propelled into international limelight by 2020 to attract 200,000 foreign students here.

According to the Education National Key Area lab findings, Malaysia is currently ranked 11th globally because of its 60,000 foreign student population.

“We hope to improve the ranking to sixth spot and increase our foreign student enrolment to 200,000 by 2020.

“We must establish a clear Malaysian brand of good quality education,” lab participants told those who attended the Economic Transformation Programme Open Day here yesterday. The participants were a mix of government officials, corporate individuals and education experts.

The Education NKEA is expected to create an additional 536,000 jobs and increase its Gross National Income from RM34bil to RM61bil by 2020.

Meanwhile, the Communications, Content and Infrastructure NKEA aims to ensure broadband Internet access is available for all at a reasonable speed.

Its goals by 2020 include connecting 6,000 schools and getting 50% of services online, including having six million users and an additional 860,000 wireless broadband users.

This sector is expected to contribute RM58bil to the GNI by 2020 compared to RM36bil last year.

eBook bukan sekadar ringankan beg
Oleh NIZHA PERIASAMY dan NADZARUL AMIR ZAINAL AZAM
23 September 2010

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PENGGUNAAN eBook di sekolah membuka
lembaran baru dalam revolusi pendidikan negara.

ISU beg sekolah yang terlalu berat sehingga menjejaskan kesihatan pelajar dapat diselesaikan dengan penggunaan eBook di dalam kelas.

SELEPAS bertahun-tahun isu beg sekolah berat menjadi perdebatan hangat dengan pelbagai resolusi dicadangkan belum ada penamatnya, apa yang telah dirintis oleh kerajaan Terengganu sejak tiga tahun lalu mungkin adalah jawapan terbaik.

Kerajaan Terengganu menyediakan komputer riba buku elektronik (eBook) percuma kepada pelajar sekolah rendah bagi menggantikan buku teks menjadikan mereka sebagai kumpulan eksperimental paling muda menggunakan teknologi terkini pembelajaran di sekolah.

Tanpa perlu membawa beg berat mahupun merugikan penggunaan kertas, pengenalan eBook seharusnya diakui sebagai satu inovasi dan lembaran baru dalam pendidikan negara. Sehingga kini dengan sistem pembelajaran yang dilihat semakin lancar, pelajar tahun 4, 5 dan 6 di Terengganu menggunakan sepenuhnya kecanggihan teknologi itu.

Selain Terengganu, beberapa negeri seperti Melaka, Sarawak dan Brunei sudah pun memasang impian untuk menggunakan inovasi eBook di negeri masing-masing bagi memudahkan pelajar.

Penggunaan eBook yang semakin mendapat perhatian pelajar dan ibu bapa dijangka mampu menjadi revolusi dalam pendidikan negara.

Dengan permintaan yang semakin meningkat apabila ada ibu bapa yang tidak mahu terus menunggu atau mahukan anak-anak mereka turut memanfaatkan diri menggunakan teknologi eBook, Sutera Niaga Elit Sdn. Bhd. sedia menjual eBook secara komersial.

eBook model 2011

Pengurus Besarnya, Mohd. Rozali Masdol memberitahu, selaku ejen pemasaran dan pengedaran produk di bawah Koperasi Angkat Sekolah pihaknya turut melebarkan sayap ke seluruh negeri termasuk Brunei, memandangkan eBook mempunyai potensi yang tinggi dari aspek teknologi pendidikan.

Beliau yang ditemui di pejabat Kosmo! memberitahu, eBook terbaharu model 2011 lebih komprehensif dan canggih apabila ia didatangkan dengan pelbagai perisian yang dapat memanfaatkan pelajar dan guru. Peranti terkini itu juga boleh digunakan ibu bapa dengan mudah dan selesa.

“Dengan berat hanya 1.2 kilogram (kg) berbanding model terdahulu iaitu kira-kira 1.6 kg, model terbaharu ini dijangka mampu memberi keselesaan kepada pelajar yang dibebani buku teks berat, malah ia boleh di bawa ke mana-mana sahaja dengan mudah.

“Selain itu, eBook model 2011 yang menggunakan teknologi Intel Corp. mempunyai reka bentuk lebih menarik bersesuaian dengan gaya hidup pelajar serba canggih hari ini. Peranti generasi ketiga ini dilengkapi perisian buku teks tahun 4, 5 dan 6 untuk memastikan pelajar dapat mengikuti kelas dengan pantas,” katanya.

Mohd. Rozali menambah, eBook model 2011 turut didatangkan dengan perisian jaringan komuniti seperti al-Quran, fardu ain, amalan solat dan kamus. Malah, ia bukan sahaja boleh digunakan pelajar-pelajar, tetapi ibu bapa dapat menikmati kemudahan yang ditawarkan dalam peranti tersebut.

Katanya, perisian jaringan komuniti yang ditawarkan dalam peranti terbaharu itu dapat mendekatkan lagi pelajar dengan ibu bapa mereka apabila menggunakannya.

“Sebagai contoh, perisian al-Quran yang disediakan turut mengandungi sistem audio untuk membantu pelajar mengikuti pengajaran dengan lebih mudah dan sistematik. Bahkan, pelajar dapat mengetahui maknanya apabila tafsiran turut disediakan kepada mereka.

“Perisian ini boleh mengeratkan lagi perhubungan kekeluargaan kerana ibu bapa juga boleh mengaji bersama anak-anak mereka apabila mempunyai masa lapang di rumah. Selain mengaji al-Quran, mereka boleh mengetahui mengenai cara-cara mengambil wuduk, tayamum, solat, surah hafazan dan lain-lain lagi yang terdapat dalam peranti berkenaan,” ujarnya lagi.

Dengan menggunakan peranti berkenaan, Mohd. Rozali menambah, pelajar-pelajar akan merasai pengalaman baru dalam dunia pendidikan kerana hampir kesemua perisian yang terkandung dalam eBook tersebut adalah interaktif.

Katanya, eBook terbaharu yang mempunyai paparan 10 inci dengan kerangka tahan lasak turut didatangkan dengan kamera web untuk memudahkan lagi pelajar-pelajar berhubung antara satu sama lain.

“eBook untuk pasaran umum ini akan muncul dengan versi baru lebih menarik yang juga dilengkapi Intel Pineview M Atom Procesesor 45nm, FCBGA, single core N455 hingga 1.66GHz (512 KB L2 Cache), 533 FSB LCD 10.1 dengan 1024x600(antisilau) dan perisian Window 7. Ia dijangka akan berada di pasaran pada bulan Oktober ini,” ujarnya.

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PELAJAR sehingga hari ini masih bergantung kepada
buku teks sebagai rujukan utama dalam pembelajaran di kelas.

Ditanya mengenai kawalan dan pemantauan yang boleh dilakukan ibu bapa sekiranya eBook disalah guna oleh pelajar, Mohd. Rozali berkata, eBook telah dilengkapi perisian yang mempunyai kebolehan menyekat kanak-kanak atau pelajar daripada melayari laman web tertentu.

“Kemudahan ini disediakan untuk memastikan ibu bapa dapat memantau anak- anak mereka daripada melayari laman web yang tidak diingini. Selain itu, kita juga ada menyediakan perisian berkebolehan membantu ibu bapa merujuk kembali laman dilayari anak mereka. Jika ibu bapa mahu melayari laman web, mereka akan diberi kata kunci khas,” katanya merujuk kepada laman web seperti You Tube.

Sehingga kini, seramai 75,000 pelajar telah memanfaatkan kemudahan ini di Terengganu dan pendekatan itu mendapat minat khas daripada ibu bapa dipercayai menyumbang kepada penjualan komersial eBook kepada mereka.

Bahkan, eBook model 2011 juga akan dimanfaatkan oleh pelajar sekolah menengah hingga tingkatan 5.

http://www.kosmo.com.my/kosmo/pix/2010/0922/Kosmo/Infiniti/in_01.5.jpg

“Bagi proses pembelian eBook, kami menyediakan dua pilihan kepada pengguna iaitu ansuran atau tunai melalui dua kategori pembeli iaitu kakitangan kerajaan dan swasta. Bagi bayaran ansuran kakitangan kerajaan, mereka boleh mengisi borang yang disediakan oleh syarikat kami untuk pemotongan gaji majikan kakitangan biro Angkasa.

“Bagi kakitangan swasta pula, ia boleh diuruskan melalui potongan gaji bank. Pilihan ini ditawarkan adalah untuk memudahkan lagi pengguna mendapatkan eBook terbaharu ini,” ujarnya.

Jelasnya, penjualan eBook juga menitik berat soal rangkaian dan sosial seperti penjual berhubung balik dengan ibu bapa jika terdapat masalah selain masalah penyelengaraan, rosak, terkena cecair atau pecah.

“Untuk itu, kami sediakan satu sistem jualan supaya pihak yang menjual selain Syarikat Sutera Niaga Elit mendapat komisen dan mempunyai hubungan baik dengan pembeli,” terang beliau.

Mohd. Rozali berkata Syarikat Sutera Elit Niaga percaya dengan kadar permintaan yang kian meningkat pihaknya dapat mencapai sasaran jualan sebanyak 90,000 unit eBook pada tahun ini dan 300,000 unit eBook pada tahun hadapan.

Sutera Niaga Elit menawarkan pakej belian eBook pada harga RM2,988 yang turut menawarkan jalur lebar Celcom percuma selama setahun selain langganan Tutor Utusan.

Pihaknya juga bersedia memasukkan portal-portal pendidikan yang lain seperti yang diminta ibu bapa pada harga maksimum RM2,988.

Untuk maklumat lanjut tentang urusan jual beli atau maklumat lanjut, sila hubungi Rozali di talian 019-7176 869 atau Nacoji Holdings di Taman Miharja, Kuala Lumpur.

DPM announces new IIUM campus in Johor
Friday September 24, 2010
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/9/24/nation/7095854&sec=nation

GOMBAK: International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) will have a new campus in Pagoh, Johor.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin made the announcement during the university’s Hari Raya gathering at its main campus here yesterday.

The university’s main campus is in Gombak, while it has two branches in Kuantan and Kuala Lumpur.

Muhyiddin, who is also the Education Minister, said the Government would support the move as the university had become an internationally renowned institution of higher learning.

“To me, I see no reason why IIUM cannot spread its wings to another state. I am therefore pleased to note that IIUM will soon be opening up another campus in my constituency, Pagoh,” he said.

Muhyiddin said he hoped the new campus will start its courses by 2012, adding that efforts were being made to set up a Pagoh Educational Hub, in which IIUM would be an integral partner in the initiative.

The university would also look into offering engineering courses’

It was learnt that IIUM’s Faculty of Modern Languages and Faculty of Agriculture are considering offering courses at the new campus.

Muhyiddin later met the university’s student leaders and handed out Hari Raya donations to 40 orphans from Asrama Damai Anak Yatim from Kuang, Selangor.

IIUM has about 22,000 students, of which 4,600 are international students from 90 countries.

IIUM recently attained the Tier 5 or “Excellent” status in the 2009 Malaysian Qualification Agency’s Rating System for Malaysian Education Institutions exercise.

Muhyiddin launches ‘CyberSAFE in Schools’
September 25, 2010, Saturday
http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=72683

KOTA MARUDU: Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin yesterday launched the ‘CyberSAFE in Schools’ programme, signalling a step further in strengthening the cyber security infrastructure, with focus on the education sector.CyberSAFE or Cyber Security Awareness for Everyone is a collaborative initiative between Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry and the Education Ministry.

Launching the programme at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Tandek, near here, Muhyiddin, who is also the Education Minister, said the safe and ethical use of the Internet as advocated by the programme would provide safe Internet surfing environment among students and teachers.

He said that in the effort to expand Internet accessibility and connectivity, the government was mindful of the fact that although ICT was an indispensible tool, it could also create a negative environment, exposing children to unhealthy activities.

“The country is facing challenges in handling cyberspace issues including the enforceability of cyber laws outside the country’s border, proliferation of cyber media, development of human capital for cyber security and hackers targeting the country’s critical information infrastructure, among others,” he said.

At the same time, Muhyiddin said, there was a huge market potential in the cyber security sector and that in Malaysia alone, growth was expected at 19 per cent annually, reaching RM856 million in 2015.

“The Institute of Management Development, based in Switzerland, ranked Malaysia in the 19th position in terms of cyber security, well ahead of countries like the United States, United Kingdom, South Korea, India and China.

Malaysia ranks second in Southeast Asia and fourth in Asia.

“This puts Malaysia among the most competitive nations in the world in cyber security.

“It is clear that the cyber security foundation which we have put in place has provided the ingredients to develop the cyber security sector, which has the potential to contribute to the country’s economy,” he said.

Meanwhile, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili said that based on Cyber security Malaysia statistics, there was an increase of 92 per cent in cyber incidence reported to the Cyber999 help centre in January- August this year, or 4,390 cases compared to 2,289 cases during the same period last year. — Bernama

BREAKING NEWS:
Johns Hopkins University to set up hospital in Malaysia
Updated: Saturday September 25, 2010 MYT 9:07:09 PM
By WONG CHUN WAI
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/9/25/nation/20100925123748&sec=nation

NEW YORK: The world-renowned teaching and research medical institution Johns Hopkins University will be setting up a school and hospital in Malaysia. :shocked: :okay:

It will be Malaysia's first private teaching hospital with research facilities.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said a site in Serdang, Selangor, had been picked to set up the facilities, which would become a medical research hub for the region.

Foreigners and locals would comprise the first intake of about 100 students. The teaching staff would be made up of lecturers from Johns Hopkins as well as both local and Asian lecturers.

The medical school, he said, would offer a four-year programme, adding that it would be a private initiative between Malaysian and American investors.

Speaking to Malaysian newsmen here on Friday evening, he said an agreement would be signed early next month.

The Prime Minister did not give details of the project but it is understood that a Malaysian public listed company would be involved in the medical city plan, estimated to cost RM1.8bil.

There are Johns Hopkins University campuses in China, Singapore, Italy and the United States. The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, is a private, non-profit institution.

Earlier, Najib met Dr Mohan Chellappa, the president of Global Ventures, Johns Hopkins Medicine International, where the Prime Minister was believed to be given an update on the 600-bed private hospital.

On Monday, the Prime Minister is scheduled to visit the New York Stock Exchange at Wall Street in lower Manhattan, where he has been given the honour of pressing the closing bell to mark the end of the day’s trading on the world’s largest stock exchange.

The symbolic ceremony will be telecast live by CNBC. The next day, Najib will give an interview to CNN’s Fareed Zakaria.

The Johns Hopkins University Campus
- State of Maryland (MD)
* Baltimore (Main)
* Laurel
* Columbia
* Montgomery County
- Washington, D.C.
- Bologna, Italy
- Nanjing, China
- Singapore

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johns_Hopkins_University

http://www.jhu.edu/
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1e/Hopkinslogo2.png

buat sya terlalu fikir tentang keinginan semua ini >>
GOOD LUCK MALAYSIA!

http://biz.thestar.com.my/archives/2010/9/25/business/b_22greaterKL.jpg

what?
john hopkin university?
are you kidding me nazrey?
gosh its good since john hopkin listed among world's top medical faculty in the world!
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/best-medical-schools-in-the-world.html

hope it is not mere a rhetoric.

^^ interesting

Prince Of Wales Island International School
http://www.powiis.edu.my
http://thestar.com.my/archives/2010/8/20/north/p.jpg

rizal;
Prince Of Wales Island International School will be established in malaysia?
great great great!

where do you get this news?

King returns after visits to UK, US and Canada
Published: Thursday September 30, 2010 MYT 11:23:00 AM
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/9/30/nation/20100930113108&sec=nation

KUALA LUMPUR: Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin returned home Thursday after "special task" visits to the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada from Sept 14.

The special aircraft carrying Tuanku Mizan and his delegation touched down at the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) base in Subang near here at 6.50am.

Tuanku Mizan was in London to attend the Earth Awards Gala Dinner on Sept 16, and left for the United States on Sept 18 to visit Cornell University to have a look at horse-breeding technology.

He went to Canada on a six-day "special task" visit under Malaysia's Brain Gain project, an initiative to develop technical and scientific expertise among Malaysian universities through collaboration with Canadian institutions.

The visit, jointly organised by the Sultan Mizan Royal Foundation (YDSM), the Academy of Sciences Malaysia and the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry, was aimed at enhancing the network between researchers and academic staff of Malaysian universities and Canada's McGill University and University of Guelph.

The Sultan Mizan Royal Foundation is a recipient of the Brain Gain grant to undertake technical and scientific collaboration with McGill University of Montreal in the training of academic and research manpower in local public institutions of higher learning in the area of Biosteel Silk gene research and innovation.

The collaborative initiative to develop scientific expertise in genomics at local institutions of higher learning is also extended to cover agricultural science and nutrition at the University of Guelph.

The University of Guelph has been identified for collaboration in the Biosteel Silk project as well as precision farming and food technology through the NASA Life Support System programme.

The "special task' visit of Tuanku Mizan was aimed at opening up a new chapter in the development of expertise and research techniques in strategic fields such as genomics and precision farming. - Bernama

It’s Taylor’s University now
Thursday September 30, 2010
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/9/30/nation/7130239&sec=nation

http://thestar.com.my/archives/2010/9/30/nation/nordin.jpg

A milestone: Mohamed Khaled presenting the status elevation papers to
Hassan while Taylor’s chairman Prof Emeritus Tan Sri Dr Syed Jalaludin Syed Salim looks on.

PUTRAJAYA: Taylor’s University can play an active role in helping the nation achieve a knowledge-based society by offering quality programmes to students, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said.

He said the institution could perform well if it focused on niche areas such as hospitality, business management, engineering and technology.

Previously known as Taylor’s College, it will be known as Taylor’s University effective yesterday.

“The elevation is a recognition of the institution’s development and excellence, especially its quality and research,” he told reporters at the ministry before presenting documents for the elevation of university status to Taylor’s University vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Hassan Said.

Taylor’s celebrated its 40th anniversary last year. Mohamed Khaled said the university had met all the criteria set by the ministry before being awarded the university status.

Currently, he said, there are 20 public institutions of higher learning, 48 private institutions of higher learning of which 22 of them are bestowed university status.

Prof Hassan said the institution wanted to be at the same level as established universities throughout the world.

“We want to compete globally and support the country’s higher education strategy,” he added. He also thanked the ministry for the recognition.

Muhyiddin Calls For More Malaysia-Korea Collaboration In Education
September 30, 2010 13:15 PM
http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v5/newsgeneral.php?id=531486

PUTRAJAYA, Sept 30 (Bernama) -- Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said today the time has come for Malaysia and South Korea, which have established relations for 50 years, to explore new areas to enhance collaboration in education.

Muhyiddin, who is also Education Minister, said the absence of official collaboration between Malaysia and South Korea in education was not an obstacle to establishing such cooperation for mutual benefit.

"I believe that with integrated efforts by both sides, we can enhance our commitment in the areas of quality education and human capital development," he said at the presentation of 3,000 digital pianos by South Korean construction company Booyoung Housing Co Ltd to Malaysian schools.

Booyoung Housing chairman Dr Lee Joong Keun handed over the pianos to Muhyiddin at Sekolah Sultan Alam Shah, here. The donation is in recognition of the diplomatic relations established between Malaysia and South Korea since 1960.

Fifty of the pianos will be given to the Korean community in Malaysia and the rest will be distributed to selected primary schools, religious schools, special schools, national type Chinese schools, national type Tamil schools, secondary schools, arts schools and teacher training institutions.

Muhyiddin said there were currently 2,224 Korean students in government, private and international schools and 860 more in tertiary institutions in Malaysia while almost 500 Malaysian students were in universities in South Korea.

-- BERNAMA

UiTM project off the ground and on to Jasin
By LEE YEN MUN Friday October 1, 2010
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/10/1/nation/7140855&sec=nation

KUALA LUMPUR: The Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) campus, originally planned for Serendah but rejected by the Selangor state government, will begin construction this month in Jasin.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had intervened and got the project off the ground when problems occurred.

He added he would be the defender of the Yayasan Basmi Kemiskinan (YBK or the Poverty Eradication Foundation), the non-profit movement which heads the UiTM project through its subsidiary YBK Sdn Bhd.

“I urge the YBK to not give up. If the state government does not help, the Federal Government will,” Najib said to thunderous applause at YBK’s 20th anniversary dinner held at the Sime Darby Convention Centre last night.

He said that he hoped that the 1,600 acres of land in Serendah, the original site for the proposed university, would be used for developments to benefit the poor in the state.

“Let this incident serve as a reminder for us. If Barisan Nasional were to take over Selangor again, this dream (for the poor) would be a reality,” said Najib.

Earlier, foundation chairman Datuk Zainal Abidin Sakom said in his speech that Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim rejected its proposal to build the university as Zainal had refused to step down from his position as wanted by Khalid.

He told The Star later that he then sought the assistance of the Prime Minister, who convinced the Melaka state government to allow the project to be built at Jasin.

Sex education to go national
By DHARMENDER SINGH and TAN EE LOO Saturday October 2, 2010
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/10/2/nation/7145488&sec=nation

PUTRAJAYA: The Government will extend sex education in schools nationwide to address baby dumping, said Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

The Deputy Prime Minister said creating an accurate understanding of reproductive health among the young was vital in reducing baby dumping.

He said response to a pilot project using a module created by the Women, Family and Community Development and Education ministries had been encouraging.

“We are giving due attention to sex education because we believe it is one of the methods we can adopt to raise awareness among schoolchildren. We have set up a technical committee to look at the most suitable approach to use in extending the pilot project nationwide,” he told a press conference after chairing the National Social Council meeting.

Muhyiddin, who is also Education Minister, said the council also agreed that a comprehensive action plan involving the government, private sector and non-governmental organisations was needed as part of a holistic approach to address baby dumping.

The announcement came following positive response towards a pilot project which had been implemented in five secondary schools in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Penang, Pahang and Kelantan five years ago.

Called “I am in control’’, the pioneer programme aimed at providing knowledge and creating awareness on healthy lifestyles, sexuality, pregnancy prevention, unsafe abortions, abandoned babies and sexually-transmitted disease.

More than 300 Form Four students in the five urban and rural schools have already undergone the pioneer sex education programme.

Developed by the National Population and Family Development Board (LPPKN) with the United Nations Population Fund and the Health Ministry, it was introduced in the schools as part of co-curricular activities.

Muhyiddin also announced the setting up of an intervention and rehabilitation centre for the homeless in Kuala Lumpur by the end of November to provide temporary housing for up to 76 occupants.

gUQJsRG4tOE

State govt keen for students to study in Cuba and Canada
By R.S.N.MURALI Saturday October 2, 2010
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2010/10/2/southneast/7138959&sec=southneast

KUALA TERENGGANU: Cuba and Canada are two new destinations that Terengganu government is vying, to send its high-achievers to pursue their tertiary educations, including medicine.

Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Said said the state government has held talks with several reputable universities in both countries and was finalising details before sending the pioneer batch of students.

“The state government has to evaluate the type of disciplines, cost and other factors before making a decision on the matter,” he said here, recently.

Ahmad said the series of talks was still ongoing with several universities in both the country but a concrete decision has yet to be reached.

“We also have to see to our students’ needs such as accommodation and the number of seats being offered to us by these universities,” he said.

Ahmad said the state government was keen for local students to pursue medicine and biotechnology courses that were being offered by the universities.

The Mentri Besar also said the state was planning to send 10 qualified students to undergo medical studies at the prestigious University of McGill in Canada.

He said the Canadian University was listed among the top 20 universities, globally.

In a related development, Ahmad said the state would stop sending its students to study in Indonesia from next year.

He said parents have raised concern over the frequent occurrence of natural disasters in Indonesia and were worried over the safety of their children.

However, Ahmad added the previous and current batches of students pursuing their studies in Indonesia would not be recalled back until they had completed their courses.

http://www.icam.edu.my

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http://s3images.coroflot.com/user_files/individual_files/324073_FvoO7_uMklq670LkpCvAR1m_5.jpg

i hope this university will be the next university of technology petronas.

another aga khan awards perhaps.

UniMAP Offers Experienced Engineers To Do PhD
October 08, 2010 13:08 PM
http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v5/newsgeneral.php?id=533567

KULIM, Oct 8 (Bernama) -- Experienced engineers are urged to take up Universiti Malaysia Perlis' (UniMAP) offer to do their doctorate studies (industrial PhD) by doing research in their respective fields of specialisations.

The university's deputy vice-chancellor (Research and Innovation) Prof Dr Zul Azhar Zahid Jamal said by opting to do industrial PhD, experienced engineers could focus on research related to their jobs than taking the normal PhD which was more academic.

"Many engineers want to do their PhD, but with the rapid industrial development, they are too busy. Industrial PhD is a solution to their problem.

"We want to offer this course because we want to be close to the industries, and because of our close relationship, our graduates are well accepted and are in demand," he told Bernama after a dialogue at Anjung UniMAP Kulim, Kulim Hi-Tech Park here, yesterday.

On the setting up of Anjung UniMAP Kulim, he said it had served as a one-stop-centre for the university and the industry players.

-- BERNAMA

UTM, IEM to set up engineering centre
2010/10/08 By Rizalman Hammim
http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/2UTM/Article/

http://img842.imageshack.us/img842/4141/singler.jpg

Mohd Khir (right) exchanging documents with Mohd Azraai at the handing-over ceremony
of Bangunan Ingenieur IEM at UTM Skudai. With them are Zaini (second from right) and
Chuah. — Picture by Zain Ahmed

UNIVERSITI Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) will tie up with the Institute of Engineers Malaysia (IEM) to set up a cooperation centre in Johor Baru to produce more professional engineers among academicians and students.

The centre, which will be housed at a former hostel, will enable IEM staff to interact with lecturers and students through talks, seminars and courses.

UTM vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Zaini Ujang said the joint venture will help improve the relationship between the two institutions as well as increase IEM membership among UTM graduates and faculty.

"Through this cooperation, more professional engineers will be produced among the lecturers and students of UTM.

"With the setting up of the centre, I hope the citizens of UTM will take the opportunity to strive to be a professional engineer and member of IEM," said Zaini.

The facility at the centre will also be used as an activity centre for engineering students' associations, especially for the IEM-UTM Student Chapter and the Young Engineers Section.


Zaini was speaking at the handing-over ceremony of Bangunan Ingenieur IEM (Southern Region) in Johor Baru recently.

Present at the ceremony were IEM president Prof Datuk Dr Chuah Hean Teik, IEM Southern Region chairman Mohd Khir Muhammad and UTM deputy vice-chancellor (academic and international) Prof Dr Mohd Azraai Kasim.

Plan for 2,500 pre-schools in three years
Monday October 11, 2010
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/10/11/nation/7183008&sec=nation

KUALA LUMPUR: The Education Ministry aims to increase the enrolment rate of pre-school students, in both public and private pre-schools from the initial 67% in 2009 to 87% by 2012.

The Ministry is coordinating the effort to build an additional 8,400 pre-school classes by the end of 2012 in the hope of improving pre-school enrollment for 4+ and 5+ students.

The pre-schools will be built and managed by the Ministry, private sector operators as well as two other government agencies, namely the State Community Development Department (KEMAS) and the National Unity and Integration Department (JPNIN).

KEMAS, under the Rural and Regional Development Ministry has been given RM500mil under the Education NKRA to construct 2,500 pre-schools within three years.

The pre-schools will be constructed in rural areas to reach out to more children aged four and five.

This is to ensure that the Rakyat’s children nationwide enjoy pre-school education.

The government is determined to ensure that no child is left out in receiving basic education.

Studies have shown that without the pre-school experience, children fall behind their classmates in primary school and fall further back later in life.

The government will ensure that quality education is provided to any child regardless of whether enrolment is in a public or private pre-school.

UNIMAS harapan S’wak
by Jeremy Lanson. Posted on October 11, 2010, Monday
http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=67958

http://www.theborneopost.com/newsimages/T030601.jpg

TAHNIAH: Taib menyampaikan ijazah kepada salah seorang
graduan UNIMAS pada majlis konvokesyen universiti tersebut di Kuching semalam.

Ia akan terus menjadi pembekal tenaga kerja profesional, kata Taib

KOTA SAMARAHAN: Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) akan terus menjadi universiti pilihan untuk membekalkan tenaga kerja profesional dalam pembangunan negeri ini, kata Ketua Menteri Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud.

Ini kerana menurut beliau sejak 14 tahun lepas UNIMAS sudah melahirkan ramai graduan yang menjadi peneraju di pelbagai sektor awam dan swasta di negara ini.

Justeru itu beliau mahu UNIMAS menilai semula program-program pembelajaran dan pendidikan untuk memastikan penyampaian maklumat dan kemahirannya relevan kepada para penuntut.

“UNIMAS akan terus kekal sebagai universiti pilihan untuk memenuhi keperluan lebih ramai lagi pekerja profesional yang relevan bagi membangunkan negeri ini yang dijangka lebih pesat mulai Rancangan Malaysia Ke-10 (RMK-10).

“Ini juga seterusnya merupakan usaha yang menyeluruh untuk melonjakkan ekonomi kita daripada ekonomi berpendapatan sederhana kepada ekonomi berpendapatan tinggi, oleh itu diharapkan UNIMAS dapat memainkan peranan utama bersama institusi-institusi lain,” katanya.

Beliau berkata demikian dalam ucapannya di Majlis Konvokesyen Ke-14 UNIMAS, di sini, semalam.

Menurut beliau lagi, usaha tersebut juga adalah untuk melihat lebih ramai lagi penduduk tempatan mempunyai pendidikan di peringkat pengajian tinggi menjelang tahun 2020 kelak.

“Kita ingin melihat sekurang-kurang 30 peratus penduduk tempatan mempunyai pendidikan di peringkat pengajian tinggi bagi menampung keperluan pembangunan negeri dan negara amnya menjelang 2020 dan seterusnya,” katanya.

Sementara itu, beliau yang juga Pro Canselor UNIMAS dalam ucapannya, turut menggalakkan penglibatan aktif UNIMAS dalam pelbagai agensi kerajaan dan swasta di dalam dan luar negara.

“Oleh sebab itu, saya tahu UNIMAS akan mengambil tindakan bagi memperkenalkan universiti ini di kalangan pakar-pakar pendidikan di seluruh dunia dan saya sendiri sanggup untuk menaja (usaha),” katanya.

“Saya percaya kerjasama yang dipaut bersama rakanrakan global dalam penyelidikan dan juga pendidikan sudah pasti mampu meningkatkan mutu dan keterampilan pendidikan dan penyelidikan di UNIMAS,” tambah beliau lagi. Hadir sama di majlis tersebut ialah Naib Canselor UNIMAS Profesor Dr Khairuddin Abdul Hamid dan Pengerusi Lembaga Pengarah UNIMAS Datu Dr Hatta Solhi.

Education Key To Creating Responsible Leaders And Better World - Rosmah
October 12, 2010 12:56 PM
http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v5/newsindex.php?id=534568

http://web7.bernama.com/bernama/newspic/ge/KL08LADIESOPEN.jpg

Rosmah Mansor, delivering the keynote address
at the First Ladies Summit. Pic: Kassim Saad

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 12 (Bernama) -- Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor said Tuesday that education, particularly at an early stage, is the most important tool to nurture children into responsible leaders and good citizens and shape the future for a better world.

The wife of Malaysian Prime Minister said that education would give children the capacity, capability and value system to be good leaders, as well as the social mobility to uplift themselves.

In her keynote address at the inaugural First Ladies Summit at the Palace of the Golden Horses here, Rosmah said that children should be taught not only to strive for economic and technological advancement but also to foster and cultivate harmonious societies which care for the people.

"I have faith that education that begins early in the life of a child, through career and lifelong learning, is not only the keystone to knowledgeable and creative adults, but also fundamental to the inculcation of values, ethics and roles, which ultimately shape the nation's character, growth and social cohesion," she told a packed ballroom.

Fifteen first ladies are attending the summit themed, "A Child Today, A Leader Tomorrow".

Also attending are six representatives of first ladies and 20 ministers.

The First Ladies Summit 2010, initiated and hosted by Rosmah, focuses on ways in which families, communities and governments can work together to uncover the potential in every child.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak opened the summit at Seri Perdana Monday night.

Rosmah pointed out that history had shown that countries that neglected education, particularly early education, would eventually realise that they would lose out and would struggle to move their economies forward and create progress in their societies.

Rosmah also said that as investing in children helped to lay the much needed foundation for nation building and global peace, education must not only transmit knowledge that was developed in the past but also anticipate future knowledge, skills and behaviours needed by youth when they assume adult roles.

"Education as well as social environments of the family and community are the major influences in empowering and enriching children with the necessary knowledge, positive values and skills towards these goals," she stressed.

Rosmah said that given the large proportion of young people, especially in the developing world, if they were sufficiently educated and prepared for the future, they formed a significant demographic that could drive economic growth and contribute to global welfare.

"If not they could be marginalised and radicalised, thus becoming easy recruits for subversive elements that can lead to domestic and international insecurity and instability. They may also stray and be lured into lives of vice and crime," said Rosmah.

Saying that Early Childhood Education and Care or ECEC was a subject close to her heart, Rosmah said that it gave children below the age of four from underprivileged families an early start in life.

Beginning with five pilot centres in 2007, the ECEC is now implemented in 500 centres nationwide which benefits more than 20,000 children who are from rural areas and from among the urban poor.

She also told the audience that the building of schools for gifted children between the ages of 15 to 17 years, which is directly attached to the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), was underway and that the first intake of about 150 academically gifted children would commence in January next year.

In her speech, Rosmah also stressed that the community and the state had an equally important role in nurturing children to be good leaders, and as such they should design policies that could stimulate intellectual, cultural and spiritual development among children.

Rosmah also said that the world faced "many intractable problems" such as poverty and malnutrition, gender inequality, environmental degradation, weak governance systems, economic crisis, armed conflicts, security threats and societal failures, all of which were still plaguing humankind.

"If we look around us today, we see a world with so many conflicts and so many problems, almost all of which are caused by mankind. Who are these people? Weren't all these people once (were) children? What happened in their lives that made them do these harmful acts with neither mercy nor remorse?" she asked.

"More than half of the world's population, mainly in developing countries, live in abject poverty, without clean water, proper sanitation and enough food to eat.

"The poor include refugees fleeing conflict situations and more than one billion children, who are the most visible victims of malnutrition," Rosmah said.

Citing Unicef's "The State of the World's Children" Report 2009, Rosmah said 24,000 children died each day due to poverty and 121 million children worldwide had no access to education and nearly a billion people entered the 21st century unable to read a book or even sign their names.

"If only less than one per cent of what the world spent every year on weapons was used to put every child into school, we could have eliminated illiteracy.

"Yet this simple logic seemed to have escaped the attention of the movers and shakers of the world, and illiteracy continues to be a serious problem," she said.

Recalling Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's address at the United Nations General Assembly last month where he called for a Global Movement of the Moderates to reclaim the agenda for peace and pragmatism, Rosmah said, that generation of leaders must be nurtured from today.

"Indeed the creation of sustainable global movement of the moderates must, to a large extent incorporate the creation of an entire new generation of leaders with the right world view and correct set of values.

"Only then can we hope to foster a generation of peace loving, rational thinking individuals of various capabilities to take leadership roles in all fields and spheres, be it in politics, business, civil society, the sciences or the arts," she said.

Describing the First Ladies, who are the wives of the heads of governments, as the most influential maternal voice of every nation, Rosmah said that they were in the position to make significant advances in the cause of children, and consequently in shaping future societies.

"Let us each play a role to produce a more wholesome future generation, better equipped to face the challenges of their time, and better prepared to work together for a better world," she said, adding that there was still a chance for the world to put things right.

"As a mother and wife of a nation's leader, I dream that our children will grow into a world of equality and justice for all, a world that is peaceful, prosperous and a society that is full of kindness and empathy," Rosmah said.

-- BERNAMA

Plan for 2,500 pre-schools in three years
Monday October 11, 2010
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/10/11/nation/7183008&sec=nation

KUALA LUMPUR: The Education Ministry aims to increase the enrolment rate of pre-school students, in both public and private pre-schools from the initial 67% in 2009 to 87% by 2012.

The Ministry is coordinating the effort to build an additional 8,400 pre-school classes by the end of 2012 in the hope of improving pre-school enrollment for 4+ and 5+ students.

The pre-schools will be built and managed by the Ministry, private sector operators as well as two other government agencies, namely the State Community Development Department (KEMAS) and the National Unity and Integration Department (JPNIN).

KEMAS, under the Rural and Regional Development Ministry has been given RM500mil under the Education NKRA to construct 2,500 pre-schools within three years.

The pre-schools will be constructed in rural areas to reach out to more children aged four and five.

This is to ensure that the Rakyat’s children nationwide enjoy pre-school education.

The government is determined to ensure that no child is left out in receiving basic education.

Studies have shown that without the pre-school experience, children fall behind their classmates in primary school and fall further back later in life.

The government will ensure that quality education is provided to any child regardless of whether enrolment is in a public or private pre-school.

EtonHouse International Launches First International Pre-School In Malaysia
October 12, 2010 15:43 PM By Nor Faridah Abd Rashid
http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v5/newsgeneral.php?id=534611

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 12 (Bernama) -- Recognising the fact that Malaysia is fast emerging as a hub for international education in Asia, EtonHouse International Education Group has launched its first international pre-school here, which is set to raise the bar for international pre-schools in Malaysia.

A joint venture between Midwest Acres Sdn Bhd and Singapore-based EtonHouse Group, EtonHouse Malaysia pre-school will adopt an inquiry-based education framework inspired by the Reggio Emilia educational project in northern Italy.

The pre-school, owned and operated by Midwest Acres, is expected to take in 250 students annually.

Midwest Acres managing director Onny Maathai said the Reggio Emilia Approach was committed towards recognising and encouraging the natural curiosity and inherent intelligence for the child, allowing them to learn according to their own independent intelligence, the benchmark of lifelong learners.

"It is very much a children-based education where children are respected for who they are, rather than a teacher-based education. It is important to bring this kind of environment to Malaysia," he told a press conference at the launch of the pre-school by the Raja Perempuan Perlis Tuanku Fauziah Tengku Abdul Rashid over the weekend.

The Raja Perempuan and Raja of Perlis Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Putra Jamalullail were guests of honour at the function.

"We believe a child must be prepared for primary schools, not only in terms of academic performance but also in terms of character and how they respect the environment, teachers and friends," said Maathai.

He added that the EtonHouse philosophy of a holistic and balanced curriculum delivered in a way that engaged children, complemented many of the world's best educational institutions.

"Children at EtonHouse are recognised as competent learners who are supported in making an active contribution to their own learning. This is something relatively unique in Malaysia and we are very excited to be able to bring such a clearly effective system to Malaysia," he said.

He said EtonHouse Malaysia also planned to start pre-schools in other areas like Sri Hartamas and Mutiara Damansara, as well as looking at setting up primary and secondary international schools in the next one to two years.

Ng Gim Choo, the founder and managing director of EtonHouse International Education Group, said EtonHouse had over 15 years of experience in operating pre-schools and international schools in seven countries, namely Singapore, China, Indonesia, India, Korea, Japan and Malaysia.

She said, with over 3,000 students from 54 different nationalities, EtonHouse schools and pre-schools offered a truly dynamic and multicultural environment with proven expertise in offering an international educational environment of the highest standard.

"Our local partners have demonstrated their knowledge and willingness to enhance the level of pre-school education in the country, and this obviously makes us very enthusiastic about the first Malaysian pre-school in our family," she said.

Ng said that research had indicated that basically, after the age of seven, it would be very difficult to change a child's personality and as such, "the younger the children, the more important the education."

At EtonHouse Kuala Lumpur, the curriculum focuses on "inquire, think, learn" which were inspired by the Reggio Emilia pre-schools and infant toddler centres of Italy.

The curriculum is designed to support children between the ages of three and seven to further develop communication competencies. It is aimed at ensuring that the process of learning is meaningful to young children and builds a lifelong love for learning that is then reflected in future school and professional life.

Ng said that EtonHouse kept track of its pre- school students and found that they had done well in primary school, like becoming student monitors and head prefects.

"They are confident and have acquired good communication skills," she added.

Meanwhile, Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil said there was no more important cause than preparing children for the rest of their lives, "where every child can enjoy a life full of love and laughter, where they can dream and have the chance to succeed."

"I hope EtonHouse Malaysia will provide us all, with the opportunity to learn more about early childhood education and current best practices, in tandem with the prime minister's aspirations to thrust the nation into a developed and high income nation.

"The knowledge we gain, will make a powerful difference in the lives of millions of children since they will be the next generation of leaders, policy-makers, teachers and educators who will continue the legacy left by past leaders," she said in her speech.

-- BERNAMA

Eliminate leprosy from Western Pacific region by 2014 — WHO
Posted on October 12, 2010, Tuesday
http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=68188

PUTRAJAYA: Come 2014, the World Health Organisation (WHO) hopes to eliminate leprosy from countries in the Western Pacific region.

Its regional director for the Western Pacific, Dr Shin Young-Soo, said although most countries in the region were currently leprosy-free, there were reports on the disease in a few Pacific island countries.

“I also want to pull back a little to look at some ‘old-fashioned’ diseases. Diseases that once attracted a great deal of attention but have, for a number of years, been neglected.

“We have unfinished business with leprosy, with lymphatic filariasis and with yaws. I also wish to see lymphatic filariasis and yaws banished from the Pacific,” he said in his speech at the opening of the 61st session of the WHO Regional Committee Meeting for the Western Pacific here yesterday.

According to the WHO website, leprosy was eliminated from 119 out of 122 countries where the disease was considered a public health problem in 1985.

Efforts currently focus on eliminating leprosy at a national level in the remaining endemic countries, and at a sub-national level from the others.

The five-day meeting which began yesterday, will review WHO’s work in the region in a number of areas such as health systems strengthening and primary health care, women’s health and healthy settings, among others.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai is heading the Malaysian team comprising nine delegates and seven observers.

Malaysia, which is hosting the meeting after a lapse of 16 years, had previously organised the 21st session in 1974 and the 45th session in 1994. — Bernama

Sultan Of Selangor Urge Graduates To Continue UPM's Legacy
October 09, 2010 23:31 PM
http://www.bernama.com/bernama/state_news/news.php?id=534019&cat=ct

http://web7.bernama.com/bernama/newspic/ge/SG07UPM.jpg

Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah (left), congratulating recipients of various
academic awards during UPM's 34th Convocation. Pic: Rosli Awang

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 9 (Bernama) -- The Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah called on Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) graduates to continue the university's legacy of excellence and helping the country's development, especially in achieving the objectives of the New Economic Model.

He said graduates need to continue their efforts in finding opportunities and strengthening their mind to see the phenomenal changes at the global level, while planning the future at a more efficient speed.

"Graduates should continue the university's legacy in carrying out national transformation programmes with hope of achieving a high-income economy status.

"To succeed as supporters of the New Economic Model, graduates must be more creative and innovative to reach a set target," he said when opening UPM's 34th convocation ceremony here Saturday.

Sultan Sharafuddin, who is also UPM Chancellor, said the success of these graduates has proved the effectiveness of knowledge and skills obtained and their ability to compete with others.

Sultan Sharafuddin awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Public Administration to Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UNIMAP) board of directors chairman Tan Sri Datuk Zainul Ariff Hussain.

When met by Bernama after the ceremony, Zainul said the award was meaningful to both him and his family.

"Universities are buildings that are full of knowledge and information for us to share and use to better the community," he said.

The ceremony saw Sultan Sharafuddin present doctorates of philosophy (Ph.D), masters degrees, bachelors degrees and diplomas to 641 people in the first session today.

A total of 7,545 graduates will receive their degrees and diplomas during the five-day convocation ceremony starting today to Oct 13.

--BERNAMA

UNIMAS harapan S’wak
by Jeremy Lanson. Posted on October 11, 2010, Monday
http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=67958

http://www.theborneopost.com/newsimages/T030601.jpg

TAHNIAH: Taib menyampaikan ijazah kepada salah seorang
graduan UNIMAS pada majlis konvokesyen universiti tersebut di Kuching semalam.

Ia akan terus menjadi pembekal tenaga kerja profesional, kata Taib

KOTA SAMARAHAN: Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) akan terus menjadi universiti pilihan untuk membekalkan tenaga kerja profesional dalam pembangunan negeri ini, kata Ketua Menteri Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud.

Ini kerana menurut beliau sejak 14 tahun lepas UNIMAS sudah melahirkan ramai graduan yang menjadi peneraju di pelbagai sektor awam dan swasta di negara ini.

Justeru itu beliau mahu UNIMAS menilai semula program-program pembelajaran dan pendidikan untuk memastikan penyampaian maklumat dan kemahirannya relevan kepada para penuntut.

“UNIMAS akan terus kekal sebagai universiti pilihan untuk memenuhi keperluan lebih ramai lagi pekerja profesional yang relevan bagi membangunkan negeri ini yang dijangka lebih pesat mulai Rancangan Malaysia Ke-10 (RMK-10).

“Ini juga seterusnya merupakan usaha yang menyeluruh untuk melonjakkan ekonomi kita daripada ekonomi berpendapatan sederhana kepada ekonomi berpendapatan tinggi, oleh itu diharapkan UNIMAS dapat memainkan peranan utama bersama institusi-institusi lain,” katanya.

Beliau berkata demikian dalam ucapannya di Majlis Konvokesyen Ke-14 UNIMAS, di sini, semalam.

Menurut beliau lagi, usaha tersebut juga adalah untuk melihat lebih ramai lagi penduduk tempatan mempunyai pendidikan di peringkat pengajian tinggi menjelang tahun 2020 kelak.

“Kita ingin melihat sekurang-kurang 30 peratus penduduk tempatan mempunyai pendidikan di peringkat pengajian tinggi bagi menampung keperluan pembangunan negeri dan negara amnya menjelang 2020 dan seterusnya,” katanya.

Sementara itu, beliau yang juga Pro Canselor UNIMAS dalam ucapannya, turut menggalakkan penglibatan aktif UNIMAS dalam pelbagai agensi kerajaan dan swasta di dalam dan luar negara.

“Oleh sebab itu, saya tahu UNIMAS akan mengambil tindakan bagi memperkenalkan universiti ini di kalangan pakar-pakar pendidikan di seluruh dunia dan saya sendiri sanggup untuk menaja (usaha),” katanya.

“Saya percaya kerjasama yang dipaut bersama rakanrakan global dalam penyelidikan dan juga pendidikan sudah pasti mampu meningkatkan mutu dan keterampilan pendidikan dan penyelidikan di UNIMAS,” tambah beliau lagi. Hadir sama di majlis tersebut ialah Naib Canselor UNIMAS Profesor Dr Khairuddin Abdul Hamid dan Pengerusi Lembaga Pengarah UNIMAS Datu Dr Hatta Solhi.

Unimas Needs To Step Up Research Activities - Taib
October 10, 2010 17:50 PM
http://www.bernama.com/bernama/state_news/news.php?id=534101&cat=sre

KOTA SAMARAHAN, Oct 10 (Bernama) -- Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) needs to improve its quality of education by making research as one of its priorities, said Unimas Pro-Chancellor and Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud.

He said the state government encouraged Unimas to actively take part in teaching and research activities with various private and government agencies in Malaysia and abroad.

"To become a world-class university, Unimas cannot operate in isolation," he said in his speech at today's third session of Unimas's 14h convocation ceremony here.

Taib also said the university needed to have big goals in order to produce leaders who were brave in leading the people and country in the future.

He said to achieve that, the state government was ready to support and assist Unimas academic staff, especially professors, by funding their research work.

Unimas Vice-Chancellor Profesor Dr Khairuddin Abdul Hamid said cooperation in education and research with local and foreign agencies would be increased, especially with those from European countries.

A total of 391 graduates from the university's Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences as well as Faculty of Information Technology received their scrolls at this convocation session.

Overall, 1,765 graduates are to receive their degrees at the convocation ceremony which started yesterday and ends tomorrow, of which five are doctorates, 301 masters degrees and 1,459 bachelors degrees.

-- BERNAMA

WHO RECOGNISES MBBS PROGRAMME AT MALAYSIA’S AIMST UNIVERSITY
SUNGAI PETANI, Malaysia Oct 17 (NNN-Bernama) -- The Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree programme offered by AIMST University has received recognition from the World Health Organisation (WHO) which monitored the programme over the past three years.

Its chancellor, S. Samy Vellu, said the university received the recognition letter on Thursday, which stated that AIMST university was now listed as one of WHO's recognised universities.

He said the recognition would also enable the university's MBBS graduates to pursue studies overseas at a higher level.

"This university will also conduct more research to create new opportunities and improve its level of education.

"We will also appoint more experienced lecturers because AIMST University has so far, been accepted as a university for all in Kedah," he told reporters after attending the university's third convocation here on Saturday.

Samy Vellu said the university would also offer four post-graduate programmes, namely Masters of Science (MSc) in Anatomy, MSc Physiology, Msc Biochemistry and Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Healthcare Management in the near future.

He said the programmes would be ntroduced with the aim of producing more
young lecturers in the fields to fulfill the needs of local universities.

Samy Vellu said for MBA in Healthcare Management, focus would be given to lure individuals from the health sector, especially those serving in hospitals and pharmacies, to improve themselves to become administrator.

Besides, he said, the university was also in the midst of getting approval to implement a degree course in nursing and physiotherapy.

To date, AIMST University has produced over 1,000 graduates in various fields, especially medicine, and currently has over 2,000 local and foreign students, including those from Vietnam, Somalia and Nigeria.http://namnewsnetwork.org/v2/read.php?id=136429

Treating a sleep disorder
by Wilfred Pilo. Posted on October 17, 2010, Sunday
http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=69223

http://www.theborneopost.com/newsimages/T03147.jpg

SURGERY IN PROGRESS: Nurul (left) in the operation theatre.

A STUDENT of Curtin University of Technology has come up with a prototype bio-medical product in the form of an enhanced version of the wireless electrocardiogram (ECG ) to detect a sleep disorder called sleep apnea.

The machine, still in the experimental stage, needs further refining for optimal performance.

Bio-engineering final year student Nurul Jameela Nor Mazlan, who is involved in the project, told thesundaypost the machine had enormous potential in helping doctors to obtain data from would-be patients to prescribe the right treatment.

“There are still a few problems to solve. Presently, the prototype cannot detect the electrical activities for the sleep disorder in more refined manner. But we are working on it. Hopefully, after all the fine-tuning, the device will be able to produce the data to help doctors make a clear diagnosis,” she said.

This medical science research project somewhere in the heart of Borneo and a small city of the world will always be special to the 23-year-old West Malaysian undergraduate.

For her, it is something she will cherish for a lifetime — and may also be the first of many scientific inventions she will come with.

She had earlier made a name for herself by winning an “Ambassador Award” from the Sarawak Convention Bureau (SCB) to represent the state and the Bureau at the Bio-med 2010 Conference in Innsbruck, Austria, this year.

There, she met some of the world’s renowned bio-medical technologists and scientists — from the Middle East to Japan — and also helped promote Sarawak as an MICE venue.

She is grateful to all the people who have helped her, saying with their support, she was able to learn and share her experiences, do her research and join most of the presentations on the ECG machine.

She is delighted to have had the opportunity to meet people with “impressive research ideas” the world over.

Nurul revealed during the presentations, she was particularly interested in four papers related to her project and which she is now using in her research.

She was also excited about the invitation to the Ain-Shams University Cairo, Egypt, in June this year where she saw for herself how bio-medical scientists worked at medical faculty on the ECG machine.

Meanwhile, back at her university’s lab, she is helping her mentor, Dr Wong Kiing Ing, to perfect the prototype.

Upbeat about the prospects, Nurul said if successful, the machine would help a lot of people with sleep apnea to get the treatment they needed.

The research is currently funded by Curtin and the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry and she hopes there will be more funding from the government to help them continue their work.

On treatment with the machine, she said a pacer would be placed on the chest of a suspected sleep apnea patient and the small electrical activities would detect whether he or she had the condition.

“Information will be produced through electrical waves, and the transmission of data to any medical centre can only be done for as long as there is Internet facility.”

According to Nurul, this is where the machine will be very useful in helping doctors to make a faster diagnosis and patients to better manage their condition.

“The data obtained will enable specialists to find the right treatment and prescribe the follow-ups. This can definitely save lives.”

Sleep apnea is very rare as only eight per cent of the world’s population have it.

According to medical sources, it is a sleep disorder, characterised by abnormal pauses in breathing or instances of abnormally low breathing, during sleep. Each pause in breathing, called an apnea, can last from a few seconds to minutes, and may occur five to 30 times or more an hour.

Nurul noted that the condition also existed among the people in the interior of Sarawak and this has spurred her to research the subject.

She hoped that once the machine was ready, treatment could be extended to the population at large, especially people living far from medical facilities.

As Sarawak is a very vast state with a myriad geographical constraints, such a machine will be ideal as it not only saves travelling costs to obtain treatment in town centres but more importantly, also lives of people who cannot afford to make such trips.

Nurul is hopeful the prototype will attract the interests of bio-medical specialists around the world, saying these experts can work with local scientists in inventing new medical devices for the good of mankind.

She also hoped with the opportunity from Curtin to carry out her research, people around the world would get to know the works of local scientists and help them develop their expertise in this part of the world.

Nurul is interested in bio-engineering because she said Malaysia was behind in such a technology as well as bio-medical science compared to Australia and Europe.

By taking up her course, she hoped to contribute to the betterment of healthcare in the rural areas.

She said she would keep working to perfect the ECG machine and may also go for her masters in bio-engineering.

Marketing and Communications manager Amelia Roziman said the SCB would continue to bring various experts to this part of the world.

“This is how they can bring the state and the country due recognition in the scientific field, and help young people like Nurul to be on par with scientists around the world.

Amelia added that those interested could apply for the scholarship award programme from SCB.

For more information, contact 6082-24 2516 (tel), 6082-24 2519 (fax) or info@sarawakcb.com (email).

USM bolot 7 anugerah di London
20 Oktober 2010
http://www.kosmo.com.my/kosmo/content.asp?y=2010&dt=1020&pub=Kosmo&sec=Negara&pg=ne_08.htm

http://www.kosmo.com.my/kosmo/pix/2010/1020/Kosmo/Negara/ne_08.1.jpg

ABDUL LATIFF (depan dua dari kanan), Nor Fasihah (depan kanan), Yohanes
(depan tiga dari kanan) dan Ghaddafy (depan empat dari kanan) disambut
meriah oleh warga USM di Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Bayan Lepas
semalam.

BAYAN LEPAS - Tiga pelajar Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) mengharumkan nama negara apabila mencapai kemenangan cemerlang dalam British Invention Show di Alexandra Palace, London baru-baru ini.

Selain memperoleh pengiktirafan emas dalam kategori masing-masing, hasil penyelidikan mereka turut memenangi empat hadiah khas juri pada pameran yang berlangsung pada 13 hingga 16 Oktober lalu.

Inovasi penggunaan kanji untuk menghasilkan plastik terurai hasil idea Nor Fasihah Zaaba, 23, memenangi pingat emas, Emas Berganda dan Hadiah Khas Inovasi dari Russia.

Penyelidikan Muhammad Ghaddafy Affendy, 24, tentang bateri polimer zink untuk menyelesaikan masalah kebocoran dalam bateri biasa dengan menggunakan sagu mendapat pingat emas dan Hadiah Khas Platinum.

Turut mencipta kejayaan ialah inovasi penggunaan tayar terpakai untuk mengelakkan hakisan sungai dan bukit oleh Yohanes Saimi, 23, apabila memenangi pingat emas dan Hadiah Khas Berlian.

CONGRATZZZZ!!! :cheers:

International School - KL

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Demand for more international schools in Malaysia
Tuesday October 26, 2010
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/10/26/nation/7290270&sec=nation

THE Education Ministry will encourage local providers to increase the number of international schools in the country.

The demand for international schools is expected to increase due to the Greater Kuala Lumpur-National Key Economic Area’s target of increasing expatriates and the returning diaspora population.

International schools have been expanding at a rate of 10% over the past five years driven by a growth in the expatriate population.

The Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu) has identified 10 providers for an expansion programme which will start next year. The progress of expansion and running marketing campaigns to engage new local and international providers will be monitored by a special team to be established by the Education Ministry.

The unit will also work together with the Higher Education Ministry, Human Resources Ministry, the Tourism Ministry, Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade) and Wisma Putra on marketing Malaysia as a destination of choice for private basic education.

The capital requirement which will amount to RM2.4bil over a period of 10 years will be sourced entirely from the private sector.

This iniative will generate RM2.6bil in gross national income in 2020 and will create approximately 10,000 jobs.

Project to cover more Asean schools
By DERRICK VINESH Wednesday October 27, 2010
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2010/10/27/north/7303031&sec=North

BUKIT MERTAJAM: The state Education Department will extend its Bilateral School Programme to cover more schools in the Asean region beginning next year.

Its director Ibrahim Mohamad said the programme presently focused on links between Penang schools with those in Southern Thailand and Indonesia.

“In line with the Government’s globalisation efforts, we want our schools to go international by widening the programme’s scope to cover schools in other Asean countries.

“At present, 15 Penang schools including three primary schools are involved in the programme since it started in 2004,” he said after opening the Bukit Mertajam High School’s Fourth Co-English Camp and Homestay with the Dechapattanayanukul School from Pattani, Southern Thailand.

Ibrahim said the department hoped to register at least five new schools every year for the programme, especially from among the primary schools.

He said a few Penang schools had forged online ties via the Internet with schools in Japan, China, Vietnam, Taiwan, Britain, Sweden and Finland, noting that some of them were part of the British Council’s Connecting Classrooms programme.

Ibrahim said apart from obtaining the department’s consent prior to holding bilateral visits, the schools needed to send monthly reports to the department on related activities.

However, he said, he was a little disappointed that some of the schools in the programme were less active now due to financial constraints, lack of time and change of leadership in the respective schools.

Dechapattanayanukul School’s Foreign Language Department head Hansa Wongkidakan said the five-day camp from Monday to Friday, that was participated by 77 Thai students and 14 teachers, helped her students improve their command of the English Language.

“In Thailand, English is still taught as a foreign language and we are impressed that the students in this school can speak fairly good English.

“We learn from Malaysia and started teaching Science and Mathematics in English starting with two Form One classes and a Form Four class early this year,” she said.

She said her 90-year-old school, declared by the Thai Education Ministry as a world-class institution among the top 500 in Thailand, had an enrolment of about 3,000 students.

Bukit Mertajam High School principal Jamaludin Yaacob said he hoped to forge bilateral ties with a school in Pacitan Regency in East Java, which was said to be the former school of Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Universiti Antarabangsa Manipal dibina di KL
Oleh Ahmad Fiesal Othman dan Shahrizan Salian
http://www.bharian.com.my/articles/UniversitiAntarabangsaManipaldibinadiKL/Article/

Badan pendidikan India sedia labur RM650 juta

MANIPAL Education (ME) dari India akan melabur sehingga RM650 juta bagi menubuhkan Universiti Antarabangsa Manipal (MIU) di Kuala Lumpur, yang akan menawarkan pelbagai disiplin pengajian bertaraf dunia.

Pengarah Urusan dan Ketua Eksekutifnya, Anand Sudarshan, berkata MIU yang akan memulakan pengambilan kumpulan pertama pelajarnya pada Mac atau Ogos tahun depan, bertujuan memenuhi keperluan pelajar Malaysia dan antarabangsa dari negara ASEAN, Asia Utara, Asia Barat dan Asia Tengah.
Beliau berkata, buat permulaan MIU akan beroperasi di kampus sementara di Akademi Penerbangan Malaysia (MAS) di Kelana Jaya, Selangor sebelum beroperasi di kampus kekalnya dalam tempoh tiga tahun akan datang.

“Kami sudah mengenal pasti tiga tapak bagi kampus kekal dengan keluasan 40 hektar itu, antaranya di Sepang dan satu lagi berdekatan dengan Taman Teknologi Selangor,” katanya pada sidang media di Putrajaya, semalam.

Hadir sama, Pengerusi ME, Mohandas Pai dan Setiausaha Bahagian Penyelarasan Dasar & Antarabangsa Kementerian Pengajian Tinggi, Datuk Rohani Abdullah.

Komitmen pelaburan MIU itu diumumkan sempena lawatan rasmi Perdana Menteri India, Dr Manmohan Singh ke Malaysia.
ME adalah ahli Kumpulan Manipal Education & Medical Group (MEMG), iaitu badan pendidikan utama dunia dan pembekal perkhidmatan akademik, latihan dan pendidikan di India.

Selama lebih 60 tahun, ME dianggap satu daripada badan pendidikan tinggi terbaik di India dan antara badan pendidikan tinggi swasta terbesar di dunia.

MIU yang akan berteraskan pendidikan kejuruteraan dan pengurusan akan menyediakan program peringkat Ijazah (Sarjana Muda) dan lepasan Ijazah dalam pelbagai disiplin termasuk beberapa bidang kejuruteraan, kajian pengurusan, perniagaan dan perdagangan, undang-undang, animasi dan reka bentuk serta hospitaliti dan pelancongan.

Program yang ditawarkan akan direka dan dibangunkan melalui kerjasama rapat dengan pelbagai industri untuk membolehkan lulusan MIU mudah mendapatkan pekerjaan.

ME sejak 10 tahun lalu telah menubuhkan dan menguruskan Melaka-Manipal Medical College (MMMC) di Melaka dan pelaburan terbaru itu membuktikan lagi komitmennya di Malaysia.

Anand berkata, MIU dijangka mampu menempatkan antara 15,000 hingga 20,000 pelajar dalam tempoh tujuh hingga lapan tahun.

“Kami menjangkakan 50 peratus daripada pelajar MIU bakal terdiri daripada pelajar dari luar Malaysia,” katanya.

RELATED LINK: www.manipal.edu/

Newcastle University, UTM Meterai MoU Dalam Bidang Teknologi Marin
Jumaat Oktober 29, 2010
http://mstar.com.my/variasi/kampus/cerita.asp?file=/2010/10/29/mstar_kampus/20101029211712&sec=mstar_kampus

JOHOR BAHRU: Newcastle University dari United Kingdom dan Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) hari ini memeterai perjanjian persefahaman (MoU) untuk bekerjasama dalam bidang penyelidikan dan pembangunan teknologi marin.

Skop MoU itu turut meliputi kerjasama dalam bidang penyelidikan dan pembangunan, pembangunan kuliah dan latihan, program pertukaran kakitangan dan pelajar serta pertukaran maklumat dalam perkara yang melangkaui bahan penyelidikan dan penerbitan.

Naib Canselor Newcastle University Prof Chris Brink berkata kerjasama itu akan memberi manfaat besar kepada kedua-dua universiti pada masa akan datang.

"Kami kagum dengan kegiatan penyelidikan dan pembangunan UTM dalam bidang seperti tenaga, air dan pengangkutan," katanya.

Beliau berkata demikian kepada pemberita selepas menandatangani MoU tersebut bagi pihak Newcastle University. UTM diwakili naib canselornya Prof Datuk Ir Dr. Zaini Ujang.

Zaini berkata kerjasama antara UTM dan universiti penyelidikan dari United Kingdom itu terjalin sejak 20 tahun lepas.

"Hasil daripada satu perbincangan pada Mac, Newcastle University bersetuju untuk bekerjasama secara rasmi dengan UTM dalam bidang penyelidikan dan pembangunan teknologi marin," katanya.

Beliau berkata UTM berharap kegiatan penyelidikan dan pembangunan ini akan dapat dilaksanakan secara agresif untuk menjana lebih banyak ilmu pengetahuan, di samping memenuhi keperluan melahirkan modal insan berkualiti. - BERNAMA

Profesor UKM Terima Anugerah Penyelidikan Antarabangsa ISESCO
Selasa Oktober 19, 2010
http://mstar.com.my/variasi/kampus/cerita.asp?file=/2010/10/19/mstar_kampus/20101019231613&sec=mstar_kampus

KUALA LUMPUR: Ahli akademik Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) Prof Dr Mohamed Amin Embi hari ini memenangi anugerah penyelidikan antarabangsa bagi kategori teknologi dari Pertubuhan Pendidikan, Saintifik dan Kebudayaan Islam (ISESCO) 2010.

Dr Mohamed Amin, 46, yang merupakan Prof Teknologi Pemantapan Pembelajaran di Fakulti Pendidikan, UKM, menerima pingat emas, wang tunai US$5,000 (RM15,535) dan sijil.

Hadiah itu disampaikan oleh Timbalan Perdana Menteri Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, yang juga Menteri Pelajaran, pada majlis perasmian Persidangan Menteri-menteri Pengajian Tinggi dan Penyelidikan Saintifik Islam (ICMHESR) kelima di Pusat Konvensyen Kuala Lumpur di sini.

Dr Mohamed Amin, sebelum ini pernah mendapat pelbagai anugerah dan pengiktirafan kerana mewujudkan berbagai sistem pembelajaran melalui internet (e-learning).

Hadiah dibahagi kepada kategori Biologi, Kimia, Geologi, Matematik, Teknologi dan Fizik bertujuan menggalakkan bakat inovatif dan untuk memberi ganjaran bagi penyelesaian saintifik dan teknologi mengenai kepentingan sosioekonomi. Pemenang kategori Biologi, Dr Hosein Baharvand, 38, dari Iran. Beliau merupakan Profesor Madya dan Ketua Jabatan Sel Stem Biologi dan Perkembangan Biologi di Institut Royan yang telah menghasilkan sel stem embrionik manusia dan tikus pertama di Iran pada 2003.

Bagi kategori kimia dimenangi oleh Prof Dr Mirsaidon Ulmas, 65, dari Tajikistan. Beliau merupakan penyelidik pertama di negaranya yang memulakan Siasatan Sistematik Tentang Logam Ringan dan 'Energetically Capacious Materials'.

Pemenang lain adalah Prof Dr Muhammad Qasim Jan, dari Pakistan, yang memenangi anugerah ISESCO bagi kategori Geologi, manakala Dr Odibat Zaid dari Jordan pemenang kategori Matematik.

Bagi kategori fizik, penerima adalah Dr Shabat Mohammed dari Palestin. Beliau merupakan Profesor Teori Fizik di Universiti Islam Gaza dan antara penyelidikannya adalah optik tak linear sensor, opto-elektronik dan magneto gelombang permukaan statik. - BERNAMA

10 Students Communicate With Nasa Astronaut
November 04, 2010 00:35 AM
http://www.bernama.com/bernama/state_news/news.php?id=540734&cat=ct

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 3 (Bernama) -- Ten secondary school students from around the Klang Valley were Wednesday able to communicate directly with NASA astronaut Douglas H. Wheelock who is now at the International Space Station, using the amateur or ham radio.

According to the National Space Agency (Angkasa), the direct communication took place for nine minutes beginning at 2.02am.

According to the plan, 20 students were to communicate with the NASA astronaut, but due to radio wave signal interference on Channel 40, only 10 were able to do so," said Angkasa in a statement, here, today.

Among the questions asked were: "Do you feel day and night in space?", "What time zone do you observe in space?", "Have you seen other planets besides earth?" and "How big is the ISS?".

Besides that, various other activities were held including night sky simulation and a talk by the country's second astronaut, Major Dr Faiz Khaleed.

The direct communication with ISS programme was organised by Angkasa and Astronautic Technology (M) Sdn Bhd, aimed at giving exposure to the participants and creating greater public awareness on science and technology.

-- BERNAMA

UM to be country’s first zero waste campus
Posted on November 5, 2010, Friday
http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=73067

KUALA LUMPUR: Universiti Malaya (UM) is set to become the nation’s first Zero Waste Campus in raising environmental awareness among its students.

The university’s vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Ghauth Jasmon said this would be achieved through the ‘Zero Waste Campaign’ introduced by UM’s Engineering Faculty for the last six months in collaboration with CIMB Foundation.

Under the campaign, 50 recycling bins were placed all over the residential colleges and faculties to enable the students and others alike to recycle items easily.

“Our over-reliance on land filling as a waste disposal method, the short distance between landfills and townships and the lack of sanitary landfills have caused inevitable carbon emissions and irreversible environmental damage,” he said at the launching of the campaign at UM here yesterday.

CIMB Foundation chief executive officer Datuk Mohd Shukri Hussin said the foundation was continuously looking to fund long-term community-linked projects that were viable and sustainable.

“The campaign gives us a refreshing perspective and we are indeed open to supporting the best young minds in the country keen to contribute towards the betterment of society,” he said.

Mohd Shukri said the university was also a good place to create environmental awareness.

“I hope this campaign will be a good example for other universities because we need to encourage the younger generation to help conserve the environment,” he added. — Bernama

UMP researchers win awards at tech show
Saturday November 6, 2010 By SIMON KHOO

http://thestar.com.my/archives/2010/11/6/southneast/se_4daing.jpg

Well done: Daing (second from left), Mimi(right), Rosli (second from right) and
Zularisam posing with the gold medals and special awards which they won
during the British Innovation & Technology Show in London recently.

KUANTAN: Several researchers from Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP) did their university proud when they won three gold medals and three special awards during the British Innovation & Technology Show (BIS) in Alexandra Palace, London recently.

Prof Dr Rosli Mohd Yunus won a gold medal with his commercial project called: ‘Recycling of Base Oil from Spent Lubricant’ in collaboration with UMP Green Technology Sdn Bhd and Urban Environmental Industries Sdn Bhd.

His efforts also won him the Grand Final Double Gold Consumer 2010 special award.

Another UMP researcher Dr Mimi Sakinah Abdul Munaim won a gold medal for her research on ‘Sustainable Production of Sorbitol from Biomass using Green Technology Approach’.

Her project, jointly undertaken with two other fellow researchers - Rusmawarni Ramli and Dr Zularisam Abdul Wahid - also received the Grand Final Double Gold Industrial 2010 special award.

Prior to this, Dr Mimi Sakinah was named the World Intelectual Property Organisation’s (WIPO) Best Women Inventor during the 21st Invention, Innovation & Technology Exhibition (ITEX) held in Putra World Trade Centre in May.

In another category, Dr Zularisam secured another gold medal through his research project entitled: ‘Development of Clean Renewable Fuel from Wastewater towards a Sustainable Energy Source using Green Technology Approach: HEC2’, in addition to the Grand Final Double Gold Industrial 2010 special award.

Other researchers who shared their expertise in the project were Prof Dr Ideris Zakaria, Abdul Syukor Abdul Razak and Dr Mimi Sakinah.

UMP vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Daing Nasir Ibrahim said he is proud with the achievements that gave instant world-recognition to the UMP researchers.

“Their success in the BIS has brought famed to the country and help to enhance the country’s higher learning institutions on par with the world’s renowned universities.

“The participation of UMP in such competitions provide an opportunity for local researchers to maximise their exposure to the latest technology and attain international recognition for their success,” he said, adding that the success did not come easy and was due to their hardwork, determination and commitment to excel in their respective fields.

UiTM perkenal program untuk pelajar lemah
Oleh NORLIDA AKMAR IDROS 10 November 2010
http://www.kosmo.com.my/kosmo/content.asp?y=2010&dt=1110&pub=Kosmo&sec=Negara&pg=ne_10.htm

http://www.kosmo.com.my/kosmo/pix/2010/1110/Kosmo/Negara/ne_10.1.jpg

MOHAMED KHALED (tiga dari kiri) melawat Galeri Inovasi dan
Kreativiti UiTM selepas merasmikannya di Shah Alam semalam.

SHAH ALAM - Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) akan memperkenalkan satu program pengajian diploma dua trek khusus untuk pelajar yang lemah dalam bidang akademik sehingga menghadapi masalah untuk melanjutkan pengajian ke peringkat ijazah.

Menteri Pengajian Tinggi, Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin memberitahu, program itu memberi peluang kepada pelajar kursus berasaskan teknologi yang memperoleh nilai gred mata (GPA) rendah untuk menghadiri kelas-kelas praktikal yang disediakan pihak industri.

Katanya, pemilihan akan dibuat berdasarkan keputusan GPA yang diperoleh pada semester ketiga pengajian.

"Kita akan tentukan tahap pencapaian akademik pelajar pada semester ketiga dan jika GPA berada di tahap rendah, maka pelajar itu digalakkan untuk memberi perhatian dalam bidang keusahawanan dan latihan praktikal di industri.

10% of UPSR candidates score straight As
Updated: Thursday November 11, 2010 MYT 2:14:03 PM
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/11/11/nation/20101111114032&sec=nation

http://www.thestar.com.my/archives/editorspick/images/016762044_upsrResults1111.JPG

PUTRAJAYA: A total of 48,327 or 10.02% of 482,334 UPSR candidates this year obtained all As.

The percentage is higher than the 9.51% recorded last year.

Education director-general Datuk Abdul Ghafar Mahmud said this was the best achievement in four years based on the national average grade, the index used in measuring the achievement of school examination candidates nationwide.

However, the number of candidates obtaining the minimum Grade C decreased by 1.37% from last year, he added.

"Thankfully, the percentage of candidates obtaining lower than the minimum grade (those obtaining Grade D or E or a combination of both), also decreases from 3.99% last year to 3.39% this year," he said when announcing the UPSR results here.

Abdul Ghafar said Grade A achievements of national and national-type primary schools in Mathematics showed an increase of 1.9% from last year while for Science, the increase was 1.7%.

He said national schools scored a better percentage of those obtaining Grade A in Malay Language (Comprehension) this year, which was 4.5%, while in Writing Skills, the percentage showed a decline, by 8.9%, from last year.

For national-type schools, there was a decrease in the percentage of both the Malay Language examinations, by 2.9 and 3.4 respectively.

He said the analysis for the Malay and English language results was done separately for the national and national-type schools because of the differences in the scope as well as the time allocated for the teaching of the subject.

For the English language subject, he said, there was an increase in the average grade in the and national-type schools at 2.74% (2.79 last year) and 2.69% (2.80 last year) respectively.

Abdul Ghafar said the Aptitude Test showed a drastic increase in pupil's preference for the social, cultural and sports fields compared to technical, vocational and academic.

However, he said, the result was not an absolute barometer, saying the preference could change over time.

"This is just an indicator and it is not absolute. Nevertheless, we will look into why the lack of interest in academic, technical and vocational fields," he said.

UPSR: 48,327 candidates score all As
2010/11/11
http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/UPSR_48_327candidatesscoreallAs/Article/

http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/UPSR_48_327candidatesscoreallAs/pixgal1

KOTA BHARU: Some of the students at Sekolah Kebangsaan Sultan Ismail 4
who scored 5A in the UPSR showing the RM100 each received from their
school for their good results. Pix by Syamsi Suhaimi.

http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/UPSR_48_327candidatesscoreallAs/pixgal2

KOTA BHARU: A total of 87 students at Sekolah Kebangsaan Kubang Kerian 3
scored 5As in the UPSR. They received RM50 each from their school.
Pix Syamsi Suhaimi.

http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/UPSR_48_327candidatesscoreallAs/pixgal3

PUTRAJAYA: Joanna Abdul Karim, a member of the Parent-Teacher
Association of Sekolah Kebangsaan Putrajaya Precinct 8(1), tries to calm
dowm one of the students who had just received his UPSR results.
Pix Izhari Ariffin.

http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/UPSR_48_327candidatesscoreallAs/pixgal4

SEREMBAN: Students of Sekolah Kebangsaan Puteri, Lobak Seremban,
congratulate each other on their UPSR results. Pix Dzulkeffli Mustapha.

http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/UPSR_48_327candidatesscoreallAs/pixgal6

PUTRAJAYA: A total of 39 students from SK Putrajaya 1, Precinct 8,
celebrated their 5As in the UPSR. Pix Izhari Ariffin.

PUTRAJAYA: A total of 48,327 or 10.02 per cent of 482,334 Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) candidates this year obtained all As.

The percentage is higher than the 9.51 per cent recorded last year.

Education Director-General Datuk Abdul Ghafar Mahmud said this was the best achievement in four years based on the national average grade, the index used in measuring the achievement of school examination candidates nationwide.

However, the number of candidates obtaining the minimum Grade C decreased by 1.37 per cent from last year, he added.

"Thankfully, the percentage of candidates obtaining lower than the minimum grade (those obtaining Grade D or E or a combination of both), also decreases from 3.99 per cent last year to 3.39 per cent this year," he said when announcing the UPSR results here today.

Abdul Ghafar said Grade A achievements of national and national-type primary schools in Mathematics showed an increase of 1.9 per cent from last year while for Science, the increase was 1.7 per cent.

He said national schools scored a better percentage of those obtaining Grade A in Malay Language (Comprehension) this year, which was 4.5 per cent, while in Writing Skills, the percentage showed a decline, by 8.9 per cent, from last year.

For national-type schools, there was a decrease in the percentage of both the Malay Language examinations, by 2.9 and 3.4 respectively.

He said the analysis for the Malay and English language results was done separately for the national and national-type schools because of the differences in the scope as well as the time allocated for the teaching of the subject.

For the English language subject, he said, there was an increase in the average grade in the national and national-type schools -- at 2.74 per cent (2.79 last year) and 2.69 per cent (2.80 per cent last year) respectively.
- BERNAMA

Education key to a better life – Entri
Posted on November 12, 2010, Friday
http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=74722

MARUDI: The success of the students and their ability to compete with the rest of the country was not entirely the responsibility of the school’s teachers and principal.

To succeed, the students must study hard. Teachers could only provide quality academic guidance.

There were many challenges ahead and the only way for them to be competitive was to work hard and excel in their studies.

Assistant Minister for Water Supply Sylvester Entri Muran said this at the Excellence Award 2010 ceremony at SMK Marudi yesterday.

Entri, who is also Marudi assemblyman, said education was among the NKRA policies set by the government to be made available to all rural children by 2020, adding that education was the key to a better life.

Entri also advised parents that it was not too late for them to get an education, which could only affect their future for the better.

He encouraged parents to see beyond school education and send their children to institutions of higher learning.

There were now many choices in the state, the better-known ones like Unimas, UIKM, Curtin Miri and Swinburne, he said.

At the function, Entri announced the government MRP grant of RM10,000 for the school.

Among those who spoke was the Parent-Teacher Association chairman Blalang Atom and the school principal Wong Hin Chai.

The Best Boy 2010 award went to Tie Teck Chee, a form five student, and Gloria Augusta William won the Best Girl award.

Those who received the YB Sylvester Excellence Incentive award in PMR were Lim Chia Chi (8As), Norzalina Kasi (8As), Alexis Wong Ching (8As), Sylviana Awing Lawai (7As) and William Agan Henry (7As).

Number of Malaysian students in US up by 4.2%
Updated: Tuesday November 16, 2010 MYT 11:19:44 AM
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/11/16/nation/20101116112625&sec=nation

KUALA LUMPUR: The number of Malaysian students in the United States in 2009-2010 increased by 4.2% to 6,190 from 5,942 previously, the Malaysian-American Commission on Education Exchange (MACEE) said.

Its executive director Dr James Coffman attributed the increase to the aggressive promotion by EducationUSA in Malaysia.

"The strategy, alongside with a more advantageous currency exchange have helped boost the numbers entering US institutions in the specific period," he said in a statement.

He said US colleges and universities were very keen on recruiting more Malaysian students to diversify their international student populations and to attract high-quality students.

The statistic was given by Open Doors 2010, an annual report on international academic mobility published by the Institute of International Education with support from the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the US Department of State.

The release of these figures coincided with International Education Week, which kick-started yesterday and jointly organised by MACEE and the US Embassy.

More information on study in the US can be obtained from EducationUSA Malaysia website at http://www.educationusa.org.my.

RM2.7bil to promote post-graduate studies
By RICHARD LIM Thursday December 2, 2010
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/12/2/nation/7540643&sec=nation

PUTRAJAYA: The Government has allocated RM2.68bil over the 10th Malaysia Plan period to promote post-graduate studies through three sponsorship programmes within the country: masters degrees (MyMaster), doctorate degrees (MyPhD) and Industrial PhDs.

Applications opened yesterday for the three programmes, which will complement the Higher Learning Academic Training Scheme (SLAI).

Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said from now till 2015, the Government was targeting 5,000 MyPhD graduates, 40,000 MyMaster graduates and 500 Industrial PhDs.

The targets are set under the SLAI programme, which intends to produce 18,500 PhD holders over the same period, he told reporters after launching the three programmes at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre here yesterday.

He said currently the number of PhD holders in the country was 12,096, while the enrolment for PhD studies was 16,947.

Earlier in his speech, Mohd Khaled said the sponsorship programmes would determine the success of the ministry’s MyBrain15 programme to produce 48,000 PhD holders by 2020 and 60,000 PhD holders by 2023, or under the 12th Malaysia Plan.

“The strength of the MyBrain15 plan was that it was not confined to just the participation of academic staff at higher learning institutons but also the involvement of those who wish to continue their studies, particularly for the PhD,” he said.

Information on the sponsorsip can be obtained at the ministry’s website at www.mohe.gov.my/MyBrain15.

Sex education a separate subject from next year
Posted on December 7, 2010, Tuesday
http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=79157

KUALA LUMPUR: Sex education or reproductive health and social education (PEERS) will be taught as a separate subject next year.

Deputy Education Minister Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi said it would be taught 40 minutes, twice monthly in secondary schools, and 30 minutes weekly in primary schools.

“PEERS had been implemented since 1989 in secondary schools and since 1994 in primary schools under physical education. This is done under transformation of the standard curriculum for primary schools,” he told a press conference in parliament lobby yesterday.

Dr Puad said the scope for level one in primary schools include physical difference between boys and girls, self hygiene, saying no to unsafe contact, importance of preserving self respect and emotional management.

Level two (year 4, 5 and 6) cover conflict management, physical change, puberty, reproductive system, skills in protecting self respect, risk of pre-marital sex, spread of sexual diseases and saying no to cigarette, alcohol and drug.

Lower secondary students would be exposed to psycho-social or lifeskills to handle risky situations, stress management, spread of sexual diseases, growth of secondary sexual traits, identity and sexual orientation, relationships and the adverse effects of alcohol, cigarettes and drugs.

“At higher secondary, the scope include psychosocial skills, emotional and mental stability, pregnancy among youths, family, spread of sexual diseases and efforts to control and preventive measures against cigarettes and drugs.”

Dr Puad said that knowledge in sex education comprised 75 percent of the subject’s new curriculum.

PEERS which had been decided by Cabinet in 2006 covers wider areas including values, attitude and lifelong process compared to sex education which had negative connotation among society. — Bernama

28,571 ACADEMIC STAFF IN PUBLIC VARSITIES IN MALAYSIA
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 8 (NNN-Bernama) -- There are 28,571 academic staff in the 20 public universities in the country as of Nov 30, according to statistics obtained by the Higher Education Ministry.

Its minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin said 8,031 (28.1 per cent ) of them had PhDs, 15,986 (56 per cent) Masters degrees, 4,247 (14.9 per cent) first degrees, 134 (0.5 per cent) diplomas while 174 advanced dipomas and other qualifications.

He told this to reporters after opening a leadership programme for young academicians and student leaders here today.

The programme is aimed at producing future leaders for the country.http://namnewsnetwork.org/v2/read.php?id=141446

University status for state campuses
2010/12/08 By Hanis Maketab and NurLiyana Isa
http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/Universitystatusforstatecampuses/Article/

http://www.nst.com.my/articles/Universitystatusforstatecampuses/single

SHAH ALAM: Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) is moving ahead with a proposal to upgrade all main state campuses to full-fledged universities.

Malaysia’s largest university will also grant autonomy to every branch campus under the ambitious project to enhance their management and improve the delivery of education.

Vice Chancellor Datuk Professor Dr Sahol Hamid Abu Bakar said UiTM would apply for full university status for its state campuses once the proposal is accepted by the Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE) and the Cabinet.


“The state campuses will make the transition one at a time, following which they will be renamed UiTM Perlis or UiTM Sarawak for example,” he told NST-UiTM Varsity Voice in an interview.

Currently, UiTM is a single university with campuses in every state, with some states hosting more than one branch.

It is understood that the first branches slated for this exercise will be the larger campuses such as Arau in Perlis, Seri Iskandar in Perak, Dungun in Terengganu and Kota Samarahan based in Sarawak.

These four branches have been selected to hold their own convocations as the first step towards becoming universities.

When this happens, UiTM will become a group of affiliated universities governed by a system-wide body modeled after the University of Wales.

“Under this system, there will be a single Senate and Board of Directors with autonomy given to the respective financial, administrative and management departments of the branch campuses,” said Sahol.

Meanwhile, the position of campus directors will be changed to rectors while any new campuses will become a branch of the state university.

To complement the transition, he said UiTM would introduce new faculties and as many as 300 new programmes and courses.

Elaborating on the reasons behind the proposal, Sahol said: The university is huge with a total of more than 170,000 students and some 19,000 lecturers.”

“To manage it properly and smoothly, we need to give autonomy to the branch campuses so they can be more efficient and effective as an institution of higher learning.”

UiTM has already put in place a succession plan to train potential managers for the new universities.

The original idea for this proposal came from the Vice Chancellor while he was still in MoHE. The idea solidified after a discussion with the Minister.

“It now forms part of my vision to transform UiTM into one of the world’s top universities within 20 years,” added Sahol.

(Ed's Note: This article first appeared in Varsity Voice, a monthly publication jointly produced by the New Straits Times and Universiti Teknoogi MARA (UiTM) under the newspaper's Journalism on Campus project.)

Johor, Sarawak schools picked for pioneer project
2010/12/11 By Minderjeet Kaur
http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/04mka/Article/

http://www.nst.com.my/articles/04mka/single

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin lends a ear to Syed Ibrahim
Syed Ishak,12, a student of Sekolah Kebangsaan Bandar Baru Uda 2, Johor,
after launching the Yayasan Amir Trust School Chain yesterday at Putrajaya.
— Bernama picture

PUTRAJAYA: Ten national schools have been selected for a pioneer project under the Trust School programme to help improve teaching and learning methods.

The schools, located in Johor and Sarawak, comprise high, average and low-performing schools.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said Yayasan Amir, a foundation under Khazanah Nasional Berhad, would monitor the schools to find out what they were lacking in and how they could improve their teaching methods.

The schools are SK Bandar Baru Uda (2), SK Kampung Layau, Kota Tinggi, SJK (T) Kangkar Pulai, SMK (FELDA) Semenchu, Kota Tinggi and SMK Gelang Patah in Johor; and SM Sains Kuching, SK Kg Empila, Samarahan, SK Combine, SK Tabuan and SMK Bandar Kuching (2) in Sarawak.

"This project is still in its early stages, and monitoring of the schools is required. If implemented nationwide, there might be problems in monitoring them and determining the standard, quality of teaching and management.

"That is why only two states were chosen in the initial stage," he said after launching the Yayasan Amir Trust School Chain yesterday.

Also present were Khazanah managing director Tan Sri Azman Mokhtar and Yayasan Amir chairman Raja Tan Sri Arshad Raja Tun Uda.

Muhyiddin, who is also the education minister, said the programme was to improve the students' academic and non-academic performances.

He said of the 10 selected schools, five were low-performing schools, three medium and two high-performing schools.

He said besides Khazanah, there were a few other companies and banking institutions that were interested in participating in the programme by adopting other schools as their Trust Schools.

However, he said this could only be done after the implementation of the pioneer project, which would be used as a benchmark.

Muhyiddin also said the schools under the programme would continue to receive government aid.

"For example, for low-performing schools, we will provide assistance, but Yayasan Amir will look into what can be done, like providing computers.

"To improve the learning of English, Mathematics and Science, an expert could be hired to coach students.

"This way, the selected schools will have an edge and we hope there will be improvement in performance."

Earlier in his speech, in line with a decision reached at the National Economic Action Council meeting, chaired by the prime minister in June last year, he said the Education Ministry had been given the mandate to develop the Trust School initiative with Khazanah.

He said the Trust Schools were not elite schools, but selected government or government-aided schools jointly managed by the private sector and the school administration, under the Education Ministry.

"In terms of school management, the ministry will give freedom to the administration, teachers and the private sector to decide on certain matters, like curriculum, finance and acquisition, staff management and flow chart report, apart from preparing guidelines on accountability to avoid over-lapping of function and duties."

Meanwhile, Azman said Khazanah had allocated RM100 million for a five-year period to carry out the programme.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_E6hp2lu4XTc/TQciqztwZqI/AAAAAAAAAO0/Euyo2gaHL6g/s1600/mahsa.jpg

Menang's unit wins RM1.5b contract to build 5 UiTM campuses
By Sharen Kaur Published: 2010/12/16
http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/menna/Article/

MENANG Corp (M) Bhd's (1694) unit, Inovatif Mewah Sdn Bhd (IMSB), will build five Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) campuses nationwide for more than RM1.5 billion over 23 years.

IMSB holds a concession agreement with the government, represented by the Higher Education Ministry and UiTM to undertake the project on a private finance initiative (PFI) under the 10th Malaysia Plan.

Yesterday, IMSB secured a RM273.7 million financing to build its first campus at Seremban 3 in Negri Sembilan from Bank Pembangunan Malaysia Bhd and Malaysia Building Society Bhd (MBSB).

MBSB will also finance Johawaki Sdn Bhd, the main contractor for the Seremban campus, through a revolving credit facility of RM40 million.
The PFI project undertaken by IMSB is under the concept of Build-Lease-Maintain-Transfer.

IMSB will build the Seremban campus, designed to cater for 5,000 students, over three years. Upon completion, the campus will be leased to the government/UiTM for 20 years. The company will maintain the facilities and infrastructure of the campus during the 20-year lease period.

MBSB chief executive officer Datuk Ahmad Zaini Othman said this is the first PFI programme financed by the company, through its newly set up wholesale banking division.

"We are here to support all government projects, in line with the national policy and the Economic Transformation Programme," he said.

Ahmad Zaini said MBSB will bid to offer its financing package for the rest of the campuses.

"The financing structure we have is a comprehensive one, which supports Johawaki. It also provides the opportunity for the sub-contractors to secure some funding from the main contractor," he said.

IMSB is scouting for land for the remaining four campuses. It is looking to set up one each in Selangor and Sarawak.

Malaysia looking at earlier primary education
Wednesday December 22, 2010
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/12/22/nation/7667972&sec=nation

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia is looking to join other countries at starting primary education at a younger age.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the proposal had received positive response from stakeholders.

Muhyiddin, who is also the Education Minister, said however the Govern*ment had to look at the proposal thoroughly as there were many issues, including infrastructure and manpower, that needed to be overcome.

The matter, he said, was being studied by the Education Ministry, adding that Malaysia was among the few countries where children started schooling at the age of six whereas many had lowered the primary school entrance age to five.

“There is support for this policy to be enforced, especially with many children going to preschool early. There is concern that they may be bored being in kindergarten or pre-school for too long. Even the youth development laboratory suggested that the Government enforce this (starting primary education earlier).

“But this is not a matter that we can decide overnight. We need to have all the facilities and teachers ready because there will be a surge in the number of pupils and we must ensure the system is ready for this.

“I will not announce anything until we have a clearer picture whether this can be implemented and when we are able to do so,” he told reporters after chairing the Youth Development Cabinet committee meeting yesterday.

Muhyiddin said the youth laboratory had also suggested that the authorities organise family management courses to educate young couples on financial and family management.

He also said that the committee had directed the Youth and Sports Ministry to review its structure to give greater emphasis on youths, adding that more attention must be given to this group.

“The ministry has programmes and activities for the youths but more can be done if we want to strengthen their role and empower them. For one, we need staff who have the skills to deal with youths and their issues as well as engage with them,” Muhyiddin said.

He said the Cabinet committee would also study initiatives proposed by the youth laboratory, including setting up a youth assembly, virtual youth resource centre, appointing a youth icon and organising a leader mentorship programme.

this year 30,863 candidates scored straight A in the PMR

this year 30,863 candidates scored straight A in the PMR

>> http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsindex.php?id=552080

UMS Strikes Gold At Seoul Invention Fair
December 23, 2010 18:30 PM
http://www.bernama.com/bernama/state_news/news.php?id=552204&cat=sbe

KOTA KINABALU, Dec 23 (Bernama) -- Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) returned from South Korea recently bringing home a haul of six gold, six silver and five bronze medals from the Seoul International Invention Fair (SIIF) 2010.

Twelve researchers led by UMS Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation) Prof Dr Rosnah Ismail presented 17 inventions and innovations at the competition.

"The ones we entered were those that had won at university level and national level," said Rosnah.

The international event succeeded in drawing a participation of 36 countries and a display of 651 inventions.

Eight Malaysian public institutions of higher learning and two government research organisations, Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (Mardi) and the Malaysian Nuclear Agency also took part.

"We are in the process of business-matching and seeking business partners with the cooperation of the industrial sector to commercialise our inventions and innovations to generate income for the university," Rosnah said.

-- BERNAMA

Teach for Malaysia to recruit best talents
By KANG SOON CHEN Saturday December 25, 2010
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/12/25/nation/7684182&sec=nation

KUALA LUMPUR: Outstanding graduates and young professionals will be recruited to teach at under-performing schools under the Teach for Malaysia programme.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who launched the programme yesterday, said high-performing graduates who wanted to contribute to the country were encouraged to take up this challenge.

“I am glad that the best among our graduates have shown interest in joining the teaching profession,” said Muhyiddin in his keynote address here yesterday.

Muhyiddin, who is Education Minister, said Teach for Malaysia was in line with the Education National Key Results Area (NKRA) to enable access to quality education for all.

“We hope to emulate the success of Teach for America and the Teach First programme in Britain where the graduates enlisted are able to improve the performance of students from challenging schools,” he added.

Muhyiddin said the programme participants would undergo an intensive eight-week training stint before being placed at low-performing schools in the Band 6 and 7 rankings.

The participants will be employed as full-time teachers and serve in the schools for two years.

“Teach for Malaysia marks an important milestone in the Government’s effort to enhance the standard of the teaching profession and attract the best brains to teach,” he said.

He expressed hope that those who were recruited would continue teaching after the end of their tenure.

Teach for Malaysia, which was first announced under the 10th Malaysia Plan, is a key human capital and public-private partnership initiative to attract top talent into the teaching profession.

A non-profit organisation, Teach for Malaysia is a partner organisation of Teach For All, an international body which enlists top college graduates to teach in high-poverty areas in its mission to eradicate education inequity.

Malaysia is the first country in South-East Asia and the third in Asia to introduce this programme.

Applications for the Teach for Malaysia programme open on Jan 11.

Teach for Malaysia co-founders Dzameer Dzulkifli and Keeran Sivarajah said the organisation aimed to recruit 50 graduates and young professionals for the initial batch of the programme.

They will commence teaching when the new school session begins in January 2012.

Those interested should go to www.teachformalaysia.org.

UMS won medals in invention fair
Tuesday December 28, 2010
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2010/12/28/southneast/7684879&sec=southneast

KOTA KINABALU: A team of researchers from Universiti Malaysia Sabah brought back six gold, six silver and five bronze medals from the Seoul International Invention Fair 2010 in South Korea recently.

Twelve researchers led by UMS deputy vice-chancellor (research and innovation) Prof Dr Rosnah Ismail presented 17 inventions and innovations at the competition.

“The ones we entered were those that won in university and national levels,” she said.

The international event succeeded in drawing a participation of 36 countries and a display of 651 inventions.

Eight Malaysian public institutions of higher learning and two government research organisations, Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute and the Malaysian Nuclear Agency also took part.

“We are in the process of business-matching and seeking business partners with the co-operation of the industrial sector to commercialise our inventions and innovations to generate income for the university,” Rosnah said. — Bernama

UMP sets up German academic centre
By ROSLINA MOHAMAD Tuesday December 28, 2010
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2010/12/28/southneast/7671104&sec=southneast

KUANTAN: Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP) has embarked on a global initiative by setting up its German Academic and Career Centre here.

The centre signifies a concrete step in fostering closer cooperation between UMP and Germany’s Karlsruhe University of Applied Science (HSKA) to produce competent engineers.

UMP’s vice chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Daing Nasir Ibrahim said the university believed the initiative was a relevant one as it was a key component in the changing landscape of higher education.

He said it would help to improve student preparedness, strengthen research and knowledge production, and diversify its faculty and staff.

“It also helps to internationalise the curriculum and enhance the university’s international profile.

“Those are some of the key factors why we are eager to expand and strengthen our internationalisation effort and to date, UMP has had collaboration with universities and industries around the globe,’’ he at the official opening of the centre recently.

Also present were German embassy first secretary Andreas Lang, HSKA representative Prof Dr Maurice Andre Kettner and centre counselor Brian Trenaman.

GACC’s first batch of students comprised 16 undergraduates are now pursuing a dual degree programme in mechatronic and expected to graduate in four years’ time.

Once graduated, they will receive two degrees — one from UMP and the other issued by HSKA.

Commenting on UMP’s German partner, Daing Nasir said the university aimed at producing qualified engineers who had gone through practical-based higher education programmes excelling in engineering and technology.

“Germany, having known to have great history of industrialisation, is a great choice.

“As for HSKA, it has been listed as the top university for their study programmes in the latest CHE University Ranking,’’ he added.

He said UMP had been fortunate to have found a worthy partner to work with for its dual degree programme, adding, a second dual degree programme in automotive would be introduced next year.

In a related development, the university signed a letter of intent with a carbon company, SGL Group, that would provide industrial training and attachment for UMP’s students as well as its academic staff.

During a dialogue session held later, Daing Nasir said GACC marked a long-term relationship with its German partner in grooming highly-skilled workforce to help realise the Government’s aspiration to turn the country as a developed and high-income nation.

Assistant vice chancellor (corporate development and quality management centre) Prof Dr Shamsuddin Baharin said lecturers would benefit from the industrial attachment as it would expose them to real-life working situation.

He added some of them lacked such industrial experience.

We should learn from Germany.

Instead of competing with cheap labor they train train train that Germany produce super technicians and engineers with multiple disciplines. German products are so high tech that even Japan and China can't imitate German quality. Malaysia should train Malaysian workforced to be good in fields we are dominant in..palm oil, oil and gas, monorail and photovoltaic solar cells. With good grip in our dominant fields we could provide service and products in these stuff to China and India who are left and righ of us. We are in a very lucrative geographic location.never mind our oil will run out..if we prepape our human capital and produce ultra technicians, engineers and biotechnologust..we can be as prosperous as we are with oil in the near future.

Unlike US which dump its technical workforce and turn their profesiional into beggars while the US youth who are not interested in technical jobs run become perpetual debt ridden Christmas shoppers.

UUM Seeks Duty-Free Status To Help Promote University
January 01, 2011 19:52 PM
http://www.bernama.com/bernama/state_news/news.php?id=553700&cat=nt

SINTOK, Jan 1 (Bernama) -- Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) will apply to the federal government get the duty-free status for its main campus here in an effort to speed up its revival and place it on the world map, said its vice-chancellor Prof Dr Mohamed Mustafa Ishak.

He said the university was carrying out research on the matter and was now preparing a working paper to be submitted to the Ministry of Higher Education.

"The duty-free status will definitely help UUM become an international-level university in the field of management and business and attract more students to it from locally and abroad," he told reporters after delivering the vice-chancellor's message at a gathering of about 3,000 staff of the university on Saturday.

He added that the university would be able to generate financial income from business development activities in the campus based on the duty-free status which could reduce financial dependence on the government.

-- BERNAMA

UM Pro-Mahasiswa front to revive pre-Auku student movement
By RICHARD LIM Wednesday February 23, 2011
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/2/23/nation/8120146&sec=nation

KUALA LUMPUR: Universiti Malaya’s (UM) pro-Mahasiswa front has promised to revive the student union to provide a stronger platform for members to air their concerns.

Pro-Mahasiswa spokesman Ahmad Syazwan Muhammad Hassan said it would be modelled after earlier unions, before the Universities and University Colleges Act (Auku) 1971 came into force and clipped much of the union’s power.

UM’s student union, better known as Umsu (University of Malaya Students’ Union), wielded considerable power in its heyday in the 1960s.

Umsu helped students in managing bus services on campus to providing scholarships for needy students as well as holding non-partisan rallies to educate the public on their political rights.

The student leaders are currently a part of the students’ representative council.

“The proposed union must represent the UM community and, in this light, we will ensure that our student cabinet includes Penggerak Mahasiswa candidates and independents,” he said at a post-election press conference at UM’s Perdanasiswa complex.

The Pro-Mahasiswa front, which is anti-establishment, has thrown its weight behind the Higher Education Ministry’s Students’ Parliament concept.

Currently, Universiti Sains Malaysia – the nation’s apex university – is the only varsity with an operational Students’ Parliament.

Commenting on the front’s success at UM and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia on Monday, Ahmad Syazwan said Pro-Mahasiswa’s success in the elections mirrored a global wave of sentiment among today’s youth.

Defeated Penggerak Mahasiswa (pro-establishment) front chairman Mohd Asri Zulkifli congratulated Pro-Mahasiswa. He urged the Government to view the victory as a youth cry to be heard.

USM achieves a first in ESD
Regina Williams

PENANG: Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) is the first university in Asean, and among seven other organisations in the world to be declared as the Regional Centres of Expertise (RCE) on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD).

USM vice chancellor Datuk Dr Dzulkifli Abdul Razak said on Friday the certificate of acknowledgement for USM as the RCE Penang was announced at the United Nations University (UNU)/Unesco International Conference at Nagoya Japan from June 28 to June 29.

USM is the RCE Penang, while the other six RCEs are the Greater Sendai Area in Japan, Okayama Japan, Toronto Canada, Pacific Island countries, Rhine and Meuse (Germany/Netherlands) region and Barcelona in Spain.

"Based on the proposal of Japan and Sweden, the UN general assembly in Dec 2002 adopted a resolution to start the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD) from January this year until 2014.

"Unesco was designated as the lead agency for the Decade and developed a draft for DESD, which proposes a global vision of ESD as a 'world where everyone has the opportunity to benefit from quality education and learn the values, behaviour and lifestyles required for a sustainable future and for positive societal transformation'."

"Being an RCE, USM is responsible to bring institutions together at the regional level to jointly promote ESD. RCEs are supposed to achieve the goals of the UN DESD by translating its global objectives into the context of the local community in which it operates," he said.

He said USM is embarking on a series of workshops and seminars beginning with educators on sustainable development, which they in turn will disseminate to their wards.

On its part, USM, which already has various programmes in place to promote a garden and healthy campus through its Malaysia Citizenship Initiative (Projek Warga), is planning to start freshies who will begin their tertiary education at USM on a right footing.

The more than 5,000 undergraduates will be asked to plant trees within the campus in groups of 20, which they would have to nurture and care for until they leave the university.

USM scientists produce efficient cholera test kit
Bernard Cheah
http://www.thesundaily.com/article.cfm?id=57937

http://www.sun2surf.com/images/sun2surf/articles/57937/cholera_big.jpg

GEORGE TOWN (Feb 23, 2011): Scientists in Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) has came out with a test kit to detect cholera infection in patients, that is both cost-effective and time-saving.

The Ez Cholera Genostick test kit, which looks like a pregnancy test kit, is able to detect cholera bacterial DNA in samples on agarose gel, and will show the results as red lines on a white membrane.

The presence of three lines indicates a valid positive result while two red lines shows a valid negative result.

The results will be visible within two hours, as compared to the standard time of about 48 hours using traditional methods.

USM School of Health Science lecturer Dr Lim Boon Huat, who led the team in the invention of the Ez Cholera Genostick, said that the usual methods of detecting cholera bacteria in samples require costly equipment and laboratory space, as well as the usage of harmful, carcinogenic substances such as ethidium bromide and ultraviolet (UV) light to visualise the DNA of the bacteria on agarose gel.

"By using the Ez Cholera Genostick, it does not require refrigeration, is disposable and does not contain any hazardous chemicals," he said.

"It has cut down diagnosis time significantly, which will be beneficial for patients to receive early treatment," Lim told a press conference in USM today.

Lim said the group has started research on the product since 2007, and was funded by the USM Research University grant of about RM200,000.

He added that the test kit has been filed for patent.

He said that in disaster-struck countries, such as Haiti, which suffered from the cholera outbreak, early diagnosis is important so that the patients can be treated before they die of dehydration.

The test kit has earned Lim's group the Gold Award at the BioInno Awards 2010 competition, and Lim said that he is in discussion with other commercial firms to market the product in future.

Naza Group to HELP set up automotive college by year-end
By June Ramli Published: 2011/02/24
http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/nazcar/Article/

http://www.btimes.com.my/articles/nazcar/pix_middle

THE Naza Group and HELP International Corp Bhd (HIC) plan to jointly set up an automotive college by the end of this year to address rising demand for talent in the car industry.

The college will have campuses in the Klang Valley, Gurun, Kedah and in Seri Alam, Iskandar Malaysia, Johor.

HIC and Naza have set aside RM25 million over the next five years to open the campuses, adding that the Johor one will be up and running by the end of 2012.

Demand for skilled workers in the automotive industry is on the rise.

"For Naza alone, we are looking at hiring 500 technical operators by next year as we plan to export 11,000 vehicles abroad," said Naza Group joint group executive chairman SM Nasarudin SM Nasimuddin.

He was speaking at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur after signing the memorandum of understanding yesterday.

The college will start with certificate and diploma courses first, followed by degree and masters courses. Both Naza and HIC will have equal stakes in the venture.

"We don't want to just train skilled workers in our college but we also want to train people who can work in the management side of the business such as chief executive officers and chief operating officers as expertise in this field are scarce," he added.

HIC co-founder and president Datuk Dr Paul Chan said the first batch of students will begin classes in Gurun, Kedah, and Klang Valley by the year-end and hopes to have the first batch of graduates out by 2012.

Najib outlines 3 points for orang asli to excel in education
2011/02/26
http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/Najiboutlines3pointsfororangaslitoexcelineducation/Article/

PEKAN -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak today outlined the three prerequisites for the Orang Asli to excel in education like the other communities.

He said schools for them must be located near their settlements, there must be dedicated teachers willing to serve in these schools and the Orang Asli must undergo a mindset shift pertaining to their children's education.

"The schools must be well-equipped and comfortable for the children to study and must be close to their settlements because one of the reasons for a high school drop-out rate is the distance, sometimes of 25 to 40 km, between the schools and their settlements," he said at the groundbreaking for Sekolah Kebangsaan Simpai, here.

He also said that dedicated teachers who were willing to serve in the schools located near the Orang Asli settlements would help raise the academic performance of Orang Asli children and their schools.

Najib, who is the MP for Pekan, said it was also vital for the Orang Asli parents to have a change of attitude towards their children's education with regard to their future. - Bernama

http://www.atsa.com.my/project1-2011.asp
Al-Bukhary International University

Kolej Yayasan Sabah To Produce 6G Welders To Meet Oil And Gas Industry Demand
February 28, 2011 17:07 PM

KOTA KINABALU, Feb 28 (Bernama) -- Kolej Yayasan Sabah (KYS), a wholly-owned institution of Yayasan Sabah Group, is introducing more skilled human resources in the welding technology to meet manpower needs in the oil and gas industry in the state, its Chief Executive Dr Dayang Aminah Ali said Monday.

She said Sabah's booming economy had created a big demand for skilled manpower.

In tandem with the higher demand for skilled personnel, she said, KYS had taken the initiative to send its welding trainees for higher-level training.

"We are sending the first batch of 27 trainees who have completed their Level 1 and 2 welding course at KYS to undergo further training in Level 3 6G Welding course at PERDA-Tech in Penang," she said.

The term 6G refers to the position and type of joints used in the welding certification test. The figure 6 refers to the 45-degree angle that cannot be moved by the individual taking the certification test.

G refers to the grove weld that must be used during the test.

In this respect, Dr Dayang Aminah said KYS wished to thank Petronas and Yayasan Sabah Group for making the welding technology course at KYS a reality.

"We are getting more students enrolling for the welding course. I can see the public�s confidence in KYS' efforts and initiatives increasing,� she said.

Dr Dayang Aminah said she hoped that the RM500 million Technical Education and Vocational Training Fund under the 10th Malaysia Plan would be extended to Sabah to help training providers.

"In the case of KYS to develop the infrastructures badly needed to spur the development of integrated technical and skills training opportunities for Sabah youth," she said.

She said the college would be introducing more skills and vocational courses to make KYS more competitive in producing higher skilled manpower besides providing other skills courses for middle-level management jobs.

-- BERNAMA

UCSI University Sarawak's Centre Of Excellence In Tourism, Hospitality Looks To May Roll Out
February 28, 2011 19:14 PM By Caroline Jackson

KUCHING, Feb 28 (Bernama) -- UCSI University's Centre of Excellence in Tourism and Hospitality being developed at its Sarawak campus here, via the Education National Key Economic Area (NKEA), is expecting its roll out in May.

The university's economist, Associate Professor Dr. Wong Kong Yew who disclosed this here today, also described the pilot project as a "hybrid industry combining the business of profit-making and the educational aspect".

He said the centre of excellence was being developed in collaboration with regional tourism industry experts who make up the Independent Management Team (IMT) chaired by him.

"In keeping with the NKEA's objective under the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) for human resource development through the hospitality and tourism discipline cluster, we are generating very relevant programmes in the form of skills that enhance the employment ability of our graduates," he told Bernama here.

Wong, who is also UCSI University vice president of Industry and Strategic Projects, said the IMT was responsible for developing the best tourism cluster model in Sarawak, besides sharing and leading the development of clusters in other states.

He said as part of the initiative to expand and train the student population at the university's Faculty of Hospitality and Management, the construction of its five-star hotel at Bandar Springhill in Seremban is scheduled for completion by May next year.

Two other five-star hotels located at the Kuching Isthmus here are expected to be completed by mid-2013 and another Kuala Lumpur hotel in late 2014, he added.

According to Wong, the appointment of UCSI University in November last year to lead the government initiative was apt, as it is one that specialised in hospitality and tourism.

Among the other IMT members are the Sarawak Tourism and Heritage Ministry's permanent secretary Datuk Ik Pahon, Sarawak Economic Development Corp (SEDC) general manager Datuk Dr. Sulaiman Husaini, the Higher Education Ministry's Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) director Soo Sit Chuan and Sarawak Tourism Federation president, Audry Wan Ullok.

At present, the courses offered at UCSI University's Sarawak Campus are event and tourism management, hospitality management, hotel management, commerce, foundation studies and also GCE A-Levels.

-- BERNAMA

MDeC, partners in GenYes programme
Published: 2011/03/03
http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/20110303134542/Article/index_html

Multimedia Development Corp (MDeC), in collaboration with Labtech International Ltd and Generation YES, have embarked
on a GenYES programme aimed at further enriching 'Smart School' learning and teaching experience.

In a statement today, MDeC said the collaboration was in line with project-based learning and international certification, benchmarked to the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) standards for schools under the Ministry of Education.

"The programme, targeted at schools, will enrich the learning and teaching experience of students and teachers by encouraging the use of information and communications (ICT) technology in a project-based learning environment," it said.

MDeC vice president (digital economy enablement enterprise function) Saifol Bahri, said in its vision to nurture the evolution of ICT as a culture, or 'info-culture', it hoped to implement a structured approach in the application of technology in classroom environment.

"The GenYES Programme offers not only the structure for this, but it is benchmarked to the standards set by the ISTE, which allows for students to get an international certification recognising their ability in utilisation of ICT as a living skill," he said.

Labtech International Ltd president, Steven Mckee, said the MSC
Malaysia-MySTL Catalyst project would provide Malaysian students the opportunityto produce rigorous technology-infused projects aligned to exis ting curriculum.

SMK Ampang Pecah in Kuala Kubu Baru, Selangor, SMK(F) Besout Sungkai Perak and Sekolah Seri Puteri Cyberjaya are the first schools to benefit from the GenYES programme. -- Bernama

RELATED LINK: http://www.mdec.my/

Many Chinese schools have Malay pupil majority
Thursday March 10, 2011
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/3/10/nation/8226873&sec=nation

MALACCA: Malay pupils make up the majority of schoolchildren in a Chinese school in Sungai Udang, the Malacca state legislative assembly heard.

State Education, Science and Technology Committee chairman Datuk Yaakub Md Amin, who is the Sungai Udang assemblyman, said there were several other Chinese schools in the state where the enrolment of Malay pupils was more than the intake of non-Malays.

In the case of the Chinese school in his constituency, Yaakub said of the 230 pupils studying there, 130 were Malay boys and girls.

“The enrolment of Malay children in Chinese-type schools has increased significantly in Malacca in recent years,” he said, when replying to a supplementary question by Lim Jak Wong (DAP - Bachang) on the number of trained teachers in vernacular schools and their proficiency in Mandarin or Tamil.

Yaakub said the state had 1,456 trained teachers in Chinese schools and 337 in Tamil schools.

On another matter, Yaakub told the House, 111 students from Malacca would be returning to Egypt in batches to continue their studies in the crisis-torn country.

He said the cost of flying the students back was RM2,180 each, with RM2,000 sponsored by the state government and RM180 forked out by their families.

UTM to raise RM1bil by 2020
By MOHD FARHAAN SHAH AND SRI VIGASHINI Friday March 11, 2011
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2011/3/11/southneast/8207385&sec=southneast

JOHOR BARU: Universiti Teknologi Malayisa (UTM) targets to raise more than RM1bil in their endowment fund by 2020 which would be channelled to three of its major programs.

UTM vice chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Zaini Ujang said one of the three major programs under the endowment fund is to provide full scholarships to its high achieving students.

He cited many famous universities such as Harvard University raised more than US$36bil in their endowment fund which is catered for the university’s projects.

Prof Zaini pointed out that UTM is the first local university to have an endowment fund in the country.

“One of the major programs is to give out full scholarship to our students which allow them not to take up study loans,” he told to pressmen after the university received RM110,375 from Takaful Malaysia as part of the endowment here.

He added with its own scholarship program, the university would be able to attract top students to the university.

“Not all students would be offered but only those who are qualified would get the scholarship.

“Students would be based on five criteria which is academic, sports, leadership, entrepreneurship, and tahfiz(Islamic studies),” he said.

Prof Zaini also said besides the university scholarship program, the fund would also be channelled to its professors and; research and development projects.

He added the university have about 180 professors however they do not have specific titles in their respective fields.

“The fund would also help pay for research programs as previously we had to find our own sponsors to fund our research.

“UTM has raised RM10.5mil in funds and we target to achieve the RM20mil mark by this year,” he said adding that the university is currently in talks with three major companies to fund its endowment.

Murdoch U branch likely
Published on: Wednesday, March 16, 2011
http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=77399

http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/upload/murdoch2.jpg

Kota Kinabalu: Murdoch University of Rockingham, Western Australia, may set up a branch here if discussions between City Hall and its Rockingham counterparts regarding the possibility are successful.

"(But) we need to sit down and see if it is viable to set up the university's branch here in Sabah," Mayor Datuk Abidin Madingkir said after attending a briefing on Investment Opportunities in Rockingham, Western Australia on Tourism and Investment at Centre Point Sabah (CPS), Tuesday.

Murdoch University is a world class learning and research facility with about 18,000 students and 1,400 working staff.

Abidin believed the idea is possible, especially after the visit by Lord Mayor of Rockingham, Barry Sammels and his delegation to Sabah.

He expressed confidence that the visit would lead to a more positive outcome in the near future.

"I am even more confident that the newly launched, thrice weekly direct flights between Kota Kinabalu and Perth and vice versa, would lead to the enhancement of a long term trading relationship between Sabah and Western Australia," he said.

He said it is good to note that the cities of Kota Kinabalu and Rockingham continue to work together.

Relations between the two cities were forged via the Memorandum of Friendship Understanding (MoFU) signed in Rockingham in November 2007.

Sammels' visit Tuesday was his second to Kota Kinabalu with the first being on Feb 2, 2007.

Abidin said the commitment by both parties to fulfil the purpose of the MoFU has seen subsequent visits between the two cities that had also led to the setting up of the Sabah-Western Australia Trade Centre.

The trade centre was set up to stimulate bilateral trade between the State of Sabah and industry capability teams working in or supplying business in the South West Metropolitan Perth Corridor.

In this respect, he said the visit from Rockingham is a good forum for both cities to cooperate in terms of exchange of expertise.

Sammels said that although Rockingham does not have any figures on the number of Sabahans residing in the Western Australia town, there are Sabahans who have purchased properties there.

"There are also a number of Sabahans studying in our university," he said.

He said the thrice-weekly direct flight from Western Australia to Kota Kinabalu and vice versa is great for people from both sides.

"The flight is about five hours and is reasonably priced," he said.

To this, he said envisioned both cities benefiting a great deal in terms of tourism potential.

Sammels was accompanied by City of Rockingham CEO, Andrew Hammond, Councillor Deb Hamblin, Regional Director of Western Australia Trade Office in Kuala Lumpur, Verghese Jacob and City Hall Holdings General Manager, Kenny Chan.

State to have sixth university in Sibu
by Conny Banji. Posted on March 18, 2011, Friday
http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=104527

http://www.theborneopost.com/newsimages/A00578424.jpg

ONE FOR THE ALBUM: Taib and Ragad (fourth anf fifth right) with Soon Koh
(third right, partly hidden) in a group photo with the descendents of the late
Wong Nai Siong — his great grandson Stephen Huang (second right),
Stephen’s daughter Anne Pang (right) and others.

SIBU: Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud announced a RM10 million allocation for the expansion of Laila Taib College on its 20-acre site here to elevate it to university status in two to three year’s time.

Speaking at the 110th anniversary celebration of Foochow settlement in Sibu here Wednesday night, he explained that the upgrading of the college to university, the sixth in the state, was to produce graduates especially in the technical and engineering field to meet the job demand of Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE).

He added Score was expected to create 1.6 million jobs of which 52 percent would require diploma and degree qualifications by the year 2030.

“SCORE is going to demand from us all special efforts including from private sector to train more people with higher education.”

Speaking to an audience of about 2000, he added that Sibu would play a vital role a supporting and launching pad for the successful implementation of SCORE.

He reminded the Foochows in Sibu to be ready for SCORE for there would be vast business opportunities from agriculture, food, shipbuilding as well as eco-tourism industries.

“The plan is already in operation. Four to five years from now, the downstream industries will come and I hope the entrepreneurs of Sibu will be ready.

“I believe Sibu will come up again this time as engineering and financial centre which will enhance stability of our economy,” he said.

Taib’s wife, Puan Sri Ragad Waleed Alkurdi Taib, Minister of Environment and Public Health Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh, Sibu Foochow Association president Tiong Kiong King, Sibu Municipal Council chairman Datuk Tiong Thai King, Chinese community paramount leader Temenggong Vincent Lau and descendents of the Sibu Foochow Settlement founder the late Wong Nai Siong were among those at the function which was organised by Sibu Foochow Association.

Malaysia Automotive Institute, UMP to produce 5,600 engineers
Posted on March 16, 2011, Wednesday
http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=103664

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysia Automotive Institute (MAI), an agency under the Ministry of International Trade and Industry, is collaborating with Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP), to produce 5,600 automotive engineers by 2015.

The move is to enhance the competitiveness of the local automotive industry, said MAI’s chief executive officer Madani Sahari.

“MAI and UMP would work together to develop an automotive apprenticeship programme for the benefit of the industry,” he said during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding here yesterday between MAI and UMP.

He said the programme would see undergraduates of two courses (Mould Engineering and Dies Engineering) working alongside engineers at original equipment manufacturers or vendors during their industrial practical training.

“A significant part of this partnership will be the ability for UMP to provide component testing services currently not available in the country and to develop advanced automotive components technology for over 20 automotive suppliers,” he said.

The MAI-UMP collaboration was set to yield results in many areas that would make Malaysian automotive industry a leader in its field.

The venture would offer testing facilities that include testing analysis and various other services at a competitive price.—Bernama

IIUM forges cooperation with two universities in Turkey
Posted on March 19, 2011, Saturday
http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=105252

http://www.theborneopost.com/newsimages/A00578518.jpg

AGREEMENT SIGNED: Syed Arabi (right) and Niyaz exchange memorandums of
understanding at the signing ceremony in Kuala Lumpur. — Bernama photo

KUALA LUMPUR: The International Islamic University, Malaysia (IIUM) will cooperate with two institutions of higher learning in Turkey, namely the University of Yalova and the Bartin University, in the fields of engineering and science.

Two memorandums of understanding (MoUs) were signed at the university, here today between its Rector, Prof Datuk Seri Dr Syed Arabi Idid and the Rector of the University of Yalova, Prof Dr M Niyazi Eruslu and the Rector of Bartin University, Prof Dr Ramazan Kaplan.

Under the MoUs, the three universities will collaborate in the fields of research, academic and student exchange programme and any other fields mutually agreed upon.

Dr Syed Arabi said the cooperation forged today was a manifestation of the outcome of the visit by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to Turkey in February.

“The visit demonstrated the close relations between Malaysia and Turkey. The MoUs will further strengthen ties between the two countries,” he told reporters after the signing of the memorandums.

The signing was also witnessed by the Turkish Ambassador to Malaysia, Serap Ataay.

In her speech, the ambassador said Turkey was proud of the development achieved by the IIUM all this while and happy that two of their local universities had forged the cooperation with IUM.

“When Prime Minister Najib visited Turkey last month, one of the subjects was to promote close educational cooperation between the two countries. Our prime minister also proposed to install an Erasmus programme between us.

“I am happy to see that IIUM is taking the first step towards the cooperation and I hope it will result in many successful projects,” she said. — Bernama

Higher Education Ministry mulls oil and gas university in Labuan
Posted on March 23, 2011, Wednesday
http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=107162

The Higher Education Ministry is mulling over setting up a public university in Labuan specialising in the field of oil and gas and marine engineering, its deputy minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah said.

However, he said various factors need to be taken into consideration before the proposal can be implemented.

“There are five public universities offering programmes in oil and gas which are Universiti Malaya, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Universiti Teknologi Mara and Kuching Polytechnic in Sarawak.

“The ministry feels that the number of public universities in the country will be able to sufficiently cover the needs for skilled labour,” he said in reply to Datuk Yusoff Mahal (BN-Labuan) at the Dewan Rakyat here yesterday.

He added that the setting up of such universities would also depend on the nation’s strategic needs.

Yusoff wanted to know whether the ministry would turn Universiti Malaysia Sabah Labuan campus into a full-fledged university or create a new one specialising in oil and gas and marine engineering. — Bernama

Pelajar Cina dapat A+ dalam Tasawwur Islam
2011/03/23
http://www.bharian.com.my/bharian/articles/PelajarCinadapatA_dalamTasawwurIslam/Article/

KUALA TERENGGANU: Seorang pelajar berbangsa Cina mencatatkan sejarah tersendiri apabila memperoleh A+ bagi mata pelajaran Tasawwur Islam (Islamic Concept) dalam peperiksaan Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) yang keputusannya diumumkan hari ini.

Wong Yujing, 18, dari Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Sultan Sulaiman, adalah antara 17 pelajar cemerlang Terengganu yang mendapat 10A+ dalam mata pelajaran Bahasa Melayu, Bahasa Inggeris, Pendidikan Moral, Sejarah, Matematik, Matematik Tambahan, Fizik, Kimia, Biologi dan Tasawwur Islam.

"Mata pelajaran Tasawwur Islam saya ambil kerana minat dan ingin tahu mengenai agama Islam," kata anak sulung daripada tiga beradik ketika ditemui pemberita di sekolahnya di sini hari ini.

Katanya, beliau berminat mengikuti mata pelajaran tasawwur sejak di tingkatan empat lagi dan dia banyak dibantu oleh rakan-rakan Melayu yang mengikuti mata pelajaran itu.

Wong, dari Kampung Gong Badak berkata, beliau membaca buku teks mata pelajaran tasawwur dan cuba memahaminya dengan mendalam.

"Dalam buku teks semua ada tentang tasawwur dan kita kena rajin mentalaah. Begitu juga mata pelajaran lain, saya tekun mempelajarinya.

"Saya tidak suka tangguh buat kerja rumah. Saya akan pastikan kerja rumah siap seperti yang dijadualkan," kata Wong yang ingin melanjutkan pelajaran di bidang kejuruteraan di Amerika Syarikat atau England.

Seorang daripada empat pelajar terbaik SMK Agama Tok Jiring, Nur Zulaikha Ismail, berkata beliau berazam sejak awal lagi untuk memperoleh keputusan terbaik pada peperiksaan itu.

"Sebab itu saya sangat fokus dan memberi tumpuan sepenuhnya semasa guru mengajar dalam kelas. Kalau saya tidak faham saya akan bertanya selain banyak membuat latihan bersama rakan-rakan.

"Saya juga bertekad untuk mengubah hidup keluarga yang miskin. Dengan pelajaran saja saya fikir ia boleh mengubah iklim kehidupan keluarga," kata anak kelima daripada 10 beradik.

Anak pekerja kilang papan itu memperoleh 11A+ iaitu dalam mata pelajaran Bahasa Melayu, Bahasa Inggeris, Sejarah, Matematik, Matematik Tambahan, Fizik, Kimia, Biologi, Pendidikan Al-Quran dan Al-Sunnah, Pendidikan Syariah Islamiah dan Bahasa Arab Tinggi.

Ayahnya Ismail Othman, 50, ketika ditemui, melahirkan rasa syukur dan melahirkan penghargaan kepada semua guru yang mengajar anaknya. - BERNAMA

Education DG: 2010 SPM results best in four years
By KAREN CHAPMAN Updated: Wednesday March 23, 2011 MYT 2:26:07 PM
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/3/23/nation/20110323104505&sec=nation

PUTRAJAYA: Results for the 2010 SPM results are the best in four years, said Education director-general Datuk Abd Ghafar Mahmud.

He attributed this to the move last year allowing students to only sit for 10 subjects.

In a press conference called to announce the examination results on Wednesday, he said 9,239 candidates obtained distinctions, which was a combination of A+, A and A-.

This was higher compared to 7,987 candidates in 2009.

Abd Ghafar said 363 candidates obtained straight super distinctions of A+ in all subjects compared to 214 in 2009.

It was announced in 2009 that students sitting for the SPM could take two additional subjects but the results would only be based on 10 subjects.

Subsequently, subjects including Chinese Language, Chinese Literature, Tamil Language, Tamil Literature and Arabic counted in the final grade if they fell within the maximum of 10 subjects that can be taken by students in the examination.

SMS to get your SPM results
Wednesday March 23, 2011
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/3/23/nation/20110323104505&sec=nation

PETALING JAYA: For the first time, students can obtain their SPM results via short messaging system (SMS).

They can type SPM SEMAK, followed by their MyKad and candidate numbers before sending the SMS to 15888.

The service, which goes live from 10am today, will run until midnight on March 30.

Candidates could also obtain their results at their respective schools from 10am today.

Private candidates will get their results via post.

A total of 467,970 candidates sat for the examination from Nov 23 to Dec 20, last year.

For more information, visit the syndicate’s website at apps2.moe.gov.my

IPTS Must Compete With IPTA To Make Malaysia Regional Education Hub
24 Mar 2011
http://bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsgeneral.php?id=573545

KUALA LUMPUR, March 24 (Bernama) - Private institutions of higher learning (IPTS) must compete with public institutions of higher learning (IPTA) to make Malaysia a regional hub for higher education.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said IPTS should see it in the context of National Key Economic Activities (NKEA) and tap cluster education to propel the economy to higher level.

"IPTS has a big role to play what with some 75,000 foreign students in the country with 150,000 targeted by 2015," he said when opening the new campus of Kolej Teknologi Yayasan Pendidikan Cheras (YPC) in Taman Maluri, Cheras today.

The Education Minister said IPTS should become factories to produce quality and highly skilled professionals to meet demands of the new economic model.

"We must dare to compete and create excellence not only at domestic level but also globally to make Malaysia an international education hub."

He said the government was always monitoring IPTS to ensure that the subjects offered meet standards and address job market demands.

"The government is making the education sector an economic investment to attract foreign students."

On the new campus, Muhyiddin hopes that it can elevate the status of education in the country to be on par with leading foreign institutions.

"I deeply appreciate efforts targeted at students from midle and low incomeNfamilies who do not get places in IPTA."

Meanwhile, YPC chairman Datuk Syed Ali AlHabshee said construction of the RM32mil campus started in July 2009.

It is equipped with 22 classrooms, 14 tutorial rooms, eight computer and two multimedia laboratories and art studios that can accommodate 4,000 students.

At the ceremony, 30 Business and Information Technology foundation programme students received Star-YPC scholarships.

- BERNAMA

Negri school is top in country
Thursday March 24, 2011
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/3/24/nation/8334294&sec=nation

http://thestar.com.my/archives/2011/3/24/nation/n_10school.jpg

Brightest lot: Students of SM Sains Tuanku Munawir who scored 10A+
jumping with joy after receiving their results.

SEREMBAN: SM Sains Tuanku Munawir here has emerged as the country's top school for SPM for the second year running, with 16 students scoring A+ in all their subjects.

Student Muhamad Fahim Hanaffi Azahan, who scored 10A+ and aspires to be a geologist, expressed his gratitude to his teachers for their commitment.

“All I did was focus in class. Also, I would do my revision with all students, including those perceived to be weaker as they, too, could help you solve problems at times and look at things differently,” said Muhammad Fahim, whose parents work for Petronas.

Earlier, state Education Department director Abdul Halim Abdul Razak said the number of students who obtained straight As in the state had increased to 620 from 590.

Terengganu had recorded improvement in the SPM examinations, with more passes and higher number of candidates scoring straight As, said state Education Department director Razali Daud.

He said the number of those who scored straight As increased by 0.57% from 283 students previously to 405.

http://thestar.com.my/archives/2011/3/24/north/pcghs.jpg

Over the moon: Penang Chinese Girls High School
students celebrating after getting their results slips

“The number of students who passed all their subjects also rose by 2.96% from 11,601 to 12,182.

“Students' performance has improved for 49 out of 72 subjects,” he said, adding that 17 students scored A+ in all their subjects.

In George Town, 20 schools achieved 100% passes in the examination.

Penang Education Department deputy director Ahmad Tarmizi Kamaruddin said 25 students also achieved straight A+ grades while 844 had a combination of A+, A and A-.

Penang Chinese Girls High School is the top school in Penang.

In Johor Baru, state Education Department director Markom Giran said its SPM results were the best in five years, with 1,101 students obtaining straight As, 39 of whom had A+ in all their subjects.

“Of this, eight students got 11As, 18 got 10As while 13 others got 9As,” he said, adding that 41 schools obtained full passes.

SMK Tun Fatimah and SMK Infant Jesus Convent, both in Johor Baru, were the top two schools in the state. In Muar, SMK Lenga made history when it became the first rural secondary school in the district to achieve 100% passes.

Negri school is top in country
Thursday March 24, 2011
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/3/24/nation/8334294&sec=nation

http://thestar.com.my/archives/2011/3/24/nation/n_10school.jpg

Brightest lot: Students of SM Sains Tuanku Munawir who scored 10A+
jumping with joy after receiving their results.

SEREMBAN: SM Sains Tuanku Munawir here has emerged as the country's top school for SPM for the second year running, with 16 students scoring A+ in all their subjects.

Student Muhamad Fahim Hanaffi Azahan, who scored 10A+ and aspires to be a geologist, expressed his gratitude to his teachers for their commitment.

“All I did was focus in class. Also, I would do my revision with all students, including those perceived to be weaker as they, too, could help you solve problems at times and look at things differently,” said Muhammad Fahim, whose parents work for Petronas.

Earlier, state Education Department director Abdul Halim Abdul Razak said the number of students who obtained straight As in the state had increased to 620 from 590.

Terengganu had recorded improvement in the SPM examinations, with more passes and higher number of candidates scoring straight As, said state Education Department director Razali Daud.

He said the number of those who scored straight As increased by 0.57% from 283 students previously to 405.

http://thestar.com.my/archives/2011/3/24/north/pcghs.jpg

Over the moon: Penang Chinese Girls High School
students celebrating after getting their results slips

“The number of students who passed all their subjects also rose by 2.96% from 11,601 to 12,182.

“Students' performance has improved for 49 out of 72 subjects,” he said, adding that 17 students scored A+ in all their subjects.

In George Town, 20 schools achieved 100% passes in the examination.

Penang Education Department deputy director Ahmad Tarmizi Kamaruddin said 25 students also achieved straight A+ grades while 844 had a combination of A+, A and A-.

Penang Chinese Girls High School is the top school in Penang.

InJohor Baru, state Education Department director Markom Giran said its SPM results were the best in five years, with 1,101 students obtaining straight As, 39 of whom had A+ in all their subjects.

“Of this, eight students got 11As, 18 got 10As while 13 others got 9As,” he said, adding that 41 schools obtained full passes.

SMK Tun Fatimah and SMK Infant Jesus Convent, both in Johor Baru, were the top two schools in the state. In Muar, SMK Lenga made history when it became the first rural secondary school in the district to achieve 100% passes.

SMS tuanku munawer @ SASER..gud job my former school..:banana:

Keeping up with Kazakhstan
Saturday March 26, 2011
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/3/26/nation/8353683&sec=nation

http://thestar.com.my/archives/2011/3/26/nation/n_22rosmah.jpg

Gifted: Rosmah and Orynbayev (right) meeting students
of the Permata Pintar school in Bangi Friday.

BANGI: Malaysia and Kazakhstan will share knowledge and expertise in the field of education for gifted children, said the Prime Minister's wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor.

“We hope to collaborate with them in special education programmes,” she said, adding that there would be student and teacher exchange programmes between schools in both countries.

“I hope to see the intellectual schools in Kazakhstan when the Prime Minister makes his official visit to the country in June,” she said after a discussion with Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister Yerbol Orynbayev at the Permata Pintar school in Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia here yesterday.

She extended an invitation for students from Kazakhstan to attend the Permata summer camp at the end of the year.

Orynbayev said there were currently five intellectual schools in Kazakhstan, but the number would be increased to 20 next year.

“I was surprised to discover that the Permata school here gives equal attention to arts and sports,” he said adding that the schools in Kazakhstan focused primarily on science subjects.

Earlier, Agriculture and Agro-based Minister Datuk Seri Noh Omar said Malaysia was considering Kazakhstan as a new source for beef and lamb after authorities stopped the importation of the meat from several abattoirs in South America and Europe recently.

He said officials including those from the Malaysian Islamic Development Department would be sent to Kazakhstan soon to look into the possibility.

PM: Only Malaysia has national-type school system
By HAMDAN RAJA ABDULLAH and MOHD FARHAAN SHAH
Published: Saturday March 26, 2011 MYT 4:49:00 PM
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/3/26/nation/20110326165422&sec=nation

MUAR: The national-type school system - which provides education in vernacular languages apart from the national language -is only practised in Malaysia and not anywhere else in the region or in the world, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

He said the country's founding fathers agreed on this multi-education approach so that the different races of the nation could continue to use their mother tongue as well as practise their traditions and cultures.

“This is a unique system and only found in Malaysia, where all races are allowed to maintain their language, traditions and cultures.

“Our founding fathers had opted for integration - rather than assimilation - among the different races,” he said, when opening a new school block for SRJK (C) Soon Cheng in Sungai Abong, near here, Saturday.

Najib added that although Bahasa Malaysia is the national language, other languages have been maintained.

Regarding Chinese education, Najib commended the community for making education and learning a priority and praised them for always willing to contribute to these matters.

“Such strong commitment to education helped the community to build many Chinese schools in the country,” adding this commitment also helped Chinese Malaysians to achieve economic growth and success.

Najib said besides their academic knowledge in such fields as the sciences and mathematics, the community is also known for their quest of business and entrepreneurial knowledge.

“Making education and learning the top priority is a virtue that we all acknowledge and praise. We also appreciate their roles and contributions in national growth,” said Najib, adding every race in the country has its role in the country.

Laptops for 4,000 Gua Musang students
2011/03/27
http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/Laptopsfor4_000GuaMusangstudents/Article/

GUA MUSANG: Some 4,160 students in this district will receive the 1Malaysia laptop computers this year, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) eastern region director Mohd Shafie Harun said.

The computers, costing RM4.160 million, would help students from poor families to gain access to ICT facilities.

He was speaking to reporters after the handing over of the 1Malaysia Netbook by Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Tengku Indera Petra Dua, near here today.

Mohd Shafie also said that the MCMC would further expand the broadband coverage in Gua Musang by setting up more WiFi areas.

Among areas with WiFi connectivity at the moment are Kampung Lembaga as well as the community broadband centres in Bandar Lama Gua Musang, Bertam Baru and Bandar Chiku. -- BERNAMA

Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM), Kedah

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v608/nazrey/University/th_05-3.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v608/nazrey/University/05-3.jpg) http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v608/nazrey/University/th_06-3.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v608/nazrey/University/06-3.jpg) http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v608/nazrey/University/th_23-2.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v608/nazrey/University/23-2.jpg)
UUM Plans To Make World Top 500 List By 2020
March 27, 2011 15:37 PM
http://www.bernama.com/bernama/state_news/news.php?id=574020&cat=nt

SINTOK, March 27 (Bernama) - Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) Vice-Chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Mohamed Mustafa Ishak said a two-phase plan has been prepared to make it among the world top 500 list by 2020.

"Busines management is a niche which UUM can't drop just to become famous," he said at Kedah & The Eminent Media Night here Saturday night.

The first phase (2011-2015) was to make UUM the best university nationally and the second phase (2016-2020) was to make the world top 500 and Asia Pacific top 30 by 2020.

Dr Mustafa said UUM was willing to spend big on inviting leading figures from world top universities to give lectures and appoint them as visiting professors.

"We have set an allocation for this purpose and are confident of attracting more international students to enrol as students here," he added.

-- BERNAMA

HELP International Corp sees potential in Sri Lanka and Cambodia
By DALJIT DHESI Friday April 1, 2011

http://biz.thestar.com.my/archives/2011/4/1/business/b_05help.jpg

Datuk Dr Paul Chan Tuck Hoong and Datin Chan- Low Kam Yoke
looking at a model of its Subang 2 campus.

It also intends to franchise education programmes in Mideast and Africa

KUALA LUMPUR: HELP International Corp Bhd (HIC) is looking to expand into Sri Lanka, Cambodia, the Middle East and Africa to franchise its education programmes as well as offer professional niche courses for business continuity to rev up its revenue stream.

Group chief executive Datin Chan-Low Kam Yoke said the company would be expanding into Sri Lanka and Cambodia by the third quarter and the Middle East and Africa probably by the first quarter of next year.

“Sri Lanka and Cambodia are potential markets for the group. The former, for example, has a growing demand for good education coupled with rapid development taking shape in the country. In addition, the culture and history is almost similar to that of Malaysia and this bodes well for HIC to venture there,'' she said in an interview.

Although the population of Cambodia was relatively small, Low said the economy was picking up, further strengthened by the discovery of oil reserves there.

http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/4/1/business/8389038&sec=business#13016691115321&if_height=838

guys somebody can give me info about Segi University College ?

http://www.segi.edu.my/campuses/suc/

SEGI College at USJ
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2128/2117491790_175fba0207_b.jpg

SEGi College @Kota Damansara

http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/7636/20070841yj2.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1299/1098700319_518397c18f_b.jpg

SEGi to introduce more niche programmes
Saturday March 26, 2011
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/3/26/business/8354526&sec=business

http://thestar.com.my/archives/2011/3/26/business/bw_pg12segi.jpg

SEGi currently has an enrolment of more than
23,000 local and international students.

PETALING JAYA: Educational group SEG International Bhd (SEGi) is introducing more new high-margin programmes going forward.

RHB Research said SEGi planned to introduce more niche programmes, such as medical sciences, pharmacy, optometry, dentistry as well as more post-graduate courses that would help to improve its margins.

“Besides that, the company is also growing its international student base where currently 10% of its students are foreigners and management is keen to boost that to 20% by the end of its current financial year ending Dec 31.

“Also, SEGi will further penetrate into the adult learning market to leverage off its strategic locations within the city, while benefiting from flexibility in terms of class scheduling and fee payments,” said the research house in recent report.

On its balance sheet, RHB Research said the university's revenue had been rising steadily since 2007 with a three-year compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 36.1% driven by the increase in student enrolment.

“Its earnings have seen three-year CAGR of 102.9%. This is due to the introduction of higher-margin academic courses and professional courses after the group achieved its university college status in 2008,” it said.

SEGi currently operates from six campuses located in the Klang Valley, Penang and Sarawak with an enrolment of more than 23,000 of local and international students.

guys which malaysian medicine universities accept international student ?

guys which malaysian medicine universities accept international student ?

Ozerov,

There's plenty of private education institutions (colleges or university colleges) that accept international students, probably some public universities too.

Here is the link for you too find out. Hope these help.

http://www.studymalaysia.com/

http://www.mohe.gov.my/educationmsia/

Modular system for STPM next year
Monday April 11, 2011
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/4/11/nation/8456797&sec=nation

PETALING JAYA: The introduction of a modular system for assessing the Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) examinations will begin next year, and not this year as originally scheduled.

Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong said the system would be based on three semesters and students would be evaluated at the end of each one.

“This will be similar to the system in place at universities to help students adjust to the sort of continuous assessment involved in tertiary study,” he said.

“Due to the logistics involved following the change, we will only start the modular system with Lower Six students next year.

“However, the content of the STPM syllabus will remain the same,” he told The Star yesterday.

In 2009, it was reported that the existing terminal system for STPM assessments would be replaced by a modular one in 2011.

Dr Wee added that the modular assessment would also include coursework and school-based projects.

SKMM beri 10,700 netbook percuma kepada pelajar Pulau Pinang
2011/04/14
http://www.bharian.com.my/bharian/articles/SKMMberi10_700netbookpercumakepadapelajarPulauPinang/Article

NIBONG TEBAL: Suruhanjaya Komunikasi dan Multimedia Wilayah Utara (SKMM) akan memberikan komputer Netbook 1Malaysia secara percuma kepada 10,700 pelajar sekolah di Pulau Pinang dalam fasa pertama sumbangannya, bermula hari ini.

Pengarahnya, Mohd Hussin Ali, berkata pengagihan komputer netbook itu akan dibuat secara berperingkat bermula di sini dan akan diperluas ke seluruh negeri mengikut daerah.

Katanya, pemberian itu adalah usaha merapatkan jurang digital di kalangan pelajar bandar dan luar bandar selain memberi peluang golongan pelajar menikmati kemudahan teknologi maklumat dan komunikasi (ICT).

"Netbook itu perlu dimanfaatkan khususnya bagi meningkatkan pengetahuan digital dan ICT sebagai alat bantuan pembelajaran," katanya kepada pemberita selepas Majlis Penyerahan Netbook 1Malaysia di Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Saujana Indah di sini.

Majlis itu dirasmikan oleh Penasihat Kementerian Kemajuan Luar Bandar dan Wilayah, Datuk Zainal Abidin Osman.

Mohd Hussin berkata, bantuan itu juga bertujuan meringankan bebanan ibu bapa yang berpendapatan rendah untuk membeli komputer kepada anak-anak mereka.

"Sehubungan itu, menjadi tanggungjawab pelajar untuk menghargai sumbangan Kerajaan Pusat itu dan menjaga peralatan itu dengan cermat untuk dikongsi bersama dengan anggota keluarga," katanya.

Katanya, pemberian netbook itu juga usaha SKMM untuk membantu matlamat mencapai sasaran 50 peratus penembusan jalur lebar di kalangan isi rumah menjelang akhir tahun ini termasuk membudayakan ICT agar menjadi
gaya hidup rakyat. - BERNAMA

SEGi, S. Korea varsity in nurse training deal
Published: 2011/04/15
http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/20110414235507/Article/

SEG International Bhd is partnering South Korea’s Chung Cheong University to set up a nursing faculty at its Kota Damansara campus in Selangor.

Chung Cheong will provide the nurses who will be trained in Malaysia for eventual jobs in the US, Canada, London and other countries in Europe.

SEGi expects to get about 300 students from Chung Cheong and this will result in almost RM7 million in extra revenue for SEGi in the first year.

Asia e-University targets 5,000 new students this year
By Cheryl Yvonne Achu Published: 2011/04/15
http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/AeU/Article/

KUALA LUMPUR: Asia e-University (AeU) expects to double the number of students this year with an aggressive marketing strategy.

AeU director for school of professional and executive education, Dr Abdillah Suffian Abdul Rahim, hopes that based on this, AeU will get some 5,000 new students.

"5,000 is a pretty big number to achieve, but we will do our best to achieve that big number," he said at a media briefing yesterday.

Every year, AeU enrolls about 3,000 students and it now has more than 5,500 students undergoing various undergraduate, postgraduate, executive and professional programmes.

AeU deputy-president Proffesor Dr Hairudin Harun said postgraduate programmes offered at AeU include Masters of Business Administration, Masters of Education and Masters of Information and Communication Technology Management.

AeU has embraced technology and is one of the 70 universities in Asia that uses the open university concept to meet the rising needs of working adults.

It was established under the Asia Cooperation Dialogue, a multilateral grouping of 31 Asian member countries including China, Japan, Cambodia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam. It collaborates with over 50 higher education institutions and training centres in these countries to offer academic and professional training programmes throughout Asia.

www.aeu.edu.my/

300 sekolah kluster menjelang 2015
Oleh HISHAM IDRIS
http://www.kosmo.com.my/kosmo/content.asp?y=2011&dt=0423&pub=Kosmo&sec=Negara&pg=ne_08.htm

http://www.kosmo.com.my/kosmo/pix/2011/0423/Kosmo/Negara/ne_08.1.jpg
ABD. GHAFAR (tiga dari kiri) beramah mesra bersama sebahagian penerima
sijil pengiktirafan sekolah kluster kecemerlangan di Putrajaya semalam.

PUTRAJAYA - Kementerian Pelajaran optimis mampu menambah bilangan sekolah kluster kecemerlangan (SKK) menjadi 300 buah menjelang 2015 berlandaskan kepada Pelan Induk Pembangunan Pendidikan bagi melonjakkan kecemerlangan institusi pendidikan di negara ini.

Ketua Pengarah Pelajaran, Datuk Abd. Ghafar Mahmud berkata, pada masa kini jumlah SKK yang sedia ada sebanyak 124 buah meliputi sekolah di bandar dan luar bandar.

"Dengan pengiktirafan ini, sekolah-sekolah luar bandar terutamanya tidak akan terpinggir daripada menerima faedah pembangunan pendidikan yang dilaksanakan oleh kerajaan," katanya.

Beliau berkata demikian dalam ucapan pada Majlis Pengiktirafan SKK Fasa 4 2011 di sini semalam.

Curbing abuse of netbooks
By HAMDAN RAJA ABDULLAH Saturday April 23, 2011
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2011/4/23/southneast/8532243&sec=southneast

http://thestar.com.my/archives/2011/4/23/southneast/ms_pg03netbook.jpg
Free for students: SMK Sungai Abong students posing
with Saipolbahari (top centre) after receiving their netbooks.

MUAR: Parents whose child had received free computers under the 1Malaysia netbook scheme should monitor their children’s internet surfing activities.

Bakri Barisan Naisonal division chairman Datuk Saipolbahari Suib said this is to ensure the pupils would not abuse their netbooks to browse and download negative materials.

He said the netbooks costs RM1,300 each and included a subsidised broadband connection for the students to acquire knowledge from the internet.

“The BN government wants to boost its human capital development plan to ensure future Malaysians will be more knowledgeable.

“The scheme is not cheap, but the government decided to undertake it as it can benefit the people,” he said at a presentation of 421 netbooks to pupils of SMK Sungai Abong here recently.

Saipolbahari said besides SMK Sungai Abong, six other schools in Bakri also received the free netbooks which were distributed among some 3,000 students.

He added that parents and teachers should see to it that the students utilise the netbooks everyday and no netbooks should be sold for fast cash.

Saipolbahari praised the government and Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission for launching the 1Malaysia netbook scheme for school children.

Earlier, school principal, Mahmud Sarlan said the free netbooks were distributed among those who excelled in classes, poor and those who were actives in schools activities.

He added that the school had 1,310 pupils and most are eligible for the free netbooks but the school only received 421 sets from the Commission.

“We have to conduct thorough checks to determine the most eligible as we dont want parents to complain when their children did not receive the netbook.

“Since we also have many Chinese and Indian students, we have to be fair and distribute the netbooks among the most eligible,” Mahmud added.

Intel And MSD Extend ICT Education To Rural Communities
April 19, 2011 17:49 PM
http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsbusiness.php?id=580348

SERENDAH, April 19 (Bernama)-- Intel Malaysia and MSD Digital Intelligence Sdn Bhd today introduced the Intel Easy Steps Programme in 168 community broadband centres (CBCs) nationwide, to help rural communities access information communication and technology (ICT).

Intel Malaysia Country Manager, Sales and Marketing, Prakash Mallya said the company would undertake to provide the services of a senior trainer to conduct a train-the-trainer session for the 168 CBCs selected by MSD.

It has targeted more than 168 trainers to be trained under the programme by June.

"Intel has allocated an annual investment of approximately US$100 million globally for education programmes. We have invested about RM25 million on the education initiatives in Malaysia, including the Intel Learn and Intel Teach.

"Intel Easy Steps Programme is the latest education deployment in Malaysia," Prakash told reporters after an exchange of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) agreement with MSD in Taman Seri Serendah, Hulu Selangor today.

"The Intel Easy Steps Programme is a community education offered to adult and youth learners with little or no experience with computers and who are in need of basic technology," he said.

He also said the programme is aligned to the government's agenda to drive connectivity, increase awareness of ICT and promote its usage and benefits amongst the underserved communities.

"The collaboration underlines Intel's commitment as a corporate citizen to provide learning opportunities for Malaysians to acquire ICT skills while enabling them to participate in the country's continuing growth and development," he added.

Also present at the event was Telekom Malaysia chairman Datuk Dr Halim Shafie and MSD Director, Abdul Jalil Mohamed.

MSD currently manages 168 CBC's nationwide. Part of its role is to provide solutions services at the CBCs which includes managing ICT training.

Abdul Jalil said the introduction of the programme would enhance its existing educational offerings.

-- BERNAMA

Nangka rep to set up education secretariat
by Peter Boon. Posted on April 25, 2011, Monday
http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=125773

SIBU: Sticking to his promise made before the state election, Nangka assemblyman Dr Annuar Rapaee will set up an education secretariat to ensure schools in the constituency achieve good results in public examinations.

He said the secretariat, to comprise headmasters and parent-teachers associations (PTAs), would join hands with former students to roll out motivational programmes and provide extra classes to students.

“This is the main agenda in Nangka constituency and all schools here, with the exception of one or two, should be considered as urban schools and hence should not perform below rural schools,” Dr Annuar told The Borneo Post.

He also revealed that he was trying to promote the idea that schools in the constituency ought to set up alumni associations.

“If I were to target primary one onwards then it is important to ensure good results in UPSR in the next five years,” he noted.

Asked on how he would go about achieving this, he explained that headmasters, PTAs and alumni must work closely to make this happen.

Ministry to study guidelines for school canteen menus
By PRIYA KULASAGARAN Thursday April 28, 2011
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/4/28/nation/8568511&sec=nation

PUTRAJAYA: The proposed guidelines for school canteen menus will be discussed in detail before their implementation.

Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong said the Education and Health ministries would consider the welfare of all the parties involved.

“We cannot enforce such guidelines overnight because canteen operators need to be given sufficient notice to implement the changes.

“We also have to consider how enforcement of the guidelines is to be carried out. For instance, will checks be carried out by education officers, health ministry officials, or school principals themselves?” he said after meeting students and parents on matriculation issues at the ministry yesterday.

Under the Health Ministry's proposed guidelines set to come into effect next month, canteens may serve nasi lemak only twice a week while burgers, sausages and nuggets would be banned.

Earlier, Dr Wee held a meeting with students who were unhappy about their marks in the matriculation programme.

These students entered the programme last year after those who were originally given places left upon obtaining Public Service Department scholarships.

Their major complaint was that despite their late entry, the final cumulative grade point average (CGPA) included evaluation of those weeks when they had not joined the programme.

Dr Wee said the ministry would look into the matter.

“There are 39 cases. We will go through them one by one. If there are discrepancies in the marks allocation, we will rectify them.

“Students should be evaluated only from the day they started the matriculation programme and not be penalised for late entry,” he said.

School adoption programme to help police curb crime in schools
Posted on April 28, 2011, Thursday
http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=126573

KUALA LUMPUR: The School Adoption Programme aimed at fostering close relations between school students and the police is the latest move by Kuala Lumpur police to curb crime in schools and in the students’ adult life later on.

Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Zulkifli Abdullah said 10 schools in the Federal Territory had been selected as the pioneer group for this programme of social responsibility towards the community.

It is organised with the cooperation of the Federal Territory Education Department.

Zulkifli said the programme would include motivational and leadership camps, elocution contests, visit to the Police Museum and prisons, and leadership course for the police corps cadet officers.

“Also to be incorporated into the School Adoption Programme will be the mentor-mentee programme, with the school relations officers playing an important role in fostering close school-police relations and the schools identifying the issues or problems involving students that need to be addressed.” Zulkifli was speaking to reporters after launching the progamme at SMK Raja Abdullah, Taman Batu Sentul, here, yesterday.

He said a police officer with the rank of ASP from the contingent headquarters would be appointed as mentor for a selected school.

“I believe students can benefit from this programme through building character and resilience, and through exposing them to the country’s laws and their role in maintaining security.”

He said Kuala Lumpur police also planned to include more schools if the programme with the pioneer group proved to be successful. — Bernama

“We did not set any criteria for selecting the 10 schools, and not because they are problematic schools or not.” He said the adoption programme would later be reviewed together with the school authorities and Education Department for any necessary changes or improvement to be made. — Bernama

http://www.nst.com.my/

http://www.nst.com.my/nst/PixFront/pix050301

NURTURING AND ENCOURAGING THE YOUNG... Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin praises and congratulates these high achieving youngsters: Izni Ezzat Chan (2nd from right), Jason Lim Eng Kiat (right) Hwang Sin Ye (third from right), Muhammad Putera Farid Iskandar and Narendar Samuthiram (left), when he presented them with the National Scholarship awards in Putrajaya. -- Picture by NST/ Izhari Ariffin
May 3, 2011 10:50 am

A pre-school for every primary school by 2012
Posted on May 4, 2011, Wednesday
http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=127707

KUCHING: The state government is aiming to establish a pre-school to every primary school across Sarawak by 2012.

This is to ensure that there is a surplus or an equal number of pre-school for every child in the state to kick start their early education said Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department (Human Resource and Training) Datin Fatimah Abdullah yesterday.

With the Education Ministry as the main player, other agencies such as Kemas and Taska Perpaduan Integrasi Nasional play a complementary role towards the administration of pre-schools.

She also said that there is an increase in the number of children attending pre-school before entering primary one between the present year and 2010.

However, Fatimah said that the standard of pre-school education varies between different areas in the state.

She also said that this is where agencies such as Kemas play their role to become the channel for suggestions on ways to improve the standard of education.

“To elevate the standard of pre-school education is actually a continuous process,” said Fatimah who is also Dalat assemblywoman.

She also said that the government is aware of the hardships faced by private kindergartens or institutions especially on their finances to pay their teachers’ salaries and cover for the overhead costs of the centre.

Fatimah believes that the financial strain of these institutions is mainly caused by the small number of children in private kindergartens but the exact opposite is experienced by government aided kindergartens.

She also said that to ease the financial strain, these private institutions would normally employ Form five school leavers as their staff to stretch their cost.

The Education Ministry, said Fatimah, has for its second year been offering courses or seminars to private kindergarten teachers to improve their teaching standards.

“This is to make sure that we have quality teachers,” said Fatimah adding that the Sarawak Pre-school Council would also play a role in improving and overseeing the teaching standard of every institution.

On nurseries, Fatimah said that a strict compliance standard must be adhered to by the operators of nurseries to ensure safety takes top priority.

The operators, she said, have to undergo various procedures and also comply with regulations from the Health department, Bomba and Land and Survey department.

Fatimah however said that all these procedures are now made simpler and straight forward.

Meanwhile, Fatimah also said that she was happy that several longhouses in Sarawak are enthusiastic about preschool education within their vicinity.

“Now we have four kindergartens driven by private sectors under the National Key Result Areas,” said Fatimah.

She said that currently Sedidik is given the trust to run these centres.

“I am happy with the performance in terms of speed and quality to set up this centres at a very minimal cost,” said Fatimah, taking the nearly completed centre in Julau as an example.

She also commended several Tuai Rumahs for donating their lands to build the centre near their longhouses, adding that these people are visionaries who help to produce quality human capital for the state.

UKM’S student wins gold at international competition
Posted on May 3, 2011, Tuesday
http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=127349

KUALA LUMPUR: Two Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s (UKM) PERMATAPintar students won the gold and bronze medals respectively at the recent 3rd Apec Future Scientist Conference in Taiwan.

Amy Ng May Kay won the gold while Nurul Amalina Ramli won the bronze in their projects for a competition themed “Carbon-Zero Eco House”, PERMATAPintar Negara said in a statement yesterday.

Both of them represented UKM’s PERMATAPintar in the five-day conference from April 11 at the National Taiwan University.

“Each participant was required to build a miniature model of an eco-friendly house using only the materials provided.

“They were evaluated based on creativity, practicality, economic efficiency and skills in presenting their projects,” the statement said. — Bernama

http://www.nst.com.my/

http://www.nst.com.my/nst/PixFront/pix050301

NURTURING AND ENCOURAGING THE YOUNG... Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin praises and congratulates these high achieving youngsters: Izni Ezzat Chan (2nd from right), Jason Lim Eng Kiat (right) Hwang Sin Ye (third from right), Muhammad Putera Farid Iskandar and Narendar Samuthiram (left), when he presented them with the National Scholarship awards in Putrajaya. -- Picture by NST/ Izhari Ariffin
May 3, 2011 10:50 am

National scholarships for top 30 students
2011/05/04
http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/05schol/Article/

http://www.nst.com.my/articles/05schol/single
Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin looking
at a National Scholarship 2011 offer letter for Iman Izni Ezzat Chan (second
from right), a former student of SMK (P) Sri Aman, after the presentation
ceremony in Putrajaya yesterday. — NST picture by Izhari Ariffin

PUTRAJAYA: The government yesterday handed out national scholarships to the top 30 straight-A students in line with efforts to widen access to quality education.

In describing the scholarships as the most prestigious in Malaysia, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said they were aimed at producing knowledgeable, highly qualified and skilled human capital.

The students will also receive a living allowance which is said to be 50 per cent more than allowances given in other scholarships.

"The government's main aim is to create a creative, innovative and highly skilled workforce which is important in becoming a high-income nation," he said before presenting the scholarships to the students.

Also present were Public Service Department director-general Datuk Seri Abu Bakar Abdullah and Education director-general Datuk Abd Ghafar Mahmud.

Muhyiddin, who is also education minister, said the scholarships not only showed the government's concern in developing the young but was also meant to give students the opportunity to realise their potential.

The success of these students would, in turn, increase the nation's competitive edge, he added.

Later, launching the Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing Ministry's Menara Seri Wilayah, Muhyiddin said economic development had to be balanced to ensure there was no disparity among the people.

This was why, he added, the government was going all out to eradicate poverty and encourage every household to produce a professional.

"But we realise that development must also be environmentally-friendly and serve as a catalyst for greater well-being."

These aspects, he said, were taken into account when it came to transforming "Greater Kuala Lumpur and Klang Valley" into a world-class city.

On Menara Seri Wilayah, Muhyidding said it had been refurbished to optimise the use of space -- a concept that would be applied to other government buildings in future.

Present were Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing Minister Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin and Putrajaya Corporation president Tan Sri Samsuddin Osman.

Source: http://www.weforum.org/

http://www.upislam.com/images/86557991338794057545.jpg

Scholars' strong research benefits industry
2011/05/04
http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/upmheading/Article/

SERDANG: UPM Vice-Chancellor Datuk Ir Dr Radin Umar Radin Sohadi believes the university’s expertise in teaching, learning, research and innovation should be put to good use for the betterment of society and to raise the standard of living of the people.

With this in mind, he said, it was the policy of the varsity to encourage more of its academicians and professionals to participate in activities that benefit the country, community and the industrial sector.

UPM has established itself as a renowned research university, its management school has gained recognition as one of the top Malaysian Business Schools while its Bioscience Institute has been acknowledged as Centre of Excellence (CoE) in higher education, according to Radin.

A university is measured by the quality of the graduates it produces and how well they are received by employers. UPM focuses on “student-centred learning” and employs pedagogic methods such as “outcome-based education”, “problem-based learning” and “modular approach and case study” to develop well-rounded graduates.

The vision of UPM and the attributes it so values are reflected in the award winners who will be honoured at MGAP 10.

PSD scholarships for SPM top scorers
By KAREN CHAPMAN Friday May 6, 2011
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/5/6/nation/8630773&sec=nation

PETALING JAYA: The Cabinet has decided that all students who scored 8A+ and above in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) 2010 will get a Public Service Department (PSD) scholarship.

MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak was very happy with the SPM results and wanted to reward more good students.

“We want to train more people and encourage good students further,'' he said, when contacted by The Star.

Yesterday, Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong also tweeted about the good news decided by the Cabinet on Wednesday.

In his tweets, he said that such a move was commendable.

“Indeed (the) Cabinet is adopting (a) colour-blind policy and (is) sincere in helping top students of all races,” Dr Wee said.

However, he could not be contacted for further comment.

In July last year, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said all students who scored 9A+ or more would receive PSD scholarships regardless of their race.

Najib added it did not matter if they were Malay, Chinese, Indian, Kadazan, Iban or others, adding that as long as they scored 9A+, they would get the scholarship, either for local or overseas studies.

He said this was to show that 1Malaysia was not just a slogan.

During the announcement of the analysis of the SPM 2010 results in March, Education director-general Datuk Abd Ghafar Mahmud said this year's SPM results have so far been the best in four years.

He said a total of 403 candidates comprising 363 from government schools and 40 from private schools or private students obtained A+ (super distinction) in all subjects last year compared with 214 in 2009.

Abd Ghafar said this was the second year the ministry had used the new grading system with students graded according to A+, A, A-, B+, B, C+, C, D, E and G as compared with the previous standards where the grades were from 1A to 9G.

This method gives a detailed breakdown of candidates who obtained grade A in the examination, he added.

Private sector urged to build technical and vocational schools
Posted on May 7, 2011, Saturday
http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=128519

MELAKA: The private sector has been invited to participate in the development of technical and vocational schools to provide adequate manpower and human capital capable of driving the country’s economic sector and turn Malaysia into a developed nation.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said that in the next 10 years, Malaysia was projected to require 3.3 million trained and knowledgeable manpower with the special skills to meet the demand of the country’s major economic sectors.

“With the collaboration between the public and private sectors to develop technical and vocational schools, we will be able to utilize the facilities provided and send a larger number of students (to take up vocational education).

“This can also resolve the shortage (of skilled manpower) which we will face in the next five to 10 years,” he said.

Speaking at the launch of the Melaka Educational Fair here yesterday, Muhyiddin who is also the Education Minister, said currently only 10 per cent of the total number of students in the country’s education system were in the vocational and technical streams.

He said about 60 per cent of the student population in some other countries studied in vocational streams that were needed to fill up the requirement of the main economic sectors to develop the country.

As such, he said the government was focusing its efforts on implementing the educational transformation programme which also stressed on increasing manpower who were considered to be trained in the main economic sectors.

“We had announced earlier that we are targeting to increase (the number of students in the vocational and technical streams) from 10 per cent to 20 per cent within the next five years…this is a major challenge for us.

“This is where the role of the public and private sectors to assist in the development of the country’s educational sector will become more important,” he said. — Bernama

Limkokwing wins six awards in US-based competition
Posted on May 11, 2011, Wednesday
http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=129265

KUCHING: Limkokwing University of Creative Technology won six awards at the recent 2011 Internet Advertising Competition in the United States, putting their online presence as a global leader in tertiary education.

The university’s website and its iPhone application garnered three awards each for ‘Outstanding Achievement in Internet Advertising’.

The university’s website distinguished itself as the ‘Best Education Website’, ‘Best School Website’ and ‘Best University Website’.

Its iPhone application for the university’s student portal also won three awards – ‘Best Education Mobile application’, ‘Best School Mobile application’ and ‘Best University Mobile application’.

The Limkokwing Web 2.0 student portal is integrated to the university’s award-winning website www.limkokwing.net. In addition to providing students access to information and course materials, it also functions as a community where students can chat, share their works and ideas.

The integration of social networking programmes like Facebook, Myspace and Twitter makes the portal more easily accessible and manageable.

The student portal is accessed daily by over 5,000 students comprising of more than 150 nationalities.

The Limkokwing iPhone application which has been available on Apple’s iPhone App Store since June 2010, is a mobile version of the University’s Student Portal developed specifically for the iPhone. Students can view class schedules, exam results and even lecture notes and assignments through the application.

Since its launch in 2009, this website has an accumulated traffic of over 230 million hits from 222 countries and territories. It provides all the required information and multimedia resources about the university for prospective students, the public and the media.

The IAC is an annual event that gives recognition to the online advertising by industry. Entries were judged on creativity, innovation, impact, design, copywriting, use of the medium and memorability.

The 2011 judges represented some of the best the Internet Advertising community has to offer, including Arc Worldwide, BGT Partners and Brunner Digital among others.

The University is shoulder to shoulder with big names such as Toyota, Coca-Cola, Dell, Walt Disney, MTV, AT&T, Harley-Davidson, Bentley, Cartoon Network and many others who won in various categories in this competition.

These IAC awards added up to a list of over 20 other awards in the World Wide Web Domination category for Limkokwing’s website, blogs and mobile application.

Unesco impressed with KPIs for education
By RICHARD LIM Friday May 13, 2011
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/5/13/nation/8677217&sec=nation

http://thestar.com.my/archives/2011/5/13/nation/n_10muhyiddin.jpg
Muhyiddin chatting with a mechatronics students during his
visit to the Lycée Dorian Vocational School in France. — Bernama

PARIS: Malaysia's focus on education through the National Key Results Areas (NKRAs) and the use of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) has caught the eye of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco).

Unesco director-general Irina Bokova said such implementation was important to improve efficiency and accountability in the education system.

Describing KPIs as “important management tools”, she said Unesco was trying to help certain countries establish similar systems.

“School environment, motivation, teacher practices and curricula are important areas for Unesco and we help countries elaborate on them through our International Bureau for Education in Geneva.

“The United Nations Development Programme is also making efforts to develop a special framework in this area, so it's all very positive development,” she told Malaysian journalists covering the visit of Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin here.

Bokova, who has headed Unesco since 2009, said the body also supported the use of mother tongue education in schools.

She said Unesco's policy in principle was to promote mother tongue education especially at the primary level.

“We have seen evidence on the ground that children excel more in school when they learn in their mother tongue.

“I know it is costly and harder to organise but from what we have seen, the quality of education improves when one's mother tongue is used,” she added.

Meanwhile, Muhyiddin announced that students who were long-term hospital patients would be given the chance to catch up on their studies under a planned programme by the Education and Health ministries.

He said the “School in Hospital” programme would ensure no one would be left behind in continuous education.

“Discussions on the matter will be held between the Education and Health ministries,” Muhyiddin told a press conference before wrapping up his working trip to Europe.

IIUM
http://static.flickr.com/73/199977252_37979d4b9c_b.jpg
IIUM students top in international Arabic debate
Friday May 13, 2011
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/5/13/nation/8677468&sec=nation

http://thestar.com.my/archives/2011/5/13/nation/n_28maher.jpg
Well done: UIAM rector Prof Datuk Seri Dr Syed Arabi Idid (second from right)
speaking to the winners of IUADC Maher (left), Mohammed Ahmed second
from left) and Mohammed Hamood in Doha, Qatar.

PETALING JAYA: International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM) students emerged champions at the first International Universities Arabic Debating Championship (IUADC) in Doha, Qatar.

The team comprising Mohammed Ahmed Hamood al-Zubaidi, 24, Mohammed Hamood Ali al-Rajawi, 25, and 26-year-old Maher Mohammed Ali, all from Yemen, clinched the top spot for winning the debate in support of the topic “This House Believes in the Freedom of Press”.

Taking home a trophy for their achievement, Mohammed Ahmed Hamood al-Zubaidi who also won the best speaker award, said he and his team were ecstatic when they were announced as champions.

“It is such an honour to win and more so to represent a Malaysian university in an inter-national competition. I guess we have the best of both worlds since we are from Yemen and we get to represent both countries. Of course, when people ask where we are from, we tell them we are from Malaysia,” he said.

Teams were given 20 minutes to prepare their points before the competition that was held from April 26 to 28.

Mohammed Ahmed, who is the youngest in the team, added that meeting people from different countries was the best part of the competition.

“It was just amazing making new friends and getting to know people from all around the world,” he said.

'Foreigners love their language'
2011/05/12
http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/4paris/Article/

http://www.nst.com.my/articles/4paris/single
Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin blowing glass during his visit
to a vocational school in Paris yesterday. On the right is Malaysian
ambassador to France Tan Sri Dr Abdul Aziz Zainal. — Bernama picture

MANY developed countries achieved proficiency in English through the teaching of the language and not via other subjects, such as Science and Mathematics, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said.

In this regard, the deputy prime minister said, Malaysians needed to have the right perspective on language.

"I asked my counterparts in several countries whether proficiency in English can be achieved through Science and Mathematics, and they expressed surprise.

"I was told that in France, mastery of French is achieved through French language classes, and in Germany, German. In these countries, too, the people are proud of their national language and give it precedence, even if they can speak in English."

He said this at the end of his visit to the French capital to present a keynote address at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) executive board meeting.

Muhyiddin, who is also education minister, said he asked about it as the topic was being discussed in Malaysia.


In Copenhagen, Denmark, where Muhyiddin visited prior to Paris, he said Danes were proud of their national language.

"Their pride is so overwhelming that when they see others speaking in English, they ask: 'Don't you have a national language?' They use their national language in international conferences, even though they can speak English."

Muhyiddin was in Copenhagen to attend the Asia-Europe Meeting Conference of Ministers of Education.

"At the Unesco meeting, delegates from Slovenia, Russia and China, spoke in their national languages. When I met the representative from China, he spoke in English, but during his speech, he spoke in Mandarin."

He said this did not mean that the English language should be sidelined, but, rather, Malaysians should be aware that they have their own national language.

On vocational studies, he said he would send a delegation to Austria and Germany to see what Malaysia could learn from them.

"We have prepared a transformation plan to develop vocational studies, which are seen as a last resort by students.

"This is a problem. It affects our productivity as the labour force will not have the qualifications and experience needed.

"Therefore, we'll revamp the curriculum and certification programmes of the vocational and technical sectors."

Touching on Unesco's Education For All agenda, he said many member countries continued to have problems.

However, Malaysia was close to fulfilling its commitment to provide basic education for all children, youth and adults, he said.

"There is room for improvement. The rural-urban gap needs to be narrowed and a level playing field created for all."

In this regard, he said he hoped the budget for education next year would be higher.

He said his visits to Copenhagen and Paris allowed him to share with delegates the developments in Malaysia, and would help in the exchange of knowledge.

He said several countries had offered their expertise to Malaysia.

M’sia to study German, Austrian vocational education systems
Posted on May 13, 2011, Friday
http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=130001

http://www.theborneopost.com/newsimages/A005799465.jpg
FASCINATING: Muhyiddin (second left) observes glassblowing process at
Lycee Dorian Vocational School. Malaysian ambassador to France
Tan Sri Dr Abdul Aziz Zainal is at right. — Bernama photo

PARIS: Malaysia will send a delegation to Austria and Germany to study the two countries’ vocational education systems, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said.

Muhyiddin, who is also the Education Minister, said European countries were undeniably more advanced in the application of innovation and creativity in their education systems.

“We want to see what we can learn (from them),” he told the Malaysian media here on Wednesday at the end of his visit to two European cities — Copenhagen to attend the Asia-Europe Meeting for Ministers of Education (ASEMME) and Paris for the 186th Unesco executive meeting.

He described Malaysia’s participation in international conferences like the ASEMME as important because it allowed Malaysia to build strategic relationships with European countries.

“It is vital to create such relationships so we can adapt (the best systems) and tailor them to our country’s situation and context,” he added.

At the ASEMME, held at the Axelborg Hall, Muhyiddin delivered a speech, titled “Business and Industrial Operations in Education.”

Muhyiddin said the government had put in place plans to transform the country’s education system that would see, among others, the reorganisation of its vocational education system, giving it equal importance to the academic education system.

This reorganisation would involve curriculum, certification, teaching staff and approach to make the system more practicalbased rather than theory.

While here, Muhyiddin visited the Lycee Dorian vocational school which specialises in mecatronics, topography and glassmaking.

At the Unesco meeting, Muhyiddin shared with member countries about the achievements of Malaysia’s education system. – Bernama

1,000 laptops given out to students from 10 secondary schools
Posted on May 15, 2011, Sunday
http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=130360

http://www.theborneopost.com/newsimages/T04952.jpg
COMPUTER FOR ALL: Salleh poses with students from Kalabakan area after
handing over the One Malaysia Computer (laptop). — Bernama photo

TAWAU: About 1,000 students from ten secondary schools in the Kalabakan parliamentary constituency each received One Malaysia Computer (laptop) yesterday morning.

Kalabakan member of Parliament Datuk Seri Panglima Hj Abdul Ghapur Bin Hj Salleh officiated at the computer distribution ceremony at Umno Kalabakan Building, Jalan Dunlop here.

Ghapur said computer is a tool to gain knowledge from the Internet.

He believes that with the laptop the students could achieve excellent academic results.

“I urge all the students to be careful with what they are searching in the Internet or using Facebook which they should not abuse.

“The government is responsible in providing various facilities for the people either in the urban or rural areas. Whatever facilities that can be enjoyed by the people in towns can could be enjoyed by the the rural folk,” he pointed out.

Meanwhile, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) Sabah/Labuan Federation deputy director Juslly Elis also disclosed that the government had distributed 1.2 million computers to the people and 14 per cent of them were in Sabah.

This means 175,000 computers have been distributed to Sabahans via three phrases. For the first phrase last year, Juslly said 10,000 computers were distributed to schools in Sabah while 49,832 computers were distributed under the second phrase this year and 112,500 computers will be distributed this coming July under the third phrase.

For the third phase, 52,000 computers will be distributed to secondary school students in Sabah and another 60,000 computers will be distributed to the public.

“I hope the students could gain knowledge in cyberspace as it tends to bring positive impact in developing more IT literacy and improving their studies. Therefore, I urge the students to use the computers properly by searching utility information without misusing it such as selling it or searching immoral information,” he said. — Bernama

Juslly also urged the parents to monitor their children from time to time and ensure that they are using the computers for their own benefit.

Tawau Municipal Council president Ismail Mayakob was also present.

Perdana University Graduate School of Medicine

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/217369_122536471155610_122534104489180_157648_2103127_n.jpg
The Perdana University permanent campus sits on a 130-acre site abutting the Malaysia Agro-Exposition Park Serdang (MAEPS), five minutes from Putrajaya and 25 minutes from downtown Kuala Lumpur. Expected completion is in 2013.

Nine more schools awarded HPS status
Thursday May 26, 2011
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/5/26/nation/8759524&sec=nation

PUTRAJAYA: The Education Ministry has announced another nine High Performance Schools (HPS) for the year, bringing the total number to 52.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the status upgrade meant 32 schools made the cut this year, exceeding the ministry's 2011 target of 30 HPS.

“The quality of existing education provisions must be upgraded to be on par with advanced nations on the international stage,” he said in his speech which was read by his deputy Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong.

“A number of HPS have already been visited by representatives from Singapore, Thailand, China, Japan and Finland for benchmarking purposes.

“This shows that these schools have succeeded in attracting foreign interest in holding collaborative efforts for the improvement of overall student outcomes,” he added.

Muhyiddin said the Education National Key Results Area (NKRA) unit had worked with the HPS unit under the School Management Division (Residential and Excellent Schools) to ensure the 30-school target was met.

The nine new HPS comprised seven secondary and two primary schools.

The secondary schools were SM Sains Sabah, SM Agama Persekutuan Labu, Negri Sembilan, SMS Tuanku Munawir, Negri Sembilan, SMK Lembah Bidong, Terengganu, SMS Kuala Selangor, Selangor, SMK Agama Naim Lilbanat, Kelantan, and SMS Kuching, Sarawak.

SK Seksyen 9, Selangor, and SJKC Tung Hua, Sarawak, were the two primary schools.

Muhyiddin, who is also Education Minister, announced the second 23 schools on Feb 27 at SK Ulu Lubai in Limbang, Sarawak.

He added then that the status elevation of rural schools proved that any school could achieve academic success.

The first 20 HPS were announced last year. Two other HPS Sekolah Tun Fatimah, Johor, and SMS Tengku Abdullah, Pahang were singled out for praise for representing Malaysia at the Arafura Games held in Darwin, Australia, from May 8 to 16.

International benchmark only for main campus – UMS (www.ums.edu.my/)
by Adrian Nandu. Posted on May 24, 2011, Tuesday
http://www.theborneopost.com/2011/05/24/international-benchmark-only-for-main-campus-ums/

LABUAN: The director of Universiti Malaysia Sabah-Labuan International Campus (UMS-KAL), Associate Professor Dr Shariff Abd Kadir Omang, said that the international term for UMS-KAL was primarily referring to its offered programmes of studies at the campus.

He was asked whether the campus had reached international standard after several years of its foundation here in this island.

Dr Shariff said the international benchmark was only meant for its main campus and not the branch.

“So far the international term referred to is its international programme of studies under the Labuan International Campus Business School and not the campus itself. The benchmark is applicable to its main campus in Kota Kinabalu,” he said at his office.

Students have lamented that the campus has yet to build its own sport complex to be enjoyed by them just like their peers do at the main campus in Kota Kinabalu.

Dr Shariff said an allocation of RM1.3 million had been set aside to build the stadium on the campus and the project would be carried out soon.

“We may not build a stadium like the one at the main campus, but we will upgrade the track and some of its facilities and hopefully it will be completed by this year,” he said.

When asked why outside lecturers hardly wanted to teach at UMS-KAL, he said that it might be due to logistical constraints.

“To bring outside lecturers to teach here can be challenging for them. The logistical constraints they have to face here compared to Kota Kinabalu which has a lot of facilities.

“Air travel is easy but expensive, while sea transport is inefficient due to the time spent in waiting for the journey plus the lack of facilities available here on the island.

“If they were in Kota Kinabalu, they can go travel somewhere during the weekends without any constraint,” he said, adding that the main tourist attractions on the island needed to be developed more.

Dr Shariff said the idea of connecting Labuan to the mainland by means of a bridge is still relevant to boost the economy.

UMS-KAL undertook some promotions on the website and whenever there were programmes held abroad to attract international lecturers to teach here.

“So far we have 10 Bangladeshi lecturers teaching English,” he said.

When asked whether UMS-KAL would introduce a medical course at the campus to cater for the shortage of medical doctors at Labuan Hospital, he responded that a medical degree programme is only offered at UMS, Kota Kinabalu.

“UMS’ policy is not to offer the same course already available at the main campus to prevent the overlapping.

“However, there is a proposal to set up another course: International Management under Labuan International Campus Business School,” he said.

For professional programme of studies to be incorporated such as the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and law as suggested by the public here, he said that the accountancy programme is already available at UMS, Kota Kinabalu.

UMS Kota Kinabalu will open its law studies soon with focus on Islamic law.

UUM (www.uum.edu.my/) forms smart partnership with UniMAP (www.unimap.edu.my/eng/)
Posted on May 24, 2011, Tuesday
http://www.theborneopost.com/2011/05/24/uum-forms-smart-partnership-with-unimap/

SINTOK: Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) today inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to form a smart partnership with Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP).The agreement was signed by UUM Vice-Chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Mohamed Mustafa Ishak and UniMAP Vice-Chancellor Brig General Datuk Prof Dr Kamarudin Hussin here yesterday.

Mohamed Mustafa said among the objectives of the collaboration was to share skills and expertise in administration, academic development, student development, research and development (R&D) as well as academic resource development.

He said it would also reduce costs for the country’s higher education sector by increased effectiveness through the sharing of skills and resources by both varsities. — Bernama

Agong opens UTM (www.utm.my/) Advanced Informatics School
Posted on May 25, 2011, Wednesday
http://www.theborneopost.com/2011/05/25/agong-opens-utm-advanced-informatics-school/

KUALA LUMPUR: Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin yesterday declared open Universiti Teknologi Malaysia’s Advanced Informatics School (AIS), a world-class software engineering centre, here, yesterday.

The King was accompanied by UTM vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Ir Dr Zaini Ujang and pro-chancellor Tan Sri Dr Salleh Mohd Nor, and New Zealand High Commissioner to Malaysia, David Pine.

Zaini said UTM AIS would be helming the academic programme, research and consultations involving the application of information communications technology (ICT) in the region.

“The contribution of the ICT sector which recorded 9.8 per cent to Gross Domestic Product in 2009 is expected to increase to 10.2 per cent by 2015,” he said in his speech at the opening ceremony.

Zaini said UTM AIS was also collaborating with government agencies like CyberSecurity Malaysia, and Microsoft, IBM and professional bodies such as IASA, EC-Council and Royal Holloway of the University of London in ensuring that the programmes offered were relevant to the industries. — Bernama

Travel agents to attend courses at UiTM (http://www.uitm.edu.my/) under MoA
Posted on May 28, 2011, Saturday
http://www.theborneopost.com/2011/05/28/travel-agents-to-attend-courses-at-uitm-under-moa/

SHAH ALAM: University Technology Mara (UiTM) signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Association of Bumiputera Tour and Travel Agents Malaysia (Bumitra) to enhance continued cooperation in the country’s travel sector. Bumitra Malaysia President, Mohd Ayub Hassan said, members of the association would be attending a series of tourism courses at UiTM’s Faculty of Hotel and Tourism Management.

“Courses in English, Japanese, Mandarin and Arabic taught as part of the syllabus would help them interact better with tourists from the respective countries,” he told reporters after signing the MOA with UiTM, which was represented by its Vice Chancellor, Prof Datuk Dr Sahol Hamid Abu Bakar, at UiTM Hotel here.

The agents would also learn the basics of running a travel agency, marketing techniques and packaging medium and luxury scale tours. — Bernama

Dr Sahol Hamid said, “We hope the very experienced agents attending the courses will provide feedback to the UiTM teaching staff on improving our syllabus whilst gaining new knowledge from us.” — Bernama

UCSI (http://www.ucsi.edu.my/) and Limkokwing (www.limkokwing.net/malaysia/) offer scholarships under The Borneo Post Education Fund
Posted on May 31, 2011, Tuesday
http://www.theborneopost.com/2011/05/31/ucsi-and-limkokwing-offer-scholarships-under-the-borneo-post-education-fund/

KUCHING: Two academic giants – UCSI University and Limkokwing University of Creative Technology – are offering scholarships for a range of their diploma and degree programmes under The Borneo Post Education Fund.

The awards are open to East Malaysian students. Eligible students can apply to any of the degree or foundation programmes leading to a degree programme offered at both universities.

The UCSI University Foundation is offering nine programmes under the UCSI-Borneo Post Education Fund for full and partial tuition fee waivers to candidates who demonstrate outstanding academic achievement and active participation in extracurricular activities.

The programmes offered under the fund are Diploma in Hotel Management, Diploma in Nursing, Bachelor of Nursing (Hons), B Eng (Hons) in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, BA (Hons) in Accounting and Finance, B Sc Actuarial Science, BCA (Hons) in 3D Animation Design, as well as BA (Hons) in Commerce, Event and Tourism Management and Hospitality Management.

To qualify for a full-tuition or partial tuition fee waiver for the foundation programme, the minimum requirements for SPM leavers are either 10A+/As or 7As in the relevant subjects, inclusive of the English language.

To be eligible for either a full or partial tuition fee waiver for their degree programmes, prospective students with A-Level accreditation must either have 3As or 3Bs, STPM, Malaysian MOHE Matriculation students and diploma holders must have a CGPA of 3.80 or 3.40 and above with relevant subjects taken into consideration, UEC with 8As or 5As, SAM and CPU with aggregates of 90 per cent or 80 per cent and above, while International Baccalaureate students must have 40 or 36 grade points and above.

Limkokwing is offering full tuition fee waivers for their four programmes offered under the fund namely diplomas in Mass Communication, Graphic Design, Architecture Technology and Interior Design.

The minimum requirement to qualify for a tuition fee waiver in their diploma programmes for SPM is 9As and above, O’Levels is 6As and above, A-Levels is 3As, STMP and Malaysian MOHE Matriculation students with 3.75-4.00 CGPA and above, and UEC with 8As and above in the relevant subjects.

All scholarship awards offered by the universities are subject to the terms and conditions stipulated in their application

forms which can be downloaded from www.theborneopost.com.

Please indicate either ‘UCSI – Borneo Post Education Fund’ or ‘Limkokwing – Borneo Post Education Fund’ on the top left corner of the envelope and submit application forms and relevant documents to Borneo Post Sdn Bhd (BPIEF), 2nd Floor, Crown Towers, No 88 Jalan Pending, 93450 Kuching, Sarawak before June 6, 2011.

Tradewinds, Zeland jointly bid for hospital job
Published: 2011/05/3
http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/20110531191120/Article/index_html#ixzz1NvkVP8fa

KUALA LUMPUR: Tradewinds Corp Bhd has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Zeland Bhd to develop Hospital Pakar
Kanak-Kanak, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (www.ukm.my/) through public-private partnership.

In a filing to Bursa Malaysia today, Tradewinds said both companies would form a consortium to jointly submit the tender for the project.

Tradewinds said Zeland would hold 51 per cent stake in the consortium and it 49 per cent. - Bernama

ACCA recognises outstanding achievements by four Malaysian students latest!
Posted on May 30, 2011, Monday
http://www.theborneopost.com/2011/05/30/acca-recognises-outstanding-achievements-by-four-malaysian-students-latest/

KUALA LUMPUR: Four students from Malaysia have won global awards from ACCA (The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) for their outstanding performance in their 2010 exams.

Helen Brand, ACCA’s chief executive met the four Malaysians at a special event organised to celebrate their success. The four are amongst only 33 students from around the world to have won awards for the global accountancy body’s most recent examination session.

Ang Chee Hou, Thong Ei Leen, Chuang Vi Kie and Adeline Wan Siew Mei all scored the highest marks in one of their exam papers. In 2010, over 205,000 students sat for ACCA exams, including more than 15,000 students from Malaysia.

Helen Brand said of the four students: “I’m very happy to be able to congratulate these four highly deserving students in person. The time and effort they have dedicated to their studies have allowed them to achieve exceptional results in the 2010 exams, and these awards are a small way of ACCA saying well done to them.”

Jennifer Lopez, country head, ACCA Malaysia, says: “These students’ hard work and dedication is to be commended. I’m pleased that these outstanding students have managed to epitomise the spirit of cultivating first-class human capital as outlined in Malaysia’s ETP and raise the profile of our nation.”

Ang Chee Hou from Telok Panglima Garang scored the highest mark in the ACCA Qualification for Paper F6, which specialises in Taxation. He is a full time student at a private university, and already holds ACCA’s CAT Qualification (Certified Accounting Technician). When asked why he chose the ACCA Qualification, he said: “It is mainly due to the recommendations of my friends and family, but I was also informed that ACCA is one of the globally recognized professional qualifications that almost every accountant in Malaysia wishes to hold.”

Thong Ei Leen, who comes from Shah Alam, obtained the highest mark for Paper P4 – Advanced Financial Management. She is currently an audit associate at one of the Big Four. When asked what made her decide she wanted to pursue a career in accountancy, she explained: “I want a career in business and I believe a professional qualification in accountancy from ACCA will provide me with a solid foundation to climb the corporate ladder.”

Chuang Vi Kie is a full-time student from Kuala Lumpur who dreams to one day become the CFO of one of the public listed companies. She ranked second in the Certified Accounting Technician (CAT) exams.

“This qualification provides a strong foundation in accounting and finance knowledge, as well as skills and professional values needed by all organisations. It will help me develop the necessary competences to one day become CFO of one of the public listed companies”, she said.

Adeline Wan Siew Mei from Subang Jaya scored the highest mark for Paper P2 – Corporate Reporting. She has already been awarded an ACCA prize last year for her excellent results in the F7 – Financial Reporting exam.

“As soon as I knew that I had passed my final exams, I messaged my P2 lecturer, because I knew she would be the happiest about it. And I checked the e-mail with my results again and again, just to make sure!” she said.

After exam results are released, ACCA recognises exceptionally talented students from around the world. Awards are given to the highest performing ACCA and CAT students.

Jennifer Lopez continues: “With Malaysia’s Economic Transformation Programme

(ETP) forecasting the need for 60,000 accountants by 2020, I would like to remind all ACCA students that the ACCA Qualification provides a framework of leading-edge examinations, practical experience requirements and ethical developments – essential in a world where demand for talent continues to outstrip supply.”

Helen Brand concludes: “After having made so many sacrifices and worked so hard, I am confident that I will soon be welcoming these ACCA students into membership. As world class finance professionals, they will make a significant contribution to Malaysian business and society and ACCA will be supporting them through every stage of their careers.” – Bernama

SEGi College Sarawak (http://www.segi.edu.my/campuses/scs/) conducts recognised govt-funded courses, offers second chance of education to students
Posted on June 1, 2011, Wednesday
http://www.theborneopost.com/2011/06/01/segi-college-sarawak-conducts-recognised-govt-funded-courses-offers-second-chance-of-education-to-students/

http://www.theborneopost.com/newsimages/students2.jpg
SECOND CHANCE: Students will learn the ways of the mechanics at SEGi College Sarawak here.

KUCHING: Students who were unable to score the necessary credits to enter diploma or degree programmes now have a second chance to gain a government-recognised qualification. Students have a choice of four courses, namely Tourist Guide, Front Office, Automotive or Graphic Design. With the exception of Front Office (which will run for 18 months), the remaining three are one-year courses.

These courses will be conducted by SEGi College Sarawak and the funding is from the Tabung Pembangunan Kemahiran (Skills Development Fund) under the Ministry of Human Resource.

“The spaces allocated for these courses are limited. Each course is limited to only 25 students,” said SEGi College principal Stella Lau, pointing out that it is based on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Students need only pay the registration fee of RM100 to begin classes.

The course is slated to start on July 4 this year. Candidates who are not academically inclined can opt for vocational studies but they must be at least 16 years of age and understand Bahasa Malaysia as this would be the medium of instruction.

For Front Office, Graphic Design and Automotive courses, the entry requirement is very relaxed and Penilaian Menengah Rendah (PMR) or Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) students can gain entry into these three courses.

The entry requirement for the Tourist Guide course, however, is six SPM passes and upon completion of the course, graduates would have to sit for the government Tourist Guide Test to become a qualified tourist guide.

Lau advised students to bring their necessary documents, including photostated copies of their identity card (IC), PMR or SPM certificate and School Leaving Certificate, and two passport-size photographs to register with SEGi College Sarawak as soon as possible. Malaysian youths are encouraged to apply.

More information is available toll-free at 1-300-88-7344 or 082-252566, or email to infoswk@segi.edu.my.

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Misi lahirkan siswazah berkualiti
2 Jun 2011
http://www.kosmo.com.my/kosmo/content.asp?y=2011&dt=0602&pub=Kosmo&sec=Negara&pg=ne_04.htm

http://www.kosmo.com.my/kosmo/pix/2011/0602/Kosmo/Negara/ne_04.1.jpg
NAJIB bersama Timbalan Perdana Menteri, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin pada
majlis pelancaran SL1M di Bangunan Perdana Putra di Putrajaya semalam.

PUTRAJAYA – Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak berkata, siswazah yang memenuhi keperluan pasaran merupakan elemen penting dalam menentukan keupayaan negara menarik pelaburan langsung asing dan memacu pertumbuhan sumber domestik yang baru.

Perdana Menteri berkata, kerajaan melalui Kementerian Pengajian Tinggi sedang melaksanakan langkah jangka panjang bagi meningkatkan kualiti dan kebolehpasaran siswazah.

“Antaranya dengan menjadikan kebolehpasaran graduan sebagai petunjuk prestasi utama (KPI) setiap Naib Canselor universiti awam, mengadakan kurikulum keusahawanan, menjalankan program kemahiran tertentu dan melaksanakan program bimbingan pelajar di syarikat awam dan swasta sebelum pelajar menjadi siswazah.

“Dialog berterusan antara universiti dan industri diadakan dalam usaha untuk meningkatkan lagi kualiti graduan. Pendekatan itu juga dijangka mengurangkan masalah tidak sepadan antara penawaran dan permintaan tenaga mahir,” katanya semasa melancarkan Skim Latihan 1Malaysia (SL1M) di sini semalam.

Najib berkata, kerajaan juga mengadakan program khas sebagai langkah jangka pendek bagi meningkatkan kebolehpasaran siswazah, antaranya program latihan oleh Kementerian Pengajian Tinggi, Bank Negara, Khazanah Nasional dan Perbadanan Tabung Pembangunan Kemahiran bagi menyediakan peluang latihan kepada 12,000 siswazah.

Graduates fulfilling market needs crucial in determining national capacity: PM
http://ww2.utusan.com.my/utusan/special.asp?pr=theMessenger&y=2011&dt=0602&pub=theMessenger&sec=Home_News&pg=hn_10.htm

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Kolej Islam Malaya hidup kembali
4 Jun 2011
http://www.kosmo.com.my/kosmo/content.asp?y=2011&dt=0604&pub=Kosmo&sec=Negara&pg=ne_09.htm

http://www.kosmo.com.my/kosmo/pix/2011/0604/Kosmo/Negara/ne_09.1.jpg
PUSAT Asasi Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia di Petaling Jaya yang
asalnya merupakan tapak Kolej Islam Malaya selepas berpindah dari Klang.
- Gambar hiasan

PETALING JAYA - Kolej Islam Malaya (KIM) yang diberhentikan operasinya pada tahun 1970 akan dihidupkan semula dan diletakkan di bawah pentadbiran Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia (Jakim).

Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom berkata, kampus sementara kolej itu akan ditempatkan di Pusat Asasi Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia.

"Kampus ini akan jadi tapak sementara sehingga kita putuskan lokasi untuk kita bina tapak bangunan kekal KIM. Kita akan berbincang dengan Jakim," katanya kepada pemberita selepas merasmikan mesyuarat anggota jawatankuasa KIM di sini semalam.

Jamil Khir berkata, operasi kolej tersebut dihidupkan semula selepas mendapat perkenan Majlis Raja-Raja yang bermesyuarat Oktober tahun lepas, dan bertujuan melahirkan lebih ramai graduan pendidikan Islam.

Malayan Islamic College to be revived
Posted on June 4, 2011, Saturday
http://www.theborneopost.com/2011/06/04/malayan-islamic-college-to-be-revived/

PETALING JAYA: The Federal government plans to revive the Malayan Islamic College (KIM) and place it under the administration of the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim).

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom said the college would operate from the International Islamic University of Malaysia (UIAM) campus for the time being.

“We will discuss the permanent location of its new campus with Jakim,” he told reporters after KIM’s first board meeting at UIAM yesterday.

The college, formed in 1955, ceased operations in 1970 to make way for University Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). — Bernama

'We hear you, students'
2011/06/04 By Dharshini Balan
http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/4ppk/Article/

http://www.nst.com.my/articles/4ppk/single
Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin being greeted by student
leaders at the National Students Consultative Council meeting in Putra World
Trade Centre yesterday. With him is Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri
Mohamed Khaled Nordin. — NST picture by Chan Wai Yew

KUALA LUMPUR: The government will give due attention to constructive views and suggestions by undergraduates, said Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

However, they should use proper channels to voice their views instead of taking to the streets.

"There is no need for street demonstrations when the government gives undergraduates the chance to be heard if their views are rational and constructive.

"We are responsive to the desires and hopes of the younger generation as they play an important role in shaping the future of the country," he said when opening the National Students Consultative Council meeting at the Putra World Trade Centre here yesterday.

The meeting, the first for this year, discussed a wide range of working papers which touched, among others, on creativity and the role of undergraduates in the economy.

Present were Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin and other ministers and deputy ministers.

Muhyiddin, who is also education minister, said the meetings were an important platform to discuss issues about students and the country.

"Avenues like this enable the government to take into consideration the views and recommendations put forth by students."

Muhyiddin said student leaders had shown maturity in discussing issues affecting the people and the country.

"The government considers seriously the views and suggestions of student leaders who are able to put forward sound and critical arguments on various issues, including on economic, education, social and national administrative matters."

Later, Khaled said undergraduates were barred from taking part in street demonstrations.

"If the demonstration is politically driven or does not have a permit, students are not allowed to take part," he said referring to the Bersih rally scheduled next month.

Dear all,

check out the latest construction update at range hospitality's facebook page. the new pictures are simply amazing !! they have started construction and I just bought a unit with them at a great payment plan. They are asking for 70% of the total payment upon handover whereas 30% is divided during construction period.

I think Al Rawdatain is going to be the first OPERATIONAL FIVE STAR HOTEL AND RESIDENCES in the HOLY CITY OF KARBALA !!!!

Recently i have also seen a campaign of Range Hospitality on facebook that if you register on their website ( www.rangeholdings.com ) you have a chance to win a studio suite worth US$ 5,500 !!!! The campaign is still on so you must try your luck. The last winner was some lady whose profile is posted on Range Hospitality facebook page.

I believe that Range Hospitality has already sold quite alot of inventory and their prices may increase soon. I dont know, but the demand is so high and this is the only project, therefore investors who have invested in the project will definitley make some good profits.

I thought to share it with all of you.

Bless all !!!

Love - Peace

YTL Communications Menyediakan Rangkaian 4G Internet Kepada UKM
ISNIN, 06 JUN 2011 17:34
Oleh Aini Raudhah Binti Roslam, Pelajar Latihan Industri UKM Foto oleh Saliman Leman
http://pkukmweb.ukm.my/news/index.php/ms/berita-kampus/725-ytl-communications-to-provide-4g-mobile-internet-network-to-ukm.html

http://pkukmweb.ukm.my/news/images/stories/ukm-ytl2.jpg

BANGI, 6 Jun, 2011- Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia(UKM) telah memeterai perjanjian untuk menyelesaikan dua masalah utama berkenaan capaian internet yang dihadapi di semua kampusnya apabila memeterai perjanjian persefahaman (MoU) dengan YTL Comunications Sdn Bhd.

Dua masalah sambungan internet yang dihadapinya itu ialah beban muatan dari internet yang semakin meningkat dan kegagalan sambungan single point.

Kerjasama itu membolehkan YTL Communications menyediakan infrastruktur rangkaian 4G internet mudah alih untuk warga kampus yang dihubungkan ke internet melalui jalur lebar terpantas.

“Disamping mengambil beban muatan talian UKM, rangkaian 4G ini akan menjadi talian alternatif untuk mengelakkan berlakunya kegagalan hubungan single point di UKM,” kata Puan Yasmin Mahmood, Pengarah Eksekutif YTL Comunications di upacara itu.

Perjanjian itu ditandatangani oleh Naib Canselor Prof Tan Sri Dato’ Wira Dr Sharifah Hapsah Syed Hasan Shahabudin dan Puan Yasmin.

Kerjasama itu adalah dalam bentuk Program Rakan Pelajaran YTL ia itu satu khidmatnya bagi membolehkan warga kampus UKM mencapai internet di mana-mana dan pada bila-bila masa. Mereka akan menikmati perkhidmatan rangkaian internet 4G mudah alih serta panggilan suara di mana-mana kampusnya di Bangi, Cheras dan Kuala Lumpur pada kadar yang murah tetapi berkelajuan tinggi.

Kerjasama itu juga menjanjikan pelbagai keistimewaan lain kepada pelajar UKM dimana semua pelajar akan menikmati 300MB data percuma atau 100 minit pangilan percuma atau 100 sms percuma yang bernilai RM9 sebulan, tiada bayaran pengaktifan dan tiada had penggunaan minimum.

“Dengan adanya program 4G YTL, UKM berharap dapat membentuk persekitaran pembelajaran yang lebih progresif dan melahirkan generasi hebat yang dapat menjana maklumat serta pengetahuan di hujung jari.

“Ini adalah selari dengan Inisiatif Jalur Lebar Negara yang berhasrat menjadikan warga Malaysia sebagai masyarakat berpengetahuan dalam menuju ekonomi berpendapatan tinggi menjelang 2020,” kata Prof Sharifah Hapsah di upacara itu.

Majlis turut dihadiri oleh pegawai kanan UKM dan Pengarah Pusat Teknologi Maklumat UKM, Prof Madya Dr Mohamad Shanuddin Zakaria.

Two private universities to develop healthcare, early childhood education under ETP
2011/06/13
http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/Twoprivateuniversitiestodevelophealthcare_earlychildhoodeducationunderETP/Article/

KUALA LUMPUR: The government today announced two education projects under the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) for healthcare and early childhood development, to be spearheaded by two private univerities.

The projects are to develop a 160-acre (64 hectares) integrated Premium Health Education Cluster in Bandar Springhill, Port Dickson by UCSI Group (www.ucsigroup.com.my/), the parent organisation of UCSI University, and the establishment of a consortium and Early Child Care and Education (ECCE) Training Hub by SEGi Education Group (www.segi.edu.my/).

The two projects are among the nine ETP initiatives announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, here, today.

The UCSI Group project will see the building of the first private teaching hospital in Malaysia.

Its 1,000-bed UCSI University Hospital will also feature Malaysia's only anti-ageing, aesthetics and regenerative medicine facility.

The project will also include a new UCSI University campus and the UCSI International School, which will offer the globally-recognised International Baccalaureate catering to those aged three to 19, and a new five-star UCSI Hotel Springhill to provide patients, visitors and guests five-star accommodation and meeting facilities.

"The Group is expected to invest RM850 million by 2012, which will generate RM1.3 billion in GNI and 2,000 jobs by 2020," Najib said.

The consortium and ECCE Training Hub by the SEGi Education Group, meanwhile, aim to upgrade qualifications of the existing workforcce to a minimum of diploma level, as well as to recruit and train more qualified childcare providers and teachers.

In addition, SEGi Education Group is investing to develop an ECCE Education Hub in the Greater KL region, along with other satellite hubs in other parts of the country.

The hubs will have, among others, facilities for teaching and learning, childcare and pre-school labs, early childhood simulation rooms, auxiliary services for children and families, and hostels.

The project, to be fully operational by 2015, is worth RM1.2 billion and will generate RM900 million in GNI and 30,000 jobs by 2020.

SEGi International Bhd ECCE director of project management, Lydia Foong, told reporters that in future, all ECCE educators would be required to have at least a diploma qualification.

She said currently, there were some 40,000 ECCE educators in the country and Malaysia would need 218,000 ECCE educators by 2020. - Bernama

Ada beberapa pihak mahu JPA mengeluarkan senarai penerima biasiswa. Wajar ataupun tidak? Adakah ia akan menjawab persoalan mengenai pemberian biasiswa pada tahun ini atau menimbulkan lebih banyak persoalan? Seterusnya, apakah kesan tindakan ini kepada penerima biasiswa? Adakah mereka akan merasakan calon lain yang lebih layak menerima sehinggakan menganggu pembelajaran mereka?

Hi,my name is afiq nadzir,and I've created a medal design for the 1st Winter Youth Olympic Games being held at Innsbruck, Austria in 2012
Information on how to vote through my Facebook Page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Youthflakes-Medal-Competition-Innsbruck-2012-Youth-Winter-Olympic-Games/171153899606189
this is the voting website
http://www.medaldesigncompetition.com/Contents/En/DesignDetails.aspx?SortBy=1&d=19&s

OUM (www.oum.edu.my/): Transforming higher education in Malaysia
Posted on June 18, 2011, Saturday
http://www.theborneopost.com/2011/06/18/oum-transforming-higher-education-in-malaysia/

KUALA LUMPUR: At Open University Malaysia’s (OUM) 10th convocation from 18-23 June, 4,300 (OUM) undergraduates will receive their scrolls.

Although merely a decade old, OUM has reached out to 90,000 students, including 30,000 who have graduated from its 70 academic programmes.

OUM pioneered the Open and Distance Learning (ODL) programme in Malaysia, which transformed the higher-education landscape in the country for the better.

Previously, opportunities for higher education were available only to school-leavers and full-time students.

Now, anyone fulfilling the basic joining requirements, regardless of age or background, can earn a degree at their convenience.

ODL offers a flexible approach for those who wish to obtain a degree and improve their prospects in the job market.

Malaysia will require 3.3 million skilled workers in the next ten years, if it is to achieve its vision of becoming a developed, high-income nation.

Unlike other institutions of higher-learning, which have a fixed intake of students each year, OUM has a flexible intake and wide outreach, allowing it to train larger numbers of competent and skilled workers.

OUM’s president/vice chancellor Professor Emeritus, Tan Sri Anuwar Ali, spoke about OUM’s role in helping people gain knowledge, and the nation achieve its goals.

“We are talking about creating opportunities for those who have constraints, but are eager to pursue their studies. We make their wish come true,” he said.

OUM’s programmes also accept the disabled and the elderly, as well as students who already have a degree.

In a nutshell, they promote lifelong learning.

The university draws on the resources of the Internet to impart knowledge and provide support-services.

Students can thus access the Tan Sri Dr Abdullah Sanusi Digital Library, and its MyVLE (Virtual Learning Environment), an online learning platform that allows them to participate in online discussions with tutors and peers, at their convenience.

OUM was started in August 2000 with 753 students and four academic programmes.

Within a decade, the long-distance learning university has established itself as a reputed educational institution, and expanded to other countries like Yemen, Bahrain, Maldives, Ghana, Hungary and Sri Lanka.

The average age of those graduating from OUM is between 33 and 34 years old.

Despite its success, OUM continuously explores ways to serve its students better.

It has committed to building its own learning centres or partner institutions, instead of renting spaces.

Currently, it has a few such centres in Shah Alam, Petaling Jaya, and the most recent one in Bangi.

OUM is also planning to build such centres in other states such as Johor, Kedah and Terengganu.

OUM gives Malaysians the opportunity to partake in its lifelong learning process, and fulfill the country’s Vision 2020.

OUM is now working jointly with the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), to organise the International Conference on Lifelong Learning 2011 (ICLLL 2011).

The conference will be held from Nov 14-15, at Seri Pacific Hotel, Kuala Lumpur.

“This conference is a platform for us to emphasise the idea of lifelong learning among members of the public,” said Anuwar.

With the theme, ‘Transforming Nations through Enculturation of Lifelong Learning’, the event will have important figures from the industry as keynote speakers.

They include Sir John Daniel, president & CEO of Commonwealth of Learning, Prof Dr Arne Carlsen, chairman of Asem – Education and Research Hub for Lifelong Learning.

The conference will touch on various facets of the development of a lifelong learning culture.

These include the foundation, the role of lifelong learning in national development, policies and implementation. — Bernama

UMP (www.ump.edu.my/) first in the country to offer Degree in Engineering Technology (Pharmaceutical)
Posted on June 18, 2011, Saturday
http://www.theborneopost.com/2011/06/18/ump-first-in-the-country-to-offer-degree-in-engineering-technology-pharmaceutical/

KUANTAN: Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP) will be offering the Bachelors Degree in Engineering Technology (Pharmaceutical), a first in the country.

UMP vice chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Daing Nasir Ibrahim said the programme, in collaboration with Institute of Technology Tallaght (ITT), Republic of Ireland, will commence next year.

He told this to reporters after signing a Memorandum of Agreement with ITT on the programme, here yesterday.

ITT was represented by its president, Pat Maclaughlin.

Also present were Ireland’s ambassador to Malaysia, Declan Kelly and Pahang Communication, Science, Technology and Innnovation Committee chairman, Datuk Mohd Sharkar Shamsudin.

At the same function, UMP also signed a memorandun of understanding with the Malaysian Organisation of Pharmaceutical Industries (MOPI), which represented by its president Leonard Ariff Abd Shatar, for its students to gain practical training in the industry. — Bernama

31 named as high performance schools
2011/07/18
http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/2cluster123/Article/

KUALA NERANG: Thirty-one of 152 schools recognised as Cluster Schools Of Excellence or "Sekolah Kluster Kecemerlangan" (SKK) have been given high performance school status, Director-general of Education Datuk Abdul Ghafar Mahmud said yesterday.

He said the success was an indication that SKK spurred excellence at national and international levels.

"SKK has also created numerous achievements at national and international levels.

"Their students who took part in the International Competitions and Assessments for Schools (ICAS) in Australia were conferred Highly Commended and High Distinction awards," he said during the closing of the SKK North Zone Carnival here.

His speech was read by Residential School Management and School of Excellence Division director Rosland Hussein.

Ghafar said, for the niche areas in co-curriculum, SKK had created a name at international levels and indirectly boosted Malaysia's image on the world stage.

"In the first six months of this year, SKK succeeded in more than 50 international programmes."

Ghafar said one of the successes was Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Lutong in Miri, Sarawak which garnered a gold and a silver medal at the Apec Young Scientist Conference in Taipei, Taiwan.

During the three-day carnival, which began on Friday at SMK Datuk Syed Ahmad here, seven schools from Kedah, four from Perlis and six from Penang were picked as SKK for the Northern Zone. -- Bernama

Malaysia ready to lead in setting university quality standards : DPM
2011/07/18
http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/Malaysiareadytoleadinsettinguniversityqualitystandards_DPM/Article/

DENPASAR: Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the country was prepared to lead in carrying out educational development projects related to university quality standards in the Asean region.

He said Malaysia's experience in the field could be shared with other Asean countries and its dialogue partners.

"We are interested to play a role in establishing quality standards and in other matters as we feel that Malaysia already has a strong foundation in this area.

"If we are given the opportunity to be involved in these projects together with our Asean and dialogue partners, we can lead," Muhyiddin told Malaysian

journalists at the end of the informal meetings of Asean Education Ministers, here, today.

The meetings were chaired by Indonesia's National Education Minister, Mohammad Nuh.

Muhyiddin, who is also Education Minister, had voiced Malaysia's interest in this area at the informal meetings.

Malaysia, he said, had the experience of implementing quality education standards at the university level through the role played by the Malaysian Qualification Agency (MQA), Higher Education Ministry.

"MQA ensures that the country's quality of education does not drop and adversely impact our undergraduates' academic performance.

"MQA implements a quality assurance system in terms of learning at the universities by using certain criteria compared to the situation in some of the
other Asean member countries which may still be at an early stage in this area or may not have many universities," he said.

The deputy prime minister also said that the Asean member states and the grouping's dialogue partners all agreed that a very challenging aspect was widening access to quality education for students of Asean countries.

The effort of widening access to quality education is in line with Unesco's (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) important agenda of ensuring education for all.

"Although in this context, Malaysia has met the target of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), as outlined by Unesco, there are some Asean countries which still lag behind, so we should be sharing our experience with them," Muhyiddin said. - Bernama

Ministry: E-Discipline to be extended nationwide
Posted on July 19, 2011, Tuesday
http://www.theborneopost.com/2011/07/19/ministry-e-discipline-to-be-extended-nationwide/

PUTRAJAYA: The Student Discipline Control System or e-Discipline, a web-based ICT application to detect and curb student misconduct online will be extended nationwide in stages.

Director general of Education Datuk Abd Ghafar Mahmud said the programme would enable disciplinary teachers to report student misconduct online, thus enabling the ministry to assess, track and curb student indiscipline before taking further action.

He said it would be implemented as a development programme under the 10th Malaysia Plan this year.

“E-Discipline had had been introduced in 317 schools, including 97 secondary schools in Felda schemes since 2009.

“And from feedback, it had received a positive response from teachers as discipline problems among students had declined significantly,” he told reporters after launching the e-Discipline and presenting laptops to 97 secondary schools in Felda schemes which are involved in programme, here yesterday.

The programme was developed by the National Catalyst Council (Mapan) with the cooperation of Universiti Malaysia Terengganu to help the Education Ministry strengthen the management of student discipline.

“We urge schools to provide information consistently and honestly. We may check on school records which appear to be clean, ask questions or send teams to schools to investigate,” said Abd Ghafar.

“Sometimes schools concealed student misconduct but the community filed complaints about them,” he said.

Asked about action to be taken against schools which recorded many cases of student misconduct, Abdul Ghafar said the ministry would visit the schools to check on the situation so that the problems could be addressed immediately, including providing motivational courses for errant students.

He said, however, generally discipline problems among students were still under control. — Bernama

‘Rally: Universities to decide fate of students’
Posted on July 20, 2011, Wednesday
http://www.theborneopost.com/2011/07/20/‘rally-universities-to-decide-fate-of-students’/

KULIM: The Higher Education Ministry has decided not to interfere and let university administrations decide what action to take on students who were involved in the Bersih rally in Kuala Lumpur on July 9.

Its minister, Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said any action to be taken on the students needed to follow the laws and regulations of their respective universities.

“The ministry will leave it to the universities to determine the appropriate punishment and I will wait for their reports,” he told reporters after a certificate and diploma presentation ceremony at the Tuanku Sultanah Bahiyah Kulim Polytechnic’s (PTSB) 6th convocation, here yesterday.

Mohamed Khaled was asked to comment on reports that 21 students from several institutions of higher learning were arrested by police during the illegal rally.

Of the number, 14 were students from public institutions of higher learning including two from polytechnics and one from the International Islamic University, Malaysia (IIUM).

Seven others were from private universities, including a student from Kolej Universiti Islam Selangor (KUIS) and two students studying in Egypt. — Bernama

UMS (www.ums.edu.my/) to increase intake of foreign students
by Murib Morpi. Posted on July 20, 2011, Wednesday
http://www.theborneopost.com/2011/07/20/ums-to-increase-intake-of-foreign-students/

KOTA KINABALU: Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) has sealed a partnership with Asia e-University (AeU) to further expand its online distance learning (ODL) programmes.

The university inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the new partner yesterday, aiming to increase the intake of its international students by better promoting its Postgraduate Master Programmes through AeU.

Under the agreement, two ODL programmes, namely the Master of Human Capital Management (School of Business and Economics) and Master in Education Management (School of Education and Social Development), will be offered starting January next year.

UMS vice-chancellor Brigadier General Professor Datuk Seri Kamaruzaman Ampon said the MoU paved the way for further collaboration with AeU, especially in promoting ODL programmes to foreign countries.

He added UMS was looking towards offering more programmes from its other schools through AeU in the near future.

“The significance of this MoU would be to encourage the expansion of our online distance learning programme globally in the industry of higher education, with AeU as a gateway university to develop and expand ODL programmes, thus generating impact towards our national economy,” he said.

Kamaruzaman said besides increasing the intake of international students in UMS, the move was also consistent with the national agenda to promote Malaysia as the regional international hub.

“This would be reachable with the MoU with AeU today, where AeU will assist us in promoting the ODL programmes through online portal as well as providing the technical training and expertise in handling the online lectures and learning activities to our academic staff who are involved directly in the ODL programmes,” he added.

AeU is a flexible, international university set up in Asia under the Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD). Its establishment is an initiative of Malaysia as the prime mover for e-education, with the support of 31 ACD member countries.

Headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, AeU collaborates with higher learning institutions and training centres in the 31 ACD member countries to offer academic and professional training programmes focusing on affordability, accessibility, and quality.

The institution has been commissioned by the government to collaborate with higher learning institutions in Malaysia to promote Online Distance Learning (ODL) and under this initiative, every higher learning institution is required to identify and develop two ODL programmes by end of 2011.

The signing was witnessed by State Resource Development and Information Technology Minister Datuk Dr Yee Moh Chai, where Kamaruzaman represented UMS and AeU was represented by its president, Professor Datuk Ansary Ahmed.

Ansary said Malaysia is currently ranked the 10th most popular destination for foreign students in the world, and promoting ODL programmes is another effort to climb up the rank besides increasing the number of foreign students coming and studying in the country.

He said among the regions the country has targeted to reach out to are Asean, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, the Indian sub-continent and Africa.

“Malaysia has a target of reaching 110,000 online students by 2020; we have a big task, this will not be successful if we as institutions and academicians cannot work together,” Ansary added.

UMS is the seventh public higher learning institution (IPTA) which AeU has ventured with in providing Malaysian education online.

Commenting on the signing of the MoU, Dr Yee said it was in line with the country’s effort to better equip itself to meet the challenge in creating proper human resource development through education.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12610268

OVERSEAS FRIENDLY

1. Germany
2. Australia
3. UK
4. China
5. Malaysia
6. US
7. Japan
8. Russia
9. Nigeria
10. Brazil
11. India

Source: British Council (2011)

Malaysia is ahead USA at No 5 as the most friendly destination for foreign students, and at top 10 in the highest number of foreign students.

Akademi Kepimpinan Pengajian Tinggi (AKEPT)
Higher Education Leadership Academy (Bandar Enstek)
http://www.mohe.gov.my/akept/about_1.html
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6053/5880114795_261b5f6ba9_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ummabdrahmaan/5880114795/)
IMG_6255 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ummabdrahmaan/5880114795/) by UmmAbdrahmaan @Transcribing Interviews EEP ;-) Fac (http://www.flickr.com/people/ummabdrahmaan/), on Flickr
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5039/5880100165_b54a876abc_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ummabdrahmaan/5880100165/)
AKEPT Campus (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ummabdrahmaan/5880100165/) by UmmAbdrahmaan @Transcribing Interviews EEP ;-) Fac (http://www.flickr.com/people/ummabdrahmaan/), on Flickr

http://www.pemandu.gov.my/

http://img826.imageshack.us/img826/5398/64709106.jpg
Step Up pullout heading for schools nationwide
Monday July 25, 2011
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/7/25/nation/9167964&sec=nation#13117365331571&if_height=304

PETALING JAYA: The new pullout designed to boost English in vernacular schools is set to be distributed nationwide following positive response from teachers in the Klang Valley.

At a Step Up workshop attended by 62 teachers from 31 schools organised by The Star, the participants sampled the various newspaper interactive activities (NiE).

NiE editorial manager Sharon Ovinis said the teachers’ feedback was encouraging, adding that there were even requests from non-vernacular schools to translate the pullout to Bahasa Malaysia.

“Many primary schools nationwide with low English performance have requested for the pullout to be translated.

“But we are currently focusing on Chinese vernacular schools,” she said.

SJK (C) Yak Chee teacher Tan Loo Peng, 55, said the pullout was a non-traditional method and practical tool for teaching and learning English.

“The exercises and content are interactive. We could use it as an alternative method of teaching English in a more interesting way,” she said during the two-hour workshop on Saturday.

She said the format was based on the national education syllabus, thus making it easier for teachers to include it at the school session.

“It is also convenient for us to introduce it in class as the exercises have been approved by the Education Ministry,” she added.

The pullout will prepare pupils in Years Four, Five and Six for the UPSR examination.

Subscription is through schools only. Sign up now and enjoy 55% savings for 17 issues. Subscribers will also get a complimentary Swan sling bag or a grammar reference book, The New First Aid in English.

For enquiries, call The Star’s Audience Development Unit at 03-7967 1777 from Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm.

UTP (www.utp.edu.my/) qualifies for SIFE World Cup
By Zurinna Raja Adam Published: 2011/07/27
http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/sifes/Article/index_html

KUALA LUMPUR: University Technology Petronas (UTP) has emerged winner of the SIFE Malaysia National Exposition 2011 and will advance to represent Malaysia at the SIFE World Cup in October this year.

A total of 23 teams participated in this year's competition to showcase their community project initiatives.

UTP SIFE business manager Ahmad Syazwi Ahmad Shukri, who is a second-year petroleum geoscience student, said the group had started four community-based projects.

"This is our first experience winning the national championship. We will do our best at the world cup," he said.

The three other UTP presenters are SIFE UTP president Syazwani Mohd Sharifuddin, vice-president Nur Ain Mansur and project leader Muhammad Syahiruddin Khairrul Anuar.

SIFE Malaysia is a national partnership between business and higher education which promotes teaching and advancement of free enterprise and entrepreneurship.

The SIFE World Cup 2011, which will be launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri NajibRazak, is expected to attract about 2,500 participants, comprising global SIFE teams, academics and 500 corporate leaders worldwide.

SIFE (Students In Free Enterprise)
Formation: 1975
Type: NGO
Headquarters: Springfield, Missouri
www.sife.org

SIFE (Students In Free Enterprise) is an international non-profit organization that works with leaders in business and higher education to mobilize university students to make a difference in their communities while developing the skills to become socially responsible business leaders. Participating students form teams on their university campuses and apply business concepts to develop outreach projects that improve the quality of life and standard of living for people in need. An annual series of regional and national competitions provides a forum for teams to present the results of their projects, and to be evaluated by business leaders serving as judges. National champion teams advance to the prestigious SIFE World Cup. In addition to the community aspect of the program, SIFE’s leadership and career initiatives create meaningful opportunities for learning and exchange among the participants as well as the placement of students and alumni with companies in search of emerging talent.

50 graduates from renowned universities to teach challenging students
By KANG SOON CHEN Friday July 29, 2011
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/7/29/nation/9200011&sec=nation#13119388824781&if_height=547

PETALING JAYA: Starting Jan 17, high-need secondary schools in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and Negri Sembilan will receive a batch of 50 new teachers graduating from prestigious institutions such as Harvard and Cambridge universities.

These teachers are fellows of Teach for Malaysia, a non-profit organisation set up in 2010 by social entrepreneurs Dzameer Dzulkifli and Keeran Sivarajah to address education inequity in the country by enlisting outstanding Malaysians to teach in the challenging schools.

Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong, who announced the list of the 17 schools yesterday, said the ministry would welcome other similar initiatives.

Dr Wee said the schools were chosen because they were low-performing and had students from the lower-income communities.

He also announced that the Teach for Malaysia fellows would be teaching English, Mathematics, Science, History and Geography in those schools for two years.

“We want the experts to go to these schools as they have the experience and will be able to convey the message of the subjects well to the students,” he said, adding that Institut Aminuddin Baki and Teach for Malaysia are working together to ensure the innovative talent development approaches can be integrated into existing teacher training programmes.

“The fellows have the option to continue to teach or join the corporate sector after the end of the two-year fellowship period,” he added.

The five corporate partners are General Electric, Khazanah Nasional Berhad, Maxis, McKinsey & Company and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

The 17 schools involved in the Teach for Malaysia programme are SMK Segambut, SMK Tinggi Setapak, SMK Juasseh, SMK Teriang Hilir, SMK Gemas, SMK Jalan Reko, SMK Jeram, SMK Sri Desa, SMK Sultan Abd Aziz, SMK Tengku Idris Shah, SMK Bandar Baru Ampang, SMK Sungai Manggis, SMK Tanjong Se-pat, SMK Pendamaran Jaya, SMK Pulau Ketam, SMK Rantau Panjang, and SMK Puchong.

To apply for the Teach for Malaysia programme, log on to http://www.teachformalaysia.org.

Final application closes on Aug 15.

UMS offers Malaysia’s first masters degree in oil and gas
Posted on July 30, 2011, Saturday
http://www.theborneopost.com/2011/07/30/ums-offers-malaysia’s-first-masters-degree-in-oil-and-gas/

KOTA KINABALU: Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) will be the first in Malaysia to offer a Masters in Engineering in Oil and Gas course.

The 18-month programme, due to begin in September this year, also places UMS as the fourth institute to offer such programme after the United States, Brazil and Scotland.

The course, which is offered under the School of Engineering and Information Technology (SKTM), comprises a year of coursework and six months of industrial placement.

Deputy vice chancellor of UMS Associate Professor Dr Kasim Hj Mad Mansur said the masters programme would enable engineering degree graduates from
UMS to pursue their postgraduate degree in oil and gas.

“The course gives an opportunity for the oil and gas industry in Malaysia to generate first class human resources related to this field.” He added that the first intake was limited to 20 students.

The programme is evaluated by the Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE) and Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA). Industry players including Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP), Petronas and Shell have also been engaged for discussion during the formation of the curriculum.

Meanwhile, dean of SKTM, Associate Professor Dr Rosalam Hj Sarbatly said the programme would cost more than RM30,000 as it was considered one of the more high end courses.

He pointed out that the fee was close to RM100,000 overseas and RM50,000 at UTP.

He reiterated that intake would be open to undergraduates with first engineering degree in either civil, mechanical, electrical or chemical.

Rosalam also encouraged companies to enroll their employees in the course, as it was mainly designed for the managerial level.

In terms of teaching staff, Rosalam assured that UMS had the resources for the courses, and would only need one or two lecturers from UTP and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) for oil and gas.

The core courses for the programme are fundamentals of oil and gas, project management, safety and risk management, computational method in engineering, measuring and control instrumentation in engineering, drilling methodology, advanced downstream processing, and environmental impact and conservation.

Also present at the function was permanent secretary to the Ministry of Industrial Development Hashim Paijan.

Govt to promote Iban language intensively
by By Norni Mahadi, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on July 30, 2011, Saturday
http://www.theborneopost.com/2011/07/30/govt-to-promote-iban-language-intensively/

MIRI: The Sarawak government will continue with its effort to look into promoting the Iban language as an international lingua franca, on par with English, Mandarin and Malay language.

Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu said such an effort could be accomplished with the full-support
from Iban language professionals and expert groups.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of ‘Improving The Iban Language Teachers’ Professionalism Course’ at Grand Palace Hotel last Sunday, Jabu said that by learning the Iban language, people would be provided a wider horizon on Iban civilisation.

“In an effort to understand the Iban culture, one has to learn the language first as not everything (reference books) is translated in English. With the understanding of the language comes a wider understanding of the Iban society,” he added.

Jabu was happy to note that Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) introduced the Iban language as one of its language subjects last year.

He said a total of 30 students from the university have taken the subject showing a high degree of interest.

Jabu also made it known that the Iban Culture Foundation has funded some RM100,000 to UPSI for Iban language development purposes.

Thus, he hopes UPSI can produce more students who specialise in Iban language, which is good in developing the language’s capacity.

At the same time, he thanked the state government for it continuous and full support in enabling the Iban language received full recognition as a subject in school.

The director of the Teachers Learning Institute (IPG) Sarawak Miri campus, Nuri Udin, hopes the non-Iban community can take the initiative to learn the Iban language which could help in fostering closer and better racial understanding.

“The IPG is aware that we still lack in the number of teachers teaching the Iban language subject in schools.

“We are also aware that although the Iban language is an elective subject in schools until Form Five, not many students have taken the subject thus far,” she remarked.

In view of this, she hopes the number of teachers undergoing intensive Iban language training will increase in time.

Meanwhile, a total of 30 teachers from various divisions throughout Sarawak attended the six weeks intensive
training that began on June 20 at the IPG Sarawak Miri campus.

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http://www.flickr.com/photos/hartanahjohor/5966862431/

New JB campus to take 12,000 students
2011/08/01
http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/02kfchnew/Article/

http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/02kfchnew/pixgal3

Students visiting the campus in Bandar Dato’ Onn on its open day.

KFCH International College's Johor Baru campus will be able to accommodate 12,000 students when it is completed.

Its main building, which is equipped with modern facilities, currently houses 300 students.

Located in Bandar Dato' Onn, Iskandar Malaysia, the JB campus offers diploma programmes such as Hospitality and Food Services, Restaurant Management, Culinary Arts, Hotel Management, Tourism Management and Event Management.

Campus chief executive officer Zaiton Ibrahim said besides applying for study loans from the National Higher Education Fund Corporation, students could also apply for KFCH scholarships.

"We will review their applications and backgrounds. The scholarships will cover the tuition fees, inclusive of a monthly allowance," she said, at the college's open day recently.

She said the college would allow KFC Holdings (M) Bhd to tap into a reliable pool of human capital to staff its restaurant chain.

The college plans to introduce new programmes such as Science and Food Technology, Domestic Sciences, Food Retail and Marketing, Animal Husbandry and Logistics in the future.

http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/02kfchnew/pixgal4

Visitors watching a demonstration of culinary carving skills on the campus’s open day.

http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/02kfchnew/pixgal1

One of the kitchens where students learn their trade. — Pictures by Roslan Khamis

http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/02kfchnew/pixgal2

One of the ‘hotel rooms’ used to train students.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4128/5036235551_eed4fda100_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fash02/5036235551/)
Just the Way You are (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fash02/5036235551/) by FARIDmazlan (http://www.flickr.com/people/fash02/), on Flickr

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RM19.4m FOR SABAH MISSION SCHOOLS
12th August, 2011
http://www.newsabahtimes.com.my/nstweb/fullstory/51347

http://www.newsabahtimes.com.my/mediafiles/picture/10700/1208_front_DrPuad.jpg?1313106002

For a good cause...
Puad (2nd right) persenting a cheque for RM50,000 to Ho

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah will be given RM19.4 million of the special allocation of RM70 million for mission schools under the 10th Malaysia Plan.

Announcing this, Deputy Education Minister Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi said the financial aid is for all the 101 mission schools across the state.

“The amount for each school differs depending on the applications and needs,” he said after presenting the financial assistance of RM50,000 each to 12 mission schools in Kota Kinabalu here yesterday.

The recipients were SM La Salle, SK St Francis Convent, SM St Francis Convent, SK Stella Maris, SM Stella Maris, SK Sacred Heart, SM All Saints, SK St Catherine, SK Saint Agnes, SK Good Shepherd, SK St Peter Telipok and SM St Peter Telipok.

These schools were the first batch to receive the special allocation. There are 441 mission schools throughout the country.

Earlier, in his speech, Dr Puad said mission schools categorised as government-aided schools would normally receive a development fund every two years based on the applciations received.

But, he said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak being sensitive to their needs, had decided to provide the RM70 million special allocation for these schools.

“What is imporant is for the money to reach these schools the soonest possible so that the schools can improve performance through upgrading of facilities,”he explained.

Meanwhile, the chairman of SM La Salle Board of Governors Ho Kin Wong who represented the Sabah mission school boards said most of these schools were already old, some more than 100 years old.

“As such, these schools need financial aid to carry out repair and maintenance work. We thank the governent for being sensitive to the needs of the mission schools,” he said.

RM53.4j biaya pelajar masuk IPT
2011/08/11
http://www.bharian.com.my/bharian/articles/RM53_4jbiayapelajarmasukIPT/Article

PTPTN agih RM1,500 seorang kepada 35,664 pemohon sebelum pendaftaran

PUTRAJAYA: Perbadanan Tabung Pendidikan Tinggi Nasional (PTPTN) memperuntukkan RM53.4 juta sebagai wang pendahuluan pembiayaan kepada 35,664 pelajar yang akan memasuki institusi pengajian tinggi (IPT) tempatan bermula 3 September depan, kata Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

Perdana Menteri berkata, semua pelajar yang layak akan menerima sebanyak RM1,500 seorang, dua minggu sebelum tarikh pendaftaran kemasukan ke IPT.

“Ini adalah salah satu usaha yang mana selaras dengan prinsip pendemokrasian pendidikan. Percayalah, kerajaan akan terus membantu golongan muda kerana mereka adalah harapan negara dan kita akan melakukan yang terbaik untuk menjamin masa depan golongan belia,” katanya berucap pada majlis berbuka puasa bersama pemimpin pelajar institusi pengajian tinggi awam (IPTA) dan swasta (IPTS) di Seri Perdana di sini, malam tadi.

Turut hadir, isteri beliau, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor dan Menteri Pengajian Tinggi, Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.

Pemimpin pelajar mewakili 38 IPTA-IPTS dalam negara dan 30 wakil pelajar dari universiti asing turut serta pada majlis itu.

Najib yang juga Menteri Kewangan berkata, bantuan itu diberikan kepada pelajar yang keluarga mereka berpendapatan tidak melebihi RM4,000 sebulan dan yang belum pernah mendapat pembiayaan PTPTN sebelum ini.

Katanya, kerajaan sentiasa melaksanakan pelbagai program bersifat proaktif bagi memastikan masa depan golongan muda di negara ini terus terjamin dan bertambah baik.

Sebagai kerajaan prihatin yang mengutamakan kebajikan rakyat, Najib berkata, Kementerian Pengajian Tinggi (KPT) tidak pernah memikirkan untuk menaikkan yuran pengajian IPT.

Najib berkata, rusuhan yang berlaku di London dan di beberapa negara Asia Barat seperti di Libya, baru-baru ini, menunjukkan bahawa golongan muda tidak diberikan peluang yang sewajarnya dalam pendidikan dan pekerjaan. –

BERNAMA

Government extends financial aid to mission schools nationwide
By DURIE RAINER FONG Tuesday August 16, 2011
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2011/8/16/southneast/9303265&sec=southneast

KOTA KINABALU: A promise of help by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to the hundreds of mission schools in Malaysia is coming true.

Deputy Education Minister Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi said the 441 mission schools in Malaysia will begin receiving the special allocation of RM70mil announced by Najib previously, starting with Sabah and Johor.

Speaking during a cheque presentation ceremony to mission schools in Kota Kinabalu at SM La Salle here recently, he said out of the total sum allocated, RM19.4mil will be distributed among the 101 mission schools in Sabah.

He also said that he had directed his officers to get the assistance ready as soon as possible for mission schools in the state.

“The schools need immediate funds for repair and upgrading works,” he said, adding that the special funds come under the 10th Malaysia Plan.

Mohd Puad said the special allocation is proof that the Government was always attentive towards the needs of government-aided schools, which are divided into four types – mission, religious, Chinese and Tamil.

Mission schools do receive government assistance once in two years and also through requests for assistance but on top of this, there is this RM70mil special allocation, he said.

“The government has also put aside RM250mil under the Budget 2011 to help government-aided schools apart from a RM2,000 a month to help pay utility bills. This is the Government’s commitment,” he said.

Meanwhile, SM La Salle Board of Governors chairman Ho King Wong said mission schools have been playing a vital role in the country’s education system before and after independence.

“The contribution is for everyone to see and cannot be denied. Many towering personalities today have come from mission schools, which continue to play a significant role in educating young Malaysians,” he said.

He also expressed his confidence that the Federal Government will continue to assist mission schools.

A total of 12 mission schools in Kota Kinabalu and Sepanggar comprising five secondary and seven primary mission schools received an assistance of RM50,000 each from the government during the ceremony.

Study on dual language system
By TAN EE LOO Wednesday August 17, 2011
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/8/17/nation/9316546&sec=nation#13135481319901&if_height=643
PUTRAJAYA: The Government is keeping its options open on Mathematics and Science being taught in both Bahasa Malaysia and English in schools.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said a committee within the Education Ministry was conducting a study on how this could be carried out in view of the current implementation of the Upholding Bahasa Malaysia and Strengthening English policy.

“I understand that many parents are interested in the issue of the learning and mastery of the English language. We are still studying the matter and there is a need to be careful to ascertain if the dual language system can be introduced without causing problems,” he told reporters after presenting prizes to National Creative Science and Mathematics winners here yesterday.

He said the committee was led by Education director-general Datuk Abd Ghafar Mahmud.

In April, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced that the Government would study the possibility of using two mediums of instruction in the teaching of Science and Mathematics in schools.

The teaching of Science and Mathematics in English policy (PPSMI) was initiated by former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and implemented in phases beginning with Year One, Form One and Lower Six students in 2003.

Since the reversal in policy in 2009, there have been many letters to The Star from the public urging the Government to reconsider its decision.

Muhyiddin, who is also Education Minister, said it had been the ministry's focus to strengthen the students' command of the English language.

He said an in-depth study would be conducted to examine the issue related to teachers' training, time allocated to learn the language, and the materials and curriculum used to teach the subject.

On the suggestion to offer non-examination subjects such as Physical Education (PE) and Arts in English, he said the Government could not act hastily.

“Do we have English teachers who are competent in Arts or know how to teach PE? Some schools may have teachers while some may not.

“When we make a decision, it has to be a thorough one because while the suggestion may be good, we may not have the capability to do so. For example, PPSMI was good but when we implemented the policy, our teachers and children were not even proficient in the English language to study the two subjects in English,” he said.

New UiTM branch campus in Raub
Friday August 19, 2011
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/8/19/nation/9321460&sec=nation#13137406988081&if_height=536

RAUB: Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) will build a new city campus worth RM300mil in Raub, said Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen.

“In the last Cabinet meeting, the Government approved the construction of the UiTM campus here.

“The campus is expected to accommodate some 3,000 students,” she said at a press conference on Wednesday night after a breaking of fast function with the underprivileged organised by Resorts World Genting.

Dr Ng, who is also Raub MP said the Economic Planning Unit would be responsible for the planning and development of the campus.

“Issues such as land acquisition and the exact location of the campus would be determined by the EPU,” she said.

She also noted that the campus was targeted to be completed within two or three years.

UM among top 200 varsities
By KAREN CHAPMAN Monday September 5, 2011
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/9/5/nation/9426670&sec=nation

http://thestar.com.my/archives/2011/9/5/nation/18graphi.jpg

PETALING JAYA: Universiti Malaya (UM) is the only Malaysian institution that has made it to the top 200 of the QS World University Rankings 2011/12.

It moved up 40 places to 167 this year compared to 207 in 2010.

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) have all slid down the rankings (see table).

UKM is ranked 279 this year compared to 263 in 2010; USM at 335 (309), UPM 358 (319) and UTM at between 401 and 450 (365).

For the first time, the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) and Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) were included in the rankings at 451-500 and 601+ respectively.

Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin congratulated UM on its improvement, saying it was a reflection of the hard work put in by the university staff.

“I am also happy that two more of our institutions, IIUM and UiTM, have made it to the QS World University Rankings,” he said.

However, he said rankings were not the ministry's main objective as it was important to ensure universities contribute to the development process of the country.

QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) Ltd Intelligence Unit head Ben Sowter said QS conducts and compiles the annual World University Rankings, which is an annual league table of the top universities in the world.

The rankings are based on data gathered and measured in academic peer review, employer reputation review, international faculty ratio, international student ratio, student faculty ratio, and citations per faculty.

On UM's improvement, Sowter said it was the only Malaysian institution to have improved in its academic, employer scores and international aspects this year.

He said UKM lost ground in the employer reputation review and citations per faculty but improved in academic reputation.

“IIUM entered directly into the top 500, which is an excellent result for a new entry, while UiTM is lower down but deserves inclusion,” he said.

He said 2,919 institutions were considered for the rankings this year.

UM vice-chancellor Prof Tan Sri Dr Ghauth Jasmon said the policy to have academics and postgraduate students improved their quality of research and to have their output published in the Thomson Institute for Scientific Information indexed journals was paying off.

“This is a key policy that will continue under my administration so the promise of getting UM into the Top 100 in the QS World University Rankings will be achieved by 2015,” he said.

Cambridge University topped the QS World University Rankings this year followed by Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Yale University, Oxford University and Imperial College London.

The highest ranked Asian universities are University of Hong Kong at 22, University of Tokyo (25) and the National University of Singapore (28).

DPM: Vocational transformation programme to start 2013
Updated: Friday September 9, 2011 MYT 9:32:40 PM
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/9/9/nation/20110909214036&sec=nation

http://thestar.com.my/archives/2011/9/9/nation/019128638.jpg

Muhyiddin holding discussions with Prof Corner

LONDON: The Vocational Education Transformation Programme, aimed at strengthening further Malaysia's vocational education, will be implemented in 2013.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the programme would support the national economic transformation agenda in churning out skilled and trained manpower.

"This is because efforts to develop trained manpower has yet to meet the government's aspiration despite the fact that vocational education had long been established in Malaysia.

"For example, we only produce 10 per cent of the industry's requirement in vocational education. We want to raise it to 20 per cent, just like in the developed nation," he told reporters here after visiting one of the world's top fashion colleges, the London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London, and held a meeting with the college principal, Prof Frances Corner.

Muhyiddin, who is Education Minister, is in London for a four-day official visit to the United Kingdom.

He said although the new curriculum would only be implemented in 2013, preparations must be made from now especially in terms of the infrastructure, site, training, providing skilled teachers besides the financial aspect.

In this context, he said the government would set up the National Vocational Council consisting of representatives from the industry and government to draw up the policy needed in churning out skilled manpower that fulfilled the market requirement. BERNAMA

Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS)
www.unimas.my/

Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) is the eighth public university in Malaysia, and the first one initiated by the aspirations of Wawasan 2020. UNIMAS offers a unique environment for teaching, learning and research. As the first university in Sarawak, we spearhead ideas and effort to shine in the Land of the Hornbills.

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Unimas sets sight on 300 foreign student enrolment
Posted on September 10, 2011, Saturday
http://www.theborneopost.com/2011/09/10/unimas-sets-sight-on-300-foreign-student-enrolment/

http://www.theborneopost.com/newsimages/A00580.jpg

RECITING PLEDGE:
The students reciting the pledge at Dewan Tun Abdul Razak Putra in Unimas.

KUCHING: Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) will undertake an aggressive promotional drive starting next month to meet their target of recruiting 300 foreign students.

Currently, with around 160 foreign students in its Kota Samarahan campus, Unimas vice-chancellor Datuk Dr Khairuddin Abdul Hamid said that the university would set its sight on the less popular countries to avoid competing with other institutes of higher learning.

“After conducting a research, we found out that other varsities are keen to enrol students from popular Middle East countries,” said Dr Khairuddin after the students’ pledge session at Dewan Tun Abdul Razak Putra yesterday.

As such, Unimas will start their promotional drive especially to Kalimantan, Indonesia and other countries such as Kazakhstan and Tajikistan.

“At the moment, we are setting our sights on Turkey and selected parts of China for the student intakes,” added Khairuddin.

He also said that Unimas had about 20 students from Turkey, whom he believed were more adaptive to the Malaysian culture.

Regarding the 2011/ 2012 intake, Khairuddin said that a total of 39 foreign students from 14 countries enrolled themselves for economic, business, engineering and computer science courses which are among the favourites.

He also said that these students are mostly from Turkey, Somalia, Nigeria, Algeria, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Indonesia, Brunei, South Korea and the Philippines.

The number, he said, is the biggest so far as compared to last year’s intake of only five to six foreign students.

“Compared to other universities, 300 is a small number, but it is the best that Unimas can offer in our capacity. There is no point to have a huge intake of foreign students if we cannot cater to them,” he added.

He also mentioned that this year, Unimas has enrolled 3436 students which is among the biggest intakes in Malaysia.

Khairuddin also took note of the number of girls which accounted to 70 per cent of the total intake, which he said was not a worry but a global trend. He also said the university should adapt to the huge influx of female students and try to make their facilities better to cater to their needs.

Meanwhile, Norain Fatihah Yusoff, 21, from Pasir Panjang, Terengganu who is visually challenged since birth is looking forward to pursue her social studies course in Unimas.

The youngest from 11 siblings, Norain is rather blessed to get financial support from her other siblings to pursue her tertiary education while waiting for her scholarship to be approved.

“My father has died and my mother who works as a ‘songket’ seamstress has already quit her job,” said Norain, who takes studying at Unimas as a personal challenge as she is studying far away from home.

Coming from Sekolah Pendidikan Khas in Setapak, Kuala Lumpur, Norain also said that she was happy that the facilities on campus were adequate and the support from her housemates were astounding.

RM30mil fund launched
By WONG PEK MEI Monday September 12, 2011
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/9/12/nation/9480266&sec=nation

http://thestar.com.my/archives/2011/9/12/nation/n_pg06drchua.jpg

A step to better education: Dr Chua (centre) launching the 1MCA Education
Loan Scheme at Wisma MCA yesterday. With him are (from left) MCA deputy
president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, Kojadi chairman Datuk Ng Peng Hay and
MCA Youth chief Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong.

KUALA LUMPUR: MCA has launched the 1MCA Education Loan Scheme to help students from low-income families pursue their higher education locally and abroad.

The RM30mil fund was for university students wanting to pursue undergraduate and postgraduate studies in an approved institution of higher learning, MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said.

“The scheme is open to all students, irrespective of race in the spirit of 1Malaysia.

“The interest for the first five years will be borne by MCA,” he said in his speech during the launch of the scheme at the party's headquarters yesterday.

He hoped all Barisan Nasional component parties would practise the same concept that funds should be for students of all races as long as they fulfil the criteria required.

Those undertaking undergraduate courses can apply for loans of up to RM30,000, while those who want to pursue postgraduate studies can apply for up to RM50,000.

“Tentatively, we have set a target to give out loans to 200 students,” Dr Chua said.

He said MCA had set up the scheme as many applicants, who applied for study loans under the Chang Ming Thien Foundation, had been rejected due to the limited funds although they were qualified, adding that the loan scheme was a collaboration between MCA and Koperasi Jayadiri Malaysia Berhad (Kojadi).

Dr Chua also reminded successful applicants to repay the loans so others could benefit from the fund.

Information on the loan scheme can be obtained at www.mca.org or call Kojadi at 03-2161 6499.

On another matter, Dr Chua said Barisan component parties had approached MCA for a swap of certain seats in anticipation of the next general election.

However, he declined to name the seats, saying it was important that Barisan formed the Government.

He was responding to MIC president Datuk G. Palanivel's statement that the party was willing to swap seats in the next election.

Malaysia ranked 11th most preferred study destination
By RICHARD LIMThe Star
Saturday,

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia is currently the world’s 11th most preferred study destination.

The conclusion was based on the fact that 69,154 international students from more than 150 countries have chosen Malaysia as the country they wanted to study in.

With the majority of students coming from Indonesia, China and the Middle East, the new figure was a 26.5% increase from the old count of 50,788, which was recorded on March 31 last year. The ranking was obtained from the Institute of International Education.

Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the rise indicated that the ministry’s target to have 80,000 international students by 2010 was achievable.

“We’re happy to have 2% of the world’s international student population,” he told reporters yesterday after announcing the National Higher Education Strategic Plan’s progress report.

“Malaysia is now regarded as an emerging contender to attract international students and we will improve our efforts as there will be an estimated eight million international students by 2025.”

The percentage was taken from the Unesco Institute for Statistics.

Mohamed Khaled said the ministry’s drive to liberalise higher education would not result in an influx of foreign institutions.

“Liberalisation does not mean any foreign university can come to Malaysia.

“Rather, it is co-ordinated regulation that encourages healthy competition amongst private institutions.”

The ministry has already given the green light for Newcastle University of Medicine (www.ncl.ac.uk/numed/) to set up a branch campus at Iskandar Malaysia’s Educity in Nusajaya, Johor.

It is understood that local conglomerates are negotiating with the Korean Maritime Univer-sity, Southampton University, Royal Holloway University, King’s College London, the Univer-sity of Birmingham and Murdoch University to set up branch campuses in Malaysia.

Muhyiddin: Govt plans to attract 200,000 international students by 2020
By PRIYA KULASEGARAN Updated: Tuesday September 13, 2011 MYT 2:25:48 PM

KUALA LUMPUR: The Government plans to attract at least 200,000 international students to Malaysia by 2020.

Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said these students would generate about RM600bil worth of exchange.

"Through co-operation with established and renowned institutions abroad, the government intends to make the education sector an economic endeavour by attracting more foreign students," he said during his keynote address at the Education Nation Conference 2011 here.

Muhyiddin also said that those who chose to migrate were not unpatriotic.

"The Malaysian diaspora is an asset to our country, n asset that we do not want to alienate but an asset that we would like to cooperate with," he said.

Education sector to grow on higher degrees
by Venu Puthankattil, venu@theborneopost.com. Posted on September 16, 2011, Friday
http://www.theborneopost.com/2011/09/16/education-sector-to-grow-on-higher-degrees/

http://www.theborneopost.com/newsimages/A007861.jpg

BETTER FUTURE: More students are choosing to pursue degree programmes
versus diploma programmes as degrees become more affordable and due to
the increased employability of degree holders, says Chia. – Reuters photo

KUCHING: The growth of the private education sector in Malaysia will be driven by the influx of foreign students into the country and more students choosing to pursue higher educational qualifications, among other factors.

RHB Research Institute Sdn Bhd (RHB Research) analyst Alexander Chia maintained a positive stance on the sector, stating in a research note, “More students are choosing to pursue degree programmes versus diploma programmes as degrees become more affordable and due to the increased employability of degree holders.

“Hence, around 41.5 per cent of total tertiary students in Malaysia during 2010 were pursuing degrees (versus 35.1 per cent pursuing diplomas).

“SEGi University College (SEGi) and HELP University College Sdn Bhd (HELP) will benefit from the shift in demand from diploma to degree programmes as these two players are already offering established degree programmes.

“However, we are cautious on Masterskill Education Group Bhd’s (Masterskill) performance as it is mainly dependent on its diploma courses, with less than 10 per cent of students enrolled in its degree courses.”

Chia also stated that the education sector was banking on foreign students as the Government is targeting to increase the foreign students’ population in Malaysia to 200,000 by 2020 from 86,900 currently, implying a more achievable cumulative annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.7 per cent compared with the 2003 to 2010 CAGR of 16.2 per cent.

This increase was expected to complement the growth in local student population, bolstering the overall demand for education services.

Chia opined, “We believe the private education service providers will stand to gain more from this as public universities will continue to focus on meeting demand from local students given their limited resources.”

Although the enrolment in primary and secondary schools had increased, the number of government schools over the past five years had not kept up with students’ growth.

With a lucrative market and with fees currently ranging from around RM9,000 to RM50,000 per annum, SEGi and HELP were currently in the planning stages of setting up their own private schools.

With regard to the plans, Chia further opined, “We believe that this venture will also help to build their brands of education at the primary and secondary levels. The increased branding visibility would help to boost their topline growth in the long-term.”

Chia listed the risks to the outlook which included more intense competition from other private education providers and regulatory risks that might impact the intake of new students and/or the eligibility criteria for students to obtain loans or scholarships.

With respect to the overall outlook, Chia stated an overweight stance on the sector, as the research believed that the sector was poised for further growth, on the back of positive macro factors driving the industry such as the growing number of students graduating from secondary level education. In addition, there was the industry players’ capacity for expansion to meet the market’s growing demand and the expected increase in foreign students in the long-term.

“We believe the sector will continue to have a high degree of resilience to the heightened global macroeconomic risks. SEGi remains our top pick for the sector, due to its strong growth potential in line with the sector’s positive growth and decent net dividend yield of 3.5 per cent,” Chia concluded.

In wrapping up the report, RHB Research pegged the fair values of SEGi, HELP and Masterskill at RM2.30, RM2.60 and RM1.25 respectively.

USM (www.usm.my/) to produce 400 MBA graduates by 2020
By DAVID TAN Wednesday September 21, 2011
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2011/9/21/north/9538437&sec=North

UNIVERSITI Sains Malaysia’s (USM) graduate school is planning to produce over 400 Masters in Business Administration (MBA) alumni by 2020 in view of the country’s fast expanding services sector.

The graduates would also be taught additional key skills in the service science, system, management and engineering programme, in collaboration with the giant US information technology company — IBM, USM graduate school of business (SSME programme) manager Dr Tan Cheng Ling (pic) said.

This SSME programme was in line with the plan for the services sector to contribute about 66% to the gross domestic product (GDP) by 2020, she said.

“The logistic, hospitality, finance, and consultancy sectors are some of the key sectors that would benefit from our MBA’s SSME programme,” Dr Tan told a press conference.

Also present was USM vice-chancellor Prof Tan Sri Dzulkifli Abdul Razak who announced the first batch of 12 MBA graduates from the SSME programme, who had enrolled when it was first introduced in 2009.

Presently there are 65 graduate students doing their MBA SSME programme at USM.

“The programme is for working adults with a basic degree and a grade point average of 2.75 and above.

“The MBA SSME is flexible as all the courses are held during weekends. It is suitable for the working adults with a busy schedule. He or she can complete the programme in two to four years,” she added.

IBM Malaysia marketing director Eric Wong said the SSME was a term coined by IBM in response to a global shift towards recognising the services sector as a major contributor to the global eco-nomy.

“IBM’s role is to provide USM with the learning modules, course-ware, and tutorials,” he added.

Ainuddin Wahid Fund to sponsor PhD students at UTM : Najib
2011/09/27
http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/AinuddinWahidFundtosponsorPhDstudentsatUTM_Najib/Article/

KUALA LUMPUR: The government today announced the setting up of a RM10-million fund to sponsor doctoral students at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM).

The "Ainuddin Wahid Endowment Fund", as it will be called, will finance five PhD students at RM2 million per year over five years, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

The fund would be used to sponsor "creme de la creme" students, he said when launching a biography "Ainuddin: Pejuang Degil Melayu" (Ainuddin: The Unyielding Malay Warrior) at UTM in Jalan Semarak, here.

Ainuddin was UTM's first vice-chancellor.

"The PhD students financed by the fund will also undergo attachment for six months of their studies at one of the leading academic institutions of the world, such as Oxford University, Cambridge University, MIT or Imperial College," he said.

In his speech, Najib reminded the people not to forget the struggles of past

leaders whose contributions had made possible the development enjoyed by them today.

He said this would enable the people to chart a better life for themselves.

Najib also said that he hoped that UTM vice-chancellor Prof Dr Zaini Ujang would be able to carry on the struggle of Ainuddin in charting high-impact success for UTM and enhance its status to a leading national and international university.

The biography, authored by Datin Seri Fatini Yaacob, depicts the life of a Malay warrior with the extraordinary spirit of perseverance buttressed strongly by family and close friends.

Ainuddin, who was born in 1929, holds a civil engineering degree from Bristol University, England, and was feared by contractors for his corruption-free image when he worked was an engineer with the Public Works Department.

In 1968, then Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak Hussein appointed him as the principal of the Technical College which was upgraded to the National Institute of Technology and then rebranded as UTM on April 1, 1975.

As the leader of an educational institution, Ainuddin helped in the realisation of national development policies, such as the New Economic Policy. - Bernama

UTM (www.utm.my/) going for quality instead of quantity
Story and Photo By ZAZALI MUSA Monday October 10, 2011
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2011/10/10/southneast/9655493&sec=southneast

http://thestar.com.my/archives/2011/10/10/southneast/se_3zaini.jpg

Gift of appreciation: Zaini (left) presenting a momento to Gast.

SKUDAI: Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) is gradually reducing the number of its student intake from 28,000 in the year 2000, to 21,000 students this year.

Its vice-chancellor Prof-essor Dr Zaini Ujang said the number would be further reduced to 20,000 by the end of next year and the university wanted to maintain the figure at that level.

He said of the 20,000 student enrolment, 75% or 15,000 would be Malaysians while international students would make up the remaining 25% or 5,000 enrolment.

“We are going for quality and not quantity and it has got nothing to do with the university’s ranking,’’ Zaini said adding that 11,000 would be post-graduates.

He said to maintain its status as one of the leading research-based universities in the world; UTM would have the ratio of 1:2 undergraduate and post-graduate students respectively.

Zaini said this after attending the premier lecture by the USA’s Lehigh University president Professor Dr Alice Gast on “International Education Today” at the UTM main campus here.

It was reported that UTM had slipped in its rang in the QS (Quacquarelli Symonds Lt World University Rankings from 365th place to between 401 and 450 placing in 2011, compared to last year’s position.

“We are not really perturbed by the latest ranking and we’ll work even harder to improve our position,’’ he said.

Meanwhile, Gast said there were more than 700,000 international students studying in universities across the USA, with 60% doing business, engineering and sciences.

She said there were 6,200 Malaysian students there of which 66% were undergraduates, 32% already graduated and others were doing post-graduate programmes.

Gast said the university planned to collaborate with UTM on the field biotechnology, water, sustainability, chemical engineering and Islamic studies.

She said as of todate the university already had collaborated with Universiti Teknologi Petronas and Universiti Teknologi Mara.

Lehigh University was founded by Asa Packer in 1865 and has 4,800 graduates as of to date and Alice is also the currently the Science Envoy of President Barrack Obama for Central Asia Region.

Kerajaan Negeri Ambil Alih Hutang Unisel
Sunday, 16 October 2011 | Ruangan: Berita

SHAH ALAM 16 OKTOBER : Kerajaan Selangor telah mengambil alih bond Universiti Selangor (Unisel) berjumlah RM235 juta agar ia dapat memberi tumpuan dan dana kepada meningkatkan tarafnya sebagai insitusi pengajian tinggi di negara ini.

Exco Pendidikan, Pendidikan Tinggi dan Pembangunan Modal Insan Dr Halimah Ali berkata bond atau hutang yang ditanggung Unisel selama 12 tahun operasinya sudah hampir dua kali ganda hutang asal.

Hutang asal RM150 juta, yang diambil dari bank untuk tujuan pembinaan Unisel, kini berjumlah RM235 juta, selepas dicampur faedah, kata Halimah.

Beban hutang ini telah menyekat usaha Unisel untuk mengembangkan operasi pendidikan dan pembangunnya, Halimah berkata.

“Kerajaan mengambil ketetapan untuk tidak membebankan Unisel. Unisel kerjanya melantik dan mendidik pelajar supaya mereka boleh maju dan untuk menjalankan penyelidikan dan pembangunan dengan lebih cergas.”

Beliau berkata demikian di sidang media selepas majlis konvokesyen ke-6 Unisel.

Halimah berkata dalam usaha meningkatkan taraf program pendidikannya, Unisel telah menandatangi beberapa perjanjian dengan universiti-universiti tersohor dunia.

“Unisel mendatangai MOU dengan universiti berprestij di dunia seperti Manchaster Universiti, Imperial College dan Cambridge University.”

Majlis Konvokesyen ini dirasmikan Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim.

Seramai kira-kira 4,000 graduan menamatkan pengajian dengan daripada jumlah berkenaan,10 graduan (dua dari Sumatera, Indonesia) akan dianugerahkan Ijazah Doktor Falsafah (Phd), 81 orang menerima Ijazah Sarjana, 1,759 graduan menerima Ijazah Sarjana Muda, manakala 2,021 menerima diploma dan 152 lagi penerima Sijil Program Asas.

Istiadat konvokesyen kali ini juga menganugerahkan tiga anugerah istimewa kepada tiga orang pelajar cemerlang iaitu Nor Izzati Muhammad,22, Muhammad Asraf Mat Nor,25, dan Veera Shamaraj Balacandran,24, yang paling cemerlang sepanjang pengajian mereka di Unisel.

World's Best Universities
2011 ranking
http://www.usnews.com/education/worlds-best-universities-rankings/top-400-universities-in-the-world

28.National University of Singapore (NUS)-Singapore (3-Asian Ranking)
58.Nanyang Technological University (NTU)-Singapore (17-Asian Ranking)
167.Universiti Malaya (UM)-Malaysia (39-Asian Ranking)
171.Chulalongkorn University-Thailand (47-Asian Ranking)
217.University of Indonesia-Indonesia (50-Asian Ranking)
229.Mahidol University-Thailand (34-Asian Ranking)
279.Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)-Malaysia (53-Asian Ranking)
332.University of the Philippines-Philippines (62-Asian Ranking)
335.Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM)-Malaysia (54-Asian Ranking)
342.Universitas Gadjah Mada-Indonesia (80-Asian Ranking)
358.Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM)-Malaysia (57-Asian Ranking)
360.Ateneo de Manila University-Philippines

Asian Ranking
39.Universiti Malaya (UM)-Malaysia
53.Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)-Malaysia
54.Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM)-Malaysia
57.Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM)-Malaysia
76.Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM)-Malaysia

UIA?????
..

Taylor's builds RM110m international school in Puchong
By Joy Lee & Alexander Teo of theedgeproperty.com
Friday, 21 October 2011 14:34

KUALA LUMPUR: Taylor's Education Group is investing RM110 million to build a new international school in Puchong, Selangor.

The school will be located on a 7.8-acre site and cater for more than 2,000 students, with the first phase to open in 2014 with an initial intake of 1,000 students.

"The Taylor's brand is synonymous with high quality tertiary education to students through Taylor's University and Taylor's College. Now, Taylor's can educate students at a younger age to provide them with the necessary foundation for success," said group CEO Datuk Loy Teik Ngan in a statement.

The company's school division currently comprises Garden International School, Australian International School Malaysia, Sri Garden Kuala Lumpur, Sri Garden International and Nexus International School in Putrajaya.

"We believe that Taylor's International School, Puchong, has the potential to contribute and enrich the growing communities adjacent to the school," said Taylor's school division president B K Gan, adding that the school will "place a lot of emphasis on values like respect and care for family and community as a whole".

Taylor's tertiary arm consists of Taylor's University and Taylor's College. The group currently caters for 20,000 students with its private school and tertiary education offerings.

UniMAP (www.unimap.edu.my/) wins big in London
Monday October 24, 2011
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/10/24/nation/9760951&sec=nation

KANGAR: A researcher at Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP) has made Malaysia proud when he was named the winner of the Special Diamond Award, the highest award at the British Invention, Innovation and Technology Show (BIS) 2011 in London.

Mohd Mustafa Al Bakri Abdullah, who is also a senior lecturer at UniMAP's School of Materials Engineering, was honoured for his invention billed as “a novel and environmental-friendly” cement and concrete product.

The product, which also won the gold award at the exhibition, was produced following a joint research with UniMAP vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Kamarudin Hussin.

“This achievement at the BIS exhibition is very meaningful as it is part of the research for my doctorate studies,” Mohd Mustafa said in a statement issued by UniMAP yesterday.

Mohd Mustafa also won a gold medal at the International Conference and Exposition of Inventions of Institutions of Higher Learning (Pecipta) 2011 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre last month.

BIS 2011 was held at the Old Spitalfields Market in London from Oct 19 to Oct 22.

It drew participation from 15 countries, including Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Romania, Spain, Australia and Ireland.

The UniMAP delegation to BIS 2011, led by deputy vice-chancellor (research and innovation) Prof Dr Ismail Daut, also won the Special Platinum Award through his (Ismail) invention, which was a photovoltaic-powered inverter without a transformer.

Its Dean of the Research Management and Innovation Centre, Prof Dr Syed Alwee Aljunid, won the special gold award for his research on “OCDMA Systems Using Random Diagonal Code”.

UniMAP also won silver medals through Jefri Efendi Mohd Salih for his “Agriculture Fertigation Robot” and “Natural Adsorbent” by Nurfaiza Mohamud.

In Shah Alam, Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Sahol Hamid Abu Bakar, 57, created history as the first Asian to receive an honorary doctorate degree in engineering from Stuttgart University, Germany.

UiTM corporate communications assistant vice-chancellor Prof Dr Ahmad Redzuan Abdul Rahman said the recognition was in honour of Dr Sahol Hamid's achievement in scientific research, technical achievement in hydraulic engineering and in new technology in water resources management.

The award will be presented in Stuttgart on Nov 18. - Bernama

Sweet success for USM (www.usm.my/) trio at London show
By ZALINAH NOORDIN Tuesday October 25, 2011
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/10/25/nation/9768087&sec=nation

http://thestar.com.my/archives/2011/10/25/nation/n_03londonshow.jpg

Super six: (From left) Pei San, Karen, Farah Wahida, Chong, Fazreen Amira and Yeap proudly showing off their trophies and medals, which they won at the British Invention Show in London.

GEORGE TOWN: A three-member Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) team, who turned palm oil waste into a sugar substitute for diabetics, has bagged two prizes at the prestigious British Invention Show (BIS) 2011 in London.

Their project, which involved turning empty fruit bunches (EFB) into a healthy form of sugar substitute called Xylitol, won them the “Double Gold Natural Earth” special award and a gold medal.

“Our product is a saviour for people with diabetes, obesity and tooth decay,” Chong Meng Yeong said, adding “it is produced from the abundantly available biomass waste.”.

Chong, 24, said demand for Xylitol was high but going by conventional production methods, producing it would be complex and expensive.

Together with Farah Wahida Hairon and Fazreen Amira Ismail, the trio won for their project called “Alternative Sweetness from Biomass for a Healthier Lifestyle”.

They were part of six USM students who swept a total of four gold medals and three special awards at the exhibition in Britain, which attracted young researchers from more than 30 countries.

The other three were Karen Voon Kai Rou, 25, who clinched the second “Double Gold” special award for her design “Development of Chemopreventive Agent for Oral Cancer Using Hydrozone Derivative” and another gold medal, Yeap Swee Pin, 23, (gold medal for her project “Functionalised Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes Polylactic”) and E. Pei San, 24, (gold medal for Hybrid Transition Oxide: Towards a Sustainable Future”).

The third special prize Romanian Best Innovation Award was bestowed upon the entire team.

USM vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Omar Osman said: “We are proud to be producing capable students.”

He said their innovations would make a difference to society, “especially in the world of science and research”.

[asking]

Guys, which Universiti that has the best Business School on Master Degree, either on research or coursework...

Thx...

Canadian Governor-General praises our higher education system
Posted on November 17, 2011, Thursday
http://www.theborneopost.com/2011/11/17/canadian-governor-general-praises-our-higher-education-system/#ixzz1dTx9Hf00

http://www.theborneopost.com/newsimages/A0130802.jpg

LIGHT MOMENT: Johnston (second left) sharing a light moment with students
of Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) in various traditional costumes at a press
conference on Diplomacy of Knowledge, Education and Globalisation in the
21st Century’ at USM in George Town yesterday. — Bernama photo

GEORGE TOWN: The Governor-General of Canada David Llyod Johnston has praised Malaysia’s higher education system and the development of its young talent, especially in Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM).

He said USM had improved tremendously, especially in the development of young talent, adding that he had been to the university about 30 years ago.
“I have been in this university for the past 30 years ago, and now USM has improved especially in the development of the talent,”

He said this at a press conference, ‘The Diplomacy of Knowledge: Education and Globalisation in the 21st Century’ at the USM here yesterday.
Johnston is leading a Canadian entourage in conjunction with his visit to Malaysia.

On universities, he said they should practise the diplomacy of knowledge at local and regional levels to identify and broadly share specific needs and goals.

“To do this effectively, universities must understand the dynamics of the 21st century knowledge economy, where education, research and innovation are more valued than ever.

“The best way to enhance knowledge is to share it widely, which is why the development of creative clusters and constant communication is so important,” he added. — Bernama

High-tech vouchers
A million higher education students to receive them from next month
By KOI KYE LEE
http://www.nst.com.my/top-news/high-tech-vouchers-1.20527

A TOTAL of 1.3 million students nationwide will receive the book vouchers announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak when tabling 2012 Budget.

Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Khaled Nordin said yesterday the vouchers would be valid from Jan 1 to March 31.

“Those registered as active students from January to March in institutions of higher learning, matriculation, polytechnics and Form Six will be eligible to receive the RM200 book voucher.”

The book vouchers would have sophisticated security features to prevent forgery, said Khaled.

The vouchers are meant for students to buy academic books and related items.

“The voucher has a key-andlock design and films are used to see hidden writings to prevent forgery. They will also carry
security serial numbers for us to monitor the number of coupons issued, with the names of the recipients and higher learning institution issuing it.”

Reverse print Guilloche and spot colour further ensure the vouchers are not duplicated.

Khaled was speaking after handing over a mock cheque for RM260 million to student representatives and launching the Potential Centres of Excellence (CoE) 2011.

His ministry has allocated an incentive fund of RM20 million to seven CoEs.

The fund was a one-off boost for the centres’ research efforts, said Khaled.

The CoEs are: Photonics Research Centre and Centre for Nanotechnology and Catalysis (or Nanocen) at Universiti Malaya;

Environment and Development Institute (or Lestari) and Malay Civilisation and World Institute (or Atma) at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia; the Oceanography and Environmental Institute at Universiti Malaysia Terengganu; Neuroscience

Research and Service Centre of Excellence at Universiti Sains Malaysia; and Malaysian Technical University Network, a collaboration among Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Universiti Teknikal Melaka, Universiti Malaysia Pahang and Universiti Malaysia Perlis.

UNIVERSITI UTARA MALAYSIA-UUM
48 kilometers north of Alor Setar, the state capital of Kedah Darul Aman

http://my.88dbmedia1.jobsdb.com/my_UploadFiles/2007/01/29/72856266-A5E2-4A0C-B6C9-8DF87F7CC5A0.jpg

The Sintok and Badak Rivers run through the campus creating a truly unique feature as well as making it one of the most beautiful campuses in Malaysia.

UUM targets 10 per cent lecturers with PhDs by 2020
Posted on January 3, 2012, Tuesday
http://www.theborneopost.com/2012/01/03/uum-targets-10-per-cent-lecturers-with-phds-by-2020/

SINTOK: Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) is targeting to have 10 per cent of its 1,200 lecturers holding Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees and be one of the world’s top 100 universities by 2020.

UUM vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Mohamed Mustafa Ishak said even though more than 90 UUM lecturers had obtain PhDs, many of them would be retiring in the coming years.

“UUM has implemented various efforts and initiatives to encourage lecturers to
further their studies at the PhD level.

“However, I’m confident that the target of at least 10 per cent of UUM lecturers with PhDs by 2020 will be achieved,” he told Bernama here yesterday.

Mohamed Mustafa also said UUM’s Masters of Science (MSc) programme in Banking which was listed in the Top 100 Best Masters in Global Financial Markets Banking recently, had given a further boost to the university. — Bernama

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM)
Johor, Malaysia

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UTM records big number of postgraduate students
07 January 2012
http://www.nst.com.my/local/general/utm-records-big-number-of-postgraduate-students-1.28962

JOHOR BARU: Some 10,888 people enrolled for postgraduate studies at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) last year, making it one of the highest among universities in the country.

Vice-chancellor Professor Datuk Dr Zaini Ujang said the number constituted 46 per cent of the total number of students in UTM.

He said this allowed the university to almost reach its objective of equalling the number of postgraduate and undergraduate students. There were 12,955 undergraduates as of December last year.

There are 3,439 students pursuing doctorates in UTM, including 1,616 foreigners. Masters students total 7,449, of whom 5,343 are foreigners.

All the doctorate students and 1,576 of those taking their masters are conducting research-based activities, in line with UTM's status as a research university.

According to Zaini, UTM had contributed 42 per cent of the postgraduates in engineering and technology in the country, the highest in Malaysia.

UTM's initiative to introduce Industrial PhD programme has attracted professionals from the sector to join the university.

There are 57 professionals undergoing the programme in UTM, sponsored by the Higher Education Ministry as part of government's effort to produce 500 PhD-qualified industrial workforce by 2015.

Autonomy for UTM
By DESIREE TRESA GASPER Monday January 9, 2012
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/1/9/nation/10227601&sec=nation

JOHOR BARU: The Higher Education Ministry has granted Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) autonomy in four areas, making it the first in the country to receive the status.

Its minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said UTM was capable of handling its affairs independently in these areas.

“The ministry has also identified several other universities but I will only announce their names on Jan 26 (when he delivers his new year address),” he said.

Mohamed Khaled explained that with the autonomy, the university would now take full responsibility for institutional governance, academic governance, financial management and human resource management.

He was speaking to reporters after presenting endowment scholarships to 100 UTM undergraduates at the campus in Skudai here yesterday.

“UTM will also handle its student intake and will no longer have to go through the ministry's Universities Admissions Unit (UPU),” he said.

He added that autonomy for UTM would take effect starting this year but the formal announcement would be made on Jan 26.

Meanwhile, Mohamed Khaled also urged university alumni to play a more active role in developing their respective universities.

“The alumni should not only limit their contributions to financial aid but other areas as well.

“For example, the alumni can help with establishing internship programmes or create business opportunities for students,” he said

Transformation in education needed
by Zoee Hillson. Posted on January 8, 2012, Sunday
http://www.theborneopost.com/2012/01/08/transformation-in-education-needed/#ixzz1jVRVSVYx

http://www.theborneopost.com/newsimages/A2692.jpg

SMART PARTNERSHIP: Fatimah (fourth left) witnessing the exchange of MoA
between OUM and Denver which was represented by Anuwar (second left)
and Hafisz (fifth left). — Photo by Jeffery Mostapa

KUCHING: An urgent transformation in education is needed to influence a social change that represents the nation’s identity.

Minister of Welfare, Women and Family Development Datuk Fatimah Abdullah yesterday stated that society should not forget good social values in its race for a developed nation status.

“The people’s harmony must include all aspects of community development which include intellect, spiritual, physical and also emotional.
She added that all educational and training initiatives must take into account the Government Transformation Programme (GTP), 10th Malaysian Plan and global demands.

“An early approach must be made to education and training which emphasise on creating quality human capital, innovation and creativity,” she said.
She said this at the signing of memorandum of agreement between School of Lifelong Learning of Open University Malaysia (SOLL-OUM) and Denver Consulting Sdn Bhd.

Fatimah added that collaboration between educational institutions are also hoped to provide relevant training and education.

She welcomed the collaboration between SOLL-OUM and Denver Consulting which will provide training and accreditation for technical and skill courses.
“It provides the opportunity for those who are already employed to improve their careers through continuous learning and training,” she said in a press conference after the event.

Meanwhile, Open University president Professor Emeritus Tan Sri Anuwar Ali said he hoped the collaboration will be able to produce more human capital according to the job market needs.

Under the memorandum, SOLL-OUM and Denver Consulting will work together to deliver six industrial career certificates and two executive diploma programmes primarily targeting hospitality, wellness, tailoring, air-conditioning and tourism industry.

Also present were Denver Consulting Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Hafisz Rachman Drahman, Denver Enterprise chairman Drahman Jaladin and Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) vice chancellor Professor Datuk Dr Khairuddin Abdul Hamid.

Govt allocates RM18 mln under BB1M
Posted on January 19, 2012, Thursday
http://www.theborneopost.com/2012/01/19/govt-allocates-rm18-mln-under-bb1m/

GEORGE TOWN: The government allocated more than RM18 million for the 1Malaysia Book Vouchers (BB1M) programme to about 90,000 polytechnic students throughout the country to ease their burden in buying books.

The deputy director-general of the Curriculum Development and Assessment, Polytechnic Studies Department, Mohd Ghaus Abdul Kadir said the BB1M had been distributed to 30 polytechnics throughout the country .

He said the vouchers worth RM200 each were distributed to all students beginning from the first until the final semesters, for programmes at the certificate, diploma, industrial training and part-time courses (KSS).

“The government has spent considerable funds to assist students and these efforts were also aimed at easing the burden borne by their parents,” he told yesterday. — Bernama

UM set for autonomy
By AMINUDDIN MOHSIN Monday January 23, 2012
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/1/23/nation/10314089&sec=nation

PETALING JAYA: Universiti Malaya (UM) is set to be given autonomy from the Higher Education Ministry this month.

UM vice-chancellor Prof Tan Sri Dr Ghauth Jasmon said the autonomy would allow the university flexibility in finance, administration and academic matters.

“We already have a transformation plan in place for the university and with autonomy, we'll be able to carry out the plans more effectively,” he said.

Prof Ghauth said UM would no longer have to go to the Public Service Department, the Ministry or Treasury for many matters.

UM deputy vice-chancellor (student affairs and alumni) Prof Datuk Dr Rohana Yusof said the university would also be able to choose its own students now.

“Previously we had no say in student intake as everything was handled by the Universities Admissions Unit,” she said.

Another aspect of university governance that would benefit from autonomy was human resource, added Prof Rohana.

“We will be able to fill positions quickly without having to go through JPA,” she said.

Earlier this month, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin announced that Universiti Teknologi Malaysia were given autonomy.

Other universities expected to receive the status are Universiti Sains Malaysia, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and Universiti Putra Malaysia.

A Readiness for Autonomy Audit was earlier carried out by a team headed by UKM vice-chancellor Prof Tan Sri Dr Sharifah Hapsah Syed Hasan Shahabudin.

“Universities have to earn the autonomy and show that they have the ability to conduct their affairs with integrity,” she said.

Prof Sharifah added that the autonomy involved institutional governance, academic governance, financial management and human resource management.

Mohamed Khaled is expected to make the official announcement on UM on Thursday.

Five universities given autonomy to excel - Khaled
Posted on 26 January 2012 - 03:06pm
http://www.thesundaily.my/news/277499

PUTRAJAYA (Jan 26, 2012): Universiti Malaya, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Universiti Putra Malaysia and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia have been given the autonomy to become innovative and competitive institutions, said Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Khaled Nordin today.

He said the four aspects covered by the autonomy were governance, finance, human resource, academic management and student intake.

"The autonomy was given with the aim that there would be no more excuses for the universities not to excel. And to excel, they must have autonomy and not be tied down by government rules and processes," he said during a press conference after delivering a 2012 new year message to his ministry at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre, here.

Although student intake would still be managed by the Universities Admissions Unit, the five institutions have been given the power to review criteria, and to select and announce results based on students' first preference.

Mohd Khaled said the ministry would continue to fine tune the implementation of the powers to prevent overlap, particularly in the process of student selection.

On another development, he said the ministry lodged a report at the Putrajaya police headquarters yesterday, in relation to the alleged sales of 1Malaysia Book Vouchers, as reported in the newspapers.

"A finance officer from the ministry has lodged a police report yesterday. We obtained information from several websites on offers to cash in the vouchers. We hope it'll be investigated by the police," he added.

He was commenting on reports which had surfaced on university students misusing the vouchers by selling it on the internet or using them to buy reading material which were not beneficial. -- Bernama

RMAF plans aviation programmes in schools
Posted on January 28, 2012, Saturday
http://www.theborneopost.com/2012/01/28/rmaf-plans-aviation-programmes-in-schools/#ixzz1khfD8R1c

http://cdn.theborneopost.com/newsimages/A013117056.jpg

JOIN THE AIR FORCE: Rodzali (centre back, waving) with NS trainees after
the opening ceremony. — Bernama photo

TEMERLOH: The Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) plans to introduce high-tech aviation programmes to secondary school students, through the Education Ministry, said its Commander, general Tan Sri Rodzali Daud.

He said the programme aims to instill an interest in aerospace technology such as aircraft and radar maintenance, in students.

“The students need to be exposed to the program as they’re the ones who would be handling the technology in the future, especially related to the current digital development which is widely used in the aviation, air defence and radar industries,” he emphasised.

“It is our corporate social responsibility to mould the students’ skills in handling and mastering high-tech aviation technology,” said Rodzali after the opening ceremony of the National Service Programme Group 1 9/2012 Series at Arena Resort PLKN Camp here, yesterday.

He added that they also hoped the programme would help students perform better and get them interested in a career with the air force.

Rodzali said the programme would be conducted at selected schools which were in the vicinity of air bases throughout the nation, in the near future.
Students who showed an interest in such a career would be selected to further their studies at the National Defence University of Malaysia (UPNM), he said.

“The programme is an excellent opportunity for those who are interested in joining the Air Force.

“We’ll store their personal information in our database and when they pass with flying colours, they’ll be offered to further their studies in UPNM,” he said. — Bernama

UiTM PhD students to be assessed by foreign examiners
Posted on February 1, 2012, Wednesday
http://www.theborneopost.com/2012/02/01/uitm-phd-students-to-be-assessed-by-foreign-examiners/

SHAH ALAM: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) students at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) will be assessed by foreign examiners starting this year to ensure that they are on par with those at international level.

UiTM vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Sahol Hamid Abu Bakar said this will enable PhD graduates to produce research work of higher quality and for global recognition.

“Previously, only local examiners were involved. To upgrade UiTM’s academic quality, we decided that the research be assessed by foreign examiners who are experts in their respective fields,” he told a press conference after delivering his new year message at UiTM here yesterday.

Sahol Hamid said the move is also in line with the main focus of UiTM this year, to improve quality of academics, lecturers, graduates and programmes. — Bernama

31 named as high performance schools
2011/07/18
http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/2cluster123/Article/

KUALA NERANG: Thirty-one of 152 schools recognised as Cluster Schools Of Excellence or "Sekolah Kluster Kecemerlangan" (SKK) have been given high performance school status, Director-general of Education Datuk Abdul Ghafar Mahmud said yesterday.

He said the success was an indication that SKK spurred excellence at national and international levels.

"SKK has also created numerous achievements at national and international levels.

"Their students who took part in the International Competitions and Assessments for Schools (ICAS) in Australia were conferred Highly Commended and High Distinction awards," he said during the closing of the SKK North Zone Carnival here.

His speech was read by Residential School Management and School of Excellence Division director Rosland Hussein.

Ghafar said, for the niche areas in co-curriculum, SKK had created a name at international levels and indirectly boosted Malaysia's image on the world stage.

"In the first six months of this year, SKK succeeded in more than 50 international programmes."

Ghafar said one of the successes was Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Lutong in Miri, Sarawak which garnered a gold and a silver medal at the Apec Young Scientist Conference in Taipei, Taiwan.

During the three-day carnival, which began on Friday at SMK Datuk Syed Ahmad here, seven schools from Kedah, four from Perlis and six from Penang were picked as SKK for the Northern Zone. -- Bernama

DPM: High performing schools now number 66 :cheers:
By TAN EE LOO Published: Friday February 3, 2012 MYT 11:33:00 AM
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/2/3/nation/20120203114814&sec=nation

KUALA LUMPUR: Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has announced another 14 High Performing Schools (HPS), bringing the total number to 66.

The Education Ministry's aim was to identify 100 HPS by end of 2012.

Muhyiddin said the objectives of HPS were to elevate the quality of the high performing schools and produce excellent students using holistic approaches.

The third objective, he said, was to narrow the gap between schools in the system through coaching and networking.

Malaysia aims to produce excellent students from 100 schools by year-end
By TAN EE LOO Saturday February 4, 2012
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/2/4/nation/10673596&sec=nation

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia is getting closer to its dream of producing excellent students from 100 schools by the end of the year.

The Education Ministry announced another 14 High Performing Schools (HPS), bringing the total number of HPS to date to 66.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also Education Minister, said many HPS had taken part in international programmes and competitions and established linkages with foreign schools and groups.

“We have to acknowledge the need for continuous improvement if we want our education system to be on par with those of developed nations.

“HPS are schools which maximise their students’ potential and skills up to the international level,” he said in his speech to announce the latest batch of HPS here yesterday.

The ministry is targeting 100 HPS by the end of the year.

Muhyiddin said the objectives of the HPS include elevating the quality of schools, producing excellent students using holistic approaches and narrowing the gap between schools through coaching and networking.

The schools that were awarded the HPS status during yesterday’s ceremony were SK (P) Sultan Ibrahim, SK Infant Jesus Convent and SJK (C) Foon Yew 2 in Johor Baru; SM Sains in Kota Tinggi; SM Sains Johor in Kluang; SK Ibrahim and SM Sains Sultan Mohamad Jiwa in Sungai Petani; SJK (C) Keat Hwa (H) in Alor Setar; SK Minden Heights in Gelugor; SJK (C) Kwang Hwa in Bayan Lepas, Penang; SK Sultan Sulaiman 1 in Kuala Terengganu; SK Tengku Mahmud in Besut, Terengganu; SK Assunta Convent in Kuantan, Pahang and SM Sains Tuanku Jaafar in Kuala Pilah, Negri Sembilan.

Each school received an allocation of RM700,000.

According to the ministry, each school will also receive RM800,000 over the next two years.

These schools are also given special allocations, incentives and training for leaders, teachers and non-academic staff.

The schools are also given autonomy in curriculum, financial and human resources management and student intake.

HPS schools are those with ethos, character and unique identities that signify excellence in all aspects of education.

These schools also have strong cultures and networks with the public and private groups.

Universiti Malaya to make intake rules more stringent
Published: Friday February 10, 2012 MYT 9:06:00 PM
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/2/10/nation/20120210211853&sec=nation

KUALA LUMPUR: Universiti Malaya's (UM) entrance requirements will be more stringent from the September intake, said its vice-chancellor Tan Sri Dr Ghauth Jasmon.

Critical courses such as medicine, dentistry and such would require a maximum of cumulative Grade Point Average of 4.00 while arts courses needed 3.50, he said.

The decision was based on the autonomy status awarded by the government to several institutions of higher learning, including UM, he said after launching an art exhibition at the UM Art Gallery.

Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khalid Nordin had announced the awarding of autonomous powers covering governance, finance, human resource, academic management and student intake to five universities.

The universities are UM, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Universiti Putra Malaysia and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.

78 technical schools to be upgraded to vocational colleges next year
Posted on February 20, 2012, Monday
http://www.theborneopost.com/2012/02/20/78-technical-schools-to-be-upgraded-to-vocational-colleges-next-year/

KUALA TERENGGANU: The government will upgrade 78 selected technical schools nationwide to vocational colleges next year.

Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi said it was in line with the agenda to promote technical education and vocational training as part of mainstream education.

He said under the vocational transformation programme, students who completed the level four of their vocational education would be conferred with a Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) certificate which is equivalent to a diploma.

“So far, 15 technical schools have pioneered the basic vocational programmes and 15 others will become the pioneers of vocational colleges.

“We will fully upgrade the 78 selected technical schools to vocational colleges next year,” he told reporters after opening the Vocational Education Transformation Consolidation Programme at Sekolah Menengah Teknik Kuala Terengganu here yesterday.

Dr Mohd Puad said several new fields would also be introduced at the vocational colleges such as hospitality, transportation and sports industry. — Bernama

Top Malaysian Universities 2011-2012
http://www.topuniversities.com/student-life/best-student-cities/2012/
167 Universiti Malaya (UM) Malaysia
279 Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) Malaysia
335 Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Malaysia
358 Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) Malaysia
401-450 Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) Malaysia

Universiti Malaya (UM)
KUALA LUMPUR

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Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)
SELANGOR

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Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM)
PENANG
http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1170/863978668_1b6de0802f_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/hhyeo/863978668/)
Universiti Sains Malaysia (http://www.flickr.com/photos/hhyeo/863978668/) by spOt_ON (http://www.flickr.com/people/hhyeo/), on Flickr

Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM)
SELANGOR

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Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM)
JOHOR

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Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM)
Johor, Malaysia

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UTM plans to be global top 50 by 2020
By ZAZALI MUSA Wednesday February 29, 2012
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2012/2/29/southneast/10771244&sec=southneast

JOHOR BARU: Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) wants to emerge as one of the top 50 global universities by 2020, under its strategic planning which was initiated this year.

Its vice-chancellor Professor Datuk Dr Zaini Ujang said under the UTM Global Plan 2012-2020, the university would focus more on research and development (R&D) activities.

“We want our graduates and academic staff to be more innovative and creative and be able to commercialise their new R&D findings to the domestic and the international markets,” he said.

Dr Zaini said on that note, the university would require more of its post-graduate students to enroll in research-based studies, to achieve the target.

He said by having more post-graduate students involved in the research-based programmes and activities, it would be in a better position to compete with other Ivy League universities in the world.

Dr Zaini said the numbers of its post-graduate students had almost reached the 50% target of its entire student population, this year.

He said the registration for post-graduate students was open all year round and the numbers of its post-graduate students was expected to reach 12,000 by the year-end.

“This will create a balance between the post-graduate students and the Bachelor of Science students, which currently stands at 12,000,” added Dr Zaini.

As of Saturday,1,235 post-graduate students local and foreign students have registered at the university including 331 students from China, France, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhsatan, Saudi Arabia, Singapore and the United Kingdom.

On another matter, UTM Publishing will organise a book expo at the university’s Skudai campus until Mac 3.

Its director Professor Dr Hishamuddin Jamaluddin said recipients of the Baucer Buku IMalaysia (BBIM) could purchase books and stationeries at the event.

He said 14 local and foreign book distributors and publishers were expected to take part in the book expo at the Jalan Semarak campus and more than 30 at the Skudai campus.

UMT to conduct study with East Carolina University at Bintulu sea
Posted on February 28, 2012, Tuesday
http://www.theborneopost.com/2012/02/28/umt-to-conduct-study-with-east-carolina-university-at-bintulu-sea/

KUALA TERENGGANU: Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) will cooperate with the United States’ East Carolina University to conduct a joint geographical study at Bintulu Sea in Sarawak, beginning July.

UMT Vice-Chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Aziz Deraman said the study would be conducted by using UMT research vessel ‘R. V. Discovery’, involving an initial allocation of approximately RM200,000.

“The study involves scientists from East Carolina University and UMT to study the past climate up to 20,000 years back, by taking sediment cores in the Bintulu Sea,” he told reporters after the UMT Student Leadership Award here yesterday.

Aziz said the study was also to find out the past and future monsoon changes in connection with the weather in the South China Sea.

He said UMT would also create history as the first local university using satellite data receiver equipments to detect information in the South China Sea, especially for oceanography.

The equipment installation would be in May or June. — Bernama

lawa gak utm nie yea

STPM: 92.19 peratus lulus, hanya 12 calon dapat 5A

5:01PM Mac 7, 2012
Seramai 46,712 atau 92.19 peratus calon lulus sekurang-kurangnya satu mata pelajaran dalam peperiksaan Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) 2011 berbanding 46,795 (92.5) pada tahun sebelumnya.

Pengerusi Majlis Peperiksaan Malaysia (MPM), Datuk Mohd Noh Dalimin berkata, 12 calon telah mencapai keputusan cemerlang Gred A dalam lima mata pelajaran yang diambil berbanding lapan calon pada tahun sebelumnya.

Pada umumnya, prestasi calon tahun 2011 adalah sama dengan tahun 2010, di mana Purata Nilai Gred Keseluruhan (PGNK) adalah sama, iaitu 2.22, katanya ketika mengumumkan keputusan peperiksaan STPM 2011 di Kuala Lumpur hari ini.

more http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/191394

98% prefer English when writing answers
Thursday March 8, 2012
Reports by KANG SOON CHEN, FARIK ZOLKEPLI, HAMDAN RAJA ABDULLAH, AMINUDDIN MOHSIN, JOSEPHINE JALLEH and MOHD FARHAAN SHAH
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/3/8/nation/10874862&sec=nation

http://thestar.com.my/archives/2012/3/8/nation/n_4noh.jpg

Best of the best: Prof Mohd Noh (4th from left) chatting with the recepients of
the STPM outstanding student awards as they showed off their mock cheques.

KUALA LUMPUR: More than 98% of the candidates who took the Science, Mathematics and Computing subjects in the Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) examination last year answered in English.

Malaysian Examinations Council (MEC) chairman Prof Datuk Dr Mohd Noh Dalimin said there was a 1% increase of those choosing to answer the questions in English compared to 97.1% in 2010 and 97.5% in 2009.

“Although Mathematics S, Mathematics T, Further Mathematics T, Computing, Physics, Chemistry and Biology are taught in English in Form Six, candidates are offered the option of answering either in English or Bahasa Malaysia,” he said when announcing the analysis of the STPM 2011 results yesterday.

Prof Mohd Noh, who is the vice-chancellor of Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, said the number of candidates who obtained 5A's had increased to 12 compared to eight.

The 5A's scorers were Low Wei Yang (SMK Horley Methodist, Teluk Intan), Teoh Han Kheng, (SMJK Chung Ling, George Town), Mohamad Shahrullnizam Mahamud (SMK Sultan Abd Jalil Shah, Perak), Woon Soon Kit , Gan Wooi Lun (both from SMK Sam Tet, Ipoh), Muhammad Zulhilmi Mohd Salleh (SMK Kota, Kota Baru), Nurul Shazwani Kamarudin Darus (SMK Tengku Panglima Raja, Pasir Mas), Lim May Teng, Eric Khong Mun Kit (both from SMK (L) Methodist, Kuala Lumpur), Malarvili Subramaniam (SMK Ambrose, Ayer Tawar), Lee Jia Chern (SMK Jitra, Kubang Pasu) and Teng Lik Sien (SMK Tendong, Pasir Mas).

Of the total, he said five scored A's in all papers taken, adding that they were given the best student awards for STPM 2011.

Prof Mohd Noh said that although candidates were allowed to take five subjects, most took four subjects, as the Higher Education Ministry's requirement for entry into public universities was four subjects, including the General Paper.

He said 298 candidates obtained a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 4.0 compared with 343 in 2010, adding that 53,687 registered for it last year.

Prof Dr Mohd Noh announced that the STPM examination assessment mode would be changed from this year.

Lower Six students now will sit for a semester examination in November, followed by two semester examinations in June and November next year.

98% prefer English when writing answers

^^ haha memang pon..guna malay kadang2 jer :lol:

UPSR, PMR guna format baru
Jawi, Utusan Malaysia 12/03/2012

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UTM, KPJ plan to set up research-based hospital in Johor
By ZAZALI MUSA Thursday March 15, 2012
http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/3/15/business/10910576&sec=business

JOHOR BARU: Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) is collaborating with KPJ Healthcare Bhd to set up a research-based hospital at the university's main campus in Skudai here.

Its vice-chancellor Professor Datuk Dr Zaini Ujang said the project would start by the end of the year and the hospital would be built on a 3.23ha site.

He said both parties were still working on the details of the project, including the design of the building and the budget needed to build the hospital.

“This is a public-private partnership and funding for the project will come from financial institutions and not the Government,” Dr Zaini said yesterday.

He was speaking at the UTM entrepreneurial lecture series called Starting a Company: JobStreet Story by JobStreet.com chief executive officer Mark Chang.

Dr Zaini said the university's faculty of health science and biomedical engineering would be involved in the project.

This is because the faculty produces engineers for the healthcare-related sector, and that as a research-based hospital, engineers from the faculty would focus on developing state-of-the-art medical equipment in medical procedures which involve usage of high technology.

“Apart from developing advanced medical machines, we will work closely in the research and development activities to develop new medical innovations,” he said.

KPJ Healthcare Bhd is a unit of Johor Corp and is listed on Bursa Malaysia. It has 20 hospitals nationwide and two in Indonesia.

StarBiz has learnt that the Health Ministry has agreed in principle to the project and that UTM is expected to submit the building plan to the ministry next week for its approval.

USM students get a taste of parliament
Wednesday March 14, 2012
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2012/3/14/north/10908945&sec=North

http://starstorage.blob.core.windows.net/archives/2012/3/14/north/usm%201.jpg

Fruitful day: Members of the House taking a vote after one of the motions is tabled.

YOUTHS should not spread lies that will cause a rift in the society and have a negative impact in the nation’s development.

Pulau Betong assemblyman Muhamad Farid Saad said youths played a vital role in the future of the country and therefore, it was important for them to speak the truth.

He was speaking to some 150 youths who attended the inau-gural ‘Mobile Youth Parliament’ sitting at the Universiti Sains Malaysia’s (USM) Dewan Persidangan Universiti.

Organised by the Malaysian Social Intellect and Capacity Building Association (Pemkis), the event on Monday saw a total of four motions tabled.

The motions included ‘employers want employees who have work experience compared to higher qualifications’, ‘there should be an automatic registration as a voter for youths at the age of 21’, ‘the Federal Government should not be blamed for the youths’ moral decay’ and ‘Lynas project brings more harm than good’.

The first motion was rejected by the parliament members while the others were accepted.

Project director S. Sumathi said that the programme was held to empower the youths and hone their skills in mature debates.

“The Mobile Youth Parliament is expected to head to Kedah next,” she added.

MCA to set up tech college
By REGINA LEE Sunday March 18, 2012
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/3/18/nation/10941735&sec=nation#13320442232961&if_height=632

KUALA LUMPUR: MCA will set up a technical college to provide more skilled workers for the country, party president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said.

He said the party had appointed a committee, led by former human resource minister Tan Sri Fong Chan Onn, to study the details.

“They have had three months to come up with a working paper,” said Dr Chua, adding that it should be ready by the end of the month.

MCA, he said, was one party that would walk the talk, adding that it was better to take the initiative to do something instead of blaming the Government all the time.

“It is wrong to assume in Malaysia that the Government has to do everything as the private sector is playing an increasingly important role,” he told reporters during the Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (Utar) convocation yesterday at Wisma MCA.

http://thestar.com.my/archives/2012/3/18/nation/n_03graduates.jpg

Jubilant faces: Graduates throwing their mortar boards in the
air after Utar’s 14th convocation ceremony at Wisma MCA in
Kuala Lumpur yesterday. — DARRAN TAN / The Star

On Malaysia's goal to become a high-income nation, he said:

“We feel that technical education is very important. If half of the workers needed are skilled workers, I think we are not producing it fast enough.”

In his speech earlier, he noted that as a political party, MCA had done more in the training of talent compared to any other party in the country.

“Have you seen any other party which has done better than MCA in this aspect?

“DAP has done nothing except to criticise, notwithstanding that they already have the chance to form government.”

Dr Chua also elaborated that talent was the key driver in the Malaysian economy.

Utar and Tunku Abdul Rahman College, both initiated by MCA, have produced more than 185,000 graduates since they were set up in 2002 and 1969 respectively.

Dr Chua also rubbished speculation that he would be contesting in Batu Pahat in the upcoming general election, a seat held by Umno's Deputy Education Minister Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi.

“That source must only come from the Prime Minister. Until then, I don't respond to speculation.

“Whether I contest or not is not important. What is important is that the party moves forward to face the general election,” he said.

Tuesday March 20, 2012
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2012/3/20/central/10943243&sec=central

ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) has launched the Simpson Scholarship 2012 to reward talented ACCA students who have already proven themselves to be of sufficient merit and distinction in ACCA examinations.

The Simpson Scholarship was named after Muriel Simpson, a fellow member of ACCA, who died on Dec 22, 1977.

In her will, she left her residuary estate to ACCA to fund a scholarship to be called the ‘Simpson Scholarship’.

Each year, the fund will award five deserving ACCA students with the scholarship which will cover ACCA examination fees, annual student subscription fees, affiliate subscription fees, member subscription fees and additional exemption fees, where applicable.

Scholarship recipients will receive funding until ACCA membership is achieved or for a maximum of five years, whichever happens first. In addition, the award recipients will also receive learning materials from ACCA’s platinum content provider BPP, which includes pass notes, revision kits and study books.

ACCA Malaysia country head Jennifer Lopez, comments: “The Simpson Scholarship provides aspiring professionals the opportunity to pursue their ambition without having to worry about the financial burden of their studies. We are committed to identifying and supporting potential talents who would one day become inspirational business leaders. After all, grooming future leaders has been ACCA’s legacy for over 100 years.

“ACCA believes that accountants bring value to economies in all stages of development, and we aim to develop capacity in the profession so as to enhance the role that the profession plays in supporting a healthy global economy.”

Accountancy is the leading profession not only in Malaysia but also around the world. ACCA currently supports over 424,000 students in 170 countries, helping them to develop successful careers in accounting and business, with the relevant skills highly sought after by employers.

For this reason, ACCA is the qualification of choice for many aspiring accounting and finance professionals.

To be eligible for the Simpson Scholarship, students must already be a registered ACCA student who have completed the knowledge module of the fundamentals level of the ACCA qualification and have achieved an average grade of 80% or over — first attempt passes only will be accepted.

Application for the scholarship must also include a written essay with the title “How the award of a scholarship will help me to realise my full potential”, in not more than 1,000 words.

Further information on the Simpson Scholarship Fund 2012 is available at www.accaglobal.com/scholarship. Closing date for all applications is May 4.

Dep Education Minister: Election subject in schools needs study
Updated: Friday March 23, 2012 MYT 4:04:47 PM
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/3/23/nation/20120323161114&sec=nation

SEREMBAN: Deputy Education Minister Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi said on Friday that the suggestion that the country's election system be taught in school must first be studied by the ministry's Curriculum Development Division.

"This is because it involves teachers, scheduling and we need to see at what stages it should be taught, whether at secondary or primary.

"Maybe it can be incorporated in existing subjects such as history, local studies and so on," he told reporters after opening the Parent-Teacher's Association meeting of Sekolah Wawasan Seremban 2.

On Thursday, Election Commission deputy chairman Datuk Wira Wan Ahmad Wan Omar said the introduction to the subject at an early stage would enable the young to know their responsibilities upon reaching the age of 21, when they can register to vote. - Bernama

Tighter visa rules for foreigners seeking to study in M’sia
By RAHIMY RAHIM Updated: Tuesday March 27, 2012 MYT 3:57:59 PM
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/3/27/nation/20120327155720&sec=nation

KUALA LUMPUR: Foreigners seeking to study in Malaysia must soon apply for their study visas before entering the country.

As such, the Home Ministry would stop giving out Journey Performed Visa to foreigners who later applied to change their social visit passes to study visas.

Deputy Home Minister Datuk Wira Abu Seman Yusof said that this was a move to curb crimes by foreigners claiming to be students from institutions of higher learning in the country.

“They will only be allowed to enter the country after their study visa has been approved,” he told Datuk Ismail Mohamed Said (BN-Kuala Krau) during Question Time in parliament.

Ismail had asked what steps the ministry had taken to ensure student visas for foreign students were not abused to carry out crime activities.

Abu Seman said that a foreign student from high-risk countries would also need to produce a certificate of no objection' similar to those that had been imposed on students coming from African countries.

“These are among the steps taken to reduce the rising number of cases involving foreign students. We will continue to monitor with other relevant agencies to ensure that they are not abusing their student visas,” he said.

According to the Immigration Department, in 2009, 54 people were detained for abusing their study passes, said Abu Seman.

African nationals topped the list with 24 - 11 from Algeria, six from Nigeria, two from Botswana, two from Libya, one from Lesotho, Kenya and South Africa, he said.

In 2010, 23 people were arrested, including four Nigerians, and one each from Sudan, Yemen and Zimbabwe, he added.

‘j-QAF’ pilot project for secondary schools by June
by Eve Sonary Heng, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on March 28, 2012, Wednesday
http://www.theborneopost.com/2012/03/28/j-qaf-pilot-project-for-secondary-schools-by-june/

KUCHING: The government will begin the ‘j-QAF’ (Jawi, Al-Quran, Arabic and Fardhu Ain) programme pilot project at the secondary school level by middle of this year, in line with the government’s effort to strengthen the Islamic education system among Muslim students.

Minister of Welfare, Women and Family Development Datuk Fatimah Abdullah said the programme at the secondary school level would be fully implemented by 2013, adding that there were still plenty of vacancies for religious teachers in the state.

She said the j-QAF programme was implemented in 2005 at the primary school level to enable Muslim pupils to master the understanding, reading and writing of Jawi, khatam al-Quran, Arab language communication and Fardhu Ain.
“Results have shown that pupils who started the j-QAF programme at primary school level excel very well in their Islamic education subject when they reach secondary school.

“According to statistics from Penilaian Menengah Rendah (PMR) for Arab Language, students have shown an increase of 9.2 per cent, from 64.6 per cent with a Gred Purata Mata Pelajaran (GPMP) of 3.88 in 2010 to 73.8 per cent with a 3.43 GPMP in 2011.

“As for SPM examination in 2011, we also see an increase in the performance of four religious subjects namely Tassawwur Islam, Pendidikan Syariah Islamiah, Pendidikan Islam, and Pendidikan Al-Quran compared to 2010’s result,” she said when launching the ‘Tilawah Al-Quran and Nasyid Festival’ Zone A Primary Schools level competition held at SK Batu Lintang yesterday.

Fatimah said according to current statistics, a total of 453 out of 581 primary schools in the state had implemented the j-QAF programme. She also acknowledged that the state is still facing shortage of religious teachers at primary and secondary school level.

Initially there was a need for 474 religious teachers to teach Islamic education in secondary schools. A total of 427 vacancies have been filled leaving 47 more vacancies.

“The j-QAF programme is an effort to strengthen Islamic education among Muslim students in all fields namely Tilawah al-Qu’ran, Aqidah, Ibadah, Sirah Nabawi Akhlak and Jawi. This will help shape them to be better persons in their daily lives,” she said.

Also present yesterday were chairman for primary schools Zone A Kuching Sazali Rosdi, president of SK Batu Lintang Parent Teacher Association Fazul Abarahim and headmaster Annie Soon.

Focus is on making basic education accessible to all
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/4/3/nation/11031016
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Sarawak Plans Technology University In Sibu
March 31, 2012 12:04 PM
http://www.bernama.com/bernama/state_news/news.php?id=656085&cat=sre

SIBU, March 31 (Bernama) -- The Sarawak government plans to set up a university of technology in Sibu, Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud said here.

He said the university would produce graduates trained in technical fields to meet the manpower needs of the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (Score).

The state would focus on technical education and training in view of the need for more trained manpower in technical fields, he said last night at the 110th anniversary celebration of SMK Methodist Sibu.

Taib called on all quarters to cooperate with the state government to realise the establishment of the university in Sibu.

He said SMK Methodist Sibu should be proud to have produced three famous businessmen, namely Datuk Hii Yii Peng (of Kingwood Group), the late Datuk Seri Lau Hui Kang (KTS Group) and Tan Sri Tiong Hiew King (Rimbunan Hijau Group).

"Former students of the school are also among the well-known politicians, such as Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh (Senior Cabinet Minister) and Datuk Tiong Thai King (MP for Lanang)," he said, adding that the school is a "nursery of successful people".

At the event, Taib announced an allocation of RM250,000 to meet part of the cost of building a RM4-million digital library at the school, which was established in 1903.

-- BERNAMA

TM's First Pintar School Adoption Project In Sabah
April 09, 2012 16:54 PM
http://www.bernama.com/bernama/state_news/news.php?id=657918&cat=sbe

KOTA KINABALU, April 9 (Bernama) -- The first PINTAR school adoption project of Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) in Sabah is for assisting special education students in information technology and communications (ICT), said Sabah Minister of Community Development and Consumer Affairs Datuk Azizah Mohd Dun.

She said the special students should use the golden opportunity to explore the world of knowledge through the Internet.

She told this to reporters after launching the TM Pintar School Adoption programme at Sekolah Kebangsaan Pendidikan Khas (SKPK), Tuaran near here Monday.

She also said the ministry was planning to build more Disabled Children Education Centres to train them to be skilful in ICT.

Meanwhile, TM chairman Datuk Dr Halim Shafie said TM's Pintar adoption school project was implemented with the cooperation of Khazanah Nasional to raise the awareness of students on the importance of academic achievement and ICT command among rural students in the state.

-- BERNAMA

'Automatic bursary for academic high achievers 9A+ and above'
By Fauziah Ismail Last updated at 05:38PM
http://www.nst.com.my/latest/automatic-bursary-for-academic-high-achievers-9a-and-above-1.72596

PUTRAJAYA: ALL 1,609 students who scored 9A+ and above will automatically be offered a bursary for pre-entry university programmes before pursing their first degree at local or foreign universities.

The bursary will be offered for pre-entry university pro grammes include the Sijil Tinggi Pelajaran Malaysia, ma triculation programmes under the Education Ministry, foun dation programmes under the Higher Education Ministry and the International Baccalaurate (IB) or A-Level.

The bursary will be offered to students who have secured a place at government-endorsed institutions offering pre- entry university programmes.

A total of 1,020 students scored 9A+, 10A+ (492 students), 11A+ (90 students) and 12A+ (7 students) for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) 2011.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also the Education Minister, said students who completed their pre-entry programmes will continue to be sponsored for the first degree beginning 2014 provided they achieve a CGPA of at least 3.5 and have secured places at local and foreign universities for studies recognised by the Public Services Department (PSD).

He also announced that the government will also offer scholarships to 50 SPM top achievers to undertake further studies at Ivy League universities overseas recognised by the government.

The selected candidates will be the creme de la creme chosen by the Education Ministry based on their academic merits.

The Ivy League universities include Oxford University, Cambridge University, Imperial College and University Col lege London (all in the UK) and Harvard University, John Hopkins University, Stanford University, Yale University,Uni versity of California Los Angeles and Duke University (in the US).

"Selected candidates will be offered a scholarship from the preparatory stage to the first degree, subject to the con ditions set and the Public Services Department’s (PSD) recognition of students' choice of studies at the foreign universities," he said in a statement issued today.

Muhyiddin said the Cabinet agreed that the government, through the Ministry of Education and the PSD, to continue the sponsorship of outstanding students to pursue their studies at home and abroad this year.

He said the government is aware that some students, who had produced excellent results during the examination, were not able to secure the sponsorships as competition is in tense.

He said at the same time, the government too has lim itations financially as the cost of education continues to rise.

Students can go to www.moe.gov.my to review and update the profile under the bursary programme beginning April 16 2012.

Bursaries for all top students
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/4/11/nation/11085045&sec=nation#133412742732716182&if_height=175

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Malaysia, Britain sign tertiary education collaboration
By PRIYA KULASAGARAN Published: Thursday April 12, 2012 MYT 9:07:00 PM
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/4/12/nation/20120412211754&sec=nation#1334249889262198&if_height=398

SEMENYIH: Malaysia and Britain will continue their collaboration in tertiary education.

To mark this effort, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin and Britain's Minister for Universities and Science David Willetts signed the Malaysia-Britain Joint Statement on Higher Education and Skills at the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus here Thursday.

Khaled said he was pleased by the British delegation's visit.

"I hope that we can continue to build upon our current relationship and move forward,” he said during the signing ceremony.

Willetts said the existence of British university campuses in Malaysia “proved that both countries have close ties”.

The statement also signifies future areas of collaboration such as skills development, research and scholarship schemes.

A Memorandum of Understanding in the field of education was initially signed by both countries in 2007.

There are currently 14,528 Malaysian students studying in Britain, of which 11,074 students are privately-sponsored and 3,454 are government-sponsored.

There are 1,441 British students studying in Malaysia, with 1,422 in private tertiary institutions and 19 in public tertiary institutions.

New target - 60,000 PhD holders by 2020
Friday September 26, 2008
TheStar

PUTRAJAYA: The Government has set a new target of producing 60,000 Malaysian PhD holders by 2020 under the “MyBrain15” initiative.

Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the new figure was more reasonable compared to the previous goal of 100,000 under the National Higher Education Strategic Plan launched last year.

“In order for the country to be competitive, we need a critical mass of researchers. The current number of 8,000 PhD holders is insufficient to drive innovation and promote economic growth,” he told reporters here yesterday after the launch of MyBrain15.

Khaled said Malaysia needed a pool of highly-skilled and productive people, particularly PhD holders.

To ensure adequate supply, the Government would also be setting up a special fund to sponsor 400 bright students to further their studies from undergraduate to postgraduate level.

“These students will act as a feeder to ensure the success of the MyBrain15 initiative,” he said.

Currently, the Government is sponsoring 3,914 students at PhD level. Of this number, 39.4% are pursuing their studies locally, 30.1% in Britain and the rest in countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Japan and the United States.

Khaled said that for MyBrain15 to succeed, government agencies, including public universities, would need to reduce bureaucracy to attract top Malaysian and foreign brains.

“Public universities must put more emphasis on research and development (R&D),” said Khaled, adding that all universities would have to set clear targets on commercialisation of R&D as well as the number of patents achieved.

He also said that the ministry was looking at other methods of acquiring PhDs, including industry-based applied research.

Khaled also called on higher education institutions to focus on indigenous-based research and development in areas such as biotechnology and tropical medicine.

On the purported misbehaviour of some foreign students, in particular Africans, Khaled said that action would be taken against anyone who broke the law.

“We welcome foreign students but they must abide by our laws. Whatever cases that have been reported are isolated as the majority of foreigners are law abiding,” he said.

UTM records big number of postgraduate students
07 January 2012
http://www.nst.com.my/local/general/utm-records-big-number-of-postgraduate-students-1.28962

JOHOR BARU: Some 10,888 people enrolled for postgraduate studies at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) last year, making it one of the highest among universities in the country.

Vice-chancellor Professor Datuk Dr Zaini Ujang said the number constituted 46 per cent of the total number of students in UTM.

He said this allowed the university to almost reach its objective of equalling the number of postgraduate and undergraduate students. There were 12,955 undergraduates as of December last year.

There are 3,439 students pursuing doctorates in UTM, including 1,616 foreigners. Masters students total 7,449, of whom 5,343 are foreigners.

All the doctorate students and 1,576 of those taking their masters are conducting research-based activities, in line with UTM's status as a research university.

According to Zaini, UTM had contributed 42 per cent of the postgraduates in engineering and technology in the country, the highest in Malaysia.

UTM's initiative to introduce Industrial PhD programme has attracted professionals from the sector to join the university.

There are 57 professionals undergoing the programme in UTM, sponsored by the Higher Education Ministry as part of government's effort to produce 500 PhD-qualified industrial workforce by 2015.

First batch of 100 teachers to do PhD next year, says UTM V-C
By ZAZALI MUSA Published: Thursday April 12, 2012 MYT 6:52:00 PM
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/4/12/nation/20120412190425&sec=nation#1334250045513509&if_height=585

JOHOR BARU: The first batch of 100 teachers from five top performing secondary schools in the country will be selected to undergo their PhD studies this year.

The teachers from schools in the Federal Territory, Johor, Perak, Negri Sembilan and Selangor would start the programme in September.

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) vice-chancellor Professor Datuk Dr Zaini Ujang said the university would act as the programme's implementer and to oversee the progress made by the participants.

"Five teachers will be placed at each school which will become a laboratory for their case studies without them having to go to UTM," he told a press conference after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry represented by its secretary-general Datul Zoal Azha Yusof.

Malaysia ranked 11th most preferred study destination
By RICHARD LIMThe Star
Saturday,

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia is currently the world’s 11th most preferred study destination.

The conclusion was based on the fact that 69,154 international students from more than 150 countries have chosen Malaysia as the country they wanted to study in.

With the majority of students coming from Indonesia, China and the Middle East, the new figure was a 26.5% increase from the old count of 50,788, which was recorded on March 31 last year. The ranking was obtained from the Institute of International Education.

Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the rise indicated that the ministry’s target to have 80,000 international students by 2010 was achievable.

“We’re happy to have 2% of the world’s international student population,” he told reporters yesterday after announcing the National Higher Education Strategic Plan’s progress report.

“Malaysia is now regarded as an emerging contender to attract international students and we will improve our efforts as there will be an estimated eight million international students by 2025.”

The percentage was taken from the Unesco Institute for Statistics.

Mohamed Khaled said the ministry’s drive to liberalise higher education would not result in an influx of foreign institutions.

“Liberalisation does not mean any foreign university can come to Malaysia.

“Rather, it is co-ordinated regulation that encourages healthy competition amongst private institutions.”

The ministry has already given the green light for Newcastle University of Medicine (www.ncl.ac.uk/numed/) to set up a branch campus at Iskandar Malaysia’s Educity in Nusajaya, Johor.

It is understood that local conglomerates are negotiating with the Korean Maritime Univer-sity, Southampton University, Royal Holloway University, King’s College London, the Univer-sity of Birmingham and Murdoch University to set up branch campuses in Malaysia.
Muhyiddin: Govt plans to attract 200,000 international students by 2020
By PRIYA KULASEGARAN Updated: Tuesday September 13, 2011 MYT 2:25:48 PM

KUALA LUMPUR: The Government plans to attract at least 200,000 international students to Malaysia by 2020.

Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said these students would generate about RM600bil worth of exchange.

"Through co-operation with established and renowned institutions abroad, the government intends to make the education sector an economic endeavour by attracting more foreign students," he said during his keynote address at the Education Nation Conference 2011 here.

Muhyiddin also said that those who chose to migrate were not unpatriotic.

"The Malaysian diaspora is an asset to our country, n asset that we do not want to alienate but an asset that we would like to cooperate with," he said.
M’sia to attract 150,000 foreign students by 2015
Published: Saturday April 14, 2012 MYT 12:54:00 PM
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/4/14/nation/20120414131007&sec=nation#13344087655657133&if_height=358

SERDANG: The Higher Education Ministry aims to attract 150,000 foreign students to pursue their studies in the country by 2015, said its secretary-general, Datuk Ab Rahim Md Noor.

He said until the end of last year, 96,000 foreign students furthered their studies in the country and efforts were being intensified to promote Malaysia as a choice destination for tertiary education.

Malaysia is fast emerging as an educational hub offering a high standard of tertiary education at affordable fees, much cheaper than that of their own countries, he told reporters at the 1KPT Family Carnival here Saturday.

He said the ministry had set up education promotion centres in Dubai, Jakarta, Ho Chi Minh City and Beijing. - Bernama

Something cool.

The first of its kind in Southeast Asia to lift education and HDI standards (HDI: 76.1). Named after Teach For America.


Teach For Malaysia - Now everyone can transform education!
http://teachforall.org/network_locations.html
http://www.teachformalaysia.org/

zZnruvUF1W4

Teach For Malaysia is an independent, not-for-profit organisation that is enlisting Malaysia’s most promising future leaders in our mission to end education inequity. The Teach For Malaysia Fellowship is a two-year, full-time and fully-paid leadership development programme modelled after the extremely successful Teach For America initiative. We are one of 19 partners of the prestigious global education network Teach For All.

Through our partnership with Teach For All, selected universities partner with Teach For Malaysia in a variety of ways, such as offering admissions deferrals, assistance with loans and scholarships, recognising Teach For Malaysia as valid work experience, and even reserving seats for Fellows.

University programmes that allow admitted students to defer for two years to join the Teach For Malaysia Fellowship include:
•Columbia University Law School
•Harvard Law School
•Harvard Business School
•Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government
•Princeton University Woodrow Wilson School of Public Affairs
•Stanford University Graduate School of Business

Globally, our partners in the international network Teach For All are supported by leading organisations that value the urgency of our mission and the leadership skills that our Ambassadors gain during their Fellowship. These organisations include Goldman Sachs, McKinsey & Co, ExxonMobil, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Boston Consulting Group, Credit Suisse, Deloitte, HSBC, Google and the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation.

Locally, Teach For Malaysia is proud to receive early stage support from the Ministry of Education and Khazanah Nasional Berhad. Leading corporations such as General Electric, Maxis, McKinsey & Company and PricewaterhouseCoopers have recently stepped forward to join Khazanah Nasional in support of Teach For Malaysia’s highly selective and challenging two-year Fellowship.

Changing the lives of children via world-class education for the tomorrow...

http://img856.imageshack.us/img856/5596/teachformsia.jpg

Education Ministry to set up data bank on school infrastructure
Updated: Saturday April 21, 2012 MYT 5:25:18 PM
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/4/21/nation/20120421170535&sec=nation#13350131377071634&if_height=412

KUALA LUMPUR: The Education Ministry will be set up a data bank on infrastructural needs of schools so that students and teachers can have a more conducive environment.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the ministry would be using the data to ensure assets, including buildings, were periodically maintained.

"In this way, we can evaluate know the school's condition without Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) having to apply for infrastructure improvement as the required data would have been captured by the ministry.

"We would also like to ascertain how conducive the environment is not only for students but teachers.

"I have been told that staff rooms at some schools are inadequate but we hope to overcome such problems soon," he said at the Federal Territories PTA annual gathering here.

Muhiyddin said when the matter had been agreed, headmasters and principals would be asked to provide an annual report on the situation in their respective schools.

He said to date, there were 10,000 schools throughout the country with 318 of them in the Federal Territory alone.

"Based on the figure, it was estimated that 20,000 buildings needed better maintenance or the assets would depreciate," he said. BERNAMA

DPM: National education dialogue to be launched Apr 29
Updated: Saturday April 21, 2012 MYT 4:40:24 PM
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/4/21/nation/20120421135116&sec=nation#13350132008711798&if_height=412

KUALA LUMPUR: A national education dialogue will be officially launched on April 29 to gather feedback on reviewing the education system, said Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin on Saturday.

He added that the dialogue had already started a few days ago.

"We will use the feedback to come up with an education blueprint for the next 10 to 20 years," he said during the Federal Territory parents and teachers association (PIBG) assembly at Bandar Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur.

Muhyiddin said it was time for a review of the system as the current policies were based on the 1956 Razak Report.

UMT Targets 500 Foreign Students By 2015
May 03, 2012 16:31 PM
http://www.bernama.com/bernama/state_news/news.php?id=663541&cat=et

KUALA TERENGGANU, May 3 (Bernama) -- Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) has set a target to have 500 foreign students, especially from developed countries like Japan, Korea, Australia and the United States, by 2015.

At present, only 100 foreign students from 18 countries are pursuing their studies at the university, with China having the highest number at 32, followed by Indonesia (20) and Arab countries (10).

UMT vice-chancellor Datuk Professor Dr Ibrahim Komoo said the target was only five per cent from 10,000 students expected to enter UMT over the next three years.

"Right now, we have 7,800 students. Of the total, 1.7 per cent are foreigners.

"We don't expect to have too many students as our existing infrastructures and facilities can comfortably facilitate up to 10,000 students only," he told reporters after attending UMT International Gala Night 2012 in Pulau Duyong here We

Ministry moves to increase number of science students in IPTs
Posted on April 30, 2012, Monday
http://www.theborneopost.com/2012/04/30/ministry-moves-to-increase-number-of-science-students-in-ipts/

JOHOR BAHARU: The Higher Education Ministry has set a target to see more students studying science instead of arts at institutions of higher learning by 2020.

Its minister, Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, said the annual number of students studying science would also be increased to 100,000 from the current 30,000 to achieve the target.

He said in a bid to achieve the target, the ministry had also forged a cooperation with Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) to organise empowerment programme for science and mathematics, as well as for information communication technology (ICT).

“Through this programme, we hope students will inculcate a more positive and proactive attitude towards science, mathematics and ICT in line with the government’s aspiration to produce a more scientific, productive and innovative society.”

He said this after opening the Science, Mathematics and ICT Empowerment Programme for Schools in Pasir Gudang at Sekolah Menengah Taman Johor Jaya 2 here yesterday.

Present was UTM deputy vice-chancellor (Alumni and Student Affairs), Prof Datuk Dr Mohd Tajudin Ninggal.

Khaled, who is also Pasir Gudang MP, said the pilot project for the programme had been carried out in stages in Pasir Gudang before it was launched at the national level.

The first phase of the programme involving 44 projects with an allocation of RM6 million was ongoing, while the second phase involving 140 projects and an allocation of RM14 million would kick off soon. — Bernama

Gov't targets for better education system
12 May 2012 | Last updated at 03:49PM
http://www.nst.com.my/latest/gov-t-targets-for-better-education-system-1.83132

http://www.nst.com.my/polopoly_fs/1.83133.1336808734!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_454/image.jpg

SHAH ALAM: Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has described as realistic, the government's 10 to 15-year target to achieve an education system on par with, or better than those of developed countries.

"It will not be easy, and changes that need to be made, cannot be done drastically," he noted, while opening Sekolah Kebangsaan Bukit Jelutong here today.
Muhyiddin, who is also education minister, said a review of the country's education system was necessary as the current national benchmark, although favourable, was not yet comparable internationally.

"No one can dismiss that Malaysia's achievements, among others, is its contribution to the education system.

"On the other hand, the people's expectations are also high and they want our education system to be on par or better than countries that are already developed, and not at a level with those of under-developed countries," he said.

In this regard, he hoped the people would support the government to achieve the objective and use available avenues for dialogue to help improve the country's education system.

Meanwhile, Muhyiddin said priorities in the review included quality of teachers, their responsibilities, workload, as well as role in and outside the school.

"We are also looking at the curriculum and assessment system to determine an accurate standard to gauge how far our children have succeeded in their respective fields," he said.

He added that the review would also determine how to reinforce the ministry's organisational and delivery systems, its role and the departments under its jurisdiction, at state, district and school level.

At the function, Muhyiddin announced a RM2 million allocation for the construction of a hall at Sekolah Kebangsaan Bukit Jelutong which has 2,510 students and a dual session.

The school was established in 2002, with just 79 students. - Bernama

Poor student’s ticket to fulfil his dream to be doctor
by Mariah Doksil. Posted on May 18, 2012, Friday
http://www.theborneopost.com/2012/05/18/poor-students-ticket-to-fulfil-his-dream-to-be-doctor/

TUARAN: Seventeen-year-old Mohamad Sukri Radin is not a straight A’s student, but he has always been an extremely hard worker. It’s hard work that earns him a full scholarship to pursue his A-Level Programme in Medicine at Kolej MARA Seremban.

Mohamad Sukri who obtained 7As, 1B and 3Cs in the 2011 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination, was offered a Yayasan Peneraju Pendidikan Bumiputera (YPPB) scholarship for his achievement.

“I am very grateful to the YPPB and honoured to accept the scholarship. My 7As result is not good enough to compete with other students who obtained straight A’s, and I am very excited to experience the university environment.

“It is my ambition to be a doctor, and I always admire a doctor’s job. My father works in a furniture factory, and being the son of a factory worker, it is impossible for me to study medicine because of the expensive fees. I am glad that YPPB gives scholarship recipients to choose their own course,” Mohamad Sukri told The Borneo Post at his home at Kampung Jembulang in Tuaran yesterday.

YPPB is a foundation under Unit Peneraju Agenda Bumiputera (Teraju) which aims to prepare poor, outstanding bumiputera students for higher education.

It will select students who have just completed their Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) and Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) examinations, to participate in its first Peneraju Tunas Potensi programme.

Mohamad Sukri is one of the 14 recipients from Sabah who received their offer letter yesterday.

Minister in the Prime Minister Department Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop, who launched the Sabah-level ”Jelajah Aspirasi 2012”, an outreach programme by Teraju to get closer to YPPB recipients, spent about two hours with Mohamad Sukri and his family at their residence in Tuaran yesterday afternoon.

The launching ceremony was held at Hyatt Regency Kinabalu Hotel in the morning, where 13 recipients from seven districts received their scholarship offer letters from Nor Mohamed.

Nor Mohamed said he was always excited to meet the YPPB scholarship recipients at their houses to see the condition of their houses and how their families are supporting their children in education even though most of them are from the hardcore poor families.

The minister who sat on the floor with Mohamad Sukri, his father Radin Diana and mother Salviah Kieh, explained the aim of the foundation to give a wider opportunity to Bumiputeras in the country to be competitive in the professional level.

“Education is the ticket for the Bumiputeras to get out of poverty, and this is the only reason for YPPB to give scholarship to potential students.

“This scholarship is a very small contribution from the foundation compared to the result that we will receive after all our recipients have completed their studies. We believe they will be the transformation agents who will bring the country to a higher level,” said Nor Mohamed.

Meanwhile, chief executive officer of the foundation, Raja Azura Raja Mahayuddin, said another 20 recipients from Sabah have been shortlisted for the second batch of YPPB scholarship which would be announced soon.

Raja Azura said most of the candidates in Sabah showed their potential and spirit to grab the opportunity which will give them the spirit to look for more sponsorship from corporate bodies and individuals.

In Mohamad Sukri’s case, Raja Azura said even though he is not a straight A’s student, the foundation decided to give scholarship to the former SMK Agama Tun Ahmad Shah, Inanam student because of his hard work to obtain 7As without proper extra tuition and study materials.

Mohamad Sukri is the first in seven siblings to have been given the scholarship.

He was very active in school co-curriculum.

The high cost of living has forced him to stay in hostel to focus more on study, and to be more closer to his teachers. His father is not having enough money to send Sukri for tuition after school, and decided to leave him in the hostel to have proper guidance from teachers.

Ministry to promote tablet to university students
Posted on 24 May 2012 - 08:10pm Tan Yi Liang
http://www.thesundaily.my/news/388448

http://img.thesundaily.my/sites/default/files/imagecache/article//thesun/Catalogue/p2yltablet_v08.jpg

Anisa Abdullah, 30, shows the 1Malaysia Pad after its launch.

PUTRAJAYA (May 24, 2012): The Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry is in discussions with local tablet PC manufacturer MalTechPro to promote the company’s new 1Malaysia Pad – the first locally developed tablet PC – to university students.

Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the ministry planned to include MalTechPro as a merchant in the ministry’s student discount card programme, due to kick off next month.

“We have 1.4 million students; I believe this would help promote the tablet. Each cardholder will get a discount -- we haven’t worked out the percentage yet,” Ismail Sabri said at the tablet’s soft launch at the ministry’s offices today.

He said that aside from complementing the National Broadband Initiative, the 1Malaysia Pad would help realise the 1Malaysia concept by providing wider access to mobile internet and hi-tech mobile devices.

“The 1Malaysia Pad will be a Malaysian-made product, and we will invite MalTechPro to be part of our ‘Buy Malaysian Products’ campaign. This will give the company a chance to promote the tablet along with other Malaysian products.”

MalTechPro executive chairman Datuk Sohaimi Shahadan said 5,000 units of the tablet would be sold at an introductory price of RM999, and that the tablets can be loaded with customisable applications for large corporate orders.

“We are applying for grants from the relevant ministries to allow us to move more aggressively, and have forwarded a suggestion to the Information, Communications and Culture Ministry that this can replace netbooks in universities,” he said.