EDUCATION Malaysia [Archive]

baqthier

November 6th, 2004, 04:28 PM

Quite Cool News! USM also in the top 120 @ 111!

http://www.thes.co.uk/worldrankings/

Posted by Huaiwei in this thread in the world section
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?p=2544116#post2544116

The Times Higher World University Rankings...
who is top?

Which are the best universities in the world? Who is to say which those are and how they should be identified? The Times Higher World University Rankings, compiled by QS, represent a first attempt to compare the world's top universities in the round.

The Global Top 200
Rank Institution Country Peer Int'l Int'l Student/Citations/Final score
review faculty studentsfaculty faculty
score score score score score
1 Harvard University United States 643 17 17 50 243 1000.0
2 California University Berkeley United States 665 6 7 7 169 880.2
3 Massachusetts Institute of Technology United States 484 13 18 28 221 788.9
4 California Institute of Technology United States 236 19 17 45 400 738.9
5 Oxford University United Kingdom 560 57 18 30 45 731.8
6 Cambridge University United Kingdom 541 65 19 31 46 725.4
7 Stanford University United States 420 9 13 28 197 688.0
8 Yale University United States 347 53 20 65 81 582.8
9 Princeton University United States 353 18 18 19 133 557.5
10 ETH Zurich Switzerland 170 72 25 4 266 553.7
11 London School of Economics United Kingdom 257 79 100 27 6 484.4
12 Tokyo University Japan 371 3 3 30 60 482.0
13 Chicago University United States 254 31 18 58 71 444.0
14 Imperial College London United Kingdom 237 60 51 55 27 443.7
15 University of Texas at Austin United States 183 9 8 8 202 421.5
16 Australian National University Australia 212 48 31 9 105 417.7
17 Beijing University China 322 9 11 35 3 391.8
18 National University Singapore Singapore 266 35 46 10 18 385.9
19 Columbia University United States 213 10 18 56 75 384.1
20 University of California, San Francisco United States 21 5 0 39 300 376.5
21 McGill University Canada 132 84 42 11 84 364.1
22 Melbourne University Australia 207 49 51 12 23 353.2
23 Cornell University United States 202 10 16 19 91 348.8
24 University of California, San Diego United States 96 3 6 7 208 331.5
25 Johns Hopkins University United States 107 16 13 68 116 330.8
26 University of California, Los Angeles United States 180 2 8 12 106 316.4
27 Ecole Polytechnique France 144 25 55 23 59 315.5
28 Pennsylvania University United States 142 14 23 31 87 306.9
29 Kyoto University Japan 207 3 3 25 57 303.7
30 Ecole Normale Super Paris France 105 11 22 100 51 298.4
31 Michigan University United States 173 17 11 19 65 293.3
32 Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne Switzerland 56 100 67 13 44 289.4
33 Monash University Australia 136 49 64 8 19 286.0
34 University College London United Kingdom 108 48 40 44 36 284.2
35 Illinois University United States 152 3 3 15 100 281.6
36 New South Wales University Australia 140 49 47 19 12 275.7
37 Toronto University Canada 131 24 16 6 88 272.5
38 Carnegie Mellon University United States 129 35 25 24 37 259.4
39 Hong Kong University China-Hong Kong 96 74 14 8 50 249.5
40 Sydney University Australia 124 49 29 11 24 245.2
41 Indian Institute of Technology India 209 3 2 13 8 241.7
42 Hong Kong University of Sci & Tech China-Hong Kong 135 37 15 8 38 240.6
43 Manchester University & UMIST United Kingdom 130 40 23 19 19 238.5
44 School of Oriental and African Studies United Kingdom 62 70 77 20 0 235.8
45 Massachusetts University United States 118 1 4 7 99 235.7
46 British Columbia University Canada 114 24 14 6 65 230.4
47 Heidelberg University Germany 124 11 33 12 41 228.3
48 Edinburgh University United Kingdom 118 32 21 22 29 227.6
49 Queensland University Australia 95 49 25 6 42 223.9
50 Nanyang University Singapore 123 32 47 9 0 217.1
51 Tokyo Institute of Technology Japan 118 3 13 27 50 217.0
52 Duke University United States 61 12 11 56 66 212.6
53 Catholic University Louvain Belgium 104 26 41 17 19 212.6
54 Brussels Free University Belgium 54 41 57 10 36 205.1
55 RMIT University Australia 60 49 80 8 0 203.9
56 Adelaide University Australia 69 49 29 5 45 202.7
57 Paris VI, Pierre et Marie Curie France 99 7 39 15 33 198.7
58 Sussex University United Kingdom 73 51 23 11 32 196.2
59 Purdue University United States 105 25 14 8 36 194.0
60 Tech University Berlin Germany 83 11 39 2 50 191.1
61 Brown University United States 46 39 14 19 65 188.9
62 Tsing Hua University China 140 9 7 24 3 188.9
63 Copenhagen University Denmark 111 18 14 19 22 188.7
64 Erasmus University Rotterdam The Netherlands 70 27 11 11 63 188.4
65 Georgia Institute of Technology United States 117 4 11 9 39 185.7
66 Wisconsin University United States 104 0 8 18 48 184.5
67 Auckland University New Zealand 76 49 30 7 15 183.5
68 Macquarie University Australia 45 49 62 5 15 182.3
69 Osaka University Japan 78 3 5 28 63 181.8
70 St Andrews University United Kingdom 39 42 57 19 19 181.0
71 Sorbonne Paris France 124 3 43 5 0 180.8
72 University of California, Santa Barbara United States 64 9 3 6 93 180.6
73 Northwestern University United States 61 4 12 27 71 180.4
74 Washington University United States 48 16 8 18 82 177.0
75 Boston University United States 78 12 19 17 45 176.6
76 Curtin University of Technology Australia 35 50 79 6 0 176.2
77 Vienna Technical University Austria 83 19 45 16 6 175.4
78 Delft University of Technology The Netherlands 106 20 12 20 12 174.2
79 New York University United States 90 8 10 19 41 173.2
80 Warwick University United Kingdom 70 49 25 9 14 170.6
81 Yeshiva University United States 2 14 15 31 103 170.2
82 Minnesota University United States 59 10 5 11 79 169.6
83 Eindhoven University of Technology The Netherlands 45 20 12 11 77 169.5
84 Chinese University Hong Kong China-Hong Kong 81 30 16 12 25 169.2
85 Göttingen University Germany 72 11 13 4 64 168.5
86 Rochester University United States 49 10 8 49 48 167.8
87 Trinity College, Dublin Ireland 57 45 29 8 24 167.0
88 Case Western Reserve University United States 23 4 11 49 75 166.8
89 Malaya University Malaysia 50 29 68 15 0 166.4
90 Alabama University United States 27 10 4 8 112 166.0
91 Bristol University United Kingdom 59 38 16 17 31 165.9
92 Lomonosov Moscow State University Russia 97 9 15 31 5 161.6
93 Hebrew University Jerusalem Israel 81 5 11 16 44 161.4
94 Vienna University Austria 77 19 30 5 25 161.2
95 Technical University Munich Germany 72 11 32 23 18 160.7
96 Western Australia University Australia 36 49 29 10 31 160.1
97 King's College London United Kingdom 34 44 27 24 26 160.1
98 Amsterdam University The Netherlands 68 17 14 10 46 159.8
99 Munich University Germany 82 11 26 12 24 159.7
100 Queen Mary, University of London United Kingdom 41 47 30 23 13 158.8
101 Oslo University Norway 81 21 18 13 21 158.5
102 National Taiwan University Taiwan 100 10 11 11 22 157.8
103 Bath University United Kingdom 25 45 39 22 21 155.5
104 Tufts University United States 17 10 15 26 81 153.9
105 Texas A&M University United States 78 12 3 6 49 153.2
106 Iowa University United States 23 10 11 5 99 152.6
107 Colorado University United States 38 17 3 10 79 151.9
108 Massey University New Zealand 41 49 42 5 8 150.6
109 Washington University, St Louis United States 38 10 10 13 76 150.3
110 Chalmers University of Technology Sweden 71 17 22 11 25 150.2
111 Sains Malaysia University Malaysia 26 27 78 15 0 149.6
112 Glasgow University United Kingdom 59 33 10 15 27 148.5
113 University of Technology, Sydney Australia 46 49 39 7 0 146.1
114 Otago University New Zealand 25 49 42 10 15 145.9
115 Brandeis University United States 13 26 15 12 75 145.6
116 Michigan State University United States 81 10 7 8 35 145.1
117 North Carolina University United States 37 9 3 17 75 144.3
118 Virginia University United States 53 6 10 17 54 144.0
119 Seoul National University Korea 83 6 20 9 21 144.0
120 Utrecht University The Netherlands 58 16 9 11 45 143.9
121 Paris XI, Orsay France 47 11 31 10 40 142.6
122 Royal Institute of Technology Sweden 37 19 30 4 47 142.5
123 Maastricht University The Netherlands 24 20 51 20 23 142.0
124 Stuttgart University Germany 61 11 39 17 10 141.7
125 Humboldt University Berlin Germany 69 11 23 7 28 141.3
126 Birmingham University United Kingdom 41 36 19 14 26 140.5
127 Aarhus University Denmark 59 18 13 26 20 140.0
128 Durham University United Kingdom 52 33 10 11 28 139.3
129 Helsinki University Finland 75 11 7 13 28 138.6
130 Penn State University United States 64 10 5 10 44 138.4
131 Leiden University The Netherlands 24 20 13 12 65 137.9
132 Strasbourg University France 29 11 40 9 45 137.6
133 Leeds University United Kingdom 54 31 17 15 16 136.9
134 Maryland University United States 35 20 5 14 58 136.7
135 Bonn University Germany 56 11 37 13 14 135.0
136 Stony Brook, State of New York University United States 26 7 10 11 75 134.3
137 York University United Kingdom 36 39 16 16 22 133.3
138 Dartmouth College United States 18 13 12 20 65 132.5
139 Stockholm University Sweden 40 19 30 3 35 131.9
140 Uppsala University Sweden 43 19 30 11 24 131.5
141 Utah University United States 51 10 13 14 40 131.0
142 La Trobe University Australia 27 49 23 4 25 130.8
143 Waterloo University Canada 50 25 12 5 35 130.6
144 Toulouse University France 31 8 40 5 42 130.4
145 Technical University of Denmark Denmark 49 18 15 23 20 128.6
146 Rice University United States 35 10 7 25 48 128.5
147 Hamburg University Germany 66 11 17 9 20 127.3
148 Mcmaster University Canada 28 24 13 11 47 127.3
149 Kiel University Germany 27 11 15 3 67 127.0
150 Sheffield University United Kingdom 38 33 15 15 22 126.9
151 Liverpool University United Kingdom 32 39 14 13 25 126.8
152 Karlsruhe University Germany 47 11 29 9 26 126.0
153 Tohoku University Japan 48 6 2 27 39 125.7
154 China University of Sci & Tech China 85 5 1 24 6 125.2
155 Montpellier 1 University France 43 11 31 5 31 124.8
156 Vanderbilt University United States 20 2 5 39 55 124.6
157 Frankfurt University Germany 51 11 30 6 22 124.1
158 Technion - Israel Institute of Technology Israel 78 0 1 12 30 124.0
159 Madrid Autonomous University Spain 62 19 11 8 19 123.7
160 Korea Advanced Institute of Sci & Tech Korea 86 7 19 8 0 123.5
161 Tasmania University Australia 27 49 22 6 15 123.3
162 La Sapienza University Italy 89 4 5 4 16 121.5
163 Pohang University of Sci & Tech Korea 22 14 18 8 56 120.9
164 Innsbruck University Austria 31 19 38 6 23 120.8
165 Georgetown University United States 38 10 10 13 46 120.6
166 Alberta University Canada 28 24 23 13 28 120.4
167 Nagoya University Japan 45 3 3 19 47 120.0
168 Dundee University United Kingdom 9 42 21 14 31 119.4
169 Würzburg University Germany 11 11 15 6 72 118.8
170 Nottingham University United Kingdom 24 39 20 13 19 118.0
171 Lund University Sweden 36 19 6 11 40 117.3
172 Technische Hochschule Darmstadt Germany 39 11 28 2 33 116.9
173 Emory University United States 12 1 8 43 48 116.6
174 Indiana University United States 29 0 10 6 68 115.9
175 University of California, Santa Cruz United States 14 5 2 4 87 115.6
176 Helsinki University of Technology Finland 61 20 8 15 8 115.4
177 Université de Montréal Canada 35 24 23 14 14 114.2
178 Freiburg University Germany 26 11 29 14 29 113.0
179 Newcastle Upon Tyne University United Kingdom 19 33 19 20 19 112.6
180 University of Southern California United States 40 15 14 4 35 111.4
181 Lancaster University United Kingdom 23 44 16 7 18 111.3
182 University of California, Davis United States 27 1 4 10 65 110.8
183 Arizona University United States 35 5 9 10 49 110.6
184 RWTH Aachen Germany 60 11 27 9 0 110.5
185 Queen's University Belfast United Kingdom 16 54 16 5 16 110.3
186 Bologna University Italy 76 4 8 4 14 109.8
187 Norwegian University of Sci & Tech Norway 30 23 19 22 12 109.6
188 Tulane University United States 27 10 20 33 16 108.9
189 Leicester University United Kingdom 5 32 21 17 29 107.4
190 Rutgers State University United States 24 25 5 10 40 107.3
191 Nijmegen University The Netherlands 22 20 12 33 17 107.1
192 Nanjing University China 73 4 2 16 7 106.3
193 Southampton University United Kingdom 12 45 11 16 18 105.9
194 Aberdeen University United Kingdom 6 38 22 16 20 105.7
195 National Autonomous University of Mexico Mexico 68 7 0 25 1 104.5
196 Fudan University China 61 8 13 15 4 104.5
197 Bremen University Germany 35 11 21 2 32 104.4
198 City University of Hong Kong China-Hong Kong 40 47 3 10 0 103.6
199 Virginia Polytechnic Inst United States 56 10 7 11 17 103.0
200 Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst United States 24 19 9 9 38 102.9
Maximum possible scores:
Peer review score: 1000
International faculty score: 100
International students score: 100
Student/faculty score: 400
Citations/faculty score: 400
Final Score: 1000

Editorial: Top performers on the global stage take a bow

John O'Leary
Published: 05 November 2004

Students, academics and companies placing research contracts all need to know which are the best universities in the world. And the measures used to identify them are crucial, explains John O'Leary.

Higher education has become so international that it is no longer enough for the leading universities to know that they are ahead of the pack in their own country.

Students are prepared to look abroad for the best course, even at undergraduate level; firms scour the world to place research contracts; and academics are more mobile than ever. When the newly merged Manchester University was launched last month, among the goals in its first strategic plan was to become one of the top 25 universities in the world. But who is to say which those are and - crucially - how they should be identified?

Domestic league tables are controversial enough, but there are extra pitfalls associated with international comparisons. The rankings that start on the page opposite represent a first attempt to compare the world's top universities in the round. The process has been kept simple, partly because so few indicators of quality in higher education translate reliably across borders, but also to avoid any suggestion that the data have been manipulated to produce a particular outcome. The five indicators have been chosen to reflect strength in teaching, research and international reputation, with the greatest influence exerted by those in the best position to judge: the academics. University staff from every continent have given their verdict on the top institutions in their field, rather than delivering a more impressionistic judgement of quality across the board. Subsequent features will identify the leaders in different disciplines, but here we examine the aggregated results of the survey.

Other measures were considered and discarded for a variety of reasons.

Some, such as a survey of graduate recruiters, may be revisited in future but produced too limited a response to be reliable. Others, such as spending on libraries, were too closely linked to national prosperity. Some proved impossible to compile because of a lack of comparable data.

Alan Gilbert, Manchester University's president - a prime example of the globalisation of higher education, having been headhunted from Melbourne University - identified the recruitment of Nobel laureates as one indication of international excellence for his institution. But the leading academic prizes were another factor omitted from our tables to make them as contemporaneous and consistent as possible.

Nobel prizes and Fields medals account for almost a third of the points in the list of top universities compiled this year by Shanghai Jiao Tong University. But why count only these prizes? And why credit the universities where prizewinners studied, some at the turn of the century before last? Why, indeed, credit universities where winners carried out their research, often at least 20 years previously, rather than the institution that now benefits from their presence?

The Shanghai list also awards a fifth of its points on the basis of articles published in Science and Nature, thereby conferring a big advantage on universities with strengths in the areas covered by these journals. A further 40 per cent rides on two overlapping citation indices, with a final 10 per cent devoted to a complex measure compensating for the advantages enjoyed by big universities. The Times Higher ranking rates universities as they are now, or at least as they were at the time of the most recently published statistics. The use of citations and staffing levels helps institutions dominated by the sciences, but the measures are as neutral as possible. When the next rankings are published in 2005, more improvements will no doubt have been made.

It will take a big change to shift Harvard University from top place, however. Strong performances on all five measures confirm what most observers have long suspected: that Harvard is in the position to which all leading universities aspire. The riches of its endowment will make the university hard to challenge, but its performance is not simply a matter of money. A reputation for being the best in the world acts as a magnet for the most talented students and staff.

Other positions in the table are less predictable, and no doubt some are the result of quirks in the methodology or the different ways statistics are compiled worldwide. But despite taking seven of the top ten places, US institutions are certainly less dominant than most would have predicted.

The strong showing by the University of California, Berkeley will encourage other public universities but, across the Atlantic, so will the presence of Oxford and Cambridge universities and ETH Zurich in the top ten. The peer review, in particular, demonstrates that there are highly regarded universities in many parts of the world. Japan, Australia, China and Singapore all have representatives in the top 20. And even Australians may be surprised to find six of their universities in the top 50 - more than any country except the US and the UK.

Where scores are close, as they are lower down the table, there is no suggestion that one university is definitively better than another.

However, the ranking offers a snapshot of the leading institutions on a set of criteria that are valued around the world.

Ijud

November 7th, 2004, 06:45 PM

Bravo!!! As far as I can see... for SE Asia region, only varsities from Singapore and Malaysia are on the list... :okay:

huaiwei

November 11th, 2004, 08:17 PM

bobdikl

November 13th, 2004, 05:53 AM

Wah....no wonder the list looks so familiar....:D

I feel like doing one just for Asian unis. It will stand out more interestingly that way I suppose. (and I still dont buy the idea tt I am studying in a 18th ranked uni. Yeah right!)

1.Tokyo University *****Japan
2.Beijing University China *****China
3.National University Singapore *****Singapore
4.Hong Kong University *****Hong Kong
5.Indian Institute of Technology *****India
6.Hong Kong University of Sci & Tech *****Hong Kong
7.Nanyang University Singapore *****Singapore
8.Tokyo Institute of Technology Japan *****Japan
9.Tsing Hua University *****China
10.Osaka University *****Japan
11.Chinese University Hong Kong *****Hong Kong
12.Malaya University *****Malaysia
13.National Taiwan University *****Taiwan
14.Sains Malaysia University *****Malaysia
15.Seoul National University *****Korea
16.Tohoku University Japan *****Japan
17.China University of Sci & Tech *****China
18.Korea Advanced Institute of Sci & Tech *****Korea
19.Pohang University of Sci & Tech *****Korea
20.Nagoya University *****Japan
21.Nanjing University *****China
22.Fudan University *****China
23.City University of Hong Kong *****Hong Kong, China

leealex_24

November 14th, 2004, 05:35 PM

Centrilium

November 14th, 2004, 06:17 PM

Those ratings may not be so accurate for departmental specific areas evaluation.They were all assessed based on overall qualities.We know Oxbridge and Harvard excels in Arts subjects such as literature and traditional science subjects and they aren't that good when it comes to modern ones like IT and engineering yet they topped the other universities.

It doesn't matter which university you come from.The most important criteria employers look for is your experience and the qualities of your past works/contribution.

Centrilium

November 14th, 2004, 06:26 PM

Well, 89th in the world is commendable position, but, I think still can improve as many universities in other asian countries are even better such as unis in sg, japan and china. But, anyways. just hope that local unis keep improving, maybe even to top 50 someday!!

Well what to say.Our Malaysian universities have derpived many students of other races from entry for many years.You should know the policy which has been in place for many decades,right?While many go for talents and gifted individuals ours do have certain restrictions which limit them.Many had no choice but to look elsewhere as alternatives where they are given better prospecta,more research opportunities and a brighter future.

sugizm

November 15th, 2004, 02:35 AM

Kevinkhoo1986

November 15th, 2004, 08:31 AM

What do you guys think about it? Few years ago, UM and USM were not even in the top 500 universities in the world but this year their ranking improve tremendously. I have some mixed feelings about it. It's not that i do not trust our own country university's ability but that's a huge improvement! Do you think it is due to the changes in the way they conducted the research?

Blabbyboy

November 15th, 2004, 09:33 AM

huaiwei

November 15th, 2004, 04:41 PM

I think Asiaweek already does a list only for Asia-Pacific unis.
But that has not been updated since the mag stopped publishing, and they used their own methodology of coz.

szehoong

November 16th, 2004, 09:55 PM

lots of colleges have been upgraded to universities status recently. from what i know is that majority our universities' lectureres do not have the professor status but merely degree holder..

take two examples to compare:
1. my classmate back in Lucct holds only an advance diploma and just because his 3D technique is superb the university has hired him as a lecturer.

2. here where i'm studying in RMIT now, i have a classmate who is already famous for his sound editing, and had already work elsewhere in the field for 15 years and he is turning 36 next year but RMIT refused to hire him because he does not acquire the requirement as a lecturer. which is at least a degree.

and my main point is that i do not agree of young lectureres because they are not so suitable, in my opinion, to educate the young generation and it is important for a lecturer as a wise person, to give wise opinion, generous decision to the student. i prefer universities can hire them as tutor or assistant of lecturer.

salary of lecturer is quite high from wat i know (4000-8000)(degree/master holder) but still there aren't many of us malaysian wanna take up the job. y arr......?

hope these private-owned universities have their effort more on quality of education.. not too commercialise n money minded..

Hmmmm.....actually LUCCT isn't a full-fledged university yet but merely a University College (UC) which is like a......hmmm......I actually forgot the critireas liao......but UC could offer more stuffs than a regular college do ;)

Well.....let me relate my story. I have friends whom had gone back to LUCCT after graduating with degrees from overseas (AUT, RMIT & Curtin) and some of em had got working experiences but they are offered an assistant lecturer (AL) post. No....Assitant Lecturer is just there to help the lecturer out and the lecturers at LUCCT are mostly industry people and degree or masters holder. I've studied there for 5 years and I know ;)

When I was studying Interior Design, my lecturers are mostly architects ( one or two teaches part-time and they have their own firm! :D ). My lecturers during my time studying MAB (Multimedia, Advertising & Broadcasting) are mostly people from the industry itself. One of my lecturer even worked at ASTRO before :D

Maybe after I left the standard dropped a bit but I believe that LUCCT had to maintain their status or else their MSC-Status and University College status could be withdrawn. And lastly, your friend could have a bloated ego by calling himself a lecturer! :lol: ....or maybe there's a miscommunication somewhere or some rumours gone wrong :D

Oh...and just to tell ya.....my very good friend worked as an assistant lecturer there (he graduated with a Diploma fr Curtin and a Degree fr AUT with lotsa industry working experiences but he's only 25)........he ain't offered a lecturer and his salary is only RM2000. ;) .....oh and he left already as there are better job offer elsewhere :)

Kevinkhoo1986

November 17th, 2004, 10:41 AM

szehoong u have studied interior design b4? I think it's quite related to architecture right? What do you think about that course huh?

sugizm

November 18th, 2004, 05:28 AM

Hmmmm.....actually LUCCT isn't a full-fledged university yet but merely a University College (UC) which is like a......hmmm......I actually forgot the critireas liao......but UC could offer more stuffs than a regular college do ;)
aiks, my apology on dat error :bash:

Well.....let me relate my story. I have friends whom had gone back to LUCCT after graduating with degrees from overseas (AUT, RMIT & Curtin) and some of em had got working experiences but they are offered an assistant lecturer (AL) post. No....Assitant Lecturer is just there to help the lecturer out and the lecturers at LUCCT are mostly industry people and degree or masters holder. I've studied there for 5 years and I know ;)

When I was studying Interior Design, my lecturers are mostly architects ( one or two teaches part-time and they have their own firm! :D ). My lecturers during my time studying MAB (Multimedia, Advertising & Broadcasting) are mostly people from the industry itself. One of my lecturer even worked at ASTRO before :D

Maybe after I left the standard dropped a bit but I believe that LUCCT had to maintain their status or else their MSC-Status and University College status could be withdrawn. And lastly, your friend could have a bloated ego by calling himself a lecturer! :lol: ....or maybe there's a miscommunication somewhere or some rumours gone wrong :D

Oh...and just to tell ya.....my very good friend worked as an assistant lecturer there (he graduated with a Diploma fr Curtin and a Degree fr AUT with lotsa industry working experiences but he's only 25)........he ain't offered a lecturer and his salary is only RM2000. ;) .....oh and he left already as there are better job offer elsewhere :)
lol, then i dunno whether my fren has a bloated ego or not :D but anyway his a lecturer lah, but hes salary only 2700 if im not mistaken. his incharge of year1 ADoM (EDM) 3D course as well.. heard dat happen because not enuff lecturers... and somemore Lucct has move to cyberjaya, lots of lecturers resigned due to the location.

emm, i made a mistsake again, degree holder's salary can't go up to 8000. professor yes.

datuk lim did good job in his contribution towards education, but i don't like the idea of uncle lim treat students like his customers......... he'll make the standard drop eventually..

n still strongly do not agree having young lecturer, or fresh graduate. althou sometimes elder lecturers do show bias or racist, or like i say not wise enuff, but percentage could be lower if there is no young lecturer around..

baqthier

December 30th, 2004, 09:58 PM

Top PMR Scorers

http://thestar.com.my/archives/2004/12/30/nation/p18top_scorers.JPG

TYW

December 31st, 2004, 06:40 AM

^^ i wonder how they rank that. all of them scored straight A's

nazrey

February 6th, 2005, 02:53 AM

Schools link up via cyberspace
Sunday February 6, 2005

BANGI: Some of the best schools in Malaysia will be linked up to certain schools in the United Kingdom to enable the sharing of experience, particularly in information and communications technology (ICT).

As a start, SMK Bandar Baru Bangi which is one of 88 smart schools in the country, will be linked with a 100-year old grammar school in Lancaster, United Kingdom.

Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said he had instructed his officers to do the necessary.

“We will start with smart schools first but other schools which feel they should be included can see us too. We will assess them and if they prove worthy, we can link them up to a school overseas too,” he said when jointly launching the Lestari School-Environment Award with Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Adenan Satem at SMK Bandar Baru Bangi last month.

http://www.thestar.com.my/archives/2005/2/6/education/e_pg04adenan.jpg

Hishammuddin and Adenan meeting some of SMK Bandar Baru Bangi’s students after the launch of the Lestari School-Environment Award. Second from right (in jacket) is school principal Zubedah Mat Nor.

Hishammuddin, who recently returned from a trip to the UK, said he had identified certain schools there.

“As an example, there is a group of schools associated with Oxford University and another group with British Aerospace (British aircraft manufacturer),” he said.

However, he said the link was not limited to schools in the UK as it could also be developed with other countries. This would be in line with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s call to strengthen relationships between educational institutions, including schools in Malaysia and France.

Besides ICT, he said the link could also be done in other areas such as language and teacher training. Asked how the schools would get in touch with each other, he said: “The schools should not depend on the ministry to get started. I want them to be creative in working out the best way for the link-up. There are so many possibilities. They can call the school’s head teacher straight away if they want to. In fact when I visited this school’s computer laboratory, some of the students asked if they could e-mail the other school and I told them to go ahead to do so.” – BY KAREN CHAPMAN

nazrey

February 6th, 2005, 02:58 AM

Innovation centre launched
Sunday February 6, 2005

MULTIMEDIA University (MMU) and Cisco Systems have set up the first centre in Malaysia dedicated to IP Communications solutions.

Inaugurated by Energy, Water and Communications Minister Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik, the MMU-Cisco Internet Protocol (IP) Communications Innovation Centre will allow end-users to experience technologies that integrate voice, video and data over an IP infrastructure.

The centre, fitted with US$170,000 (RM646,102) worth of IP Communications and networking equipment, will also serve as a lab for the development of XML (Extensible Markup Language) applications for Cisco IP phones and act as a resource for both systems integrators to deploy value-added services on a Cisco IP Communications platform.

Cisco IP Communications lets organisations consolidate all communications onto one network, thereby lowering infrastructure costs and management expenses. In addition, it helps companies boost productivity with integrated data applications, and delivers unified voice, email and fax messaging.

http://www.thestar.com.my/archives/2005/2/6/education/e_pg18khoo.jpg

Dr Lim (left) receiving a token of appreciation from Khoo.

During the tour of the MMU-Cisco IP Communications Innovation Centre, Dr Lim was given a demonstration of the power and flexibility of the Cisco IP phone.

“We are fully committed to reshaping our economy into a knowledge economy,” said Dr Lim.

“We need a workforce skilled in ICT because in the future, ICT literacy will be as important as print literacy for democratic citizenship,” he added.

Cisco Systems Malaysia’s managing director Johnson Khoo said: “The competitive global environment means that organisations need to constantly stay ahead of the competition. Cisco IP Communications systems provide companies around the world with a crucial advantage by lowering operation costs and building a more efficient workforce.

“Malaysian companies cannot afford to be left behind.

“MMU and Cisco share the same vision – we want this lab to be a catalyst for the adoption of such technologies,” he added.

MMU president Prof Datuk Dr Ghauth Jasmon said: “MMU is proud to partner leading technology companies like Cisco to develop competencies in IP Communications. Such collaborations will contribute to the country's agenda of increasing the pool of technology and research-based human capital who can compete on the global stage.”

“This is definitely a strong boost to MMU's commitment to R&D in Malaysia. With all these resources in place, we will be able to focus on more cutting-edge research,” he added.

nazrey

February 6th, 2005, 03:01 AM

Expanding due to demand
Sunday February 6, 2005

YOUNG people today are increasingly aware of the need to better equip themselves in order to have a head start when they join the working world.

Organisations too realise the need to encourage staff to continuously upgrade skills and competencies to stay abreast of changes in industry.

In recognition of this need, UTAR has taken steps to expand its campuses in the Klang Valley and to come up with new courses to meet market needs and demands.

In Petaling Jaya, UTAR’s campus for the Information and Communication Technology Faculty and the Arts and Social Science Faculty have been enlarged physically to accommodate the increase in the number of students. The Setapak campus has also followed suit with regards to the Engineering and Science faculties.

The recently-opened, brand new campus at Bandar Sungai Long is currently UTAR’s largest campus and houses students from the Accountancy and Management Faculty.

http://www.thestar.com.my/archives/2005/2/6/education/e_pg18utar.jpg

Young hopefuls at UTAR ready to start a new phase of their education.

New programmes for the January intake include Banking and Finance, Entrepreneurship, Financial Economics, Marketing, Advertising, Broadcasting, Psychology and Computer Engineering.

UTAR has also established the Institute of Postgraduate Studies and Research (IPSR) to coordinate research, consultancies and staff development programmes leading to master and doctoral degrees in information and communication technology, business administration and mass communications.

The increased emphasis on research means that more projects are conducted with other institutions of higher education, professional bodies and industries within and outside the country.

One such project is the collaboration with Grand Perfect Sdn Bhd to conduct species inventory as well as ecological and molecular population genetic studies on mammals in Bintulu, Sarawak to enable biotechnology students to study their subjects in a real world setting.

nazrey

February 6th, 2005, 03:03 AM

Techno challenge
Sunday February 6, 2005

FANCY representing Malaysia at the Microsoft Office Specialists (MOS) Worldwide Competition in the United States this August?

Well, for one lucky Malaysian student at least, the chance to do that may be just round the corner.

The student who hits the highest score in the fastest time at the Nationwide MOS Word XP Expert Annual Challenge will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Orlando, Florida, valued at over US$1,900 (RM7,221), to compete in the MOS 2005 Worldwide Competition.

The winner stands to win the grand prize of a total technology kit that includes a tablet PC, an International Pocket PC Phone, a digital camera, an iPod MP3 player and a Microsoft Xbox, valued at some US$3,800 (RM14,442).

In order to get the best candidate possible, Wordware Malaysia Sdn Bhd (Wordware), in collaboration with Microsoft Malaysia, has extended the closing date for the first stage of the Accredited Training Centres (ATC) MOS Word XP Core Annual Challenge to May 15.

The second stage of the competition, which is the finals, will be held on June 3.

“Although non-students are not allowed to take part in the MOS Worldwide Competition, they are still in the running for prizes in the local MOS challenge,” said Wordware managing director Wilson Wong.

The MOS Word XP Core Annual Challenge is open to all students of Microsoft-Wordware licensed ATCs, universities and colleges, and individuals in the country.

The examination fee is RM150 per participant.

All participants will receive a MSWord book or interactive CD worth RM120, and certificates of attendance. Participants who pass the examinations will be awarded Microsoft certificates.

For the local challenge, attractive prizes worth more than RM30,000 are up for grabs, courtesy of the official WiFi vendor NERA Infocom Malaysia ( www.nera.com.my ).

The top 42 scorers will be selected to participate in the finals.

nazrey

February 6th, 2005, 03:05 AM

Special delivery
Sunday February 6, 2005

IT was a special delivery for Chong Hwa Independent High School students in Jalan Ipoh. Instead of The Star’s circulation staff passing stacks of newspapers to the teacher in charge, Pizza Hut personnel delivered the papers on their bikes.

Pizza Hut executive Chong Shin Roe and three staff from its restaurant in Mutiara Complex distributed copies of NiE pullout Monsters on the loose to school’s students on Jan 19.

Students who were given copies of the pullout immediately checked it out and started discussing the content among themselves.

The NiE (Newspaper-in-Education) pullout is distributed with The Star every Wednesday to schools which subscribe to the paper. Star-NiE and Stuff@school, both eight-page pullouts each, come free with The Star at a special price of 60 sen per copy. Pizza Hut is The Star's NiE partner, pledging more than RM3mil in prizes and sponsorship.

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CAPTIVATING: Chong Hwa Independent High School students checking out their copy of Monsters on the loosewhile Pizza Hut staff look on.

On the NiE pullout, student Tan Eng Soon said: “The layout of the supplement is attractive and it provides teachers with ready materials to use in the classroom.”

He added that the articles and graphics on tsunami in Stuff@school also gave them more to ponder on during English lessons.

His friend, Goh Kim Shawn, said that the supplement was educational and very interesting to look at. He liked the illustrations and the colourful layout as it gave the supplement a breezy look. He added that the English lessons were fun because the activities and the stories in Stuff@school gave teachers an alternative source of teaching material.

Student Joyce Ng Yoon Yi said that the supplement “provides something different from the other newspapers.” She enjoyed looking at the colourful illustrations and found the cartoons especially attractive. Apart from doing the activities in the classroom, she sometimes spends time working on them on her own.

“I shared my supplement with friends and we did the activities together,” said Teoh Chai Zhen. She added that they did the activities in the classroom with their teacher. The students are not allowed to take the newspapers home because they are used in school.

According to the head of the English department, K.L. Lim, the school orders The Star weekly. However, she said the number of copies ordered fluctuated between 100 and 840, depending on the topics published.

Lim was also impressed with the supplements, saying, “The supplements are getting better. The contents have improved with some of the activities more challenging.”

She added that she particularly liked the Stuff@school pullout that was exclusively available with the supplement at it was very “current”. The stories regarding the tsunami got her teachers cracking their brains on how to use them in their English lessons successfully. She said that the stories were even useful in teaching English for science and technology.

nazrey

February 6th, 2005, 03:12 AM

Education for execs
Sunday February 6, 2005

A NATURAL progression for people in the workforce seeking to upgrade academic qualifications is to opt for a distance-learning programme.

The KDU Management Development Centre (KMDC) is now offering two such options to professionals through partnerships with Middlesex University in the United Kingdom and Deakin University in Australia. Its “executive education for professionals” programme was introduced, bearing in mind that most executives have heavy work responsibilities and little time for traditional methods of study.

The work-based learning (WBL) programme at Middlesex University, for instance, allows busy professionals to tap into their work scope to get a master degree qualification. WBL candidates take up distance learning projects specifically designed to their needs and abilities. The programme is flexible and adopts a hands-on approach. Lecture-style learning is minimised.

The Deakin option, on the other hand, caters to individuals who prefer a more structured approach. Deakin, with its wide range of master programmes, has been rated one of the top 10 business schools by Asia Inc magazine.

Participants taking the “executive education for professionals” programme will also be able to take advantage of the Executive Learning Network which links them with other professionals, client organisations and partner learning providers. This not only enhances their learning experience but also helps them form good linkages and networks worldwide.

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nazrey

February 6th, 2005, 03:18 AM

Spread your wings
Sunday February 6, 2005

EXPAND your services overseas! That was the call given to several established Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) tuition providers in Malaysia recently.

Many colleges which have produced world-class accountants over the years have been urged to export their services overseas, especially to countries like China, the Middle East and Southeast Asian nations.

Congratulating Institute Perkim-Goon (IPG) for being the second in the country and the fourth in the world to be awarded the prestigious Premier Plus status, Higher Education Deputy Minister Datuk Fu Ah Kiow said the college should now spread its wings.

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IPG principal Michael Ong (right) accepting the prestigious award from Tay as Fu looks on.

Head of ACCA Malaysia Tay Kay Luan said that by becoming one of only two institutes in the Asia Pacific region to win the Premier Plus status, IPG has now joined the ranks of a highly select group of world-class ACCA tuition providers.

nazrey

February 6th, 2005, 03:24 AM

Schools hold key to our future
Sunday February 6, 2005

Javier Sotomayor is a high jump legend with his world record leap in 1993 still in the books. But he knows, success does not come easy. Malaysia's Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Azalina Othman Said, who led a delegation to Cuba recently met Sotomayor and top Cuban official Humberto Rodriguez Gonzalez. The minister tell STARSPORT about the trip.

GETTING kids involved in sports at an early age could well be the answer for Malaysian sports. For it is at schools that the future champions are nurtured.

This was the view of the monarch of the high jumping world, Javier Sotomayor who met the Malaysian delegation in Havana last week.

“Cuba has developed an elaborate system for identifying and selecting talented youngsters,” Sotomayor said. ....News (http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2005/2/6/sports/10102946&sec=sports)

nazrey

February 6th, 2005, 03:26 AM

Scholarships for Malaysians to study in Cuba
Sunday February 6, 2005

KUALA LUMPUR: Cuba has offered Malaysians scholarships to study at the International School for Physical Education and Sports. The university churns out graduates in sports management, physical education and recreation.

The courses, which are to be completed in a five-year period, will enable the graduates to seek employment as physical education teachers as well as coaches.

At present, the university has students from 37 countries with the bulk coming from Africa and Asia.

Entry to the university is by means of a Cuban state programme devoted to providing scholarships to students through the Ministry of Foreign Relations (MINREX) and its embassies in the concerned countries.

Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Azalina Othman Said visited the university last week during her visit to Cuba and was given a briefing by Mrs Adelaida Ramos, the Teaching vice-Rector of the University.

“The very fact that there is a university dedicated to physical education speaks volumes of the commitment of the Cuban government towards the welfare of their people, especially the youth,” said Azalina.

“As for the offer to send our students, we welcome it and will look at how we can go about sending our students there.”

nazrey

February 6th, 2005, 03:29 AM

Truancy still a problem at British schools
Saturday February 5, 2005

LONDON: Government efforts to tackle persistent truancy have failed, according to a report yesterday, with the number of pupils cutting school still at 1997 levels despite nearly £1bil (RM7.15bil) being spent to curb the the problem.

Spending watchdog, the National Audit Office, said reasons for truancy include boring lessons, bullying, drug addiction and the poor attitude of some parents to education.

It said that while the government had managed to reduce the percentage of pupils missing school since 1997 from 7.6% to 6.7%, there were still 50,000 at state schools playing truant every day, despite £885mil (RM6.33bil) having been spent on the problem between 1997-98 and 2003-2004.

It urged more co-operation between government, schools and local authorities to tackle persistent truancy, which could lead, it said, to “undesirable activities” such as illegal work, criminal activity and drug use.

Education Secretary Ruth Kelly told BBC radio yesterday, however, that government efforts were beginning to work.

She said unpublished government figures showed new powers given to local authorities were beginning to have a “dramatic impact” on “hardcore” truants, who make up 2% of the 6.7 million pupils in state schools.

Under the Anti-social Behaviour Act, introduced in 2003, local authorities can issue fixed penalty notices and start fast-track prosecutions of parents, she noted.

The government would also be unveiling new plans for vocational training for students who were not interested in the curriculum offered at school. – Reuters

nazrey

February 6th, 2005, 03:32 AM

Ministry to educate 100 trainee teachers from Aceh
Saturday February 5, 2005

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will bring 100 trainee teachers from Aceh and train them at colleges here as part of the effort to assist the tsunami-hit district.

Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein who announced this yesterday, said a list of potential candidates was being prepared.

Education deputy director-general (schools) Datuk Kusaini Hasbullah will lead a four-member team with representatives from the Teachers Training Division, Schools Division as well as from Policy and Research, to Aceh tomorrow to work out the details, he said.

“Datuk Kusaini will meet representatives from the Aceh government. In my discussion with the acting governor of Aceh last month, he indicated that 100 trainees would be sent here.

“I said it would not be a problem. I have already spoken to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and he has asked that some flexibility be given to them,” he told reporters here.

On Jan 24, Hishammuddin said that there was no point in Malaysia helping to build schools in Aceh if there was a shortage of teachers there following the Dec 26 disaster.

nazrey

February 6th, 2005, 03:38 AM

Pahang schools to stop outdoor activities
Tuesday February 1, 2005

KUALA LUMPUR: Students in Pahang will be exempted from co-curricular activities that are held outdoors or in school fields as a preventive measure against dengue, said Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein.

Supporting the directive by Pahang Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob on the matter, Hishammuddin said his ministry would issue a circular on the temporary exemption.

“I met Datuk Seri Adnan this morning and told him that I support his decision to ask schools to stop holding activities outside for the time being,” he said after launching a local daily’s education pullout at SK Taman Melati yesterday.

On Monday, Adnan was reported to have ordered all schools in Pahang to stop outdoor activities, especially in the mornings and evenings, to prevent the students from getting bitten by aedes mosquitoes.

On whether all schools would be affected, Hishammuddin said the exemption would be made on a case-by-case basis, depending on the need.

“We must be realistic as not all 10,000 schools in the country are affected,” he said.

nazrey

February 6th, 2005, 04:16 AM

Smart School - Putrajaya

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nazrey

February 6th, 2005, 04:21 AM

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SuperDog

February 6th, 2005, 04:30 AM

It is great to see that Malaysia invests heavily in its schools. Bravo!!!!!

There are some countries in your part of the world that take great pride in thier military and do little in human development.

nazrey

February 6th, 2005, 05:17 AM

Bantuan hanya untuk sekolah kelolaan Pusat
06/01/2003
News (http://www.tutor.com.my/tutor/dunia.asp?y=2003&dt=0106&pub=duniapendidikan&sec=berita&pg=be_01.htm&arc=hive)

http://www.tutor.com.my/tutor/pix/2003/0106/DuniaPendidikan/berita/be_01.1.jpg

Cara baru... Murid-murid dari Kedah, Kelantan dan Terengganu memulakan persekolahan semalam dan pelbagai telatah mereka yang baru memasuki alam persekolahan dapat dilihat. Sesi persekolahan tahun ini turut mencatat lembaran baru apabila murid-murid tahun satu dan pelajar tingkatan satu belajar Matematik dan Sains dalam bahasa Inggeris. Kementerian Pendidikan pula menyediakan pelbagai keperluan teknologi maklumat bagi memastikan kaedah pengajaran dan pembelajaran terutama dua mata pelajaran itu berjalan lancar dan berkesan. Kelihatan di dalam foto di atas, guru Sekolah Kebangsaan Yahya Petra (2), Kuala Krai, Kelantan, Nik Latifah Nik Kasim menggunakan komputer riba dan alat audio-video untuk mengajar murid-muid tahun satu semalam. - Gambar Rosni Masri.

nazrey

February 6th, 2005, 05:20 AM

UiTM - the first public university to be accredited by CIM (UK)
Sunday January 30, 2005

UNIVERSITI Teknologi Mara (UiTM) scored a major achievement recently when it became the first public university in the country to be accredited by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) in the United Kingdom.

A partnership agreement between the two institutions was signed during a visit by CIM (UK)'s representatives to UiTM's vice-chancellor Datuk Seri Prof Dr Ibrahim Abu Shah.

CIM (UK)'s International Education Manager Tony Varey said that the CIM (UK) professional qualifications – which includes the professional postgraduate diploma in marketing, the professional diploma in marketing and professional certificate in marketing – will be offered by UiTM under a new structure.

The signing was witnessed by Malaysian Association of CIM (MACIM) president Datuk Dr James Alfred, UiTM's Assoc Prof Dr Norhana Salamudin and regional board and council members.

CIM (UK) will work closely with Business Management faculty lecturer Prof Dr Faridah Hassan, who is herself a MACIM board member.

nazrey

February 6th, 2005, 05:24 AM

UiTM Bags Gold, Silver At Seoul Exhibition
December 16, 2004

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 16 (Bernama) -- Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) won four gold and three silver medals at its debut in an international inventions exhibition in Seoul, South Korea.

One of the gold medals was for a special award category of the Korean Association of School Invention and for the invention entitled "Smart Lighting Control Systems for Comfort Zone Reading" by Prof Dr Shah Rizam Mohamed Shah Baki and Badrul Isham Mat Tahir, the university said in a statement, Thursday.

Three other gold medals were for Carbonised Rice Husk as an Oil Spill Absorber invented by Prof Madya Dr Ku Halim Ku Hamid; Leachability And Strength of Encapsulated Solid Waste Two in One Testing Kit by Prof Madya Dr Ku Halim and Rosmawati Abdul Aziz; and Latex Based Coagulant for Spent Coolant Treatment by Prof Madya Ku Halim and Salina Abdul Rahman.

Three silver medals were for the invention entitled KuMAN: Universal Coagulant for Colour Removal by Prof Madya Dr Ku Halim and Nor Daina Masdar; Concrete Reinforced with Oil Palm Trunk Fibre by Dr Hamidah Mohd Saman, Prof Madya Zakiah Ahmad, Prof Madya Dr Azmi Ibrahim and Faridah Tahir; and Development of the Cement and Coconut Shell Particle Board by Dr Hamidah, Prof Madya Dr Azmi Ibrahim and Rohana Hassan.

The event was held under the patronage of the Korean Intellectual Property Organisation with the cooperation of the World Intellectual Property Organisation.

-- BERNAMA

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nazrey

February 6th, 2005, 05:26 AM

UiTM To Emphasise Research
December 24, 2004

SHAH ALAM, Dec 24 (Bernama) -- Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) will make research a major part of its academic activity that all students and staff have to engage in, Vice-Chancellor Datuk Seri Prof Ibrahim Abu Shah said Friday.

He said research at UiTM was not confined to students and staff of the science disciplines but also encouraged among students and staff in other fields such as accountancy, communications and art.

Prof Ibrahim said the emphasis on research was in line with UiTM's desire to be known as a research university, as its name suggested.

"We are actively developing research and studies in inventive technology, including in the science and commercial fields," he told reporters after attending an Innovation, Invention and Design 2004 programme, here.

Prof Ibrahim said a unit known as the Institute for Research, Development and Commercialisation (IRDC) had been set up to coordinate research and consultation activities at UiTM.

He also said that two products developed through research at the university had been patented. One was "ILMU", an application used in the management of library data, and the other "LOGO", production of goods using the UiTM logo.

He said UiTM had the capability to be among the top research centres in Malaysia because it had many creative and competitive innovators and inventors, and referred to the success of two UiTM lecturers, Prof Ir Dr Shah Rizam Mohd Shah Baki and Badrul Hisham Mat Tahir, who had received a special award from the Korean Association for School Invention at the Seoul International Invention Fair (SIIF) recently.

UiTM also showed encouraging potential in research when it won four gold and three silver medals at the same fair, he added.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

February 6th, 2005, 05:27 AM

Bank Islam Sponsors UiTM Research Awards

SHAH ALAM, Dec 25 (Bernama) -- Bank Islam Malaysia Bhd will sponsor annual cash awards amounting to RM20,000 for research at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), its risk management general manager Mohammad Tahir Hashim said Saturday.

The Bank Islam-UiTM Innovation Awards are in three major categories -- gold (RM2,000 and RM5,000 for students and lecturers respectively), silver (RM1,500 and RM3,000), bronze (RM1,000 and RM2,000) -- besides 10 consolation awards (RM100 and RM200).

The agreement was signed last year with the university's Institute for Research, Development and Commercialisation.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

February 6th, 2005, 05:44 AM

University Malaya made it to the Top 100 WORLD's Best
Quite Cool News! USM also in the top 120 @ 111!

http://www.thes.co.uk/worldrankings/

Posted by Huaiwei in this thread in the world section
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?p=2544116#post2544116

And posted by baqtheir in this thread in the Malaysian section
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=149067

The Times Higher World University Rankings...
who is top?

Which are the best universities in the world? Who is to say which those are and how they should be identified? The Times Higher World University Rankings, compiled by QS, represent a first attempt to compare the world's top universities in the round.

The Global Top 200
Rank Institution Country Peer Int'l Int'l Student/Citations/Final score
review faculty studentsfaculty faculty
score score score score score
1 Harvard University United States 643 17 17 50 243 1000.0
2 California University Berkeley United States 665 6 7 7 169 880.2
3 Massachusetts Institute of Technology United States 484 13 18 28 221 788.9
4 California Institute of Technology United States 236 19 17 45 400 738.9
5 Oxford University United Kingdom 560 57 18 30 45 731.8
6 Cambridge University United Kingdom 541 65 19 31 46 725.4
7 Stanford University United States 420 9 13 28 197 688.0
8 Yale University United States 347 53 20 65 81 582.8
9 Princeton University United States 353 18 18 19 133 557.5
10 ETH Zurich Switzerland 170 72 25 4 266 553.7
11 London School of Economics United Kingdom 257 79 100 27 6 484.4
12 Tokyo University Japan 371 3 3 30 60 482.0
13 Chicago University United States 254 31 18 58 71 444.0
14 Imperial College London United Kingdom 237 60 51 55 27 443.7
15 University of Texas at Austin United States 183 9 8 8 202 421.5
16 Australian National University Australia 212 48 31 9 105 417.7
17 Beijing University China 322 9 11 35 3 391.8
18 National University Singapore Singapore 266 35 46 10 18 385.9
19 Columbia University United States 213 10 18 56 75 384.1
20 University of California, San Francisco United States 21 5 0 39 300 376.5
21 McGill University Canada 132 84 42 11 84 364.1
22 Melbourne University Australia 207 49 51 12 23 353.2
23 Cornell University United States 202 10 16 19 91 348.8
24 University of California, San Diego United States 96 3 6 7 208 331.5
25 Johns Hopkins University United States 107 16 13 68 116 330.8
26 University of California, Los Angeles United States 180 2 8 12 106 316.4
27 Ecole Polytechnique France 144 25 55 23 59 315.5
28 Pennsylvania University United States 142 14 23 31 87 306.9
29 Kyoto University Japan 207 3 3 25 57 303.7
30 Ecole Normale Super Paris France 105 11 22 100 51 298.4
31 Michigan University United States 173 17 11 19 65 293.3
32 Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne Switzerland 56 100 67 13 44 289.4
33 Monash University Australia 136 49 64 8 19 286.0
34 University College London United Kingdom 108 48 40 44 36 284.2
35 Illinois University United States 152 3 3 15 100 281.6
36 New South Wales University Australia 140 49 47 19 12 275.7
37 Toronto University Canada 131 24 16 6 88 272.5
38 Carnegie Mellon University United States 129 35 25 24 37 259.4
39 Hong Kong University China-Hong Kong 96 74 14 8 50 249.5
40 Sydney University Australia 124 49 29 11 24 245.2
41 Indian Institute of Technology India 209 3 2 13 8 241.7
42 Hong Kong University of Sci & Tech China-Hong Kong 135 37 15 8 38 240.6
43 Manchester University & UMIST United Kingdom 130 40 23 19 19 238.5
44 School of Oriental and African Studies United Kingdom 62 70 77 20 0 235.8
45 Massachusetts University United States 118 1 4 7 99 235.7
46 British Columbia University Canada 114 24 14 6 65 230.4
47 Heidelberg University Germany 124 11 33 12 41 228.3
48 Edinburgh University United Kingdom 118 32 21 22 29 227.6
49 Queensland University Australia 95 49 25 6 42 223.9
50 Nanyang University Singapore 123 32 47 9 0 217.1
51 Tokyo Institute of Technology Japan 118 3 13 27 50 217.0
52 Duke University United States 61 12 11 56 66 212.6
53 Catholic University Louvain Belgium 104 26 41 17 19 212.6
54 Brussels Free University Belgium 54 41 57 10 36 205.1
55 RMIT University Australia 60 49 80 8 0 203.9
56 Adelaide University Australia 69 49 29 5 45 202.7
57 Paris VI, Pierre et Marie Curie France 99 7 39 15 33 198.7
58 Sussex University United Kingdom 73 51 23 11 32 196.2
59 Purdue University United States 105 25 14 8 36 194.0
60 Tech University Berlin Germany 83 11 39 2 50 191.1
61 Brown University United States 46 39 14 19 65 188.9
62 Tsing Hua University China 140 9 7 24 3 188.9
63 Copenhagen University Denmark 111 18 14 19 22 188.7
64 Erasmus University Rotterdam The Netherlands 70 27 11 11 63 188.4
65 Georgia Institute of Technology United States 117 4 11 9 39 185.7
66 Wisconsin University United States 104 0 8 18 48 184.5
67 Auckland University New Zealand 76 49 30 7 15 183.5
68 Macquarie University Australia 45 49 62 5 15 182.3
69 Osaka University Japan 78 3 5 28 63 181.8
70 St Andrews University United Kingdom 39 42 57 19 19 181.0
71 Sorbonne Paris France 124 3 43 5 0 180.8
72 University of California, Santa Barbara United States 64 9 3 6 93 180.6
73 Northwestern University United States 61 4 12 27 71 180.4
74 Washington University United States 48 16 8 18 82 177.0
75 Boston University United States 78 12 19 17 45 176.6
76 Curtin University of Technology Australia 35 50 79 6 0 176.2
77 Vienna Technical University Austria 83 19 45 16 6 175.4
78 Delft University of Technology The Netherlands 106 20 12 20 12 174.2
79 New York University United States 90 8 10 19 41 173.2
80 Warwick University United Kingdom 70 49 25 9 14 170.6
81 Yeshiva University United States 2 14 15 31 103 170.2
82 Minnesota University United States 59 10 5 11 79 169.6
83 Eindhoven University of Technology The Netherlands 45 20 12 11 77 169.5
84 Chinese University Hong Kong China-Hong Kong 81 30 16 12 25 169.2
85 Göttingen University Germany 72 11 13 4 64 168.5
86 Rochester University United States 49 10 8 49 48 167.8
87 Trinity College, Dublin Ireland 57 45 29 8 24 167.0
88 Case Western Reserve University United States 23 4 11 49 75 166.8
89 Malaya University Malaysia 50 29 68 15 0 166.4
90 Alabama University United States 27 10 4 8 112 166.0
91 Bristol University United Kingdom 59 38 16 17 31 165.9
92 Lomonosov Moscow State University Russia 97 9 15 31 5 161.6
93 Hebrew University Jerusalem Israel 81 5 11 16 44 161.4
94 Vienna University Austria 77 19 30 5 25 161.2
95 Technical University Munich Germany 72 11 32 23 18 160.7
96 Western Australia University Australia 36 49 29 10 31 160.1
97 King's College London United Kingdom 34 44 27 24 26 160.1
98 Amsterdam University The Netherlands 68 17 14 10 46 159.8
99 Munich University Germany 82 11 26 12 24 159.7
100 Queen Mary, University of London United Kingdom 41 47 30 23 13 158.8
101 Oslo University Norway 81 21 18 13 21 158.5
102 National Taiwan University Taiwan 100 10 11 11 22 157.8
103 Bath University United Kingdom 25 45 39 22 21 155.5
104 Tufts University United States 17 10 15 26 81 153.9
105 Texas A&M University United States 78 12 3 6 49 153.2
106 Iowa University United States 23 10 11 5 99 152.6
107 Colorado University United States 38 17 3 10 79 151.9
108 Massey University New Zealand 41 49 42 5 8 150.6
109 Washington University, St Louis United States 38 10 10 13 76 150.3
110 Chalmers University of Technology Sweden 71 17 22 11 25 150.2
111 Sains Malaysia University Malaysia 26 27 78 15 0 149.6
112 Glasgow University United Kingdom 59 33 10 15 27 148.5
113 University of Technology, Sydney Australia 46 49 39 7 0 146.1
114 Otago University New Zealand 25 49 42 10 15 145.9
115 Brandeis University United States 13 26 15 12 75 145.6
116 Michigan State University United States 81 10 7 8 35 145.1
117 North Carolina University United States 37 9 3 17 75 144.3
118 Virginia University United States 53 6 10 17 54 144.0
119 Seoul National University Korea 83 6 20 9 21 144.0
120 Utrecht University The Netherlands 58 16 9 11 45 143.9
121 Paris XI, Orsay France 47 11 31 10 40 142.6
122 Royal Institute of Technology Sweden 37 19 30 4 47 142.5
123 Maastricht University The Netherlands 24 20 51 20 23 142.0
124 Stuttgart University Germany 61 11 39 17 10 141.7
125 Humboldt University Berlin Germany 69 11 23 7 28 141.3
126 Birmingham University United Kingdom 41 36 19 14 26 140.5
127 Aarhus University Denmark 59 18 13 26 20 140.0
128 Durham University United Kingdom 52 33 10 11 28 139.3
129 Helsinki University Finland 75 11 7 13 28 138.6
130 Penn State University United States 64 10 5 10 44 138.4
131 Leiden University The Netherlands 24 20 13 12 65 137.9
132 Strasbourg University France 29 11 40 9 45 137.6
133 Leeds University United Kingdom 54 31 17 15 16 136.9
134 Maryland University United States 35 20 5 14 58 136.7
135 Bonn University Germany 56 11 37 13 14 135.0
136 Stony Brook, State of New York University United States 26 7 10 11 75 134.3
137 York University United Kingdom 36 39 16 16 22 133.3
138 Dartmouth College United States 18 13 12 20 65 132.5
139 Stockholm University Sweden 40 19 30 3 35 131.9
140 Uppsala University Sweden 43 19 30 11 24 131.5
141 Utah University United States 51 10 13 14 40 131.0
142 La Trobe University Australia 27 49 23 4 25 130.8
143 Waterloo University Canada 50 25 12 5 35 130.6
144 Toulouse University France 31 8 40 5 42 130.4
145 Technical University of Denmark Denmark 49 18 15 23 20 128.6
146 Rice University United States 35 10 7 25 48 128.5
147 Hamburg University Germany 66 11 17 9 20 127.3
148 Mcmaster University Canada 28 24 13 11 47 127.3
149 Kiel University Germany 27 11 15 3 67 127.0
150 Sheffield University United Kingdom 38 33 15 15 22 126.9
151 Liverpool University United Kingdom 32 39 14 13 25 126.8
152 Karlsruhe University Germany 47 11 29 9 26 126.0
153 Tohoku University Japan 48 6 2 27 39 125.7
154 China University of Sci & Tech China 85 5 1 24 6 125.2
155 Montpellier 1 University France 43 11 31 5 31 124.8
156 Vanderbilt University United States 20 2 5 39 55 124.6
157 Frankfurt University Germany 51 11 30 6 22 124.1
158 Technion - Israel Institute of Technology Israel 78 0 1 12 30 124.0
159 Madrid Autonomous University Spain 62 19 11 8 19 123.7
160 Korea Advanced Institute of Sci & Tech Korea 86 7 19 8 0 123.5
161 Tasmania University Australia 27 49 22 6 15 123.3
162 La Sapienza University Italy 89 4 5 4 16 121.5
163 Pohang University of Sci & Tech Korea 22 14 18 8 56 120.9
164 Innsbruck University Austria 31 19 38 6 23 120.8
165 Georgetown University United States 38 10 10 13 46 120.6
166 Alberta University Canada 28 24 23 13 28 120.4
167 Nagoya University Japan 45 3 3 19 47 120.0
168 Dundee University United Kingdom 9 42 21 14 31 119.4
169 Würzburg University Germany 11 11 15 6 72 118.8
170 Nottingham University United Kingdom 24 39 20 13 19 118.0
171 Lund University Sweden 36 19 6 11 40 117.3
172 Technische Hochschule Darmstadt Germany 39 11 28 2 33 116.9
173 Emory University United States 12 1 8 43 48 116.6
174 Indiana University United States 29 0 10 6 68 115.9
175 University of California, Santa Cruz United States 14 5 2 4 87 115.6
176 Helsinki University of Technology Finland 61 20 8 15 8 115.4
177 Université de Montréal Canada 35 24 23 14 14 114.2
178 Freiburg University Germany 26 11 29 14 29 113.0
179 Newcastle Upon Tyne University United Kingdom 19 33 19 20 19 112.6
180 University of Southern California United States 40 15 14 4 35 111.4
181 Lancaster University United Kingdom 23 44 16 7 18 111.3
182 University of California, Davis United States 27 1 4 10 65 110.8
183 Arizona University United States 35 5 9 10 49 110.6
184 RWTH Aachen Germany 60 11 27 9 0 110.5
185 Queen's University Belfast United Kingdom 16 54 16 5 16 110.3
186 Bologna University Italy 76 4 8 4 14 109.8
187 Norwegian University of Sci & Tech Norway 30 23 19 22 12 109.6
188 Tulane University United States 27 10 20 33 16 108.9
189 Leicester University United Kingdom 5 32 21 17 29 107.4
190 Rutgers State University United States 24 25 5 10 40 107.3
191 Nijmegen University The Netherlands 22 20 12 33 17 107.1
192 Nanjing University China 73 4 2 16 7 106.3
193 Southampton University United Kingdom 12 45 11 16 18 105.9
194 Aberdeen University United Kingdom 6 38 22 16 20 105.7
195 National Autonomous University of Mexico Mexico 68 7 0 25 1 104.5
196 Fudan University China 61 8 13 15 4 104.5
197 Bremen University Germany 35 11 21 2 32 104.4
198 City University of Hong Kong China-Hong Kong 40 47 3 10 0 103.6
199 Virginia Polytechnic Inst United States 56 10 7 11 17 103.0
200 Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst United States 24 19 9 9 38 102.9
Maximum possible scores:
Peer review score: 1000
International faculty score: 100
International students score: 100
Student/faculty score: 400
Citations/faculty score: 400
Final Score: 1000

Universiti in Malaysia Thread : http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=156935

nazrey

February 6th, 2005, 06:01 AM

Product of Universiti Teknology Malaysia- UTM (http://www.wsc.org.au/photographs2.htm)
suria Kar - Solar car (http://www.wsc.org.au/photographs2.htm)
Ready for the 8th World Solar Challenge will depart Darwin on Sunday 25 September 2005.

http://www.fh-bochum.de/images/solarcar/wsc/031027-3.jpg

http://img206.exs.cx/img206/4976/suria6hc.jpg

nazrey

February 6th, 2005, 08:48 AM

From bernama.

http://foto.bernama.com/foto/Photo/2906_4.jpg

GATES TO THE FUTURE… Chairman of Microsoft Corp Bill Gates (second left) and Education Minister Datuk Hishammuddin Tun Hussein (left) looking at a presentation by students of Sekolah Alam Shah, Putrajaya during their visit at the school computer lab, Tuesday. Gates, who is on a one-day visit to Malaysia, and Hishammuddin jointly launched the "Partners in Learning Programme" where both parties signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the initiative to promote digital inclusion in the education space and bring 21st century skills and tools to the learning environment.

from utusan.

Microsoft labur RM10j rapatkan jurang digital di Malaysia

http://www.utusan.com.my/pix/2004/0630/Utusan_Malaysia/Muka_Hadapan/mh_02_big.jpg
BILL Gates dan Hishammuddin Tun Hussein mendengar penerangan mengenai demo perisian daripada pelajar Fitri Al-amin (duduk, tiga dari kanan) sebelum majlis menandatangani MoU program Rakan Kongsi Pembelajaran antara Kementerian Pelajaran dan Microsoft Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. di Sekolah Alam Shah, Putrajaya, semalam. - Gambar AZMAN GHANI.

PUTRAJAYA 29 Jun - Syarikat perisian terbesar di dunia, Microsoft Corporation memberikan komitmen untuk menghulurkan bantuan terbaik kepada kerajaan Malaysia bagi menghapuskan jurang digital di negara ini.

Sebagai permulaan, syarikat itu akan melabur dana RM10 juta dalam tempoh lima tahun untuk memberikan latihan serta perisian yang akan memberi faedah kepada 10,000 pelajar sekolah rendah dan menengah di seluruh negara.

Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi berkata, hasrat kerajaan untuk mengurangkan jurang digital bagi memastikan teknologi maklumat dan komunikasi (ICT) dapat dinikmati oleh semua rakyat disambut baik oleh Pengerusi Microsoft, Bill Gates.

``Saya tekankan betapa pentingnya kita mengambil tindakan mengurangkan jurang digital sebab jika tidak, akan berlaku jurang pembangunan yang besar kerana pada masa akan datang, peranan ICT sebagai pemangkin pembangunan adalah amat penting.

``Dan saya diberitahu reaksi beliau adalah baik tentang apa yang kita laksanakan,'' katanya kepada pemberita selepas mempengerusikan mesyuarat Lembaga Pengarah Lembaga Pembangunan Langkawi di pejabatnya, di sini hari ini.

Terdahulu, Perdana Menteri menerima kunjungan Gates yang dalam lawatan dua hari ke Malaysia bagi menghadiri pelancaran program Rakan Kongsi Pembelajaran di Sekolah Alam Shah, di sini.

Program itu membolehkan guru diperkasa dengan pengetahuan ICT melalui latihan kemahiran dan pembangunan kurikulum.

Kata Perdana Menteri, Gates turut menyatakan mengenai pentingnya Malaysia memastikan generasi muda mendapat latihan secukupnya untuk membina pekerja berpengetahuan (K-Pekerja).

Sementara itu, Gates berkata, syarikatnya menyambut baik komitmen Malaysia untuk mengurangkan jurang digital melalui pemerolehan teknologi ICT oleh pelajar termasuk di luar bandar.

``Dan saya pula dapat menjelaskan kepada beliau mengenai komitmen kami untuk bekerja bersama kerajaan, membantu dengan cara terbaik yang kami mampu,'' kata Gates selepas menandatangani memorandum persefahaman (MoU) bagi program Rakan Kongsi Pembelajaran di Sekolah Alam Shah.

Gates yang juga Ketua Arkitek Perisian Microsoft mewakili syarikat berkenaan manakala Menteri Pelajaran, Datuk Hishammuddin Tun Hussein memeterai MoU itu bagi pihak kementeriannya.

nazrey

February 6th, 2005, 04:47 PM

Minister Assures Terengganu On University
February 06, 2005

KUALA TERENGGANU, Feb 6 (Bernama) -- The Higher Education Ministry is studying data before deciding on the setting up a public university in Terengganu as promised by Barisan Nasional (BN) during the general election last year, Minister Datuk Dr Mohd Shafie Salleh said Sunday.

He said the ministry might establish a new university or upgrade an existing institution of higher learning in the state to university status.

The institutions that could be upgraded were University College of Science and Technology Malaysia (Kustem), Terengganu Higher Technical Institute (TATI) and Sultan Zainal Abidin Religious College (Kusza), he said.

Whatever the decision, the promise of creating a university in Terengganu would be kept, he told reporters after attending a briefing on KUSTEMvax, a vaccine for small ruminants like goats and sheep.

The vaccine was developed by Kustem.

"The establishment of a full-fledged university in Terengganu is included in the BN election manifesto. So, like it or not, it will be built," he said.

The chairman of the state Umno education bureau Datuk Rosli Mat Hassan was reported to have said it would submit a memorandum to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi urging the federal government to speed up the proposed university.

-- BERNAMA

Kevinkhoo1986

February 8th, 2005, 08:19 AM

^^ i wonder how they rank that. all of them scored straight A's

Maybe the government just simply pick it randomly. There were more than 15000 PMR straight A's this year. :D I have seen many straight A's student in PMR get a really bad result in SPM. So PMR is not good indicator to determine who is the best student or so on. The marking system is too lenient and the standard.... Well hopefully the new syllabus will have a better standard.

nazrey

February 8th, 2005, 07:19 PM

ROBOFEST 2003 (3rd Malaysia Robot Games Festival)

Date: 13-14 September 2003.
Venue: Mid Valley Exhibition Centre.
Organizers: Ministry of Science, Technology & the Environment of Malaysia & SIRIM

MMU teams achieved a tremendous triumph as they swept away a few major awards, as follow:

Category Prize
RoboDance Champion, and Second Runner Up
RoboGrab Champion
Survivor Robot First Runner Up

RoboDance

The robot (looks similar to a doll) has to dance synchronically with the music played. It'll start its movement after hearing the music. Basically, it is judged based upon its design, circuits, programming and choreography.

Supervisor: Mr. Yong Yik Seng.
Group Members: Mohd Rasheed Bin Mohd Abd Rahman (leader), Ginanjar Nur Rahmat, Musili Bin Mustapa, Mohd Faizal Bin Abd Khalek, Pang Shkang, Chong Shao Pin.

RoboGrab
To score as many 'sepak takraw-s' as possible into the goal-post. The 'sepak takraw-s' are either red or blue in color, and are scattered on the floor (game field). Each team is assigned one of the color. Scoring own- team's color 'sepak takraw-s' into the goal increases points in the scoreboard, while scoring own's color into opponent's goal deducts the opponent's point. Round robin.

Supervisor: Dr. Wong Eng Kiong.
Group Members: Chua Shing Chyi (Leader), Kang Chee Chiang, Khoo Kah Hean, Lam Yoke Khei, Ng Kang Song.

Survivor Robot
This is a competition that use wireless remote control mobile robot to bring a golden cup from the center of the stage back to the home place (One of the 4 corner of the stage). Along the way from the corner to the center of the stage, there will be tracks which have some obstacles on it, such as slope, turner and so on. For the qualification round, each team has to start from corner to the center of the competition stage and bring back a golden cup, 16 teams that have the fastest time will enter the 2nd round.
At 2nd round, four teams will compete at the same time that starts at each corner. Point will be given for team that manage to get the cup back to home or manage to push others team's robot off the track. Points also will be deducted if the robot drop the cup or off the track. Four teams from the 2nd round will enter the final. The same rules as 2nd round apply to final. The team that gets highest point will be the winning team. .

Supervisor: Mr. Lim Ka Sing.
Group Members: William Hii How Hsin, Ng Kang Song, Ng Kai Chong, Edmund Woon Chee Yong .

ROBOFEST teams

http://img101.exs.cx/img101/2936/kj113hk.jpg

RoboGrab group

http://img101.exs.cx/img101/8793/kj1132ar.jpg

nazrey

February 8th, 2005, 07:22 PM

Robocon Malaysia 2003 was held on 3rd May 2003 (Saturday), at SIRIM, Shah Alam. MMU team has developed two classes of machines, automatic and manual machine (control by student operator).

Our team, RoboForce, had done our best and appeared as the Second Runner Up for the game. In addition, our team won the Best Idea Award.

http://fet.mmu.edu.my/fet/research/cra/cra_image/robocon03p.jpg

Robocon Malaysia 2004 -- First Runner Up & Best Idea Award

Robocon Malaysia 2004 was held on 7th - 9th May 2004, at SIRIM, Shah Alam. Our team, RoboForce 04, emerged as First Runner Up after a nail-biting final. In addition, our team won the Best Idea Award.

http://fet.mmu.edu.my/fet/research/cra/cra_image/Robocon04.jpg

Robocon Malaysia 2003 -- Second Runner Up & Best Idea Award

nazrey

February 8th, 2005, 07:25 PM

Click to view the competition.
http://fet.mmu.edu.my/fet/research/cra/cra_image/robocon.mpg

nazrey

February 8th, 2005, 07:27 PM

Robocon 2002 Malaysia - Mencapai Puncak Gunung Kinabalu

http://fet.mmu.edu.my/fet/research/cra/cra_image/rule_robocon02.jpg

The aim of the contest is to place beach balls into 17" tubes representing Mt Fuji to score points. A team becomes the winner when "Reach" is achieved, that is, when they successfully fill five tubes diagonally, including the highest "Summit" tube in the center representing Mt Fuji. The game duration is three minutes.

Robocon 2003 Malaysia - Takraw Space Conqueror

http://fet.mmu.edu.my/fet/research/cra/cra_image/rule_robocon03.jpg

The purpose of this year's competition is to place as many takraw balls into hanging nets at heights of 1.5m, 2m and 3m.

MMU team has developed two classes of machines, automatic and manual machine (control by student operator). The total weight of all machines must be less than 50kg and 3m height (fully extended). The starting base dimension should not be more than 1.2m x 1.2m.

nazrey

February 16th, 2005, 07:35 PM

Ahamad Sipon Made New Education D-G
February 15, 2005 23:13 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 15 (Bernama) -- Former Deputy Director-General of Education (Technical) Datuk Dr Ahamad Sipon has been promoted to Director-General succeeding Tan Sri Rafie Mahat who retired last Dec 31.

He had assumed the duties of the Director-General since Jan 1.

Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein, who announced the appointment in a statement Tuesday, said he hoped Ahamad would continue the ministry's efforts to strengthen national schools, enhance the teaching profession and bridge the gap between urban and rural schools.

"I am confident he will be able to fulfil his responsibilities with full commitment, transparency, sincerity and honesty and be with me and the ministry staff to shoulder the duty of enhancing education in the country," he said.

Ahamad was born on July 15, 1951 and started his career in education 30 years ago when he became a lecturer at the Ungku Omar Polytechnic in Ipoh in 1975.

Among the posts he has held are Principal of the Sultan Ahmad Shah Polytechnic (1984), Principal of Batu Pahat Polytechnic (1987), Principal Assistant Director of the Curriculum Unit (1989), Director of the Polytechnic Management Division (1997) and Selangor Director of Education (1999).

Ahamad obtained his PhD in technical and vocational education from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in the United States.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

February 19th, 2005, 07:42 PM

Malay Gains Access Under New School Curriculum
February 19, 2005 23:14 PM

By Salbiah Said

SINGAPORE, Feb 19 (Bernama) -- Singapore's Education Ministry is revamping the curriculum and teaching of the Malay language to make it more "convenient and accessible" to non-Malay students keen to take it up as a third language.

"We're looking at a range of issues: how we fit it in the curriculum, should there be more scope to take the language within your own school -- for which of course we'll need more resources. But we have to make it more convenient and accessible," Channel News Asia quoted Education Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam as saying Saturday.

He said students already had a very heavy academic schedule. "So how we can incorporate it in the curriculum of your own school is something we're looking at. It won't be possible in every school because we simply don't have enough resources. But we should try to make it possible in a certain number of schools."

News reports quoted Minister Mentor, Lee Kuan Yew as having said on Thursday that Singapore was planning to increase the number of its non-Malay citizens who could speak Malay as a way of building links with Indonesia and Malaysia.

He said the Education Ministry was considering introducing Malay as a third language at schools, following English and the student's mother tongue. The goal was to get 10-15 per cent of Singapore's non-Malay population to be fluent in either Bahasa Malaysia or Bahasa Indonesia, Lee said at a Chinese New Year dinner Thursday night.

"We learnt from our experience in Aceh that we need more Singaporeans who can speak Bahasa, either Bahasa Malaysia or Bahasa Indonesia," said Lee, the father of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and the nation's founding father.

According to Channel News Asia, some 340 Secondary One students were taking Malay as a third language this year, more than double the number five years ago.

As part of the Education Ministry's move to give students more say in selecting the subjects they want to study, the Ministry had announced that all Secondary One students could take a third language in addition to their mother tongue from 2007, it said.

Besides revamping the curriculum, Tharman said his ministry would also look into hiring more Malay language teachers.

Said Tharman: "First, we have to make sure that it is convenient and accessible to take Malay as a third language. Second, we have to make sure that the curriculum is suitable for people who are not native speakers of the language.

"Our focus should be on building the skills that they can really use in everyday life, and in the future careers and professions. That means the focus on the oral skills, communications ability especially, and to some extent reading.

"The way we teach the language is also something that we're looking at to make it an engaging subject that students can relate to in everyday life," he said.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

February 20th, 2005, 10:36 PM

More Rural Students Can Do Degree Programmes With Open University
February 20, 2005 23:27 PM

PETALING JAYA, Feb 20 (Bernama) -- More rural students will now have the chance to pursue degree courses with the Open University Malaysia (OUM) starting May this year.

Yayasan Basmi Kemiskinan Selangor (YBKS) founder Tan Sri Muhammad Muhamad Taib said this was made possible with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with OUM Sunday.

"More rural students who have completed their diplomas can now pursue their degree courses with OUM," Muhammad told reporters after the signing ceremony at Dewan Utama, Tabung Haji Complex in Kelana Jaya.

He said students could pursue their degree courses in areas like business studies and information technology via the e-learning facilities provided by OUM.

"This is one way to expose our students to higher education," he added.

OUM president/vice-chancellor Prof Tan Sri Datuk Dr Anwar Ali said OUM had 32 centres nationwide and students had easy access to continue their degree programmes.

The signing was witnessed by the Higher Education Ministry's Deputy Secretary-General Dr Mohd Nasir Mohd Ashraf.

Meanwhile, at the same ceremony Muhammad, who is Umno information chief, said the proposal of RM2 to be a life member of Umno would ease the collection of membership fee.

"There are lots of problems collecting membership fee every year. Based on our proposal members have to pay RM2 and become a life member of the party," he said.

Saturday, Umno secretary-general Datuk Radzi Sheikh Ahmad said the new proposal would be tabled at the party's supreme council meeting on Tuesday to move away from the current RM1 annual membership fee and RM100 life membership fee.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

February 22nd, 2005, 04:49 PM

PM: Trace the student loan defaulters
Tuesday February 22, 2005
BY JANE RITIKOS and GAVIN GOMEZ

PETALING JAYA: Trace them and make them pay up, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi told the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) on the high number of student loan defaulters.

He also lambasted the attitude of defaulters, who have jobs but refuse to repay their loans, as “unforgivable.”

“Action must be taken. Sorry, but we have to take stern action because they must realise that the responsibility (to pay back the loans) is theirs.

“They (PTPTN) must know who owe them and what they are doing now,” he said upon his return from a three-day working visit to Saudi Arabia.

It was reported that PTPTN had RM7bil in arrears, which had accumulated over the years, forcing it to borrow RM2bil from the EPF in 2003.

The corporation had said the outstanding amount was due to loan defaulters and also because it had not received any Government allocation since 2003.

Abdullah said if stern action were not taken against the loan defaulters, the corporation would never recover its money.

“Many people want facilities, loans and will lobby or seek support to get them. But after they graduate they do not want to pay up,” he said.

However, those who have graduated but have yet to find a job should be given time to repay their study loan.

“But if they have found jobs but are not repaying the loans, that is something which we cannot forgive,” he said.

In Putrajaya, PTPTN senior manager Wan Ahmad Wan Yusoff said the defaulters would be taken to court as they have already received reminders to pay up.

“We are serious. In cases where students have responded, we have been understanding,” he added.

Meanwhile, Higher Education Minister Datuk Dr Shafie Mohd Salleh said the Cabinet has asked his ministry to “relook the criteria” for awarding loans in light of the high number of loan defaulters.

Among the criteria being considered were to only award loans to students enrolled in critical courses and those from low-income families, he said.

This means that fewer students will qualify for PTPTN loans in future.

The days of students, whether rich or poor, obtaining a loan from the corporation might soon be over, he said.

“What I am trying to do now is get more ideas from the public,” he said, adding that a “friendly chat” would be organised to get feedback from students, parents and others on ways to speed up the repayment of loans.

“The Cabinet has directed us, together with the Finance Ministry, to come up with a working paper on how to make the loan scheme more viable,” Dr Shafie said.

nazrey

February 25th, 2005, 03:04 PM

Young scientists
Sunday February 20, 2005

By ZECH PHARAMOND

SCIENCE student Mohamad Ariffudin Che Mohammed Ariffin was beaming from ear to ear. And who could blame him, for it was the second time running that a team from his school – MRSM Kuala Terengganu – was named grand prize winners of the Sony Science Education Award (SSEA).

Mohamad Ariffudin's team impressed not one but two panels of judges selected by Sony (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, organisers of the community-based project for the past five years, with their “Disposable Biodegradable Diapers” idea.

Said Mohammed Ariffudin of his school's achievement, “We took five months to put our project together. Much of it was about getting the right combination of materials for the diaper.

“We experimented many, many times and then suddenly, after many hours, the solution became clear,” he shared.

http://thestar.com.my/archives/2005/2/20/education/e_18jublilant.jpg

The jubilant winners and their teacher (right) were thrilled to have won the grand prize for the second year in a row.

Another member of his four-man team Muhammad Azani Azan Azra'ai agreed, saying: “Sometimes, it was like we weren't getting anywhere. Then suddenly a new idea would come and we could get the results we wanted.”

What they wanted was to find an environmentally-safe solution to the synthetic polymers used in commercial diapers, something that could be broken down and assimilated by fungus or bacteria.

So they put together a diaper made of congograss (imperata cylindrical) with starch, egg white and pandan laut (Pandanalese kirkii). The pandan laut extract, which eliminated foul smells, was first used in their seniors' winning project last year.

The jubilant students were happy to explain their project to the small crowd gathered around their exhibition table.

Second prize winners SMK Seafield in Petaling Jaya developed a particle board made of crushed plastics and old newspapers. Calling it the “eco-board”, this team even got their product tested by SIRIM Bhd.

“We were confident of the eco-board – it was quite sturdy – but we wanted to see how it compared to professional standards,” said Kimberly Louise Francis of the Seafield team.

The eco-board was deemed almost as tough as other composite materials, and thus suitable for making furniture, floor tiles and the like.

Third prize went to the students of Kuching’s SMK St Thomas who used the laws of physics to bend toothbrushes at their heads and stems so that they would be easier to use when cleaning around corners.

“When you bend these toothbrushes at 45 and 90 degree angles, they become incredibly easy to handle,” said Aldrin Wong Shen Wee.

Handing out flyers that showed 100% of their respondents agreeing with them, Aldrin was quick to encourage the curious to give their unique toothbrushes a go.

They even brought along tap faucets, cups and an old telephone for people to test out their idea on.

The SSEA is a community-based project spearheaded by the Sony group of companies in Malaysia to promote science education and to foster intellectual creativity among secondary school students.

This year’s theme was “Scientific Solutions for the Environment”.

nazrey

February 25th, 2005, 03:09 PM

Discover Malaysia
Sunday February 20, 2005

PART of the fun of going overseas to brush up on language skills is that students not only get to improve their mastery of a language but also enjoy diverse cultural experiences. And in this respect, Korean students at the Language Centre of KBU International College (KBU) have not been disappointed.

KBU has been playing host to university students from Korea enrolled in its nine-month Intensive English Programme (IEP). The students selected Malaysia as their study destination because they wanted to avail themselves of the world-class language learning opportunities here.

IEP coordinator and student mentor Lim Yew Choy said that the college had made extra effort to ensure that the students had an enriching learning experience in Malaysia.

“They were accorded unofficial ‘guest’ status so that they could experience holistic development, a global outlook and cultural appreciation,” Lim said.

http://thestar.com.my/archives/2005/2/20/education/e_13kbu.jpg

Korean students ar KBU enjoying a study tour of Putrajaya.

Personalised tours to various parts of the country had been organised for the benefit of the students.

“We’ve taken them to a number of places of varied significance and importance in the country. We’ve even taken them to kampungs and new villages in Batu Gajah, Perak so that they could ‘capture’ the other side of Malaysia. All this has a direct impact on their language learning and will enrich their lives as KBU students,” he added.

Students from the other countries said the Korean students were polite, friendly and diligent. Some even described them as excellent role models.

Student Baek Ji Yeon said that although most Koreans would have chosen the United States as the destination of choice to study the English Language, she chose to come to Malaysia for personal reasons and had no regrets about her decision.

“After being in the programme for three months, I’ve no regrets at all,” she said.

Another student Yun Seok Min wrote an article for his Korean university’s newsletter in which he shared his study experience in Malaysia.

He summed up his thoughts about studying at KBU in Malaysia when he wrote “In Malaysia, it is no problem to learn how to understand in English, how to think in English and how to express in English. And as a bonus, you learn how to respect other cultures.

“Everything is beautiful, and I wonder why the sky is so high today. I’m really afraid in December, I might call my mom and say that I don’t want to go back to Korea. That is the only problem I can think of now.”

nazrey

February 25th, 2005, 03:11 PM

They’ve got the most awards
Sunday February 20, 2005

SUNWAY University College (SUC) is one of three Monash University Foundation Year (MUFY) providers in the world but its students swept six out of the total nine subject awards at the SUC MUFY graduation night which saw 300 students celebrating their achievements recently.

Chua Pei Ling, Tan Shi Yan and Jolene Yeoh secured top marks in Accounting.

Nur Raihanna Abdul Rahman clinched the top prize for Economics, Chua Pei Ling took home the award for Mathematics A while Lai Chiang Wei won the subject prize for Physics.

Kuah Swee Heng secured a double, taking the awards for both Computer Science and Mathematics B. He was also named overall top scorer by Monash International, with the highest cumulative scores from his best four subjects.

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Top scoere Kuaj (right) receiving his award from Sunway Group Healthcare and Education Division chief executive officer Lee Weng Keng.

Ever since the MUFY programme started at SUC in September 1999, it has experienced an impressive growth. From an initial student enrolment of 30 students, there are now more than 500 students.

The students select their choice of subject combination from nine subjects – Accounting, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Economics, English, Mathematics A, Mathematics B and Physics.

More students are viewing the 10-month MUFY programme as a popular and viable pre-university option, especially since the programme places equal importance on extracurricular activities and academic performance.

“MUFY gives us a head start for our university education,” said Kuah, a Petronas scholarship holder who will be leaving for Melbourne soon to pursue a degree in Commerce.

nazrey

February 25th, 2005, 03:13 PM

No barrier to success
Sunday February 20, 2005

IT was indeed an occasion that touched the hearts of many of those present. When Systematic College Petaling Jaya (SCPJ) recently presented certificates to wheelchair-bound trainees Lean Chin Kit and Low Mee Li, many had to hold back tears of joy. The duo, proving once again that disability is no barrier to success, had just completed their National Vocational Training Council (MLVK) programme.

The inaugural convocation ceremony also saw 150 MLVK graduates being awarded the Human Resource Ministry’s Malaysian Skills Certificate (SKM) for completing one-year courses to qualify as computer systems technicians, information systems analysts and multimedia artists.

SCPJ principal Danny Chee presented the certificates to the graduates. The occasion was graced by the presence of senior corporate managers from SEG International (SEGi).

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Lean receivinghis certificate from Lee.

SEGi chief operations officer KC Lee highlighted the importance of developing human capital through vocational programmes like the MLVK.

”Since opening our doors to vocational trainees in 2003, we have trained almost 400 students,” Lee said.

”Several of the vocational graduates who completed training at Level Three have found employment in different sectors of industry while a few were already working in large corporations such as Western Digital and Panasonic,” he added.

“Systems analysts and computer technicians are the right and left hands of organisations which support and work with management so that they function effectively.

“Multimedia training also helps to fill the country’s need for more skilled multimedia designers,” Lee said.

Another graduating trainee for whom the convocation ceremony held special meaning was 20-year old Jenab @ Jannah Mohd Kasim.

Born with cerebral palsy, Jenab said her most fulfilling experience while attending the course was being able to share knowledge with other multimedia students at SCPJ.

“I am glad I finished up to Level Five. I hope to enter the job market soon, maybe as a graphic designer,” says the student who had received her basic education at The Selangor and Federal Territory Spastic Children’s Association.

nazrey

February 25th, 2005, 03:15 PM

Irish track to engineering
Sunday February 20, 200

A COMMON mission has brought the Irish Universities and Medical Schools Consortium (IUMC) and Taylor's College together.

The desire to provide more options for students to pursue their studies saw three of the partner universities of the IUMC – National University of Ireland (NUI) Galway, University College Cork and University College Dublin – and Taylor's enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) recently. The MoU was signed by Taylor's president Khoo Soo Peng and NUI's Prof Padraic O'Donoghue.

The MOU allows students who successfully complete the first year of an engineering degree programme at Taylor's to transfer into the second year of selected undergraduate electrical and electronic engineering courses at the Irish universities.

Taylor’s College principal Anucia Jeganathan said that students who choose to continue their studies in Ireland stand to benefit from state-of-the-art research facilities at the universities.

The degree programmes are also fully accredited by the Institute of Engineers in Ireland and thus, internationally recognised.

Prof O'Donoghue said that the strong curriculum at Taylor's places the students in good stead as they move on to the later years of their undergraduate engineering studies at the Irish universities. Malaysian students also have a good track record at the IUMC universities as students pursuing medical degrees there have shown high levels of commitment to their studies.

nazrey

February 25th, 2005, 03:17 PM

Taylor's College

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nazrey

February 25th, 2005, 03:19 PM

Inaugural convocation
Sunday February 20, 2005

LIMKOKWING University College of Creative Technology recently celebrated its first graduation at the Cyberjaya campus since moving there last year.

About 400 students received their scrolls at the university college’s Hall of Fame.

The students from Limkokwing’s Faculties of Architecture and the Built Environment, Communication, Multimedia and Broadcasting, Art and Design, Creative Multimedia and the Millennium Institute of Technology received their degree, advanced diploma or diploma scrolls before a packed audience that included industry leaders, faculty members and proud parents.

Various honours were also handed out. These included prestigious awards such as the Tan Sri Datuk Dr Awang Had Salleh Award, the Presidential Award and the Young Achiever’s Award.

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(From left) New graduate Brandon Loh and Emmeline Lyon with Fu and Lim after the inaugural graduation ceremony in Cyberjaya.

Communications, Multimedia and Broadcasting student Nor Hazlin Norsalam, 23, received thunderous applause as she went on stage to receive the Tan Sri Datuk Dr Awang Had Salleh Award for her many achievements.

Besides excelling in academics, the aspiring thespian is active in the local art scene, appearing in local productions such as The Importance of Being Earnest and Lady Swettenham. The talented lass said her experience at Limkokwing has made her proactive and independent.

“Instead of waiting for someone to tell us what to do, we get going and that’s fun!” she said.

Hazlin also helped to organise the official launch of the Cyberjaya campus by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi – she was master of ceremonies and described the experience as “a real confidence booster”.

President Scholar’s Award and Industry Award for Excellence in Public Relations winner Eleanor Simone Danker, 23, said her lecturers did not just teach theory but made sure students were exposed to industry. Danker served her internship with Rantau PR where she had the chance to handle events such as the Apple U2 iPod launch.

Limkokwing graduates have always benefited from the vision of its president Tan Sri Lim Kok Wing, who is committed to producing a creative and versatile workforce for the knowledge economy.

Lim’s “industry-within-university” concept introduced through the university college’s professional arm, Malaysia Design Innovation (MDI) centre, exposes students to the real working world via business units set up on campus. These business units – a hair salon, fashion boutique and cafés – give students first-hand experience on how businesses are run.

Winner of the Industry Award for Excellence in Advertising Concepts Ethan Lim was happy with the industry exposure.

“The business units have given me an idea of what to expect when I join the workforce,” he said.

“I had many opportunities to interact with industry professionals while on campus, and I learnt from them,” he added.

Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Fu Ah Kiow commended Limkokwing on its contributions to the education sector, pointing out that many firsts for the university college turned out to be firsts for the country as well.

He said that the university college’s innovative creativity is “something Malaysians must embrace in order to become more competitive globally. We certainly need this to help us advance our national innovation agenda,” he added.

nazrey

February 25th, 2005, 03:21 PM

Explore furniture design
Sunday February 20, 2005

KEEN to experiment with furniture design? Well, the opportunity to do that may just have arrived.

In a bid to revolutionise the furniture industry, the Malaysian Furniture Promotion Council (MFPC), via its Furniture Design Services Programme (FDSP), is now offering students the opportunity to explore the world of furniture design.

Launched in May last year under the Furniture Design Division (FDD), the programme aims to nurture an interest in students to develop world-class furniture designs using high technology production capabilities which cater to discerning tastes and conform to global standards.

The students are contracted to work hand-in-hand with key Malaysian furniture manufacturers. This is a collaboration fully guided and supported by the MFPC and other authorities in the industry.

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Students are now encouraged to pool resources and share ideas about furniture design via workshops.

The objectives of the FDD programme are varied. The programme aims to encourage the growth of a design-oriented furniture industry in Malaysia, to promote research and analysis of furniture design trends, as well as to create a pool of designers who can come up with world-class designs.

Designers are contracted for a three-month period during which they can be attached to specific furniture manufacturers or work independently on their own or at the MFPC.

They can experiment with either the bedroom, dining, living or outdoor range of furniture.

All expenses during this period will be borne by the MFPC.

Since its launch in May, the FDD programme has produced five designers who have “graduated” and been recruited by industry players.

MFPC chief operating officer Paul Wang says that Malaysian furniture manufacturers now realise that the industry’s pillar of support lies in the expertise of its designers.

“Changes are constantly taking place in this industry and the only way to keep up with the changing trends and demands, besides competing in the price war, is to become a trend setter,” he said.

“We also hope to expose furniture designers to trends in furniture design by organising seminars and workshops,” Wang added.

The FDD programme will be run throughout the year. The MFPC is confident that the partnership will be a win-win collaboration, with the industry benefiting from the input of innovative designers and the designers gaining from the opportunities offered by the industry.

nazrey

February 25th, 2005, 03:24 PM

Foreign student intake still increasing
Sunday February 20, 2005

THE Private Education Department welcomes comments and feedback from the general public for the betterment of the private higher education sector.

With regard to Alarm bells go off over drop in foreign student intake by V.K. Chin (The Star, Feb 3), I would like to clarify that the number of international students coming to Malaysia is increasing. We are confident that we can reach the target of having 50,000 international students by the end of 2005 as projected.

As of January 2005, the number of international students was 40,686. This figure includes 25,939 students in private higher education institutions, 6,315 students in public higher education institutions, 3,376 in public schools and 5,056 in private schools.

Looking at the statistics for private higher education institutions, the number is increasing yearly from 22,827 in 2002 to 25,158 in 2003 and 25,939 in 2004.

There is a slight decline in the number of students from China (from 10,230 students in 2003 to 9,075 students in 2004) and Bangladesh.

However, our statistics show that the number is increasing for Indonesia, Pakistan and Middle East countries.

The drop in the number of Chinese students coming to Malaysia is due to several factors. One of them is the setting up of the branch campuses by foreign universities in China.

International students who are studying in Malaysia come from 161 different countries throughout the world.

To attract more of these international students, the ministry has set up Education Promotion Offices in four countries, namely China (Beijing), Indonesia (Jakarta), Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City), and the United Arab Emirates (Dubai).

The ministry also plans to participate in education promotion activities overseas.

I would also like to comment on the time taken to process applications to conduct courses. Since the implementation of the one-stop agency for approval of courses, the time taken to get approvals has been shortened by half of the actual processing time.

To ensure quality courses in private higher education institutions (PHEIs), the ministry feels all courses need to be evaluated thoroughly by the experts prior to approval being granted.

There is no shortcut in evaluating the curriculum content to ensure standards are met by the PHEIs.

The ministry would also like to remind the PHEIs that they need to apply for minimum standards as soon as they are ready. Although accreditation has not been made compulsory, PHEIs should apply for accreditation as only accredited courses will be recognised by the international market.

We assure the public that no red tape is involved and any delay in giving the approval is mainly due to incomplete information submitted by the applicant.

All students, local or international, are required to take the compulsory subjects, namely Bahasa Malaysia, Malaysian Studies and Moral Education/Islamic Education. However, international students are not required to pass the compulsory subjects.

The Private Higher Education Act 1996 only stipulates that it is a prerequisite for Malaysian citizens to pass these compulsory subjects to be awarded any certification.

International students take these compulsory subjects for added value, as they not only get to acquire another language which will make it easier for them to be immerse in the local culture, but also get to learn more about the country they are studying in.

As a matter of fact, it is a normal practice in most countries to make it a requirement for international students to take a certain number of credit hours for compulsory subjects.

I hope my explanation will clear up confusion and clarify certain points highlighted by Chin’s article.

nazrey

March 2nd, 2005, 03:50 PM

Mara To Sue Student Borrowers For RM200 Million
March 02, 2005 20:39 PM

PETALING JAYA, March 2 (Bernama) -- Mara will take study loan defaulters to court to recover RM200 million in instalment arrears, its chairman Datuk Seri Brig Jen (R) Abdul Hamid Zainal Abidin said Wednesday.

He said Mara would publish the names of the defaulters and their guarantors in the newspapers before resorting to the legal process.

"Since 1996, 191,623 students took Mara study loans amounting to RM6 billion but 20 per cent of them did not pay back," he told reporters after closing a seminar of the Mara Education Institute Cooperative.

He said until last year, Mara had summoned 150 borrowers to court for failing to repay their study loans.

"They placed repayment of their Mara loans on the lowest priority and instead give more attention to paying their car and housing loan instalments and other debts," he said.

Abdul Hamid also said Mara would start sponsoring students for studies in West Asian countries like Egypt and Jordan as early as September as they were cheaper.

"University fees in Cairo are only US$3,000 (RM11,400) per student. For a degree, Mara has only to spend RM72,000 per student there compared to RM700,000 in Europe," he said.

On the assault case in the Mara Junior Science College in Pendang, Abdul Hamid said the students involved would be expelled if they were found guilty by the college's disciplinary committee.

He said the case was caused by a quarrel over a girl.

In the incident on Feb 23, a form five student was brutally beaten by five other students in a hostel at the college.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

March 2nd, 2005, 08:30 PM

Chinese Education In Malaysia
Updated:2005-03-01 17:29:16 MYT

Malaysia's Chinese education development is the most comprehensive and thriving other than that in mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Malaysia is a multi-racial, multi-cultural and multi-religious country, and the right for Malaysians of different ethnic origins to receive mother tongue education has been protected under the country's Constitution. And this is the principal factor why Malaysia's Chinese education, in particular Chinese primary education, can be preserved and developed for so long here.

Currently there are a total of 1,286 Chinese primary schools in the country, and these national-type primary schools have been incorporated into the country's mainstream education.

In order to perpetuate the Chinese education here, the Malaysian government has also allowed private education bodies to set up independent Chinese secondary schools, as well as tertiary institutions of learning using the Chinese language as the principal teaching medium. There are a total of 60 independent Chinese secondary schools in the country at this moment.

In Malaysia, more than 90% of Chinese Malaysians send their children to Chinese primary schools. Other than using the Chinese language as the major teaching medium, Chinese primary schools also teach Bahasa Malaysia (the national language) and English, and are the national-type primary schools giving equal priorities to the learning of these three languages.

Nevertheless, about 80% of Chinese primary school students subsequently further their studies in national secondary schools, and are thus given the opportunity to learn together with students from other ethnic origins, such as the Malay and Indian students, thus achieving the national aspiration of inter-racial harmony.

In Malaysia, Chinese language newspapers are the important "food for thought" for Chinese readers. Those who make it possible for the Chinese newspapers to survive are those who have received Chinese language education and are able to read Chinese. As a result, the survival of Chinese language newspapers is closely associated with the development of Chinese primary schools, which produce the readers of Chinese language newspapers.

Latest statistics show that Sin Chew Daily, the Chinese newspaper with the largest circulation and readership in Malaysia, has a daily circulation of 346,000 and a readership of 1,109,000.

Sin Chew Daily

nazrey

March 3rd, 2005, 10:38 AM

PM Expected To Announce University In T'ganu In Three Months
March 03, 2005 16:44 PM

KUALA TERENGGANU, March 3 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is expected to announce on the setting up of a university in Terengganu in three months.

Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh said preparations were being made for the establishment of the proposed university as pledged by the Barisan Nasional (BN) in its supplementary manifesto in the last year's general election.

"We have had a series of discussions with the Higher Education Minister (Datuk Dr Shafie Salleh), met the Prime Minister himself and submitted four working papers to the federal government on the matter," he said.

He was speaking to reporters after opening the ninth Expo on Education, Training and Career at the Terengganu Trade Centre here Thursday, organised by the Universiti Sains dan Teknologi Malaysia (Kustem).

Idris said the university's concept would be determined by the federal government.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

March 3rd, 2005, 10:44 AM

More polytechnics and community colleges under 9th Malaysia Plan
Thursday, March 03, 2005
News Update by S. INDRAMALAR of The Star

PETALING JAYA: The Higher Education Ministry will expand the number of polytechnics and community colleges under the 9th Malaysian Plan.

Higher Education Minister Datuk Dr Shafie Mohd Salleh said the focus would be more on capacity building and the development of human capital.

“We will be increasing the range and number of diploma level courses and building more polytechnics and community colleges.

“Also we want to do away with lavish campuses for these types of institutions as they can occupy shop lots. The focus should be on the outcome and not the facilities,” he said.

nazrey

March 3rd, 2005, 10:44 AM

Special ICs for foreign students
Thursday, March 03, 2005
News Update by The Star Newsdesk

PETALING JAYA: Foreign students in private higher education institutions will soon be issued special identity cards containing their vital information so they need not carry around their passports whenever they move about.

Higher Education Minister Datuk Dr Shafie Mohd Salleh said the cards, would be issued by the Home Ministry and would be valid for four years.

“This idea was proposed by the private education institutions for the safety and convenience of their foreign students and was approved by the Cabinet some time back.

“The cards should be issued by this month,” he said Thursday after launching the National Accreditation Board’s workshop on learning outcomes.

nazrey

March 3rd, 2005, 03:05 PM

Education Depts Urged To Manage Transport For Pupils' Outdoor
March 03, 2005 20:30 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, March 3 (Bernama) -- The National Union of the Teaching Profession, Thursday urged district education departments to manage the transportation of pupils involved in activities outside the school to avert teachers using their own vehicles for the purpose.

"In view of the fact that teachers are not taxi drivers and many of them take third party insurance, transporting pupils is wrong under the law and also not part of their duties," the union's secretary-general Lok Yim Pheng said in a statement Thursday.

She also urged the Education Ministry to supply buses and vans to all district education departments to facilitate transportation of pupils.

Tuesday, two teachers died and seven pupils were injured, two of them seriously, when the Proton Wira they were travelling in crashed into the back of a crane at the 62.5 km of the Kota Tinggi-Sungai Rengit road near Kota Tinggi.

The accident happened at 8.15 am when they were on their way to the Bandar Penawar stadium in Kota Tinggi to participate in a Kota Tinggi District Sports Council meet.

Lok also said that school principals should also be responsible for the safety of pupils, whether in or out of school during school hours.

"They shouldn't allow teachers to use their own vehicles to transport pupils to ensure road transport laws were observed, including passenger limits," she added.

In JOHOR BAHARU, state executive councillor Zainal Abidin Osman, who visited the injured at the Sultanah Aminah Hospital here, said the two boys who were seriously injured in the head were reported to be in stable condition.

He said Mohd Kamsan Kamijan and Mohd Azizan Asri, both 12, were still unconscious in the Intensive Care Unit but were reported to be recovering.

Zainal Abidin added that the Johor Islamic Religious Council (MAIJ) would provide immediate aid of RM1,000 to each of them.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

March 3rd, 2005, 03:07 PM

SPM Results To Be Announced Next Week
March 03, 2005 20:17 PM

PUTRAJAYA, March 3 (Bernama) -- The Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination results will be announced on Wednesday, Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said Thursday.

Students who sat for the examination in November last year will be able to get their results the following day.

"The SPM results will be released on Wednesday and I will announce it myself," he told reporters after the ministry's post-cabinet meeting here.

Hishammuddin said that he had been informed by the Malaysian Examination Board that the results were ready and can be announced at any time.

The minister however said that he was still undecided as to when to announce the Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) examination results. "Because I've got to know whether they are ready or not," he said.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

March 4th, 2005, 06:49 PM

Higher intake of female at local University
August 2003

The Prime Minister expressed his concern about the recent enrolment at local universities where the majority are made up of females students with 70:30 ratio.

The Prime Minister wanted to see a 50 : 50 ratio of male and female students and told the Malay males to increase their number in universities to equal that of females.

Event : Merdeka Festival Cum Virtual Ground Virtual breaking of Universiti Teknologi Mara second Campus at Bandar Puncak Alam

Fast Info : Malaysia spent 26% of its annual budget on education.

nazrey

March 5th, 2005, 02:52 PM

UiTM To Take More Medical Students In July
March 05, 2005 19:54 PM

JERTIH, March 5 (Bernama) -- The Medical Faculty of the Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) in Shah Alam, Selangor, will take 100 medical students during the third intake in July this year.

Its Vice Chancellor Datuk Seri Prof Ibrahim Abu Shah said its medical faculty took 20 students in the first intake in July 2003 and 63 students in July last year.

The faculty now offers courses in Pure Medicine, Pharmacy, Radiography, Physiotherapy and Environmental Science.

He told this to Bernama after speaking on "The Challenge and Survival of the Malays" to the local community and students at the Sekolah Kebangsaan Pangkalan Nyireh here Saturday.

On unemployment, Ibrahim said UiTM graduates did not face the problem.

In fact, he said, they often received praises from their employers and the relevant authorities for their good performance and contributions.

Speaking at the function, he urged the Malays to remain humble while striving to improve their living standard.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

March 5th, 2005, 08:32 PM

Ministry To Make "Premier" Schools As Centres Of Excellence
March 05, 2005 21:49 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, March 5 (Bernama) -- The Education Ministry will make "premier" schools such as the St John's Institution, here, into secondary education centres of excellence.

Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said as centres of excellence, the schools would be the models for all secondary schools nationwide in line with the objective to establishing a world class education system.

The ministry would also introduce several methods to achieve the objectives including creating healthy competition among the premier schools not only in the academic aspect but also in sports and other co-curriculum activities, he said.

"With the competition, I am sure that we can enhance the status of the schools.

"We will study the infrastructure required by each school to enable them to compete and march towards excellence," he said in a statement here.

Earlier this afternoon, Hishammuddin attended the gathering of former students of the St John's Institution officiated by the Raja Muda Perak, Raja Dr Nazrin Shah. Both Raja Dr Nazrin and Hishammuddin were former students of the school.

The "Welcome Home Johannians" function was held in conjunction with the school's centenary celebration.

Hishammuddin said the ministry would asssist the premier schools to establish linkages with reputable schools overseas to enable the school administrations, teachers and students to share their experiences.

This would boost the existing excellence, hence turning them into schools with distinguished reputation in the aspect of quality, he said.

He said the premier schools' excellence should be shared with secondary schools in the rural areas.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

March 6th, 2005, 09:14 AM

Dean: UPM Working To Turn Agriculture Courses More Glamourous
March 06, 2005 14:58 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, March 6 (Bernama) -- Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) is working towards transforming agriculture courses into a "glamorous" field so that graduates with agriculture degrees are recognised as professionals like doctors and lawyers.

UPM Agriculture Faculty Dean Prof Dr Mohd Khanif Yusop said the current global trend showed agriculture was no longer an "easy and trivial" job done by poor farmers but a crucial sector that yielded lucrative returns.

"UPM wants to open graduates' eyes and mindset to see this stark reality," he told BERNAMA.

He said the main obstacle to produce professionals in the agriculture sector was not lack of infrastructures and expertise but the attitude and passive response of graduates and society to the agriculture field.

Agriculture-related programmes had never been listed in course options opted by students when choosing their field of study in universities.

"Never as first choice, even as last choice is rare," he said.

nazrey

March 6th, 2005, 09:18 AM

Teach Pupils Good Values, Abdullah Tells Educators
March 06, 2005 15:14 PM

KOTA KINABALU, March 6 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today advised educators to emphasise the fostering of good values in school children to develop them into knowledgeable and well-mannered individuals.

It was important to enable the children to assimmilate the good values at an early stage of their growth, he said.

"Schools should teach children to appreciate property, including public property in whatever form, and they should be taught not to scribble on their books or dirty them.

"They should never allow their books to get torn ... they have to care for their books because they need them to study. If they have the habit of nurturing their possessions, they will take care of their tools as good carpenters just as they safeguard their books in their youth," he said when closing the retreat of the Barisan Nasional Back Benchers Club (BNBBC) at the Sekolah Kebangsaan Pengiran Siti Hafsah Karambunai, near here.

Earlier, Abdullah joined members of the BNBBC in a "gotong-royong" programme in the school compound.

nazrey

March 6th, 2005, 02:40 PM

Education Ministry Seeks Views For Education Policy Under 9MP
March 06, 2005 19:50 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, March 6 (Bernama) -- The Education Ministry will seek the views of various groups to help the government formulate its education policy under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP).

In a statement Sunday, Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said seminars which would be held shortly, would be used as an additional channel besides circulars, and memorandums for the people to express their views.

Hishammuddin said he had also instructed Deputy Education Minister Datuk Hon Choon Kim to gather feedback from all MPs and Parliamentary Secretary P. Komala Devi to contact Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs).

Education Ministry Secretary-General Datuk Amrin Buang has also been instructed to get in touch with government officers while Director-General of Education Datuk Dr Ahamad Sipon has been told to seek the views of teachers.

"I hope with the space and opportunities provided, all parties can come together in making education plans for the 9MP," he said.

He hoped proposals given would be specific, be supported by credible studies and take into consideration the needs and interests of the many groups.

"At the ministry level, I have emphasised that each officer must be fully responsible for his proposal and if problems arise later they would not be let off lightly even if they are retired," he said.

For the states, Hishammuddin said he had asked all matters concerning locations, site suitability and infrastructure to connect schools to their neighbourhoods be completed first, before schools, colleges or matriculation colleges were built.

Hishammuddin hoped all parties would learn from experiences in the Eight Malaysia Plan which ends this year, so that education programmes and development projects under 9MP could be done well without overlapping and wastage.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

March 7th, 2005, 01:55 PM

Instil good values, PM tells schools
Monday March 7, 2005

BY MUGUNTAN VANAR AND RUBEN SARIO

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Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and members of the Barisan Nasional Backbenchers Club (BNBBC) repairing a wooden platform during a gotong royong at Sekolah Kebangsaan Pengiran Siti Hafsah Karambunai, near Kota Kinabalu on Sunday. - Bernama picture

KOTA KINABALU: The nation’s focus in developing its human capital must start in schools with the instilling of right values among young children, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said.

The Prime Minister said schools could impart more than just knowledge through community based activities like gotong royong which would teach children values such as working hard and cooperating.

“We have to mould our children into adults of good character with a sense of social and civic consciousness while being responsible to the community,” he said after joining Barisan Nasional backbenchers in sprucing up the SK Pengiran Siti Hafsah primary school at Karambunai near here yesterday.

The gotong royong involving more than 100 MPs, Senators and also Sabah state assemblymen was among the programmes of a three-day retreat of the Barisan Nasional Backbenchers Club led by Datuk Shahrir Abdul Samad.

Abdullah said instilling these values among young children would require them to do some community work towards the upkeep of their schools.

“If children are involved in keeping their schools orderly, they will develop a sense of belonging and they will learn to appreciate public property,” he said, adding that parents should not criticise teachers if their children were asked to do such work in school.

Similarly, he said if children were taught to appreciate their books and not to scribble or damage them, they would learn to take care of the tools of their trade when they become adults.

Abdullah said community projects like gotong royong were part of the nation’s culture and through such efforts the people could assist the poor.

The Prime Minister also reminded school authorities to repair any damage immediately as, if it was left unattended, it could only worsen the condition.

“If there is one piece of floorboard to be replaced, it's just a matter of buying one board and a few nails. Don’t wait until the damage becomes worse as the costs will escalate,” Abdullah said.

nazrey

March 8th, 2005, 07:18 AM

Hishammuddin Arrives In Brunei To Boost Cooperation In Education
March 07, 2005 22:33 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, March 7 (Bernama) -- Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein, leading a team of senior ministry officers, arrived in Bandar Seri Begawan, Monday to explore opportunities for cooperation in education with Brunei.

The two-day visit is at the invitation of Brunei Education Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Aziz Umar.

In a statement here today, Hishammuddin said the visit was in accordance with Malaysia's aim to further strengthen bilateral ties with all Asean countries besides exchanging ideas on educational development in the region.

"I am aware we are not alone in raising the educational level in the country. We need the support of others too, especially Asean countries, he said.

Earlier, he had visited Singapore and Indonesia.

While in Brunei, Hishammuddin will have a meeting with Abdul Aziz to discuss areas of cooperation, especially in the education field, for mutual benefit.

Besides this, he will also visit educational institutions and also the SEAMEO Education Centre for Vocational and Technical Education.

Hishammuddin said Malaysia, among other things, hoped to increase cooperation through the sharing and exchange of information on research into school curricula, staff development, physical planning and development of curricula for technical education in schools.

Malaysia also wanted to establish cooperation among school administrators to share opinions and experiences in school administration; teachers training and "training of trainers" at the Institut Aminuddin Baki, Institut Perguruan Bahasa Antarabangsa and English Language Training Centre, Malaysia, and also exchange information on the teaching of information and communication technology besides the teaching of Islam in schools.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

March 8th, 2005, 04:33 PM

Agong Advises Students To Pay Education Loans
March 08, 2005 20:04 PM

From Sharifah Nurliza Syed Muhammad

TOKYO, March 8 (Bernama) -- The Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Syed Putra Jamalullail, Tuesday advised Malaysian students in Japan who borrowed educational loans from the government to repay them once they started working.

He said that many of them received the loans from the Malaysian government which borrowed money from the Japanese government.

"So, complete your studies fast, go back, work, make a lot of money and start paying back your loans," said the King in a meeting with the Malaysian residents and students here.

The faster they could pay back their debts the better, he said, because the government could also repay the loans taken from the Japanese government.

There are about 2,000 Malaysian students in Japan, with about 300 based in Tokyo.

The Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the Raja Permaisuri Agong Tuanku Fauziah Tengku Abdul Rashid, are on a three-day visit to Japan.

The King also advised the students to bring back the experiences they gained in Japan to help develop Malaysia more effectively.

He hoped while outside the country, they should always portray a good image of Malaysia through good behaviour.

"We are the guests to the Japanese government, so we should show we are good guests. I don't want to hear complaints that they are among us who do not respect the custom here. Please don't give our embassy unnecessary problems," he said.

In the morning the royal couple visited the Tsukuba Agricultural Research Centre and was given a briefing on the new technology used in the country to prevent the seismic effects of earthquakes.

The King and Queen will leave for Nagasaki and Osaka, Wednesday.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

March 8th, 2005, 04:41 PM

Special Panel To Be Set Up To Probe Lecturer's Claims, Says Dr Shafie
March 08, 2005 21:42 PM

PUTRAJAYA, March 8 (Bernama) -- A special investigation committee will be set up to probe allegations by a Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) lecturer of 128 wrongdoings by the university staff, including its vice-chancellor.

Higher Education Minister Datuk Dr Shafie Mohd Salleh said Higher Education Department director-general Prof Datuk Dr Hassan Said had been instructed to set up the committee.

"I will select the committee members. They are people with integrity," he told reporters after presenting his ministry's financial aid to 20 Malaysian students whose study in Aceh was disrupted by the tsunami tragedy.

The students were given 1.5 million rupiahs (about RM700) each as cost of living allowance to continue their studies in Jambi, Indonesia.

Dr Shafie said the committee would conduct thorough investigations, including questioning Assoc. Prof Abdul Hamid Yeop Zainuddin of the Mathematics Faculty and Vice-Chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Mohd Zulkifli Ghazali.

"We will not take sides in the investigations," he said, adding that the committee would be set up in a week and its findings would be submitted to him within a month.

The police and Anti-Corruption Agency would also carry out their own probe following reports lodged by Abdul Hamid," he said.

Asked whether what action would be taken against Abdul Hamid if his claims were found to be false, he said: "We have to investigate first. We will see after that."

On Saturday, Abdul Hamid lodged a police report against the vice-chancellor for libel after he was issued a show-cause letter over an allegation on the sale of information on the setting up of the science faculty's grading information system.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

March 8th, 2005, 04:43 PM

MCKK: National Heritage Which Produces Many Malay Intellectuals
March 08, 2005 15:29 PM

KUALA KANGSAR, March 8 (Bernama) --The Kuala Kangsar Malay College (MCKK) is indeed a very big name in the Malay history. In fact, eight of the 12 Yang di-Pertuan Agong and a former Prime Minister were its former students.

Besides that, throughout its 100 years of existence, the college has been recorded in history as a school which produces the highest number of intellectuals, including leaders, administrators and corporate figures.

Since its inception in 1905, the glory of the MCKK as an educational institution continues to be upheld, while its main building which is of Roman-Greek architecture, still stands strongly.

Though in the beginning the MCKK's establishment was mainly to provide education to the sons of the Malay rulers and aristocrats to prepare them as administrators in the British colonial government, the change of era saw its door opened to excellent Malay male students, irrespective of their ancestral background.

Therefore, if the MCKK at one time was known as "The School for the Kings", it is now known as "The King of Schools".

It is for these contributions and glory that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Syed Putra Jamalullail will declare the MCKK as the People's and National Heritage on March 26.

Reading the history of the MCKK is like reading the old and modern history of Malaysia which provides a long list of the founding leaders, fighters, planners, administrators and implementers to fulfil the demands of their respective eras.

Apart from the national level, the MCKK has also produced thousands of Malay technocrats, known at the international level.

They included the former Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan of Pahang Sultan Ahmad Shah, the Sultan of Perak Sultan Azlan Shah and the Yang DiPertuan Besar Negeri Sembilan Tuanku Jaafar.

It also produced one of Umno founding members Datuk Onn Jaafar, the second Prime Minister the late Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, nationalist Datuk Ishak Muhammad (Pak Sako), former Chairman of the DRB-Hicom the late Tan Sri Yahaya Ahmad, former Inspector-General of Police Tun Haniff Omar and the Yang DiPertua Negeri of Melaka Tun Khalil Yaakob.

Among the MKCC's pride are the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz, Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, former Agriculture Minister Tan Sri Sanusi Junid and former Renong Group Chairman Tan Sri Halim Saad.

A number of Brunei royalties were among the students of the college.

Some of the well-known teachers at the MCKK were C. Bezell (Headmaster to Tun Razak) and Zainal Abidin Ahmad, popularly known as Za'ba.

MCKK Principal Mohd Rauhi Mohd Isa, said one of the contributing factors to the college's success was the existence of the students hostels, making it the country's first fully residential school.

According to him, not less than 150 "tokoh pertama" (first in their fields) who were produced by the MCKK included the first magistrate, the first judge and the first Prime Minister.

To uphold its position, the MCKK holds firmly to its motto "Fiat Sapientia Virtus" or "Manliness Lies Through Wisdom".

Mohd Rauhi said that based on the motto, the MCKK had advanced with a number of objectives to maintain its level of excellence by producing excellent students in the academic field and at the same time, had high leadership and personal qualities.

The MCKK's history is closely associated with the Malay sultanate because the idea to establish it was mooted by a number of sultans or rajas, including the late Sultan of Perak Sultan Idris Murshidul Azam Shah 1, the late Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sulaiman, the Sultan of Pahang Sultan Ahmad and the Yang DiPertuan Besar Mohd Shah of Negeri Sembilan.

During the Rulers' Conference in Kuala Lumpur in 1903, Sultan Idris had criticised the British education policy in the Federated Malay States which he said was aimed at only producing better farmers and fishermen.

He then called for a more positive effort by the British Colonial to provide proper education to the people of the country for the benefit of the Malay States.

The Inspector of Schools in the Malay Federated States R.J. Wilkinson had also objected to the education policy which was aimed at simply making the Malays educated kampung residents.

He suggested that the policy be amended to enable the Malays to play active parts in the state administration.

The effect from the dissatisfaction of the Sultans and Wilkinson's proposal had resulted in the establishment of the MCKK on a site not far from Istana Iskandariah here, offered by Sultan Idris himself.

The birth of the MCKK, known as the Malay Residential school, was managed based on the public school method, practised in England, with William Hargreaves made the first principal.

The Malays took over the posts of its principals beginning from 1965.

While the MCKK was specifically for the Malay male students, it did once take a girl (Datin) Zahariah Mokhtar, in 1953.

Her stint, however, lasted for about eight months only, while she was waiting for a scholarship to further her education elsewhere.

Zahariah was the first female student at the MCKK and was probably its last.

The conditions to enable the children of the ordinary citizens to be enrolled at the MCKK was relaxed after the Pacific War (1941-1945) ended, following the increasing sense of awareness among the Malays and the contemporary political development.

Mohd Rauhi said the MCKK was the only educational institution at that time to succeed in putting the Malays at par with other races in the country.

The objective was easily achieved because it had no competition what-so-ever for about 50 years.

Mohd Rauhi was convinced that the birth of the 54 fully residential schools throughout the country since Independence in August 1957 and the emergence of a number of colleges with similar educational and administration concept, including the Mara Science Junior Colleges, would not stop the MCKK from maintaining its excellence and glory.

The declaration of the MCKK as the People's and National Heritage on March 26 starts at the Istana Iskandariah.

The ceremony to receive the letter of proclamation by The Yang di-Pertuan Agong will be held at the college compound.

About 200 dignitaries, including a number of Brunei royalties who had studied there, are expected to be present.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

March 10th, 2005, 06:36 AM

4,410 Students Score Straight As In Last Year's SPM Examinations
March 09, 2005 21:26 PM

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Nur Amalina Che Bakri has set a record by scoring 17As in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination.Pix: Zid Omar

JOHOR BAHARU, March 9 (Bernama) -- A total 4,410 students scored straight As in last year's Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination, Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said Wednesday.

Announcing the 2004 SPM results, he said out of the 4,410 a total of 662 students scored A1 in all the subjects they sat for.

"Of these outstanding students, 32 scored A1 in all nine subjects they took, 362 in all 10 subjects taken, 198 in all 11 subjects, 56 in all 12 subjects and 11 in all 13 subjects.

"One student scored A1 in all 14 subjects and most heartening of all is that another student scored A1 in all 17 subjects she sat for," he said when announcing the results at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Ulu Tiram, here Wednesday.

The student who achieved the feat, Nur Amalina Che Bakri, is from the school. Anushree Lalitha a/p Subramaniam of Sekolah Menengah Sri Aman in Petaling Jaya scored 14 A1s.

Hishammuddin also said Nur Amalina's achievement in obtaining 17 A1s, which was a record for the examination, also drew the attention of the Cabinet and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi at their weekly meeting Wednesday.

"The Cabinet extended their congratulations while the Prime Minister said she was an example of an outstanding student," he said.

Meanwhile, Hishammuddin said the overall achievement by SPM candidates last year was good, with 324,590 (91.2 per cent) out of a total of 416,741 candidates who sat for the examination obtaining the certificate, with at least a pass in the Bahasa Melayu paper (a condition for awarding the SPM certificate).

He said 56,557 (14.9 per cent) succeeded in obtaining a combined grade between A1 and 6C while 119,792 (31.5 per cent) obtained a grade combination between A1 and 8E.

A total of 197,353 (51.9 per cent) obtained a grade combination of A1 and G9 while 2,483 (0.7 per cent) candidates failed in all the subjects they took, said Hishammuddin.

On the overall performance in the 96 subjects offered in the examination, Hishammuddin said it was very encouraging with more than 10 per cent of students scoring top grades, A1 or A2, in 57 of the subjects.

"Performance in the core subjects of Bahasa Melayu, English, Islamic Studies, Moral Studies, History, Mathematics and Science is also very encouraging," he said.

He said in 79 subjects, 60 per cent or more candidates scored credits to distinction (C6 to A1) and in 59 subjects, 90 per cent or more scored passes to distinction (E8 to A1).

The scoring of passes to distinction in elective subjects, he said was also high, for example Additional Mathematics was 73.8 per cent, Physics 97.1 per cent, Chemistry 94.9 per cent and Biology 95 per cent.

For Geography, it was 82.9 per cent, Principles of Accounts 78.9 per cent while for 22 subjects including all 10 vocational subjects it was 100 per cent.

Asked if the results were better than the previous year, Hishammuddin said:

"The Malaysian Examinations Board (LPM) will need a little time to analyse the results but from what can be seen outstanding students come not only from selected schools in the cities but also rural ones".

He added that the ministry would intensify efforts to ensure students from rural areas could compete with their urban counterparts.

-- BERNAMA

ZaHiRnYa???

March 10th, 2005, 06:39 AM

TWY n Pablo....hows the result? Hopefully pass with flying color :D

AFL

March 10th, 2005, 12:45 PM

tahniah........she got 17 A's in SPM, that's super !!:eek2:

nazrey

March 10th, 2005, 09:58 PM

Najib Invites Britain To Use Malaysia As Education Hub
March 10, 2005 23:55 PM

From Roslan Ariffin

LONDON, March 10 (Bernama) -- Malaysia welcomes British academic and research institutions to use Malaysia as an education hub for Southeast Asia, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Responding to a question during the Q&A session with some 300 businessmen here today, he said with the increasing cost structure in United Kingdom which hindered Malaysia and other Asean countries from sending students here, it was better for the British universities and colleges to set up branch campuses in Malaysia.

"With the rising cost in Britain, Malaysia is the most attractive place for a second home and there is no doubt that Malaysia is an ideal and strategic partner," he said.

Earlier, The Deputy Prime Minister gave a speech, entitled "Malaysia-Britain: Forging fresh synergies", which touched on the wide spectrum of co-operation between the two countries especially on bilateral trade.

Najib, who arrived here on Tuesday, is on a six-day official visit to UK.

He said Malaysia spent some 150 million pounds a year to sponsor about 2,000 students in Britain.

"I'm encouraging the universities and colleges to come and invest in Malaysia. We support this kind of venture," he said.

Najib said so far some of the foreign universities had taken the offer by setting up brach campuses in Malaysia such as Nottingham University of Britain and University of Monash from Australia.

Answering another question on corruption in the government agencies in Malaysia, Najib said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had declared war on corrupt practices.

"It is a long battle and a long journey but it is a good start," he said.

Asked on Malaysia's commitment to become a centre for Halal food, Najib said the government was doing its best to promote the idea and the potential was very encouraging.

Najib also said he was willing to meet and discuss personally with any of the British businessmen who wanted to invest in the Halal food hub.

"There is a big market (for halal food) in Britain. We certainly want you to invest," he said.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

March 13th, 2005, 01:33 PM

Nur Ashikin Receives STPM Outstanding Student Award
March 13, 2005 19:22 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, March 13 (Bernama) -- Nine students including Nur Ashikin Abdul Rahim of Kolej Islam Sultan Alam Shah, Klang, received Outstanding Student Awards for the Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) 2004 examination.

The daughter of the deputy chief executive officer of the Pahang State Development Corporation, Datuk Abdul Rahim Mohd Ali and Datin Yong Faridah Omar, obtained grade A in 11 papers and was among the two girls to receive the awards.

The other outstanding girl was Tee Teng Teng from Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Seri Keledang, Menglembu, Perak.

Seven other recipients were Lee Tuan Cheong (SMK Kepong, Kuala Lumpur); Tee Xian Yang (SMK Tinggi Segamat, Johor); Lim Kher Sham (SMK Ibrahim, Sungai Petani, Kedah); Chen Ming Wei (SMK St Paul, Seremban, Negeri Sembilan); Teh Gim Aik (SMJK Chung Ling Air Hitam, Penang); and Chew Eong Loon and Liew Seng Fatt (both from SMJK Jit Sin (A) Bukit Mertajam, Penang).

The awards were presented by the Chairman of the Malaysian Examination Council (MPM), Tan Sri Prof Dr Abu Hassan Othman, who announced the results of the examination at the MPM Office in Selayang, near here Sunday. Each student received a certificate, plaque and RM1,000.

Nur Ashikin, who was accompanied by both her parents, said there was no secret for her success except for concentration in class.

"If we want to succeed, we must strive for success. In addition, three main factors have contributed to my success today, namely encouragement from the family especially my parents, my teachers and the school administration," she said.

The fourth of seven siblings, who hoped to continue her studies in law, had enrolled at the college since Form Four.

"When answering the STPM questions, one must have maturity and knowledge in current affairs because the knowledge obtained from books alone is not enough if one wants to score," said Nur Ashikin, 19.

She spent at least five to six hours each day to revise her lessons, adding that English language was her favourite subject.

Nur Ashikin hoped to continue her studies at one of the renowned universities abroad such as Harvard or Cambridge.

On the attitude of some students who were skeptical about continuing their studies in Form Six and sitting for the STPM, she said they should think positively and gather enough information on the subjects they planned to sit for.

She was offered to continue her studies in accountancy at a local university after her Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination but rejected it as she wanted to fulfil her ambition of becoming a lawyer.

Meanwhile, the other girl recipient of the award, Tee Teng Teng, who obtained A in 13 papers, said one must have strict discipline in order to succeed.

The elder of two siblings, Tee was active in co-curricular activities and often helped her mother, Koh Bek Lan, 41, who is a hawker. She hopes to become a doctor.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

March 13th, 2005, 01:34 PM

62,034 STPM Candidates Pass, 6 Per Cent Get 5 Principals
March 13, 2005 18:23 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, March 13 (Bernama) -- Some 62,034 of the 71,145 Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) candidates for 2004 passed their examinations, with 4,606 or 6.78 per cent obtaining principals in all the five subjects they sat for.

Of the 4,606 scorers, 362 candidates - 252 from the science stream and 110 from the arts stream - obtained principal As in all the five subjects.

Chairman of the Malaysian Examination Council Tan Sri Prof Dr Abu Hassan Othman, who announced this today, said 25,271 or 37.18 per cent got four principals.

He said 13,249 candidates or 19.49 per cent received three principals, 10,366 or 15.25 per cent got two principals and 8,542 candidates or 12.57 per cent managed one principal.

He gave the breakdowns to reporters at his office in Selayang here. Also present was Chief Executive of the council Datuk Termuzi Abdul Aziz.

The number of those with five and four principals in 2004 increased by 6.64 per cent and 36.93 per cent respectively, compared to those in 2003.

From 22 subjects offered last year, the performances in seven subjects had improved, compared to four subjects in 2003.

The percentage of passes for eight subjects in 2004 was virtually similar to that of the previous year.

The seven subjects with improved performances were Geography (up by 5.62 per cent), Additional Mathematics (4.5 per cent), History (3.59 per cent), Physics (2.16 per cent), Business Studies (2.09 per cent), Biology (1.75 per cent) and Tamil Language (1.06 per cent).

The seven subjects with declining performances were Accounting (7.4 per cent), Arabic (6.46 per cent), Mathematics (6.31 per cent), Chemistry (4.36 per cent), English Literature (2.13 per cent), Syariah (1.31 per cent) and Further Additional Mathematics (19.4 per cent).

For the first time last year, candidates were allowed to answer the questions in their Science and Mathematics subjects in Bahasa Malaysia or English and 85 per cent chose to answer in English.

He said the choice would continue to be given until 2007.

The increase in the usage of English, he said, was also due to the fact that the STPM candidates, who wished to take degree courses, must sit for the Malaysia University English Test (MUET).

After the Press conference Abu Hassan presented awards of excellence to nine STPM scorers for 2004.

Each received RM1,000 together with a plaque and a certificate.

They were Nur Ashikin Abdul Rahman of Kolej Islam Sultan Alam Shah, Klang, Selangor, Tee Teng Teng of SMK Seri Kembangan, Menglembu, Perak, Lee Tuan Cheong of SMK Kepong, Kuala Lumpur, Tee Xian Yang of SMK Tinggi Segamat, Johor, Lim Kher Sham of SMK Ibrahim, Sungai Petani, Kedah, Chen Ming Wei of SMK St Paul, Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Teh Gim Aik of SMJK Chung Ling, Penang, Chew Eong Loon of SMJK Jit Sin (A) Bukit Mertajam, Penang and Liew Seng Fatt from the same school.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

March 13th, 2005, 01:51 PM

UM leading the way
Sunday March 13, 2005

BY PHILIP AUGUSTINE

CELEBRATING its centennial year, Universiti Malaya (UM), the country’s first university, has maintained a long tradition of excellence in teaching, research, the dissemination of knowledge and service to society.

Its predecessors, the King Edward VII College of Medicine (established in 1905) and Raffles College (in 1929) were set up to meet urgent demands in medicine and education during that time.

http://thestar.com.my/archives/2005/3/13/education/p2Hashim.jpg

Prof Hashim: 'The university has carved a very good reputation in the eyes of the world.'

The two institutions came together to form the University of Malaya in October 1949, a significant milestone as it helped lay the foundations of a new nation by producing a generation of skilled and educated men and women.

UM’s growth was very rapid during the first decade of its establishment and this resulted in the setting up of two autonomous divisions in 1959, one located in Singapore and the other in Kuala Lumpur.

In 1960, the government of the two territories indicated their desire to change the status of the divisions into that of a national university. Legislation was then passed in 1961 resulting in Universiti Malaya as we know it today.

The university’s motto, Ilmu Punca Kemajuan (Knowledge is the Key to Success) reflects the philosophy of the university to constantly seek knowledge in all fields and produce successful and relevant graduates.

“The university has carved an excellent reputation for itself in the eyes of the world,” says UM vice-chancellor Datuk Prof Dr Hashim Yaacob,” referring to a recent survey by the Times Higher Education Supplement in the United Kingdom, which placed UM as one of the top 100 best universities in the world.

“Universiti Malaya is a world-class university,” he adds.

With the most number of faculties in any public university (17), UM continues to be a favourite choice of many.

Among the landmarks of the university are the Faculty of Medicine and the University Malaysia Medical Centre. Similarly, UM also boasts its very own Museum of Asian Art, the Rimba Ilmu botanical garden as well as an experimental farm.

Why should students choose UM?

They do not necessarily have to, if they do not wish to. There is a very high commitment among the university staff at all levels in carrying out teaching and research duties. There is a lot of caring for each other, and students of all races mix freely with each other. There are almost 10,000 students doing postgraduate degrees, from about 27 countries; and about 22,000 undergraduates in 17 faculties.

Strong links with industry and professional organisations augur well with the already high reputation enjoyed by UM. Its central location in Kuala Lumpur facilitates dealings with these organisations. Many of the professional courses enjoy recognition and accreditation from many international and national bodies. Our teaching staff are very highly qualified and experienced and the campus environment is very conducive for learning.

What are the popular courses the university is famed for?

All our courses are popular with students. Broadly they are divided into Science and Arts-based courses. Some people think that Medicine, Dentistry and Engineering are more popular but this is not true. There are students with 4.0 CGPA who choose to study pure Science and not Medicine. Medicine seems and sounds glamorous to most, hence the popularity of the course. Imagine if the majority of Americans do Medicine – there will then be very few scientists and economists to discover new paradigms and make their country strong. While Medicine is a noble field because it cures the sick, courses in the Sciences and Economics are noble because they strengthen the country. Arts and Humanities and Culture are noble, because they form the ingredients of life itself.

Where do you see UM heading in the next 10 years?

Heading towards excellence in all areas – research, teaching and the dissemination of knowledge. For this to happen, the teaching and support staff will have to be very polished in many aspects.

Our goal is also to make students develop their minds to be able to think analytically, creatively and rationally, and to be self confident and self-reliant.

With these qualities, a UM graduate will be well equipped to face the challenges of working life, for he would have a sound brain supported by a strong pair of legs.

The staff and students at UM would have to foster good relationships and understanding between all races and religions that will contribute towards national unity and world peace.

Networking and the establishment of working relationships with the various well-known universities and organisations across the globe would have been established, thereby ensuring exchanges of knowledge and expertise.

With excellent staff and students, coupled with the availability of the current state of the art infrastructure and equipments, Universiti Malaya hopes to be the hub of education and knowledge.

nazrey

March 13th, 2005, 01:56 PM

National university with international reach
Sunday March 13, 2005

BY KAREN CHAPMAN

UNIVERSITI Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) has many reasons to celebrate its 35th anniversary in a big way this year. Established in 1970 with just three faculties, 192 students and 78 academic staff, UKM now boasts 12 faculties offering close to 300 programmes; 25,418 students and 1,624 academic staff – an indication of how the university has grown.

Established in 1970 as the first national university to use Bahasa Melaysia as a medium of instruction, UKM has now established a private limited holding company called UKM Holdings to handle its commercial activities.

UKM offers programmes in both the Sciences and Arts and, all its Science and Maths-based subjects are offered in English, in line with the country’s move to teach the two subjects in the language in schools.

UKM Vice-Chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Mohd Salleh Mohd Yasin says the university has produced 90,544 graduates in various disciplines to date.

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PROF MOHD SALLEH: “Our niche areas are in engineering, medicine, the sciences and social science”.

He advises prospective students to know what is offered at universities so they can choose wisely when filling up the UPU application form.

“Although medicine is a popular option with students annually, we want them to know about the programmes under the Allied Health Sciences Faculty too such as Audiology, Pharmacy, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Diagnostic Imaging and Radiotherapy and Speech Therapy.

“These specialists work hand-in-hand with the doctors,” he says, adding that the university has been participating in several Higher Education Ministry roadshows nationwide informing students as well as school counsellors about new programmes.

“Entry into medicine is now very competitive and the Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of those who got into the programme was 4.0 last year. Even then 128 couldn’t get in due to a lack of places,” he says.

Last year, 128 top STPM scorers with CGPA of 4.0 were denied a place to do Medicine due to limited seats. As a result, the Ministry has imposed more stringent pre-requisites for selection.

“So if students obtain a CGPA of between 3.95 and 3.98, they must fill in the UPU wisely as, if they list medicine for all their choices, and do not get it because of the competition they will be ‘auctioned’ off and the same problem which occurred last year will recur with students getting courses like Wood Technology.

“There is nothing wrong with the subject if you are interested in it but if you’re not, it can be very complicated to apply for a change to something else as other courses like pharmacy or dentistry might have been filled already,” he says.

Courses are reviewed every three years to ensure relevance. The Science-based faculties have also been restructured to offer more multi-disciplinary programmes.

What does UKM have to offer students?

Undergraduates can choose from 103 programmes such as Islamic Studies in Dakwah and Leadership Studies, Psychology or English Language, Plant Biotechnology, Bioinformatics, Oleochemistry or Environmental Science, Medicine, Resource and Environmental Economics or Development and Human Resource Economics, Audiology, Pharmacy, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Diagnostic Imaging and Radiotherapy, Information Technology in Industrial Computing or Multimedia.

We also have an undergraduate degree in Nursing which many are not aware of.

For postgraduate studies, students can choose from more than 170 programmes. They can opt for Advanced Diploma or Advanced Masters, Masters or Doctor of Philosophy.

Students in some of the Engineering programmes have the opportunity of spending up to 18 months in Germany for an internship, which is a part of their programme. We are also thinking of expanding this to the IT programmes.

We also encourage our students to go on exchange programmes. As an example, medical students could spend six weeks at another university overseas such as in Papua New Guinea or Madagascar studying diseases.

What are the strengths of the university?

Our university offers a wide variety of academic programmes covering both the arts and sciences.

Currently, UKM has embarked on its restructuring programme by successfully establishing the new streamlined Faculty of Science and Technology and Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities.

These two newly restructured faculties offer programmes that are multidisciplinary, transcending previously different departments.

Our staff have obtained research grants in various areas such as Agro-Industry, Social Sciences and the Environment. They have also won many awards.

Our staff also do consultancy work such as preparing environmental impact assessment (EIA) reports before a particular project.

What are the current popular courses?

The most popular courses are those in Engineering and Medicine. Pharmacy is also becoming increasingly popular. The others are Biotechnology, Actuarial Science, Law, Psychology, Accounting, Business and Economics.

What are the university’s niche areas?

Our niche areas are in engineering, medicine, the sciences and social science. We are very committed to research because if you don’t publish, you perish. Our staff must conduct research in order to be promoted.

UKM constantly seeks to enhance the quality of its research and boost its research strength and excellence.

We believe that excellence in research contributes to excellence in teaching and are conscious of the intense competition for research grants from the various governmental and non-governmental sources.

Within the institutional framework of UKM, research centres of excellence such as the Institute of the Malay World and Civilization (ATMA), Institute for Environment and Development (LESTARI), Institute of Malaysian and International Studies (IKMAS), and the Institute of Microengineering and Nanoelectronics (IMEN) were specially set up to complement research initiatives within the 12 faculties in UKM.

A number of special centres within faculties such as the Centre for Gene Analysis and Technology (CGAT) from the Faculty of Science and Technology, and Centre for Advancement Engineering from the Faculty of Engineering were set up on a smart partnership basis to focus on strategic areas of research for the country.

The Interim Laboratory of the National Institute for Genomic and Molecular Biology as well as the Malaysian Institute of Environment are located within the vicinity of the main campus, thus enhancing research collaboration between these institutes and UKM.

What areas of study would you like to introduce at your university?

Presently, we offer most subjects except Fine Arts, Music and Veterinary Science.

Where do you see your university going in the next 10 years?

We want to benchmark with the best in the world.

We are hoping to increase the number of staff with PhD qualifications – from 57% to at least 75%. The problem is that staff in Law and Business are not very keen to go for their PhD although we are trying to encourage them to do so.

We are also looking forward to the rating and ranking exercise which the Higher Education Ministry is conducting. The rating part is a good idea as it looks into the strengths and weaknesses of the various programmes and helps universities improve on quality.

(Last Sept, Higher Education Minister Datuk Dr Shafie Mohd Salleh had said the ministry’s Quality Assurance Division had started rating information and communications technology (ICT) and medical programmes offered by public universities based on nine indicators.

He had said the rating exercise – which would eventually cover private universities and colleges –would allow public institutions to become centres of excellence based on their areas of expertise.)

nazrey

March 13th, 2005, 02:07 PM

Najib: Consider national primary schools as an option
Monday March 7, 2005

KUALA LUMPUR: Indians could send their children to national primary schools as another approach to better access to education, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

“Just like the Malays who go to national schools in the morning and to religious classes in the afternoon, the Indians can do the same but study Tamil subjects in the afternoons,” he suggested at the MIC special convention on the Indian Community and the Ninth Malaysia Plan yesterday.

While Tamil national type school would still be in existence as long the Indian community wanted it, Najib said his suggestion was an option that they could think about.

“However, it is not obligatory as we will leave it up to the Indian community,” he told a press conference later.

Najib stressed that the people were free to choose their own type of education and the Government would not deny them their right to do so.

His suggestion came about in view of the fact that there were many poorly-performing Tamil schools, especially in the estates.

“If the base is weak, it will be difficult for them to attain success at the higher level,” he said.

He said Indian students were given access to Mara Junior Science Colleges, matriculation and vocational training centres and the community had also been granted licences to open private universities and colleges.

“We are using meritocracy at the university level so any intervention has to be made at the primary and secondary levels,” he said.

Najib said the Government would welcome suggestions by MIC on its plans to improve the lives of Indians in the country.

“We will consider any reasonable suggestions,” he said, adding that the community's aim of achieving 3% equity was good and sensible.

He said the challenge now was to seek the mechanism in order to achieve the goal and to monitor its development.

Najib also called on the private sector to play a bigger role along with the Government in helping the community.

nazrey

March 13th, 2005, 02:19 PM

Scientists make moves to save Malaysian bananas

17/02/2005 - Scientists at the University of Derby and the University of Malaya, in Kuala Lumpur, are working on a freezing technology that aims to help save the Malaysian banana – which is in danger from being wiped out due to fungal disease.

The Biological Sciences team in Derby , led by Professor Paul Lynch, is working in conjunction with the team of researchers at the University of Malaya to help protect local varieties of banana and to preserve biodiversity.

The research group is involved in a three-year British Council-funded exchange programme to develop technology to save certain varieties of banana – several of which are under threat from a fungal disease.

Next month, Professor Lynch travels to Malaysia to give a ‘master class’ on plant cryopreservation and biotechnology at Malaysia’s National Science Centre, and discuss the progress of the project. Professor Lynch said: “It’s a prestigious project working alongside the authorities in Malaysia and we have an important task because the banana is so important to the country’s economy and culture.”

Professor Lynch’s team are experts in the field of cryopreservation – freezing plants to ultra-low temperatures in order to help protect rare and endangered species.

Cultures are taken from the plants and frozen, before being replanted in culture and once they have regrown, are transferred to field trials.

The scientists are using the cryopreseravtion process to support breeding programmes, towards producing fungal resistant bananas and to support small subsistence farmers growing the banana, by providing them with cheap, elite plants.

The project is focussed on two types of banana, Pisang Mas and Pisang Malaccensis, which are of particular importance to Malaysia.

It is hoped the work can help boost future breeding programmes of the banana and benefit the small scale farmers.

At the end of last year, colleagues from the University of Malaya, visited the University of Derby for biochemical technique training.

The work is running alongside a multi-million research project involving a number of European countries called Crymcept, in which Derby is a leading member.

In the Crymcept project, Professor Lynch’s team are applying the same principals to develop conservation approaches for garlic and olive.

nazrey

March 13th, 2005, 02:21 PM

High fees hinder private medical pursuit
Sunday March 6, 2005

BY S. INDRAMALAR

THE emergence of two new private medical schools – at Monash University Malaysia (MUM) and University College Sedaya International (UCSI) – has increased seats for medicine in the private sector by about 20% or 100 seats.

This augurs well for budding doctors, given the intense competition for seats at the country's six public medical schools. Last year, more than 100 Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) top scorers could not get into medicine because there were just not enough seats.

The Government intervened, calling upon private medical schools to accommodate a few more students even if it meant expanding their intake a little. Private colleges are, however, ambivalent about how the situation will be this year. Says International Medical University's (IMU) dean of medicine, Prof Victor Lim, “It is really difficult to predict whether a similar situation will arise this year. If it does and if we are called upon to assist, we will certainly cooperate as best we can.

“So far, the Higher Education Ministry has not held any discussions with us on coping with the demand this year. I believe the focus has been with public universities.”

He clarifies that the number of students a medical school can take is determined by the National Accreditation Board (Lan) based on the number of teaching staff it has.”

There are currently eight private medical schools in the country – two universities, one university college and five colleges dedicated to medicine and related studies. They are the IMU, MUM, UCSI, Penang Medical College, Perak College of Medicine, Allianz College of Medical Sciences (ACMS), Asian Institute of Medicine, Science and Technology and the Melaka-Manipal College of Medicine.

Because they are bound by LAN's rules to maintain a healthy lecturer and student ratio, colleges are not able to arbitrarily increase enrolment without prior planning.

This however, is not a major obstacle as many of these colleges yet to reach full capacity.

Says ACMS administration manager Syazrah Ilyana: “I think most private colleges will not stretch their intake to more than 100 per intake. We need to maintain a ratio to maintain quality.

“We usually have about 50 or 60 students per intake, and if the (higher education) ministry asks us to absorb more students, we can easily accommodate about 40 more.

“Students, however, hesitate because of the high cost of studying medicine and not because there are no seats available.”

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Medical students need more than just top scores. They need to be able to communicate and empathise with people in order to be a good doctor.

Last year, ACMS was among the private colleges roped in to absorb the top students. The college opened up 50 seats but only about 12 were taken up.

In total, 99 seats were offered by private medical colleges – 34 at IMU, 10 Perak Medical College and five Aimst. However, because of the high fees, (even with the government's offer of convertible loans) only 33 of the 99 seats offered were taken up.

Penang Medical College's dean of medicine Prof Amir Khir says his college did not allocate extra seats this year despite fears of a repeat of last year's many top scorers. “There is no plan to increase intake at PMC either by taking in more students per batch or increasing the number of intakes. We feel we should keep the number of students at an optimal level so we can teach small groups in the wards.”

Private medical schools provide an option for those who don't make to public medical schools (the cut off point last year was a Cumulative Grade Point Average of 4.0) but have good enough grades to do medicine.

Private schools have an added advantage as they accept students with STPM and other equivalent pre-university qualifications such as the A-levels and International Baccalaureate.

High fees

Private medical schools are not subsidised by the government and are therefore very expensive – tuition fees alone cost RM250,000 or more.

There is also a considerable amount to be spent on books and students from out of town have to pay for room and board.

The cost of setting up a medical school, complete with laboratories and other teaching facilities, and hiring staff is exorbitant.

The newest kid on the block, UCSI's Vice- Chancellor and president Peter Ng said they invested “millions of ringgit” in their new medical faculty in Cheras.

nazrey

March 14th, 2005, 06:58 AM

MIC To Honour Top Students
March 14, 2005 12:16 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, March 14 (Bernama) -- The MIC will honour top Indian students in last year's Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) and Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) examinations with the President's Merit Award for exemplary student achievement, its president, Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu, said Monday.

He said that the annual award would be the fifth to be given out this year by the party's educational arm, the Maju Institute of Educational Development (MIED), to the top scorers.

In congratulating them, Samy Vellu said that the MIED would honour SPM students who scored 8As and above and 4As and above for STPM.

Anushree Lalitha Subramaniam, who obtained 14 A1s in the SPM, was hailed as a shining example of the "Exceptional Malaysian" he wants the country to produce.

"I am extremely happy and very proud of her," he said, adding that the MIED would honour her with a special award during the forthcoming annual President's Merit Award.

"Her success will be an inspiration to other Malaysian Indian students. If they study hard, they, too, can be like Anushree and achieve glory and distinction," he said.

Students are to submit applications to the MIED by attaching certified true copies of their results, identity card, a passport-size photograph and a 250-word essay on how they achieved their outstanding results.

Applicants must also include their name, address and contact numbers on the essay sheet. Selection will be done by the President's Merit Award committee and successful candidates will be notified by post.

All applications must reach the MIED office at 1st Floor, Menara Manickavasagam, No 1, Jalan Rahmat, 50350 Kuala Lumpur not later than 5 pm on April 7.

They are advised to submit applications within the stipulated time to ensure smooth preparation of the award ceremony. For further queries, they can contact Jayashree at 03-40422885 or 03-40420529.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

March 14th, 2005, 07:08 AM

Hard work the key to STPM top scorers’ success
Monday March 14, 2005

KUALA LUMPUR: Tee Teng Teng worked hard, spent three to four hours revising every day and paid close attention to her lessons at her small rural school in Menglembu. In between, she also found time to help her mother at her stall selling nyonya kuih.

She, however, never dreamt she would emerge as the second best student in the country for last year’s Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) examination.

“I really did not expect it. I did work hard, but I did not expect to do so well,” said the trilingual school debater after receiving her results, a plaque, a certificate of excellence and a cheque for RM1,000 from Malaysian Examinations Council chairman Tan Sri Prof Dr Abu Hassan Othman here yesterday.

Teng Teng, whose favourite subject is Biology, scored As in all five subjects.

She is determined to become a doctor so that she can help the poor by providing free treatment and medical assistance.

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BEAMING WITH JOY: Tuan Cheong who scored 5As in the STPM examination, celebrating his results with his father Lee Han Huat, who is a chicken seller at the Old Klang Road market.

“I come from a poor family so I know how difficult life can be. I want to become a doctor because I like the field and also so that I can offer free treatment to the poor,” said the student of SMK Seri Keledang.

Also present at the event was Teng Teng's principal, Lee Peng Chong, who was full of praise for his star student.

“She is an exemplary student and always works hard in her studies as well as in extra-curricular activities.

“Teng Teng is a keen debater in Bahasa Malaysia, English and Chinese and has won awards at several Chemistry competitions.

“She is proof that students can do very well even though they are from rural schools or from underprivileged backgrounds,” said Lee.

For Nur Ashikin Abdul Rahim, the news that she was the top student in the country came as a shock to her.

“Actually, I had set a target for myself to be the top student in the country. But I really did not think it would actually come true,” said the student of Kolej Islam Sultan Alam Shah in Klang who also scored As in all five subjects.

Also beside himself with joy was SMK Kepong Science student Lee Tuan Cheong, who scored 5As and had perfect scores in all the 13 papers that he had sat for.

Tuan Cheong said that while he worked hard and received a lot of support from family and teachers, he also enjoyed going shopping, swimming and playing futsal with friends.

He recently represented the country at an International Physics Olympiad in South Korea and the Asian Physics Olympiad in Vietnam.

nazrey

March 14th, 2005, 07:09 AM

Overall improvement in STPM
Monday March 14, 2005

BY S. INDRAMALAR

KUALA LUMPUR: An overall improvement in last year’s Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) examination has been recorded with an increase in the number of candidates passing four or five subjects.

Malaysian Examinations Council chairman Tan Sri Prof Dr Abu Hassan Othman, in announcing the results, said:

“The percentage of candidates with four or five principal passes has increased and subject performance has also improved.”

The number of candidates passing four or five subjects has increased to 29,877 from the previous year's 23,458, showing a 2.5% increase.

“Also, although last year was the first time Mathematics and Science were taught and examined in English, the performance of students in Mathematics T, Computing, Physics and Biology was better,” he said yesterday.

“Even though students were given a choice to answer the questions in either Bahasa Malaysia or English, more than 85% of the candidates answered in English and they answered well. This is a huge achievement,” he added.

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However, the number of four and five A scorers dropped by more than 50% to 362 when compared with the previous year's result of 767 scorers.

“Every year we get candidates of different calibre, which accounts for the lower number of top scorers.

“We have to look at the overall improvement,” said Prof Abu Hassan.

The seven subjects that recorded improvement were Geography, Mathematics T, History, Physics, Pengajian Perniagaan, Biology and Tamil. (See chart)

However, there was a drop in passes for six subjects – Accounts, Arabic, Mathematics S, Chemistry, Literature in English and Syariah.

The candidates' achievement in eight other subjects remained unchanged.

Among the 362 top scorers, 252 were Science students while 110 were Arts students.

Of the total number of top scorers, nine obtained perfect scores.

They are Nur Ashikin Abdul Rahim from Kolej Islam Sultan Alam Shah in Klang; Tee Teng Teng from SMK Seri Keledang in Menglembu, Perak; Lee Tuan Cheong from SMK Kepong; Tee Xian Yang from SMK Tinggi Segamat, Johor; Lim Kher Sham from SMK Ibrahim, Sungai Petani in Kedah; Chen Ming Wei from SMK St Paul in Seremban; Teh Gim Aik from SMK Chung Ling in Penang; Chew Eong Loon and Liew Seng Fatt from SMK Jit Sin (A) Bukit Mertajam.

The number of candidates last year increased to 71,145 from 56,502 in 2003. Of this total, 47,750 (67.1%) were female candidates while 23,395 (32.9%) were male.

“The increase in the number of candidates last year shows that STPM is becoming more popular among school leavers as a pre-university qualification,” said Prof Abu Hassan.

Departing from tradition, the council chose not to release the list of top schools or states this year.

“We want to highlight the performance of the nation and not certain states and schools as it is not really fair,” he said.

“Sometimes, top schools have the advantage of being in an urban setting or having better facilities and better students.

“You cannot, for example, compare schools in Kuala Lumpur or Penang with those in Terengganu,'' he added.

nazrey

March 14th, 2005, 01:39 PM

No Need For Alternative Education Stream For Certain Groups, Says PM
March 14, 2005 18:08 PM

PUTRAJAYA, March 14 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said Monday the government cannot create a separate branch or stream in the national education system that served as a 100 per cent alternative for any one group.

He said he would continue with efforts to strengthen national schools so that they become the first choice of all the people.

He said a two-stream system -- national school and non-national school -- in the education system, which required the people to choose one over the other, should be avoided as it would not bring any good to the country.

"Two systems will have the people moving along in a parallel line, and they will never meet. It is not good for the nation," he told a press conference after welcoming a delegation of "ulama" (Islamic scholars) from Indonesia, here.

Abdullah was commenting on a move by the MCA to send him a memorandum shortly asking for an increase in the number of national type Chinese schools in the country under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP).

The proposal has drawn opposition from various parties, including politicians and academics who, among other things, want the vision school and national school agenda to be continued to foster national integration.

A vision school is where a national, a Chinese and a Tamil school are housed under one roof and pupils share a common canteen and playground so that there is greater integration.

The prime minister said the government would respect the guarantee in the Education Act for non-bumiputera pupils to obtain their education in primary schools in their mother tongue.

"But our hope is that after they complete their primary education in Chinese or Tamil schools, they continue in national schools.

"And in the national schools, I believe, with the same curriculum and the facilities available, students of all races and religions can interact," he said, adding that this would lead to the desired strengthening of unity.

The prime minister said: "My message is very clear -- our children must have the time to be together. This is the best strategy (for racial unity)."

Abdullah said he held strongly to the belief of education being the programme and strategy that can strengthen unity.

He added that the government wanted to ensure that teaching and education opportunities in national schools were the best possible.

On the memorandum to be submitted by MCA regarding the issue, Abdullah said he would give an appropriate reply when he receives it.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

March 14th, 2005, 05:55 PM

Govt Launches Road Safety Education Programme
March 14, 2005 22:14 PM

PUTRAJAYA, March 14 (Bernama) -- Concerned over the huge number of deaths of students under 17 years in road accidents, the Transport Ministry has come up with a road safety education programme for schools.

A level one programme is scheduled for launch Tuesday in the Pasir Mas district of Kelantan, involving 25 schools and 75 teachers.

Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy, in announcing the programme Monday, said it would begin with the training of the teachers for three months in the state capital, Kota Baharu. Deputy Education Minister Datuk Hon Choon Kim was present at the announcement.

Chan said Pasir Mas was selected based on data obtained from the Road Safety Education Centre of Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) relating to the number of inhabitants, rate of road deaths, the index of fatal accidents and also the number of schools in the district.

He said the teachers would be equipped with teaching aids, modules and road safety education workbooks that would also be distributed to the pupils.

The approach used in the road safety education programme enabled it to be assimilated into the teaching of Bahasa Malaysia and English, without the need to create a new subject, he said.

"Pupils will also receive workbooks free of charge so that it will not pose a financial burden to them. It will also absolve the Education Ministry of the need to develop a new curriculum and provide additional teaching materials to the teachers and pupils," he said.

The road safety education programme would be extended to the curriculum of level two and three pupils after the ministry was satisfied with the delivery of the programme at level one, he said.

Chan also said that the ministry, with the approval of the Education Ministry, planned to expand the education programme to all primary schools nationwide next year.

Citing the reason for the programme, Chan said that in 2003 alone the number of those aged 17 and below killed in road accidents was 846, representing 13.5 per cent of the total number of people killed in road accidents in that year.

"The government recognises that road safety awareness is a life-long (education) process," he said.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

March 15th, 2005, 02:45 AM

Pupils to learn to be good road users in language class
Tuesday March 15, 2005

By SIM LEOI LEOI

PUTRAJAYA: Twenty-five schools in the Pasir Mas district in Kelantan are involved in a pilot project to incorporate lessons on road safety into their language classes for their Year One pupils.

The reason – Pasir Mas, which is 30km from Kota Baru, has one of the highest fatality rates among schoolchildren in the country.

The pilot project, which begins with immediate effect, involves 75 teachers.

Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy said the lessons would be incorporated into the Bahasa Malaysia and English Language periods to ensure that they would not add burden to both teachers and pupils.

“It will not be a separate subject in school but instead, will be taught in a cross-curriculum approach.

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Safety lessons: Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy (left) together with Deputy Education Minister Datuk Hon Choon Kim showing the Road Safety Module that will be introduced to primary school children begining with a pioneer project with schools in Pasir Mas, Kelantan, with immediate effect.

“We feel the move is necessary to inculcate the principles of road safety early in children in order to change their mentality when young,” he told reporters at a press conference at his ministry here yesterday.

This was especially so, he said, as 13.5% of the more than 6,000 road

deaths last year involved those below the age of 17 who had yet to learn how to drive or ride motorcycles.

“All the workbooks, lesson plans, textbooks and CD-ROMs will be prepared by the Road Safety Department and given free to the students,” he said.

Schoolchildren would also be given homework which could be completed with the participation of parents and other family members, he said.

“The lessons will be done in a colourful way so children won’t get bored,” he said.

Chan said the teachers would begin their three-day training conducted by the department tomorrow.

At present, the ministry will focus the lessons on just Year One pupils and later on to Year Two and Three.

“If we find the lessons effective, we will implement it nationwide by 2006 and later, to students in Year Four and Six, and those in lower and upper secondary,” Chan said.

Road Safety Department director-general Suret Singh said the module would involve teaching children basic knowledge such as how to use zebra crossings, how to judge approaching cars from a distance and the kind of clothing they should use.

“The programme will be fully co-ordinated and managed by the department,” he said, adding that under the pilot project, the lessons would involve one session per week for 12 weeks.

Deputy Education Minister Datuk Hon Choon Kim said previously, the schools had carried out activities like Traffic Day or the setting up of Traffic Clubs.

“But these activities are not incorporated into the lessons themselves. With the introduction of lessons on road safety, we hope this will cut down the fatality rates, especially among schoolchildren,” he said.

nazrey

March 16th, 2005, 12:31 PM

Too Many Orang Asli Pupils Drop Out Of Schools
March 16, 2005 15:11 PM

By Shahrullizan Rusli

KUALA LUMPUR, March 16 (Bernama) -- It is shocking. Thousands of Orang Asli pupils have simply disappeared when they are due to begin their secondary schooling.

According to the Orang Asli Affairs Department (JHEOA), 25,354 Orang Asli children entered primary schools nationwide last year but the number of those who went for secondary education was only 7,559.

In 2003, 23,607 Orang Asli entered primary schools but only 6,675 went to secondary schools, the statistics showed.

Due to the large number of drop-outs, efforts to bring the Orang Asli community closer to the mainstream development may continue to encounter difficulties.

In the long run, the survival of the community, numbering 197,400, in several states in the peninsula may be threatened if the phenomenon is not checked.

Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Aziz Shamsuddin told Bernama in Genting Highlands recently that drop-out rate among Orang Asli students was very serious.

He blamed the Orang Asli parents who he said failed to see the importance of education for their children's future.

He said the government had provided schools and various facilities to the Orang Asli population but what stopped them from achieving progress was the attitude of the community itself.

This attitude must change and to cause a change, he said, successful Orang Asli who are now living in the towns should return to their villages for visits with their families to serve as models for the young generation.

A JHEOA spokesman said the number of Orang Asli children who started Standard One was quite encouraging but they lacked discipline in that they attended school at will some did not turn up during examinations.

Distance from school was not a factor because some primary schools were built within the settlements and the department also provided transportation for students from the remote areas, he said.

"Problems may arise when the pupils go to the secondary schools, which are normally far from their villages. However, other than giving them the option to stay in hostels, we also provide buses for the students who want to commute," he said.

He said the "missing student" problem usually involved those staying far from the towns whereas the mentality of the urban dwellers had changed and they had accepted the importance of education.

JHEOA statistics show that Orang Asli children living in or near towns have achieved an encouraging level of education.

Last year, 112 Orang Asli students went for higher education and 32 of them are pursuing bachelor's degrees.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

March 16th, 2005, 11:39 PM

Scholarship for Nur Amalina
Wednesday, March 16, 2005

NUR AMALINA CHE BAKRI, the student who scored 17 1As in last year’s Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination, received a full scholarship with an option of studying locally or overseas from Kuala Lumpur City Hall.

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Nur Amalina (left) receiving the scholarship from Ruslin.

The 17-year-old from SMK Ulu Tiram in Johor received the scholarship because her father Che Bakri Che Mod is an engineer with City Hall’s Architect and Special Project Department.

During a presentation held at City Hall building on Saturday, Datuk Bandar Datuk Ruslin Hasan said it was a normal practice for City Hall to award study loans and give aid to its staff’s children who excelled in their studies and co-curricular pursuits.

“I think her role models are her parents who mould her into what she is now. Her good results had raised the image and spirit of the other City Hall staff,” he said.

Besides the scholarship, Nur Amalina also received RM500 from Puspanita (the Civil Service Women’s Association).

Federal Territories Minister Tan Sri Mohd Isa Abdul Samad later met Nur Amalina and congratulated her after opening the Kuala Lumpur History Heritage seminar held at City Hall’s auditorium.

Accompanying Nur Amalina were Che Bakri and her mother Sabariah Hassan.

nazrey

March 17th, 2005, 12:06 AM

IIUM Students To Represent Malaysia In World Moot Competition
March 16, 2005 22:43 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, March 16 (Bernama) -- Six law students of International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) will represent Malaysia in the prestigious Philip C. Jessup International Moot Court Competition in Washington DC from March 28 to April 3.

The team members are third year students Melati Abdul Hamid, 23, Siti Aliza Alias, 22, Ng Boon Ka, 22, Fadiah Nadwa Fikri, 22, Asma Mohd Yunus, 21, and Michelle Rossana Usman, 20.

Melati and Siti Aliza took part in the competition last year.

"Our university is considered one of the top mooters in the world and last year our team was in the quarterfinal in this competition," said IIUM Rector Prof Mohd Kamal Hassan at a press conference here Wednesday.

The university, which marked its ninth year of participation in the competition, will compete with about 100 teams from over 80 countries on the issue of "The differences between the two states concerning the vessel the Mairi Maru."

"We are aiming for semi-final this year," he said, adding that it is a tough competition as the panel of judges will include judges of the International Court of Justice.

IIUM was selected to represent Malaysia after it won the Malaysian round of the competition by defeating teams from Universiti Malaya, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and Universiti Teknologi Mara.

One of its mooters, Ng Boon Ka, was awarded the best mooter in the national-level competition.

Ng, who was present at the press conference, said the team had been preparing for the competition since a year ago.

"Now we are concentrating on research, training and also consultation with experts and lecturers," he said.

Melati said they were holding training sessions every night and had invited experienced mooters from the 1995 and 2000 teams to train them.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

March 17th, 2005, 12:08 AM

HIAS Offers 130 School Leavers Free Education In Hotel Industry
March 16, 2005 23:15 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, March 16 (Bernama) -- A total of 130 school leavers will get free education complete with course materials, a monthly allowance, personal insurance and guaranteed employment upon completion of their studies under the Hotel Industry Apprenticeship Scheme (HIAS).

HIAS is jointly implemented by the Human Resources Development Berhad (HRDB) and Youth and Sports Ministry (KBS) in collaboration with sponsoring hotels to provide education at no cost for selected students interested in the hotel industry.

"Upon completion of the programme and competency tests under supervision of the National Vocational Training Council (NVTC), the Sijil Kemahiran Malaysia (SKM) Level 1 and Level 2 will be awarded," a statement from Taylor's College Sdn Bhd here says.

The students will be employed by at any one of the 11 sponsoring hotels under normal employment terms and conditions for a minimum period of one year.

The programme, which will be held at Taylor's College School of Hospitality and Tourism, features modules in Accommodation Practice (Housekeeping), Reception Techniques (Front Office), Food and Beverage Service and Kitchen Practice, all conducted in English.

A monthly allowance of RM360 to RM450 will be paid to the students during their course which ranges from 10 to 24 weeks.

The next intake is on April 25 this year and it is open to Penilaian Menengah Rendah (PMR) and Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) students with basic pass in English and Mathematics.

Walk-in interviews will be held on March 24 at Taylor's College School of Hospitality and Tourism at Block C, Leisure Commerce Square, Jalan PJS 8/9, Petaling Jaya.

More information can be obtained from Adzan Amri or Sha'ari Ali at 03-78779777 of fax 03-78777007 at the Centre for Continuing Professional Education at Taylor's College, School of Hospitality and Tourism.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

March 23rd, 2005, 07:28 AM

Mahathir Says Don't Be Too Nationalistic About Acquiring Knowledge
March 23, 2005 00:40 AM

KUALA LUMPUR, March 22 (Bernama) -- Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said people should not be too nationalistic when seeking knowledge.

He said knowledge came in all forms and languages, and sometimes the native language needed to be learned first before the knowledge could be acquired.

"We should not be reluctant to learn other languages because they can help us gain access to the knowledge," he said in his speech when opening the abacus and mental arithmetic campaign at Wisma MCA Tuesday night.

The government, he said, had decided to implement the teaching of mathematics and science in English as it is the universal language.

"We will not lose our national and racial identity if we speak in English," he added.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

March 23rd, 2005, 07:29 AM

Who Says National Schools Are Not Great?
March 23, 2005 13:37 PM

By Muna Khalid

KUALA LUMPUR, March 23 (Bernama) -- "Who says national schools are not great?"

The question was posed by renowned educationist Tan Sri Arshad Ayub who perceived the national school as not only an institution that inculcates the spirit of racial solidarity but also capable of churning out intellectuals in the various disciplines.

"Some people say the national schools are not great, the national type schools particularly the National Type Chinese Primary Schools (SRJKC) are really great. We cannot say this because there are no statistics to substantiate such statements," he said in an interview with Bernama.

Arshad, Chairman of the Federation of Malay Education and Development Organisations and the first Director of the Institut Teknologi Mara (now Universiti Teknologi Mara), said if there were people who felt that the national schools were not that great, then the first step that must be taken was to make the necessary improvements by studying and overcoming whatever weaknesses there were.

"We must strengthen the position of the national schools by improving the position of teachers, that is, by providing teachers who are truly skilled in their respective fields.

"To me, this is most important. If this can be done, then the problem of people wanting to increase the SRJKC would not arise," he said referring to the MCA memorandum asking the government to increase the number of SRJKC through the allocation under the Ninth Malaysia Plan.

However, Arshad said the demand for additional SRJKC was inappropriate in the context of strengthening the national schools.

In defending the crucial position of the national schools as the base for inculcating the spirit of solidarity, Arshad said: "If we want national solidarity, then we must strengthen the national schools."

For this purpose, he said, the National Education Policy and the Education Act 1961 which aimed to educate Malaysians to become good and united citizens must be upheld.

The Razak Report 1956 and the Abdul Rahman Talib Report 1960 were the basis of the National Education Policy and the Education Act 1961.

Paragraph 12 of the Razak Report states: "We believe the purpose of the state education policy is also to unite the pupils from the various races in the state by using an educational regulation covering all races through the use of the national language as the medium of instruction..."

Arshad also said that in ennobling the national language, the country could not brush aside the English language in the era of globalisation.

"Because of globalisation, we cannot ignore the English language. But the method of teaching, its position and level must be handled with wisdom," he said referring to the teaching and learning of Mathematics and Science in the English language.

On the Malays, Arshad felt that their position had improved compared to the 1950s because not many Malays were highly educated then.

"This was made possible through the opportunities and benefits provided by the government such as loans and scholarships, increasing the number of schools and facilities," he said.

Arshad said the Malays depended on their wisdom in capitalising on the opportunities and facilities provided.

"If the Malays are given the opportunity and guidance with commitment, they can be at par with any other race," he said.

Asked whether the Malays could be self-reliant without assistance (from the government), he said: "The Malays must always remember that government assistance will be withdrawn when the time comes, it's just a matter of how we can remove the assistance earlier."

"Preparation to withdraw the assistance must start from now by choosing which of the various assistance should be withdrawn earlier."

On the aspiration of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to churn out more of the "towering Malays", he said every Malay must make sure that they were respected.

"Each individual must become the best in whatever field they choose, it means that if I were a drain sweeper, I must be excellent in maintaining my drains.

"We must give our best. The best that we give may not be at par with the others, but let's do our best," Arshad added.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

March 23rd, 2005, 08:11 PM

Digistar to gain from medical tourism, education hub plan
Wednesday March 23, 2005

http://biz.thestar.com.my/archives/2005/3/23/business/b_08lee.jpg

Lee Wah Chong

DIGISTAR Corp Bhd is confident that the Government's plan to make Malaysia an international hub for higher education and medical tourism will help the company post higher turnover this year.

The information technology (IT) systems integrator posted a pre-tax profit of RM7.8mil on revenue of RM51.2mil for its financial year ended Sept 30, 2004.

Managing director Lee Wah Chong said the country's aspiration to become a higher education and medical tourism hub would create opportunities for IT system integrators.

“Although we have on-going jobs worth about RM30mil, we have also submitted bids for new jobs worth more than RM118mil,” he told reporters after the company's AGM and EGM in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

Lee Wah Chong
Among the existing contracts are the integration of telecommunications and audio-visual systems for the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine check point in Johor Baru and Tunku Abdul Rahman University in Gopeng, Perak.

Lee said the company would increase the number of its marketing teams to handle more new projects.

“Our 20 years' experience in the total systems integration solution business and our sole distribution rights for some equipment used in the IT business will enable us to offer value-for-money contracts to our clients,” he added.

Lee said the company had started its efforts to offer services to companies in Thailand and Vietnam.

“Our long-term plan is to offer services to all countries in the Asean region,” he said.

At the EGM, shareholders approved the proposed bonus issue of up to 90.98 million shares on a 1-for-1 basis.

nazrey

March 26th, 2005, 05:26 PM

Terengganu To Have Full-fledged University, Says PM
March 26, 2005 20:42 PM

KUALA TERENGGANU, March 26 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi Saturday announced the setting up of a full-fledged university in Terengganu that will be known as Universiti Darul Iman.

Initially, the government would set up an administrative centre to handle the planning of the establishment and development of the university, he said when addressing a gathering to mark one year of the Barisan Nasional's administration of Terengganu, at the Kolej Universiti Sains dan Teknologi Malaysia (KUSTEM) near here.

(The Barisan Nasional recaptured Terengganu from PAS in the general election held on March 21 last year.)

"At this function, I wish to announce that the federal government has agreed to set up a full-fledged university in Terengganu. We will begin with the setting up of the administrative centre of the university, to undertake prudent planning of its establishment and development, along with the branches that will be set up later.

http://bernama.com.my/bernama/newspic/ge/bestari.jpg

FULFILLING PLEDGE… Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi at a gathering to mark one year of the Barisan Nasional's administration of Terengganu, at the Kolej Universiti Sains dan Teknologi Malaysia (KUSTEM) near Kuala Terengganu, Saturday. Also present Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh (centre). Pix: Samsudin Mohamad

"It will be at the Kolej Seri Iman Kuala Terengganu where the administrative centre will be set up that will plan the establishment of the full-fledged Universiti Darul Iman," he said.

Also present at the function were Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh, Higher Education Minister Datuk Dr Shafie Salleh, Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Tengku Putera Tengku Awang as well as about 8,000 leaders and supporters of the Terengganu Barisan Nasional.

Abdullah, who is the Barisan Nasional (BN) Chairman, said he hoped that the university would be the symbol of the success of the people of Terengganu in education in the future.

The prime minister said the BN felt that the setting up of the university was pivotal for the development and progress of the people of Terengganu, and that was the reason for its inclusion in the Terengganu BN's additional manifesto for the last general election.

"Such infrastructure is of most importance, and Terengganu has to have this facility if it wants to be a modern and developed state. That is why we stated that we will build the university.

"And, simultaneously, we will be able to experience progress, not only in education but also in other fields that we have to devote attention to,"he said.

The Terengganu BN had stated, among other things, in its supplementary manifesto that it would establish a full-fledged university in Terengganu if it recaptures the state from PAS rule.

At a press conference later, Abdullah said that once all the planning towards setting up of the university had been completed, construction could start next year.

"We have not determined its location. We are looking at London University (as the model for the full-fledged university).

"(However) everything depends on the Higher Education Ministry and the chancellery (undertaking the establishment of Universiti Darul Iman) to examine the pertinent matters, including the fields of study," he said.

Asked about the fields of study, the prime minister said they should be in keeping with the livelihood of the people of the east coast states.

Abdullah said the establishment of the university was important not only to the people of Terengganu but to all the people of the country because it offered more opportunities for higher education.

Abdullah also announced the development of the Islamic Civilisation Park at a cost of RM200 million over the next three years in Pulau Wan Man near here, which would enable Malaysia to offer a unique tourism product conceptualised on Islamic architecture.

"I feel that the construction of the Islamic Civilisation Park is most appropriate in terms of the approach to development adopted by the Terengganu government in accordance with Islam Hadhari (Civilisational Islam)," he said.

The park will be located on a cluster of islands over an area of 32.4 hectares (7.2 hectares of land and 25.2 hectares of water) close to the mouth of the Terengganu River and would be clearly visible from the Sultan Mahmud Bridge here.

The park, a brainchild of Abdullah, will be developed by the Terengganu State Economic Development Corporation and would incorporate, among other things, replicas of 21 monuments of Islamic history and an exhibition centre of Islamic arts, architecture and technology.

The Islamic monuments include the Masjid Jamek (of Malaysia), Kudus Minar (Java, Indonesia), Pattani Central Mosque (Thailand), Sultan Omar Ali Saifudin Mosque (Brunei), Taj Mahal (India), Badshahi Mosque (Lahore, Pakistan) and Kalyan Minaret (Uzbekistan).

A centre for weddings in the form of an Arabian palace and a crystal floating mosque will also be built at the park.

Earlier, Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh called on the people of Terengganu to assist the government to develop the state, saying the people's cooperation was most necessary for success.

He said the development undertaken in the state over the past year was guided by the Islam Hadhari concept.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

March 29th, 2005, 09:14 AM

Terengganu To Have Full-fledged University, Says PM
March 26, 2005 20:42 PM

http://bernama.com.my/bernama/newspic/ge/bestari.jpg

TERENGGANU BESTARI… Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi at a gathering in KUSTEM to mark one year of the Barisan Nasional administration in Terengganu. Also present is Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh (centre). Pix: Samsudin Mohamad

KUALA TERENGGANU, March 26 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi Saturday announced the setting up of a full-fledged university in Terengganu that will be known as Universiti Darul Iman.

Initially, the government would set up an administrative centre to handle the planning of the establishment and development of the university, he said when addressing a gathering to mark one year of the Barisan Nasional's administration of Terengganu, at the Kolej Universiti Sains dan Teknologi Malaysia (KUSTEM) near here.

(The Barisan Nasional recaptured Terengganu from PAS in the general election held on March 21 last year.)

"At this function, I wish to announce that the federal government has agreed to set up a full-fledged university in Terengganu. We will begin with the setting up of the administrative centre of the university, to undertake prudent planning of its establishment and development, along with the branches that will be set up later.

"It will be at the Kolej Seri Iman Kuala Terengganu where the administrative centre will be set up that will plan the establishment of the full-fledged Universiti Darul Iman," he said.

Also present at the function were Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh, Higher Education Minister Datuk Dr Shafie Salleh, Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Tengku Putera Tengku Awang as well as about 8,000 leaders and supporters of the Terengganu Barisan Nasional.

Abdullah, who is the Barisan Nasional (BN) Chairman, said he hoped that the university would be the symbol of the success of the people of Terengganu in education in the future.

The prime minister said the BN felt that the setting up of the university was pivotal for the development and progress of the people of Terengganu, and that was the reason for its inclusion in the Terengganu BN's additional manifesto for the last general election.

"Such infrastructure is of most importance, and Terengganu has to have this facility if it wants to be a modern and developed state. That is why we stated that we will build the university.

"And, simultaneously, we will be able to experience progress, not only in education but also in other fields that we have to devote attention to,"he said.

The Terengganu BN had stated, among other things, in its supplementary manifesto that it would establish a full-fledged university in Terengganu if it recaptures the state from PAS rule.

At a press conference later, Abdullah said that once all the planning towards setting up of the university had been completed, construction could start next year.

"We have not determined its location. We are looking at London University (as the model for the full-fledged university).

"(However) everything depends on the Higher Education Ministry and the chancellery (undertaking the establishment of Universiti Darul Iman) to examine the pertinent matters, including the fields of study," he said.

Asked about the fields of study, the prime minister said they should be in keeping with the livelihood of the people of the east coast states.

Abdullah said the establishment of the university was important not only to the people of Terengganu but to all the people of the country because it offered more opportunities for higher education.

Abdullah also announced the development of the Islamic Civilisation Park at a cost of RM200 million over the next three years in Pulau Wan Man near here, which would enable Malaysia to offer a unique tourism product conceptualised on Islamic architecture.

"I feel that the construction of the Islamic Civilisation Park is most appropriate in terms of the approach to development adopted by the Terengganu government in accordance with Islam Hadhari (Civilisational Islam)," he said.

The park will be located on a cluster of islands over an area of 32.4 hectares (7.2 hectares of land and 25.2 hectares of water) close to the mouth of the Terengganu River and would be clearly visible from the Sultan Mahmud Bridge here.

The park, a brainchild of Abdullah, will be developed by the Terengganu State Economic Development Corporation and would incorporate, among other things, replicas of 21 monuments of Islamic history and an exhibition centre of Islamic arts, architecture and technology.

The Islamic monuments include the Masjid Jamek (of Malaysia), Kudus Minar (Java, Indonesia), Pattani Central Mosque (Thailand), Sultan Omar Ali Saifudin Mosque (Brunei), Taj Mahal (India), Badshahi Mosque (Lahore, Pakistan) and Kalyan Minaret (Uzbekistan).

A centre for weddings in the form of an Arabian palace and a crystal floating mosque will also be built at the park.

Earlier, Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh called on the people of Terengganu to assist the government to develop the state, saying the people's cooperation was most necessary for success.

He said the development undertaken in the state over the past year was guided by the Islam Hadhari concept.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

March 29th, 2005, 09:39 AM

ORANG ASLI SCHOOL FIRST TO RECEIVE FORENSIC TRAINING FROM TH GROUP BERHAD
Monday, March 28, 2005

KUALA LUMPUR, 28 March 2005 - Primary students from Sekolah Kebangsaan Bukit Lanjan, an Orang Asli school in Damansara Perdana, were the first recipients of TH Group Berhad's corporate social responsibility programme to promote a love of life sciences amongst Malaysian children.

Open for students from Standard 4 through 6, the programme, entitled "Promoting The Field Of Sciences Among The Young For A Better Tomorrow", was launched by TH Group Berhad and Professor Juli Edo, Professor of Anthropology and Sociology Department at University of Malaya, and the first Orang Asli PhD recipient.

For the full text, click here. (http://prwire.bernama.com/viewprarticle.phtml?aid=5906)

nazrey

April 3rd, 2005, 03:32 PM

Selangor MB Receives Doctorate From Australian University
April 03, 2005 20:54 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, April 3 (Bernama) -- Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo was conferred an hononary Doctor of Letters degree by the University of Southern Queensland (USQ) at its convocation here Sunday.

Khir received the doctorate from Chancellor of USQ, Don Stevens, in recognition of his services to education and training.

In his acceptance speech, Khir said he was brought up in a rural village and valued the importance of education and the impact of good education in a person's life.

"A person needs not excel academically to be a successful person. I believe that a person who persists in his chosen profession by continuously learning and upgrading his skills sets can achieve success," he said.

The doctorate recognises Khir as the driving force behind Universiti Industri Selangor's collaborative efforts overseas and its contribution to Malaysia's Bio-Valley project.

At the same convocation, USQ conferred Masters and Bachelor's degrees to 243 graduates of business, mass communication, information technology, education, engineering, science and financial planning.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 4th, 2005, 11:27 AM

Call For Dialogue Between Ulama And Scientists
April 04, 2005 17:21 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, April 4 (Bernama) -- A scientist Monday called for dialogues between scientists and "ulama" (Muslim scholars) to establish rapport and close co-operation to promote the development of science and biotechnology in the country.

Assoc Prof Dr Zulqarnain Mohamed, president of the Malaysian Society For Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, said the dialogues were necessary to ensure uninterrupted growth of biotechnology in line with the teachings of Islam.

"We lack scientists who are experts in religion while ulama may not be experts in science. Hence the dialogues are important to resolve problems related to development of biotechnology since the field is a wide-ranging one," he told reporters after the opening of the 15th Scientific Meeting of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Malaysia, here.

He said ulama could help society to accept biotechnology through their interaction with scientists.

Earlier, Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities Datuk Peter Chin Fah Kui said in his speech at the opening of the meeting that biotechnology had been identified as a new source of economic growth.

The text of his speech was read out by the secretary-general of the ministry, Dr Michael Dosim Lunjew.

"It is indeed an enabling technology which has great potential in catalysing national development, particularly enhancing the progress of related industries such as food production, textile, pulp and paper, chemicals and pharmaceuticals," said Chin.

The two-day meeting has drawn 155 participants, among them academicians, scientists and students.

The meeting, with the theme "Research In Biotechnology: Balancing the Interests of Scientists and the Public", is aimed at exchanging views and findings on biotechnology.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 4th, 2005, 11:28 AM

Malaysian Student Wins Best Speaker In International Competition
April 04, 2005 16:29 PM

By Salmy Hashim

WASHINGTON, April 4 (Bernama) -- International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) student Melati Abdul Hamid won the "Best Oralist" award for her engaging performance in an international debate competition for law students from around the world.

Melati, 23, and her team mates, all law students at IIUM -- Siti Aliza Alias, Asma Mohamed Yunus, Fadiah Nadwa Fikri and Ng Boon Ka -- stormed to the finals Saturday finishing second at the Phillip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition held at the Ceremonial Court here.

The prestigious cup went to law students from Queensland University, Australia.

The teams debated about an international legal issue involving transportation of nuclear material through the waters of another state.

A total of 102 universities took part in the international round of the competition.

Malaysian law students have been participating in the competition since 1994, and won the Best Memorial Award for written argument in 2000.

IIUM students reached the quarter finals last year.

"This is the closest we've come to winning the cup," said Melati at a dinner held in honour of the Malaysian participants at the residence of Malaysian Education Attache Rosllan Ismail in Oakton, Virginia, near here Sunday.

"We were not just carrying the Malaysian flag, but of Muslims of the world. Knowing what the West think of Muslim women -- we were able to tell them what Muslim women are all about," she said.

"We were nervous, but relieved that it is all over," she said explaining that the team had been preparing since last September when the competition began at the national-level debate against Universiti Malaya, University Technology Mara (UiTM) and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) in January this year.

Winners of the competition usually graduate and become top international lawyers.

Melati hopes to do her internship at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at the Hague -- "it is very competitive."

Melati's father, Federal Court judge Datuk Abdul Hamid Mohamed, was on hand to give moral support to his daughter, and her team mates.

Proud that the Malaysian team had reached the finals, he said the competition was an excellent way for Malaysian students to be exposed to experiences outside of their universities and their country.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 4th, 2005, 11:33 AM

Science

http://img156.exs.cx/img156/8767/table51ud.gif

Mathematics

http://img156.exs.cx/img156/912/table66jg.gif

From Philippine Education Thread (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=143978&page=4&pp=20)

nazrey

April 4th, 2005, 11:34 AM

Pupils' Understanding Of Science And Mathematics Improving
April 04, 2005 15:17 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, April 4 (Bernama) -- The level of understanding of science and mathematics among primary and secondary school students had improved since the two subjects were taught in the English language two years ago, the Dewan Rakyat was told Monday.

Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said the achievements of pupils in Year One in science and mathematics which were taught in English had been encouraging, and pupils in rural schools were able to compete with those in urban schools.

The latest Analysis on Students' Level of Understanding (KTKM) showed that Year One pupils were fast adapting themselves to the two subjects, science and mathematics, as well as the English language, he said replying to the original question from Datuk Ghazali Ibrahim (BN-Padang Terap).

He said: "The average score for science was 69.3 per cent, mathematics (77.4 per cent) and English language (77.7 per cent).

"The performance analysis for Year One pupils in 20 of the best schools in the study showed that the rural schools could compete with the urban schools in terms of performance," he said.

Hishammuddin said that the performance of Form One students had also been satisfactory with the average score in science being 59.2 per cent, mathematics 58.2 per cent and English language 61 per cent.

However, the performance of students in rural secondary schools had been poorer than those in urban schools, he said.

He said that since the teaching of science and mathematics in the English language had only been implemented two years ago, the ministry intended to continue with the programme as the two-year period was too short to determine its effectiveness.

He said the ministry had proposed several measures to reduce the education gap between the urban and rural areas under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP).

The measures included improving infrastructure, addressing the problems of the deployment of teachers, shortage of teachers, and the location of schools.

On the number of teachers who opted to teach science, mathematics and English language in primary and secondary schools, Hishammuddin said it was still insufficient.

The ministry was endeavouring to increase the intake of teachers with the three subject options under the graduate teachers training programme and the distance learning programme and would deploy them to the schools which were facing a shortage of such teachers as soon as possible, he said.

On Jan 31, there were 18,576 teachers teaching English language in secondary schools, 21,558 teachers for mathematics and 20,957 teachers for science, including option and non-option teachers who taught one or more subjects.

As for the primary schools, there were 39,491 English language teachers, 61,819 mathematics teachers and 44,107 science teachers, he added.

-- BERNAMA

liping_t

April 5th, 2005, 04:21 AM

nazrey

April 9th, 2005, 01:21 AM

Education Ministry Collects Data On Teaching Of Science, Mathematics
April 08, 2005 22:44 PM

CYBERJAYA, April 8 (Bernama) -- The Education Ministry is collecting feedback from school teachers on the implementation of the teaching and learning of Science and Mathematics in English.

Director General of Education Datuk Dr Ahamad Sipon said Friday the move was aimed at obtaining suggestions and views on the process to further improve it.

"I am in the process of obtaining the feedback from the teachers who have good suggestions on the implementation. Once we have the feedback in detail we will announce it," he told reporters after closing the One Sen 2004 campaign organised by the National Cancer Council (Makna) and the Education Ministry at the Sekolah Seri Puteri, here.

Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein was reported to have said last week that the government would continue with the process.

He had also said that the ministry had kept abreast of developments in the process since it was launched.

Meanwhile, Makna president Datuk Mohd Farid Ariffin said the campaign had succeeded in collecting RM119,990.75 which would be used for the treatment of needy cancer patients. To date, Makna had collected nearly RM340,000 through such campaigns.

Makna intends to collect a total of RM500,000 through a campaign to collect five sen coins later, he said.

Earlier, he donated cheques to two cancer patients, Mohd Danial Amli, five, and Huzaifah Amir Fikri, 12, on behalf of Makna.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 10th, 2005, 09:15 AM

Malaysia To Send More Students To The United States
April 10, 2005 13:23 PM

By Salmy Hashim

WASHINGTON, April 10 (Bernama) -- Mara plans to send more students to the United States next year to take advantage of the weaker dollar, Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Co-operatives, Datuk Mohamed Khaled Nordin, said here.

He said Mara planned to send at least 50 more students next year to the United States instead of Britain and Ireland because of the higher euro.

The agency planned to sponsor qualified Bumiputera students in the field of biotechnology, engineering and information technology in the United States to meet the needs of the country, he added.

"It costs us more than RM1 million to sponsor a student to study medicine in the United Kingdom while we can probably send two to the United States with a little bit more," he told Bernama.

Currently, 305 Malaysian students are studying in about 30 universities in the United States under Mara scholarship.

Mara generally sends 1,000 students overseas for further studies every year.

"After the Sept 11 attack on the United States, we were apprehensive about sending our students to the United States following reports of negative treatment of Muslims at US ports of entry, compounded by the difficulties of obtaining student visas," Mohamed Khaled said.

"But now that things are back to normal and there are no reported incidents of discrimination against and ostracisation of our students, we are planning to send them back," he said.

Mohamed Khaled was here to attend the 14th International Franchise Exposition and to meet with potential franchisors, in line with the ministry's effort to encourage more Bumiputeras to participate in the private sector through franchising.

The ministry and the Malaysian Franchise Association (MFA) will host the Franchise International Malaysia 2005 Exhibition and Conference in Kuala Lumpur from Aug 12 to 14.

Last year, the exhibition attracted 60 franchises while this year the ministry hopes for the number of booths to double.

There are 230 franchises in Malaysia, with about 60 per cent of them home-grown while the rest originated from the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia and Singapore.

Mohamed Khaled left for New York yesterday evening and would meet Malaysian students there before returning to Kuala Lumpur.

-- BERNAMA

Vince

April 10th, 2005, 10:58 AM

Tax-payer money is spent on Bumiputeras to study overseas: hope they bring Malaysia pride after they return home to contribute to our society. However, in order to be fairer I think the government should also sponsor poorer non-Bumiputeras overseas if they qualify. I still can't fathom the fact that after so many generations in Malaysia and being born there, non-Malays are still considered "outsiders" or not considered "sons of the soils" even though they contribute so much, if not more, to the building of our beloveed nation.....Bumiputeras, catch up yo, so that our society can be fair for all in the near future! Institutionalized racism should not be the norm of any society for extended periods of time.

Discrimmination against the Malaysian Bumiputera students in the U.S.? ......let's look back home first before we judge the Americans.

nazrey

April 10th, 2005, 03:03 PM

UiTM Wins Big At Geneva Expo
April 10, 2005 20:21 PM

SHAH ALAM, April 10 (Bernama) -- Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM)'s 12-member team to the 33th International Exhibition of Inventions, New Techniques and Products in Geneva, Switzerland, did the university proud when they came back with a haul of four gold, five silver and three bronze medals.

UiTM's gold came from its lecturers Prof Dr Lee Pat Moi who presented a paper on "Isolation and Stabilisation of Colourants from Orchid", Prof Madya Dr Siti Norbaaiyah ("Nata de Pina"), Prof Madya Dr Chek Zaini Hassan ("Guava Chips") and Prof Madya Dr Mohd Khudzir Ismail ("Novel Reagent for Cleaning Coal").

The silver medals were for Prof Dr Ku Halim Ku Hamid's study titled "Bio-based Absorber for Industrial Wastewater Treatment, Prof Madya Wan Yunus Wan Ahmed's study on "Non-Wax Resist Agent for Batik Printing", Mohd Azlan Mohd Ishak's "Practical Innovative Pre-Treatment Process for Coal Liquefaction", Prof Madya Dr Jasmer Jaafar's "Tree Mapping System" and Prof Ir Dr Shah Rizam Shah Baki's "Encrypted Verification ("Safe Cheques").

The bronze medals were achieved by Dr Ahmad Maliki Omar for his study on "The Single-Phase Stage High DC Voltage Multiplier Circuit", Shamsul Zakaria's "Wireless Control Remote Ring Main Unit (RMU) System and Muhammad Ridhwan Sikh Omar's "Survival Robot".

In its statement, UiTM said it sent 10 lecturers and two students to the expo from April 6-10.

In a separate statement, UiTM said that the Yang diPertuan Agong Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Syed Putra Jamalullail, who is also UiTM's Chancellor, would present scrolls to graduates on the first day of its 61st Convocation from April 14-24. A total of 11,790 graduates will receive their scrolls during the convocation.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 10th, 2005, 03:25 PM

Win pizzas and trip to Melbourne
Sunday April 10, 2005

BY TAN SHIOW CHIN AND HARKIRAN GILL

The Best School Newspaper Awards (BSNA) is back – with better prizes and lots and lots of pizzas!

After two months of build-up with tantalising hints of new and exciting prizes as well as student workshops on how to produce a newspaper, the BSNA 2005 was officially launched last Monday at Pizza Hut Wangsa Maju.

Amid much anticipation from students and teachers attending the event, The Star group editorial/education advisor Datuk Ng Poh Tip revealed that the grand prize this year is a week-long study trip to Melbourne, to be hosted by the University of Melbourne, for the winning team and their teacher-in-charge.

Another trip, this time a three-day-two-night holiday to Genting Highlands, awaits the two runners-up.

Unlike last year, all schools, both primary and secondary, will be competing for the same grand prize.

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Izhar, Hon, Ng and Pizza Hut Malaysia deputy president C.W. Toh giving the thumbs up for the contest.

Another change to the competition format is that this time around all participating students and teachers will be rewarded for their hard work.

This year’s contest will also not run on a class basis anymore but be a team effort. Each team must comprise eight to ten students.

All students have to do is produce a four-page newspaper on the blank practice sheets The Star will be providing in its Newspaper in Education (NiE) pullout next Wednesday (April 13), and present it at the nearest Pizza Hut restaurant to get a free large pan pizza.

The best part of the contest is that there is no limit to the number of pizzas each team can redeem. If the team is capable of producing 10 four-page newspapers, then 10 pizzas will be waiting for them to enjoy.

However, they can redeem only one newspaper per visit to Pizza Hut. To redeem the pizza, at least four members of the team must be present.

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SMK Raja Ali Upper Six students and their English teacher Lim Boon Yann posing with the contest poster showing the exciting prizes awaiting the participants.

As Ng said, “The Best School Newspaper Awards 2005, just like its predecessors, works on the premise that given the right rewards, students will work towards their goals.”

With such delicious and exciting rewards in store, Star-NiE and Pizza Hut are expecting an increase in the number of entries from last year's 60,000 participants.

QSR Brands Bhd group executive chairman Datuk Izhar Sulaiman said, “Given the many exciting prizes to be won, I am expecting a bumper contest this year with record entries.”

He said that Pizza Hut Malaysia, as a responsible and caring corporate citizen, is committed to improving the well being of the community and society at large.

This includes undertaking various educational projects with other companies that share its philosophy.

Pizza Hut is pledging more than RM3mil in prizes and sponsorship for this year's contest and NiE activities.

However, Deputy Education Minister Datuk Hon Choon Kim reminded students not to look only at the prizes, but also at how the competition benefits them.

“You should join this competition with the objective of improving your language skills,” said Hon who launched the Best School Newspaper Awards 2005 contest on Monday.

In his speech, Hon thanked Star-NiE and Pizza Hut for doing their part in raising the level of English in the country.

He said, “The Education Ministry cannot by itself improve the standard of education in the country. We need assistance from the community and private companies.”

According to Ng, Star-NiE has been running annual contests to benefit students since its inception in 1997.

“From promoting reading and language skills to harnessing journalistic talents, Star–NiE and its partners have sought to constantly improve the level of English in the country,” she said.

Except for a hiatus of two years, Pizza Hut has been Star–NiE's partner the entire time, providing sponsorship and prizes for the various annual competitions.

nazrey

April 10th, 2005, 03:27 PM

UM not set up in 1905
Sunday April 10, 2005

I REFER to the article on Universiti Malaya (UM) in StarEducation, March 13 where it was reported that UM was established in 1905 and would be celebrating its centennial year this year.

As a 1954 graduate of the former University of Malaya (established in 1949) and a former employee of UM from 1959 to 1985 (as well as being its registrar from 1967 to 1985) I must point out that it is not correct to claim that UM was established in 1905. UM was established under the University of Malaya Act No. 44 of 1961 which only came into force on Jan 1, 1962.

The original University of Malaya was established in 1949 under the University of Malaya Ordinance 1949, resulting from the amalgamation of the King Edward VII College of Medicine and the Raffles College, both located in Singapore.

The former college was first founded in 1904 as “The Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States Medical School”. The name was changed in 1912 to “The King Edward VII Medical School” in recognition of a gift of $120,000 (equivalent to £14,000 then) from the King Edward VII Memorial Foundation for the endowment of a chair in Physiology. The name was changed further in 1920 to “The King Edward VII Medical College”.

The existing UM was set up in Kuala Lumpur in 1959 as a branch campus of the former University of Malaya of 1949 and was then known as the University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur.

The campus in Singapore became the other branch and was then referred to as the University of Malaya in Singapore. Legislation was passed in 1961 in Malaya then and in Singapore establishing the existing UM and the University of Singapore (now National University of Singapore) in the respective countries, with Jan1 1962 as the founding date.

Although UM can be said to have its roots dating back to 1904 through its link with the former University of Malaya established in 1949, it would not be correct to claim that it was established in 1905.

LIM CHUNG TAT

Petaling Jaya

nazrey

April 10th, 2005, 03:32 PM

Manipal, magnet for medical students
Sunday April 10, 2005

Leaving home to study in an alien country can be scary. KAREN CHAPMAN follows a group of Malaysian undergraduates for the first part of their medical training in Manipal, India.

LOCATED on the picturesque Malabar Coast of southwest India is a thriving university town known as Manipal. From communications and journalism to medicine, dentistry, nursing, allied health, engineering and hotel management, local and international undergraduates as well as postgraduates have made it home while they pursued an education.

It is no different for Malaysians as more than 2,500 local doctors have been trained at Kasturba Medical College (KMC) in the last 50 years. This amounts to 20% of all registered medical practitioners in the country.

Today KMC is one of the constituent colleges under the Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) and according to an India Today report last year, is ranked third in a list of top 10 medical institutions in India.

In fact, Melaka-Manipal Medical College (MMMC) was established as a result of the vision of then Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad on the need for greater South-South cooperation in the economic and social fields.

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Some of the Malaysian students in front of the Melaka-Manipal Medical College building on the Manipal campus in India.

This led to the signing of an agreement between JVMC Corporation Sdn Bhd and MAHE to offer a twinning MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery). It was agreed that the Basic Sciences would be offered at the Manipal campus while the clinical programme would be at the Malacca campus.

MAHE provides the academic programme and extends administrative support for the whole course including the clinical programme in Malaysia. Teaching faculty are recruited from Malacca and from MAHE to ensure standards remain high.

“The aim was to share the Manipal advantage with students from Malaysia. Although we draw on the Manipal experience, the entire emphasis of the programme is to meet the regulations of the Malaysian Medical Council,” says MMMC dean Prof K Ramnarayan from the Manipal campus

The real thing

But as Prof Ramnarayan shares, nothing beats the real thing as he believes one of the strengths of the MMMC medical degree is the hands-on learning style prescribed for its undergraduates.

There is no substitute to dealing with a human body. From the very first day, medical students are taught to respect it. “We tell students that they are there as healers and not to look at the human body as a source of disease.

“A doctor must have a head for knowledge, a heart for sensitivity or feelings while the hands represent skills. What’s the point of developing skills if you are not sensitive to your patient's needs?” asks Prof Ramnarayan.

This is why the institution strongly believes in hands-on learning as using mannequins is not the same, he adds.

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Students listening avidly during a lecture at the Melaka-Manipal Medical College in Malacca.

“Technology has its place in medicine but it cannot replace the importance of hands-on clinical work,” he says.

He adds that in India students also get many opportunities to observe cases such as tuberculosis, malaria or other gastro intestinal diseases which are no longer common in Malaysia.

When learning about anatomy, Prof Ramnarayan stresses on the importance of doing so hands-on.

“Some medical schools have done away with dissection because they do not get enough cadavers so it is done virtually but we believe that nothing beats the real thing.

“The institution is still able to obtain cadavers so students are able to receive hands-on training. We believe this is one of our strengths,” he says.

“We had our first dissection class on the third day of our first week. The smell of the formalin was overwhelming but dissecting the body was even worse. We are getting used to it now,” shares first year medical student Gurpreet Kaur.

One common goal

Manipal has two universities, 27 professional colleges, affiliated institutes and numerous primary and high schools. MAHE was born when the professional colleges were granted university status in July 1993.

(It was the first institute in the private sector to be recognised as a Deemed University by the Government of India. A deemed university means a college which has converted to a university.)

MMMC principal and chief executive officer Datuk Dr Megat Burhainuddin Megat Abdul Rahman shares that to date 265 students have graduated from MMMC and are now housemen or medical officers.

“I have been following their progress and am glad to know they are doing well,” says the former deputy director general of Health.

There are currently 700 students at the Malacca campus and another 750 at Manipal.

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Group teaching in the clinical skills lab at the Malacca campus.

The MBBS programme which is conferred by MAHE is recognised by the Malaysian Medical Council and the Public Services Department. The National Accreditation Board (LAN) visited both the Manipal and Malacca campuses in 2003.

In Feb 2004, MMMC was included in the World Health Organisation list of recognised medical colleges and also in the International Medical Education Directory of the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates.

The MBBS programme is five years in duration. Students receive two and a half years of pre-clinical training in Manipal and spend the remaining two and a half years of clinical teaching and training at the Malacca, Muar and Tangkak hospitals as well as other community health centres and polyclinics.

“We believe one of the strengths of our programme is the excellent pre-clinical training received by students. India is reputed for its teachers in the basic medical sciences.

“This is very important as it is the foundation for every medical student,” says Prof Ramnarayan.

Final year medical undergraduate Ain Affnani Jasman who enjoyed her time in Manipal, speaks highly of the lecturers’ dedication.

“The lecturers are very down-to-earth and really cared about how we were coping with everything,” she adds.

Back to basics

MMMC wants to produce medical students who are able to develop clinical skills to diagnose and manage their patients’ health problems, evaluate problems in different perspectives, practise self-directed learning as well as develop the right characteristics and attitudes required for professional life.

But as Prof Ramnarayan shares, the emphasis is not on mastery of large amounts of information but on the management of information as applied to the problems and needs of the community.

“Readings start from the first day as we feel the first few weeks are the most critical. Students get to see the direction they are going,” adds Prof Ramnarayan.

Gurpreet who is part of the latest batch, says she felt overwhelmed with the workload in the first few days but is now better able to cope.

“Medicine is really tough and there are a lot of things to remember and study such as all the nerves and muscles,” she shares.

One of the unique features of the programme is that while Malaysian students have their own lectures, laboratory and clinical work sessions at the MMMC campus in Manipal, they share other facilities such as the library, dissection hall and hostels with other students under MAHE.

MMMC teachers teach only MMMC students and not KMC students. After classes, MMMC students are able to mix with the rest of MAHE students who come from more than 30 countries worldwide.

The anatomy museum at KMC is one of the largest in the world with over 1,700 specimens and a separate section on comparative anatomy with skeletons of reptiles and mammals.

Regular small group seminars and micro teaching is also done in the museum. Dr R P Pai who teaches community medicine, says the anatomy museum caters to the needs of various health-related programmes.

Final year student Ain Affnani Jasman found the anatomy museum very helpful as she says it is vital for students to know the structure of the human body such as which muscle is attached to the bone.

Another unique feature of the MBBS programme is that students are also exposed to traditional and complementary medicine such as the Ayurvedic Medicine Department, clinic and wards.

nazrey

April 10th, 2005, 03:36 PM

Taking the essentials
Sunday April 10, 2005

BY KAREN CHAPMAN

DESPITE being a new institutionmedical students at the Melaka-Manipal Medical College have come up with unique ways to welcome new students into the fold.

Gurvinder Singh Sandhu from Batch 15 was determined that everyone take part in a welcoming ceremony. “It didn’t matter if they worked behind the scenes. We just wanted everyone to work together to welcome the new batch.

“It wasn’t easy getting 151 people to work together but we did it,” shares Gurvinder. He says that it is important that new students who come to India are made to feel comfortable.

Items included hilarious sketches, dikir barat, bhangra and Chinese dances. “We wanted to break the ice with the new students and have fun at the same time. This is why we even had games like musical chairs,” he adds.

Muhammad Fariz Abu Bakar who led the dikir barat performance was the only one with experience.

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The red-bricked building houses the chancellery and the library while the building on the left is the Chandrashekar hostel.

“Everyone else had never done it before but I had fun teaching them what to do,” he adds.

Anusha Asairinachan and Toh Ee Lyn were part of the group who performed a dance from Devdas.

“To ensure everyone had the same sari and bangles, we went to a place in Udupi. We copied some of the movements from the movie but the rest we choreographed ourselves and practised whenever we had free time,” shares Anusha.

nazrey

April 10th, 2005, 03:41 PM

New institute to train English teachers proposed
Tuesday March 29, 2005.

PUTRAJAYA: A new institute to train English language teachers has been proposed under the Ninth Malaysia Plan, Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said yesterday.

“The institute is aimed at improving the skills and increasing the number of English teachers. We want to produce English teachers who are on par with their international counterparts,” he added.

Hishamuddin said the proposal had been forwarded to the Economic Planning Unit and the location of the institute and its intake would be announced at a later date.

“The institute will establish links with reputable universities overseas such as Oxford and Cambridge.

“We want the institute to be of global standard in line with Malaysia’s aim to be a fully developed nation by 2020,” he told reporters after receiving a 3-D pewter plaque commemorating the country’s five prime ministers from Tumasek Pewter Sdn Bhd.

On the proposal to review the policy of using English to teach Mathematics and Science, Hishammuddin said it was still too early to evaluate its success.

“We are doing a study and will make a decision based on facts and statistics. Any decision will have far-reaching consequences,” he added.

Commenting on Higher Education Minister Datuk Dr Shafie Mohd Salleh’s suggestion that jobless graduates be absorbed into the local education institutions, Hishamuddin said that the teaching profession required graduates who were of high calibre, passionate and dedicated.

“We do not want people to regard teaching as a last resort or something they can fall back on,” he said.

nazrey

April 11th, 2005, 11:43 AM

Schools In Putrajaya, Cyberjaya To Become Model Institutions
April 07, 2005 18:50 PM

PUTRAJAYA, April 7 (Bernama) -- The Education Ministry has plans to turn 15 schools here and in neighbouring Cyberjaya into model institutions, Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said Thursday.

He said the schools -- eight primary and seven secondary -- could become showcase institutions for schools in the country. Twelve of the schools are here and three are in Cyberjaya. Two of the secondary schools are fully residential.

Hishammuddin said the capacity and excellence of the schools would be enhanced to match fully residential schools, premier schools and schools with a long history and heritage.

He spoke to reporters after a meeting between principals, head teachers and senior assistants of the schools with senior officers of the ministry as well as community leaders and leaders of the Umno Youth Education Bureau and the Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya Umno Youth divisions, here.

The minister said he saw no reason why the schools, with 10,000 students and 750 teachers, could not become schools of excellence.

Hishammuddin said he was impressed with the high-level of enthusiasm in the academic staff to improve the teaching at the schools.

He suggested that the schools step up relations and co-operation in teaching with leading schools abroad, with which links had been established -- including via the Internet -- following his visits abroad.

These foreign schools are in the league of the Rimba Secondary School in Brunei and the Lancaster Grammar School in the United Kingdom.

"With the availability of ICT (information and communication technology), I believe schools here can foster closer relations with and share experiences with the schools abroad and our schools too would have similar charisma," he said.

Hishammuddin also said that as the schools in the two cities were strategically close to the ministry and other ministries and government agencies, many beneficial efforts could be undertaken.

He said the meeting had discussed how important it was for government officers stationed in Putrajaya to adopt a positive and proactive approach for the development of education (schools) here.

"I hope they will involve themselves with the parent-teacher associations of the schools and help overcome any shortfall," he said.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 11th, 2005, 12:37 PM

More Foreign Students In Local Higher Education Institutions
April 11, 2005 15:46 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, April 11 (Bernama) -- Efforts to make Malaysia a hub for educational excellence, particularly in higher education, has been fruitful with the number of foreign students pursuing their studies in the country having increased by some 1,000 percent in nine years.

Higher Education Minister Datuk Dr Shafie Salleh said that the number of foreign students who enrolled in Malaysian institutions of higher learning rose from just 2,887 in 1996 to 28,954 at end-December last year.

Opening the Malaysian Education Promotion Centre (MEPC) in Ho Chi Minh City Monday, Shafie said the increase was a manifestation of the growing confidence of many parents from outside Malaysia to entrust their children's academic needs in the education system and opportunities available in the country.

The text of his speech was faxed to Bernama here today.

Shafie said as at end-December last year, there were 588,234 students, inclusive of foreign students, enrolled in Malaysian institutions of higher learning compared with 256,684 in 1996.

Of the total number of students last year, 314,344 or 53.4 percent enrolled in private institutions of higher education while the rest in public institutions, he said.

Shafie said that such a high percentage of students pursuing their studies in private institutions reflect the confidence of parents on the Malaysian private education sector to provide the much sought-after high quality education that should pave the future career pathway for their children.

Explaining the achievement, the minister said: "In our quest to become the centre of excellence, we have listened to the educational community, to students, parents, individuals, community groups, business and industry and to teachers and other educators.

"As a result of this listening process, we in Malaysia have directed our efforts in developing our education, training and information system to be one of world class, that would be able to match the best anywhere in the world."

Shafie said that the total number of international students pursuing tertiary education in Malaysia had also increased tremendously in the past decade.

On the MEPC, Shafie said that its main objective was to disseminate information on educational opportunities in Malaysia.

It also acts as a reference and counselling centre for students and parents to forward their inquiries and seek quick references that will enhance their decisions on the choice of institutions and course of studies.

He said that the MPEC features extensive promotion programmes and activities that would further enhance recruitment of students to institutions of higher education in Malaysia.

Shafie said that currently about 500 Vietnamese students were studying in Malaysia and with the establishment of the MEPC in Ho Chi Minh City, it was hoped that parents would be able to understand the abundance of educational opportunities available in Malaysia for their children at a South-East Asian fee rate.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 11th, 2005, 01:00 PM

Another Two Malaysians Make It To Harvard University
April 11, 2005 17:53 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, April 11 (Bernama) -- For the first time, two Malaysian students managed to obtain places in one intake to pursue undergraduate programmes in the prestigious US-based Harvard University.

Harvard, an independent university established in 1636, has offered places to Nicholas Khaw Hock Lu and Timothy Lim Seng Yen to join the Class of 2009 which begins this year.

"For the first time, two Malaysians have been offered places in Harvard (in a year). On average, only one Malaysian student enters Harvard but this year, we have a bumper crop," said Dr Goh Cheng Teik, the interviewer in Malaysia for undergraduate admission to Harvard University at the Malaysian-American Commission on Education Exchange (Macee), here Monday.

Khaw, 18, a Damansara Utama Secondary School student who scored 11 A1s in his Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination, obtained a magnificent 1,560 points over 1,600, in the American Scholastic Aptitude Test. He plans to major in economics.

He later joined UiTM's International Education Centre (Intec) where he did his foundation course to prepare his entry to a foreign university.

Lim studied at Alice Smith School here before joining Harrow, a renowned public school in England.

Meanwhile, Rayhan Arif, an American citizen residing and schooling in Malaysia, is the third student from the country to be offered a place in the university. Both his parents are working in the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) here.

Khaw and Lim beat some 23,000 international students who applied to join Harvard this year, which traditionally offers only 1,650 seats. About 50 Malaysians applied to join the university this year alone.

"There is no fixed formula to join Harvard. Academic achievement is important but other abilities like community service, the ability to overcome obstacles, sports activities are also taken into account by the committee," said Dr Goh.

Since 2001, three Intec students have join Harvard -- Ananda Bala Subramaniam (2001), Adrian Ow Yang Hwei (2002) and Wan Nadiah Wan Mohamed Abdullah Yaakob (2003).

"If Nicholas (Khaw) accepts the offer, he will be the fourth Intec student to enter Harvard," he said.

It will cost Khaw about RM190,000 per annum to pursue his studies and the government will bear all his expenses.

So far, less than 100 Malaysians graduated from Harvard, both at undergraduate and post-graduate levels.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 11th, 2005, 01:03 PM

Harvard University Builds Branch School In Northwest China
April 11, 2005 17:53 PM

XI'AN, April 11 (Bernama) -- Harvard University will build a school in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, according to an agreement recently signed between the Harvard University Foundation and the Shaanxi International Trade College.

Harvard University will provide teaching materials and equipment and will send teachers. The two universities will also begin a student exchange, XINHUA quoted David Fulo Jen, Vice Board Chairman of Harvard University Foundation as saying here.

The school will cover 66 hectares in the Chang'an University Town in Xi'an and cost US$100 million to build.

The Shaanxi International Trade College, set up in 1985, has 37 specialities with 20,000 students.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 11th, 2005, 01:12 PM

Government And Stakeholders Should Share Responsibility In Education
April 11, 2005 17:53 PM

PENANG, April 11 (Bernama) -- Responsibility for education in sustainable development must not be borne by the government alone but should also be shared by the stakeholders, Higher Education Minister Datuk Dr Shafie Mohamed Salleh said Monday.

He said that among the stakeholders were the community, the family institution and organisations and agencies locally, regionally and worldwide.

"Although education for sustainable development should be a government's responsibility, it also should be borne by others as well," he said in his speech at the opening of the regional workshop on education for sustainable development here. The text of his speech was read out by the deputy director of the Policy Division in the Higher Education Department, Dr Ismail Jamaluddin.

Dr Shafie said that sustainable development should be defined in broader terms than the aspects of science in relation to development and it should encompass the aspects sustaining future generations.

"Education should focus on broader aspects of sustainable development such as the question of eradication of poverty, gender equality and rural and urban divide," he said.

He said that while different countries have different systems of formal education, the non-formal education such as life-long learning perhaps play a greater and meaningful role in education for sustainable development.

Among the issues related to sustainable development were the urban environment, with special attention to the solid waste management, recycling, zero waste and urban development directed at reducing pollution, he said.

However, he said, sustainable development efforts had been constrained by economic, social, cultural and political factors.

The three-day workshop, organised by Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) and the United Nations University's Institute of Advanced Studies, was attended by 100 representatives from local and international universities.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 11th, 2005, 01:50 PM

KSN: Govt Waiting To What Extent UPM Researches Benefited M'sians
April 08, 2005 18:41 PM

SERDANG, April 8 (Bernama) -- The nation is still waiting to what extent results of the researches conducted by Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) have benefited the rakyat.

This is the conclusion that can be adduced from the statement by the Chief Secretary to the Government, Tan Sri Samsudin Osman, when speaking at the presentation of the MS ISO 9001: 2000 certificate at the university Friday.

Samsudin said the government was anxiously waiting for research findings of UPM researchers to be applied for the country's development and progress.

As a university receiving the highest allocation of nearly RM160 million under the Intensified Research in Priority Areas, he said, the outcome of its researches must eventually achieve the target -- to improve the people's standard of living.

He said the big allocation given to UPM to carry out research reflected the government's strong confidence in the researchers at the university to continue acquiring latest knowledge.

Speaking to reporters later, Samsudin said he made the reminder to ensure research findings of UPM researchers have commercial potentials.

"If the Malaysian Agriculture Research and Development Institute (Mardi) can come up with a stock that can boost the agriculture yield, the stock must reach the farmers," he said.

He said this was a challenge to researchers in UPM to prove the confidence placed in them by the government was not a waste.

As centres of excellence, he said, UPM and other public tertiary learning institutions must produce more scientists and researchers to help push the country forward to attain the developed country status.

Currently, Malaysia has 160 scientists for every one million Malaysians which by far lower than the Americans with a ratio of 4,100 and Japanese 5,097 for every one million population.

The MS ISO 9001: 2000 certification is part of UPM's efforts to emerge as a world-class academic and research institution.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 11th, 2005, 08:40 PM

How schools pump new blood into the force
Monday, April 11, 2005

By ESTHER CHANDRAN

Teaching the young core values and responsibilities shouldered by the police is what the police cadet unit at schools is all about.

The police cadet corps, set up 35 years ago, started off with only 56 platoons and 1,960 members.

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SMK Convent Bukit Nanas police cadet corps unit practising their march past on their school field.

As of November last year, the figure stands at 62,755 members with 1,793 male and female platoons.

At the 35th Police Cadet Corps celebrations at the city police headquarters on March 31, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Mohd Bakri Omar said the Royal Malaysian Police Force (PDRM), through the police cadet corps unit, was committed to moulding youths who were disciplined, ethical and possessed good values.

In his speech read by City deputy police chief SAC I Datuk Ahmad Bahrin Idrus, the IGP said the police cadet corps was the largest uniformed body at schools in terms of its membership.

To encourage police cadets to continue in the uniformed body at the tertiary level, undergraduate police volunteer corps (SUKSIS) was set up at higher learning institutions.

For SMK Convent Bukit Nanas students Siti Norazrin Mohd Zainuddin, Fatin Nadiah Mohd Yusof and Nur Natasha Rozali, the police cadet corps is a great uniformed body to belong to.

The 17 year olds agree that becoming police cadets had made them more disciplined in their day-to-day routine at school and at home.

Siti Norazrin became a police cadet in Form One and has made up her mind to join the police force after completing her tertiary education.

“I feel that the training a police officer goes through will benefit me physically and mentally.

“But most of all, I am keen to become a policewoman as I think it is my responsibility to serve the country,” she said.

Nur Natasha, who wants to become a lawyer, said the police were looked upon to uphold the law and her career choice would keep her in close contact with the law and the police.

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La Salle principal Rajenthran (left) says police cadets can be relied upon to help out in school events such as in manning traffic.

“I enjoy the activities we do in the police cadet corps like the shooting exercises and the camps we go for,” said Nur Natasha.

As for Fatin, she said that although she enjoyed being a police cadet, she hoped to become a medical officer.

The police cadet corps unit at SMK La Salle Petaling Jaya has 150 members and students take this uniformed body quite seriously.

School principal A. Rajenthran said police cadets were relied upon to help out in school events such as manning traffic and security.

“The police cadets set a good example to other students.

“They have a disciplinary board that helps members with disciplinary problems.

“Students with problems are often re-trained by senior police cadets as they believe in helping each other in finding a solution to overcome the problem,” Rajenthran said.

However, he said the unit did not appeal to Chinese students who preferred to join the other uniformed bodies in school like the Malaysian Red Crescent Society (MRCS) or the scouts.

“We have tried various methods to encourage our Chinese students to join the police cadets but to no avail,” Rajenthran said.

Mohd Izmauddin Mohd Burhanud-din, 18, said being in the police cadet corps had taught him the importance of discipline, having respect for others, co-operation and teamwork.

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SAC I Ahmad Bahrin inspecting the police cadet corps from schools in the city at the 35th Police Cadet Corps celebrations at the city police headquarters on March 31.

“We see our unit as a family and look forward to our weekly meetings and activities like jungle trekking, games and marching,” he said.

Seventeen-year-old Suresh Chil-tarasan is impressed with the duties of a police officer.

“I plan to join the police force after attaining my degree as my association with our police trainers has made me realise that it is an interesting job,” he said.

St John’s Institution is also proud of its police cadets.

Senior assistant Dr Puvanendran said the unit had taught the boys to be self confident, responsible and self disciplined.

“Sometimes, they get so involved in their activities that they forget their academic responsibilities,” he said.

Puvanendran said the police cadets were relied upon for events requiring security.

“They are able to co-ordinate and plan everything to ensure an event runs smoothly,” he said.

Puvanendran said SJI hoped the students would take with them the lessons and culture learnt from their days as police cadets to their workplace.

Dang Wangi administrative unit chief ASP Abu Bakar Isa said teaching youths the duties and responsibilities of a police officer and the benefits one got upon joining the force was the core intention of the police cadet corps programme.

Initially, he said students were taught how to march and during these sessions, they would also be told about basic laws.

He said trainers from the police force were despatched to schools and each police cadet unit would have teachers as consultants to guide the students in the absence of the police.

“We hope the younger generation through our training and guidance at schools, will be keen to join the police force,” he said.

http://thestar.com.my/hp/spotlight/2005/4/spot1104.jpg

nazrey

April 11th, 2005, 09:19 PM

Universities enrol with SAS to boost graduate skills
Monday April 4, 2005

KUALA LUMPUR: Six local universities have signed up for SAS Institute's Academic Initiative programme, which aims to help arm students with industry-relevant skills.

The United States-based company is a business intelligence software and services provider.

The universities involved are Universiti Teknologi Mara, Universiti Utara Malaysia, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia and Open University Malaysia (OUM).

Under the programme, the universities will enjoy unlimited student-user licences of SAS software, as well as receive the company's support to develop curriculum that is in line with the current business environment.

The company will also organise joint seminars and provide free consultation on the integration of its software into university course modules.

Through the programme, individual university faculties can also partner with SAS Malaysia to undertake both academic and industrial research projects.

“The initiative involves more than just the use of software," Prof Dr Mansor Fadzil, vice-president of OUM, said at a signing ceremony to mark the deal.

"It is an innovative way to educate and develop quality Malaysian students," he said.

The programme also offers students the opportunity to do industrial training with SAS Malaysia or with SAS customers, a key advantage especially in a country where there is intense competition for jobs, according to Jimmy Cheah, managing director of SAS Malaysia.

“Today’s marketplace is indeed more competitive and demanding as employers are expecting young graduates to be more business and technology savvy," he said, adding that the programme would "increase student’s competitive advantage."

nazrey

April 12th, 2005, 06:59 AM

Scholarship won’t guarantee government job, students told
Tuesday April 12, 2005

BY JOHAN FERNANDEZ

NEW YORK: A government scholarship is not a passport to a government job. That is the message to Mara scholars abroad.

Rather than depend on the Government to provide them with jobs, they should venture into business on their return home, said Entrepreneur and Co-operative Development Minister Datuk Mohamed Khaled Nordin.

The days are over for those who expect to get jobs after returning home on completing their studies overseas, he told students with Mara and Public Services Department scholarships here on Sunday.

The Government wanted overseas students to be independent and to work towards being entrepreneurs, he added.

“You should make use of your opportunity here to develop soft skills like communication, leadership and problem solving,” he advised the students.

Khaled lamented that Malaysian students abroad tended to group together and not interact with locals and other foreign students.

“Therefore, they do not improve their English communication skills,” he said.

nazrey

April 12th, 2005, 08:18 AM

Parliament: Govt Raises Stipend For Students Abroad
April 12, 2005 14:22 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, April 12 (Bernama) -- The government has raised the stipend for Malaysian students in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Russia and the Ukraine, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

The rate of the stipend for students in the United Kingdom was raised by 50 per cent on Dec 9 last year and that for students in Ireland by 10 per cent from March 28 this year, he said in a written reply to a question in the Dewan Rakyat here Tuesday.

Abdullah said the rate of the stipend for students in Russia and the Ukraine had been raised by between 150 and 250 per cent, from US$200 (US$1 = RM3.80) to US$700 and from US$200 to US$500 under two categories beginning Feb 2 this year.

"The government is aware of the ever-increasing cost of living and the exchange rate and reviews from time to time the rate of scholarship for its sponsored students overseas," he said.

Abdullah said the government was looking into the stipend for students in several other countries, such as South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, France and Jordan.

"A proposal will be submitted to the Finance Ministry once the review has been completed," he said.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 14th, 2005, 10:46 AM

Education Sector Continues To Attract Foreign Students
April 14, 2005 15:44 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, April 14 (Bernama) -- The education sector continues to attract foreign students, mainly into private sector institutes of higher education, Minister of International Trade and Industry, Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz said.

In 2004, the enrolment of foreign students increased to 25,939 from 25,158 in 2003.

"The students were mainly from China (8,707 students or 33.6 percent), Indonesia (4,443 or 17.1 percent), Bangladesh (1,421 students or 5.5 percent) and Pakistan (1,250 students or 4.8 percent), Rafidah said at the third day of the ministry's Annual Dialogue 2005 with associations providing support services here, Thursday.

She said the export revenue generated from the educational sector in 2004 was estimated at RM778 million, an increase of 3.1 percent from RM755 million in 2003.

Touching on the health services, Rafidah said the specialised areas promoted include heart and eye treatment, plastic surgery, fertility treatment, general medical screening and diagnostic services.

These services are estimated to have generated an equivalent export revenue of RM100 million in 2004.

On another note, she said the construction services sector secured overseas projects in road and highway construction, water treatment, public housing and structural steel works.

These projects were in India (RM7.9 billion, China (RM2 billion), South Africa (RM1.8 billion) and Sri Lanka (RM1.5 billion).

Rafidah said the information, communication and technology sector, was another emerging services industry that had potential for export.

As at December, 2004, there were 1,145 companies, 41 institutions of higher learning, and 13 incubator companies with Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) status.

The value of ICT exports by MSC status companies totalled RM1.5 billion in 2004, a 21 percent increase compared with RM1.24 billion in 2003.

In addition, Rafidah said several new sectors with export potential had also been identified.

These include professional services (including the legal, accounting, auditing, taxation, urban planning and landscape architectural services), management consulting (including financial and human resource management consulting services) and hospital services.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 14th, 2005, 06:37 PM

Ministry To Focus On Weak Students And Dropouts Under 9MP
April 14, 2005 22:44 PM

PUTRAJAYA, April 14 (Bernama) -- The Education Ministry will focus on weak students and school dropouts under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP).

Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said Thursday the government could not neglect this group and must identity what caused them to perform poorly and to drop out.

If they dropped out of the school system due to problems that could be fixed, like poverty, teacher shortage and school and location problems, all these would be taken into account in the planning for the 9MP, he told reporters after chairing the post-cabinet meeting for his ministry.

He said the ministry had also to focus on students who failed to achieve outstanding results because they formed the majority, compared with the 180 outstanding students who were feted Wednesday.

He said a balance must be struck between these two groups to ensure that the weak students also excelled and this could be done by identifying the root causes.

"We will also provide assistance to close the gap between the urban and rural areas, the digital divide between the villages and towns," he said.

Wednesday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and the cabinet ministers feted 180 students who obtained outstanding results in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination last year.

Hishammuddin also said that a mechanism was needed to overcome the problem of student discipline and misconduct and school infrastructure in a transparent, effective and fast manner.

Asked to comment on the plight of Noor Hidayah Morad, 14, the girl born without legs who had to stop schooling because she did not want to burden her friends and teachers, he said he was sad to learn that some parties had not fulfilled their pledge to help her.

"I cannot forgive any party that made these promises and did not keep them, So, I've asked my officer to go see Noor Hidayah tomorrow, see how we can help," he said.

Noor Hidayah, a former student of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Kubang Rotan, near Alor Star, Kedah, was reported Wednesday as saying that she decided to quit school after her classroom was moved to the second floor because she did not want to burden her friends and teachers anymore. It was reported that a company had wanted to donate prosthetic legs but her hips could not fit them.

She had also been registered with the Social Welfare department since she was one year old but had yet to receive any aid.

Hishammuddin said he was willing to help her personally to enable her to return to school.

Asked whether her classroom could be moved to another location to make it easier for Noor Hidayah to move around, he said the problem could be resolved.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 15th, 2005, 01:40 PM

Upgrade For Deplorable Schools Under Ninth Plan, Says Hishammuddin
April 15, 2005 19:20 PM

RAUB, April 15 (Bernama) -- Schools in deplorable condition will be upgraded under the Ninth Malaysia Plan for students and teachers' comfort, Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said Friday.

He said his ministry would give special attention to 6,721 schools -- 841 secondary and 5,880 primary schools -- built over 20 years ago.

Under the Eighth Malaysia Plan, the ministry allocated RM1.9 billion for schools' renovation and to upgrade infrastructure facilities, he said.

This would be continued under the Ninth Malaysia Plan, he told reporters after launching Sekolah Kebangsaan Bandar Raub's carnival in conjunction with the school's centennial celebrations.

Earlier, in his speech, Hishammuddin said his ministry would work to woo more non-Malay students to enroll in national schools.

"We will make national schools geared more towards fulfilling national aspirations to attract more non-Malay parents to send their children to national schools," he said.

Hishammuddin also said his ministry had tightened teachers' recruitment procedures to ensure only applicants with a sense of responsibility were accepted.

"We don't want them to be teachers merely for the salary and to avoid being unemployed," he added.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 18th, 2005, 03:55 PM

Umno Youth Launches Internship Programme For Bright Students

April 18, 2005 21:24 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, April 18 (Bernama) -- Some 100 Bumiputera students from public institutions of higher learning have obtained places for training under Umno Youth's Pemuda Internship Programme (Pintar).

The students will undergo a two-month training stint at 28 participating corporate companies, including AirAsia, Golden Hope, Ernst & Young and Zaid Ibrahim & Co.

The programme, which is aimed at providing work experience and opportunities for the students, was launched by Higher Education Minister Datuk Dr Shafie Mohd Salleh at the Putra World Trade Centre, Monday.

Also present was Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein, who is Umno Youth chief.

Speaking to reporters, Umno Youth vice head Khairy Jamaluddin said Pintar was launched to overcome the unemployment problem.

At the moment, he said, only students with a CGPA of 3.5 and above were selected for the programme because they had more difficulty getting jobs than those who graduated overseas.

He said the students' development would be monitored through a weekly performance report, adding that the programme would be expanded to cover more students if it proved successful.

Khairy said the movement would also obtain feedback on the programme from the Ministry of Higher Education, institutions of higher learning, participating companies and students for reference in the drafting of its proposal to overcome the unemployment problem in the country.

The majority of the 18,000 unemployed graduates were students in either Malay or Islamic studies, he added.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 22nd, 2005, 08:21 PM

Students to get laptops in July
Thursday April 21, 2005

STUDENTS of public colleges and universities will get laptops equipped with software suited to their courses, reported Berita Harian.

Higher Education Minister Datuk Dr Mohd Shafie Salleh said a proposal containing the details would be submitted to the Cabinet.

“For example, engineering students need more sophisticated software, which costs more, compared with social science students,” he said.

He said, once approved, the first batch of students would receive the laptops in July, when the new academic session begins.

If the pilot phase is successful, the rest would get their laptops by early next year, he added.

Utusan Malaysia reported that the poor in Selangor could buy a low-cost house with a deposit of RM1 under a state government scheme.

According to Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo, the RM35,000 house has three rooms and comes with two car park lots.

“They can move in within two months of placing the deposit,” he said at a national seminar on Urban Poor and Low Income Families on Tuesday.

He said the state also gave out subsidies to help squatters buy low-cost homes.

“We not only want to eradicate the squatter problem but also reduce the number of urban poor in the state,” he said.

Kosmo!reported the Public Services Department (PSD) as saying that it should not be blamed for not recognising degrees.

PSD public relations officer Hasniah Rashid was responding to the tabloid’s report that accounts graduate Gayethri Kulaseran was not allowed to sit for her professional accounting exam as the PSD did not recognise her degree.

Hasniah said the complication arose because the Accounting and Finance bachelor's degree obtained through a local college’s twinning programme was not recognised by the National Accreditation Board.

nazrey

April 23rd, 2005, 09:05 PM

Government May Allow More University Branch Campuses
April 23, 2005 20:48 PM

SHAH ALAM, April 23 (Bernama) -- The government is considering allowing public universities (IPTA) that offer diplomas to set up branch campuses, especially those with vocational training, technical and engineering programmes.

Higher Education Minister Datuk Dr Shafie Mohd Salleh said this was being proposed to meet the target of having 140,000 students enrolled for diploma courses in institutions of higher learning in the country in 2010.

He said the IPTA that might be involved are Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Kolej Universiti Sains dan Teknologi Malaysia (Kustem), Kolej Universiti Tun Hussein Onn (Kuittho), Kolej Universiti Kejuruteraan dan Teknologi Malaysia (Kuktem) and Kolej Universiti Teknikal Kebangsaan Malaysia (Kutkm).

Dr Shafie was speaking to reporters after attending the Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah (PSA) Polytechnic convocation at which 1,851 students received diplomas and certificates.

At present, the IPTA with branch campuses are UiTM with 14 branch campuses and 54,926 diploma students while UTM and Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) each has a branch campus, at Jalan Semarak in Kuala Lumpur and Bintulu, Sarawak, respectively.

The number of diploma students has been increasing steadily, from 30,491 for the 1990/1991 academic year to 40,324 for 1995/1996 and 99,092 for 2003/2004.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 24th, 2005, 11:20 AM

Curtin Sarawak Malaysia Connects Education In Sarawak and Perth With Networking Equipment from Cisco Systems
February 24, 2005
http://www.curtin.edu.my.
http://www.sains.com.my.

High-speed network boosts bandwidth, seamless learning and sharing of resources

KUCHING, Malaysia - February 24, 2005 - Curtin Sarawak Malaysia (CSM) has upgraded the network connection to its main campus, Curtin University of Technology, in Perth, Western Australia through Gigabit Ethernet networking equipment from Cisco Systems®. The solution provides CSM with a highly stable, and scalable network with industry-leading security, that helps enable a seamless learning environment between the two campuses.

CSM is the only offshore branch campus of Curtin University of Technology, one of Australia's leading universities focused on information technology. The new network, which increases connectivity speed between the two campuses by ten-fold, was built by Sarawak Information Systems Sdn Bhd (SAINS), a Cisco®-authorized reseller.

"Curtin University's objective is to provide education services of the highest quality through a network that is easy to manage. Through Cisco's technology solution, the management of our network has been made easier. Deployment of security policies in the network has also been enhanced and time taken to deploy new security policies to client workstations has decreased significantly," said Mr. Philip Musa, IT manager, CSM. "This upgrade to a more advanced infrastructure will allow the entire Curtin community to integrate and interact as a whole regardless of geographical distance or borders."

The Cisco Gigabit Ethernet network has opened the door to a host of new possibilities for CSM. The campus is now gearing towards end-user mobility with wireless local-area network (WLAN) hotspots and remote virtual private network (VPN) access being planned. CSM has also established a satellite link to further increase the download bandwidth for resource sharing by their university research departments and growing student population.

"SAINS is very proud to be able to deliver a solution based on Cisco's industry leading technology to CSM. Our solution on the proven integrity of Cisco products and SAINS' proven track record in the region gave CSM confidence that SAINS was able to deliver a future proof solution of outstanding quality. It was a real collaboration from all parties and we realise that the success of our local education development requires strong partnership between government, commerce, industry, professional organizations, other institutions of learning and the community," said Ms. Lucy Wong, head of Business Development, SAINS.

"CSM is one of the first universities in Sarawak to build such an advanced network. Their foresight and vision for the university is commendable and they are setting an excellent precedence in education excellence by investing in technology through this network solution. CSM's network is an excellent example of how networking technologies are benefiting organizations worldwide. This is truly education without borders," said Kumaran Singaram, managing director of Cisco Systems Malaysia.

About Cisco Systems

Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO), the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet, celebrates 20 years of commitment to technology innovation, industry leadership, and corporate social responsibility. Information about Cisco can be found at www.cisco.com. For ongoing news, please go to newsroom.cisco.com. Asia Pacific news and information are available at www.cisco.com/asiapac/news.

nazrey

April 25th, 2005, 07:57 PM

Educaton Ministry To Build 1,000 Workshops By 2010
April 25, 2005 23:27 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, April 25 (Bernama) -- The Education Ministry plans to build 1,000 workshops for vocational subjects to achieve a target of 33 per cent of form four and form five students pursuing the subjects by 2010.

Deputy Education Minister Datuk Hon Choon Kim said 200 workshops would be built each year starting from this year.

"The ministry will also run skills courses for teachers with the co-operation of the industrial sector," he said when winding up debate on the Supplementary Supply Bill (2004) 2005 on behalf of his ministry in the Dewan Rakyat, Monday.

He said the vocational subjects were important to prepare students for the job market or as basic knowledge for them to pursue higher vocational studies.

Hon also said that his ministry was also planning to build more pre-school classes for children.

"By 2006, a total of 700 pre-school classes will be built and these will be increased from year to year," he said.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 25th, 2005, 08:07 PM

Bahasa M'sia To Be Used In Science, Maths Discussions
April 25, 2005 22:02 PM

http://bernama.com.my/bernama/newspic/ge/KL17_250405_PM_RASMI.jpg

VISIT… Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
during his visit to the Education Ministry in Putrajaya.
Also present are Education Minister
Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein (right)
and ministry’s Parliamentary Secretary
Datuk P. Komala Devi (left). Pix: Rosli Awang

PUTRAJAYA, April 25 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said today the government will find a method to enable Bahasa Malaysia to be used for purposes of discussing Mathematics and Science without changing the policy on the use of English language in teaching the two subjects.

The Prime Minister said that at the same time, the government had decided that Mandarin and Tamil would be taught in national schools to strengthen such schools and make them the preferred choice among Malaysians.

Abdullah disclosed these at a press conference at the end of his visit to the Education Ministry here to find out developments and the success of the national education system.

"The policy on using the English language to teach Mathematics and Science will be continued but a method must also be found to enable Bahasa Malaysia to be used for purposes of discussion, to learn Science and Mathematics," he said.

Abdullah said he had directed the Education Ministry to find the best approach in implementing this suggestion.

He said Bahasa Malaysia must be emboldened in line with its status as the national language, and it must become the language that could be used in the writing of and discussion on whatever topic.

"And the development of our national language must be made through the efforts of Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, through the translation of books as had been done all this while," he said.

Malay education activists were recently reported to have urged the government to review the use of English language for the two subjects as they feared it could jeopardise the identity and character of the Malays.

Despite the call, the government decided to continue with the policy which was introduced in 2003, saying that it would actually bring much benefits.

On the teaching of Mandarin and Tamil in national schools, Abdullah said upon its implementation later, it would no longer be called the "pupil's own language" or POL.

"This is because when we say POL, it implies that non-Chinese pupils (for example) need not learn Mandarin because it is not their own language," he said.

The Prime Minister said the latest move required the recruitment of teachers and its implementation in all schools might take some time because of the shortage of manpower.

"It is not an easy matter for us to increase the number of teachers required. Whatever learning and teaching methods that can use multimedia will be applied," he said.

However, he stressed that the national language would continue to be the medium of instruction in schools and efforts must be continued so that mastery of the language by students could be improved.

Commenting further, Abdullah said the language to be taught would certainly be the language required by the community in this cuntry.

"Even today, Mandarin had already been considered as an important language especially in view of the increasing role of China and its influence in terms of the economy and politics," he said.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister said the government would build high-rise structures for schools in major urban centres such as Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh, Penang and Johor Baharu in view of the shortage of land and high population density.

Abdullah said such schools would be equipped with lifts for the convenience of the students and teachers.

He said such high-rise structure had already been implemented for a school in Jalan Cochrane, Kuala Lumpur.

In addition, Abdullah said that for new schools, their construction would be carried out according to the standard plan prepared by the Public Works Department to ensure that building cost would not be too high.

He said the construction of schools according to the design drawn up by the consultants -- a practice which was allowed previously -- would incur massive cost.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 27th, 2005, 09:29 AM

Start Of Mandarin, Tamil Classes To Be Known End Of Year
April 26, 2005 21:49 PM

PUTRAJAYA, April 26 (Bernama) -- The dates to launch Mandarin and Tamil language classes in national schools nationwide will be announced at the end of the year at the latest, Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said Tuesday.

He said the ministry was looking for the most suitable approach to implement the teaching of the two languages as elective subjects following the announcement by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Tuesday.

Hishammuddin said the ministry had to study several aspects, especially the allocation of teachers and learning facilities in schools.

"We want to make sure both languages can be mastered by students of all races who, at the same time, must also be proficient in Malay and English," he said after meeting about 40 members of the Malaysian Federation of Headmasters Councils here.

He said he had started discussion with his deputy Datuk Hon Choon Kim and the ministry's Parliamentary Secretary P. Komala Dewi to decide on the proper approach in this matter.

Monday, Abdullah announced that Mandarin and Tamil languages would be included in the formal curriculum of all national schools in a move to make them the schools of choice among Malaysians.

Meanwhile, the United Chinese School Teachers Association of Malaysia or better known as Jiao Zong, Tuesday urged the Education Ministry to implement the teaching of mother tongues in national schools in stages in order to avoid problems of shortage of teachers.

Jiao Zong president Ong Chiow Chuen said the decision to offer the mother tongue subjects to all pupils irrespective of race was a visionary move but proper preparations were needed before the decision could be implemented.

He said even the existing Chinese-medium primary schools were short of Chinese language teachers.

"We propose that the Education Ministry train a group of teachers to teach Chinese as a second language, similar to the TESL (Teaching English as Second Language) programme.

"I really hope they won't pull existing resources from Chinese primary schools," he told Bernama.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 28th, 2005, 08:05 PM

BNM Offers Scholarships For Nation's Top Three SPM Scorers
April 28, 2005 22:26 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, April 28 (Bernama) -- Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) has established a Special Scholarship Award for the nation's top three achievers in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination.

BNM Governor Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz said as a knowledge-based organisation, the bank accorded the highest priority to developing and nurturing top human talents and promising youths to realise their full potential.

The three recipients for last year's SPM examination were Nur Amalina Che Bakri from SMK Ulu Tiram, Johor, who scored 17 A1s, Anushree Lalitha d/o Subramaniam (14 A1s) from SMK (P) Sri Aman, Petaling Jaya, Selangor and Leong Tian Seng (13 A1s) from SMK Anderson, Ipoh, Perak.

Students under this Special Scholarship Award would be given the freedom to pursue their own choice of study and career, she said when announcing the establishment of this scholarship award, here Thursday.

They would be also granted the opportunity to pursue pre-university courses abroad.

The central bank governor said BNM would work with the Department of Higher Education to provide recommendations for students on applications to gain entry into the best universities in the world.

"We will not impose any bond on these students upon completion of their studies, but expect them to contribute to the nation upon completion of their studies," she said.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 28th, 2005, 09:51 PM

More Girls Than Boys Completing Primary Education, Says Unicef Report
April 28, 2005 22:42 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, April 28 (Bernama) -- More girls than boys are completing their primary education in Malaysia, says a United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) report on the "Progress for Children", released here Thursday.

In presenting the report to the media here, Unicef representative to Malaysia, Gaye Phillips, said the success was attributed to many factors, including the political will of leaders who had put institutional and policy framework in place.

This factor had created a conducive environment for primary education, she said during the presentation of the Unicef report, a second edition about a report card on gender party and primary education.

The Unicef report card is to monitor the progress of school going children until 2015. It is also to measure the world's advances in primary education gender quality and women's empowerment under Unicef's three-phase Millennium Development Goals (MDG).

The MDG Phase 1 and 2 are to ensure that by 2015 all children complete a full course of primary schooling while MDG 3 is to promote gender equality and empower women.

The MDG Phase 2 and 3 are inextricably-linked in which universal primary education cannot be achieved without gender parity.

Speaking to reporters later, Phillips said Malaysia had done well in educating its young population.

"The government's efforts, which support parents who perceive education as an opportunity, have enabled them to provide a better life for their children," she said.

She said the percentage of school-going children achieved by Malaysia was better, compared to three other regions -- South Asia, Middle East/North Africa and West/Central Asia.

Phillips said that despite the success, many challenges awaited Malaysia, for example, five per cent of the children in the country still did not go to schools, mainly in remote areas of Sabah and Sarawak.

"These children come from families of the low-income group who are unable to send their children to school due to the high cost. As a result, these children are forced to work to help supplement the families' income," she said. She also said that schools in big cities, especially in Peninsular Malaysia, were well-equipped with learning facilities compared to the ones in Sabah and Sarawak where there was no access to telephones, Internet and other means of communications technology.

Thus, the government, besides narrowing the digital divide in the rural areas should also improve the quality of primary education and ensure relevant curriculum in schools to meet the new threats, such as the risk of HIV/Aids among young people in today's society, she said.

Phillips said children had the right to quality of life better than their parents and improved health.

Unicef, one of the lead agencies in the United Nations Girls' Initiative (UNGEI,) is committed to narrowing the gender gap in both primary and secondary education by 2005 and getting all children in the world complete their primary education by 2015.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

April 29th, 2005, 12:24 PM

1.6 Mln Seats In Higher Education Institutions By 2010
April 28, 2005 22:42 PM

KUANTAN, April 28 (Bernama) -- The government will provide 1.6 million seats in institutions of higher learning by 2010 in line with its effort to make Malaysia an international education centre of excellence, Higher Education Minister Datuk Dr Shafie Mohd Salleh said Thursday.

A third of these places would be for students pursuing first degree courses and the rest diploma or certificate courses, he added.

Three new polytechnics would be set up under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (2006- 2010), one each in Terengganu, Kelantan and Selangor, he said in his speech delivered by the ministry's Deputy Secretary-General Dr Mohd Nasir Mohd Ashraf at the 26th convocation of Politeknik Sultan Ahmad Shah here.

Some 2,200 graduates received their certificates and diplomas at the ceremony.

Dr Shafie said the government built new polytechnics because it highly acknowledged their contribution to the country's development and in churning out the semi-professional workforce.

"In fact, several other polytechnics are planned, in Balik Pulau in Penang, Mersing in Johor and Sandakan in Sabah," he said.

Dr Shafie said the increase in the number of polytechnics in the country was closely related to the role of polytechnics, placed under the ministry's supervision, in producing the semi-professional workforce to help fulfil the country's vision to be a developed nation by 2020.

Among the steps that had been and would be taken towards this objective was raising the intake of students beginning this July through a crash programme, he said.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

May 1st, 2005, 05:51 PM

OUM Offers Education Opportunities To The Disabled
April 30, 2005 15:19 PM

JOHOR BAHARU, April 30 (Bernama) -- The Open University of Malaysia (OUM) is offering opportunities to the disabled to pursue higher education at the university from next month.

OUM Vice-Chancellor, Tan Sri Dr Anuwar Ali said that as an incentive to encourage the disabled to seek knowledge at a higher level, the university would reduce entrance fees by 50 percent for them.

"So far 30 disabled students have registered for the May semester," he told reporters after attending the opening of OUM's Learning Centre for the Johor region in Jalan Ibrahim Sultan here Saturday.

The opening was done by Johore Menteri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman.

Anuwar, who is also OUM president, said that the disabled would also be able to choose any study programme offered by OUM at the diploma, degree and PhD levels.

"In terms of studying, they won't face any problems as we use the distance learning method and also electronic means," he said,

He said that opportunities were also provided for senior citizens and government retirees to continue studies at the university.

OUM which now had 30,000 students targeted an enrolment of 100,000 by 2010, he said.

"We also plan to lower minimum entry requirements to allow more people to further their studies at OUM," he said.

Anuwar hoped that OUM, which became the main contributor to the democratisation of education in the country, would be the people's choice in pursuing life long learning.

He added that the university had 32 learning centres to cater to students' needs throughout the country.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

May 3rd, 2005, 07:54 PM

Foreign Students Caught Working In Malaysia
May 03, 2005 22:53 PM

PUTRAJAYA, May 3 (Bernama) -- Immigration officers may have stumbled upon a racket -- foreign students working in Malaysia, and at least one private college may have been the supplier of the "labour" because 531 foreign students are "missing" from the institution.

The illegal activity was exposed when immigration officers caught five Pakistani nationals at a housing estate in Kajang, Immigration Director of Enforcement Datuk Ishak Mohamed said Tuesday.

One of the arrested persons had produced a student pass of a private college in Selangor, he said, adding that the raid in Kajang came after a Pakistan national produced a false student pass when confronted on April 20.

Ishak said the college confirmed that the 531 students, comprising nationals from Bangladesh, Pakistan, India and China, were no longer with the institute.

"This is a serious matter and the first time involving a private college and a large number of students," he told reporters at his office here.

Ishak said the college claimed that the Visa, Pass and Permit Division of the Immigration Department had been notified to cancel the passes of the 531 students.

"During initial discussions with the college, the management pointed out that the previous management was responsible for the situation," he said.

Ishak said it was believed that the previous management of the college had supplied foreign workers illegally for the last five years by using student passes.

He said 19 of the students had returned to their countries of origin while 271 did not have any records to link them to the college.

"The rest are said to have completed their duration of study, and some of them are believed to be carrying valid passes," he said.

Ishak said the college would be investigated and the penalty is a RM10,000 fine or a jail term of up to five years, or both, on conviction.

He said the Immigration Department would also recommend to the Home Affairs Ministry to freeze the intake of foreign students by the college until the case had been resolved.

The department would also recommend that the personal bond of RM750 for each of the students be forfeited.

Ishak advised all colleges that have foreign students on their enrolment to check on the position of their students and report irregularities to the Immigration Department.

He said seven private colleges based in Kuala Lumpur were under the watch of the Immigration Department on suspicion of having committed a similar offence.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

May 7th, 2005, 02:10 AM

International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM)

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nazrey

May 7th, 2005, 02:11 AM

NEW MODEL… International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) Rector Prof. M. Kamal Hassan launching the "IIUM Made Aircraft' at the IIUM campus in Kuala Lumpur, Friday. This is the first aircraft model designed by IIUM's Aerospace Engineering students. Pix: Sarizan Shawal

http://foto.bernama.com/foto/Photo/AIRCRAFT.jpg

nazrey

May 7th, 2005, 02:15 AM

Automotive Aeronautics Research Group UTM - Malaysia (http://www.wsc.org.au/2003/solar.cars/Suria.Kar.2/)

The Automotive Aeronautics Research Group UTM’s solar car has created two records, which have been published in the Malaysia Book of Records. These records are for the first solar car built in the country, and for the longest solar car journey (1500 kilometres).

The 15 members of the team, consisting of students and teachers from the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, have spent the past six years developing and building from scratch the Suria Kar 2.

http://www.fh-bochum.de/images/solarcar/wsc/031027-3.jpg

http://img28.echo.cx/img28/8563/suria2rt.jpg

nazrey

May 7th, 2005, 02:20 AM

Four More University Campuses For Johor
April 30, 2005 17:19 PM

JOHOR BAHARU, April 30 (Bernama) -- Three private universities and a branch campus of a public university will be built in Johor.

Menteri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman said land for the campuses had been identified at Kulai, Pasir Gudang and Gelang Patah.

"Construction work on the campuses will begin next year," he told reporters after opening the Open University of Malaysia's (OUM) Learning Centre for the Johor region in Jalan Ibrahim Sultan here Saturday.

He declined to name the universities, saying it was premature, but added that the campuses were approved by the government.

Meanwhile, OUM Vice-Chancellor Tan Sri Dr Anuwar Ali told reporters OUM was offering opportunities to the disabled to pursue higher education at the university from next month.

As an incentive to encourage the disabled to seek knowledge at a higher level, the university would reduce entry fees by 50 percent for them.

"So far 30 disabled students have registered for the May semester," he said.

Anuwar said the disabled would also be able to choose any study programme offered by OUM at the diploma, degree and doctorate levels.

"They won't face any problems studying with us as we use the distance learning method and also electronic means," he said,

"We also plan to lower minimum entry requirements to allow more people to further their studies at OUM."

He said opportunities were also provided for senior citizens and government pensioners to study at the university.

OUM now has 30,000 students and targets an enrolment of 100,000 by 2010. The university has 32 learning centres to cater to students' needs throughout the country.

-- BERNAMA

TYW

May 8th, 2005, 10:50 AM

IIUM is so BLUE:cool:

nazrey

May 13th, 2005, 04:04 AM

Education Ministry Going All Out For Single Session Schools
May 12, 2005 21:52 PM

PUTRAJAYA, May 12 (Bernama) -- The Education Ministry will go all out to change the two-session system practiced in many urban schools to the single session format in stages, its minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said.

He said the focus would be on the 651 national schools in the country.

The change was important in meeting the agenda in strengthening national schools as outlined in the nation's education development plan for the next five years, beginning next year, he said.

"I feel waiting until 2010 to make the change is too long. It is important we start reducing the number of two-session schools each year," he told reporters after his ministry's post-Cabinet meeting, here Thursday.

Hishammuddin said the change would entail the commitment and the planning of the schools involved.

"If its only a matter of upgrading the schools to have more classrooms or finding more teachers, it is not a problem. We can even begin this year.

"But if it's bigger than that, like scarcity of land, we have decided that we will build high-rise schools to solve the problem of two sessions," said Hishammuddin.

He said the single session system was seen has having more benefits, as the additional time available in the afternoon could allow for additional subjects to be introduced and more co-curricula activities.

Meanwhile, Hishammuddin said this year's national level Teachers Day celebrations would be opened by Deputy Prime Minsiter Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak at the Paroi Stadium in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan on Monday.

He said the celebrations, held for the 34th time, would continue with the same theme as last year "Quality Teachers Catalysts for Excellence".

A new award is also being introduced this year --the Distinguished Disabled Teacher's Award -- as an addition to the "tokoh guru" awards given out yearly. Several books written by teachers will also be launched at the event.

Hishammuddin said the awards, together with others for innovative teachers and most promising school, would be given out at a special dinner on the day. A short messaging system (SMS) dedication service as done last year would also be continued this year for the people to show their appreciation of their teachers, he said.

"All SMSes can be sent to 32020," he said, adding that the messages would be broadcast on NTV7 and possibly also on TV3 and RTM from time to time until the end of the month.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

May 13th, 2005, 04:05 AM

Sultan Calls For Special School Fund To Help Poor Students
May 12, 2005 20:38 PM

IPOH, May 12 (Bernama) -- Sultan Azlan Shah of Perak, Thursday called for the establishment of a special fund in all schools to help students from poor families.

He said the community should not neglect its responsibility to help them.

Speaking at the opening of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Tambun, here Thursday, the Sultan said society should not allow poverty to marginalise students or hinder their progress.

There should be cooperation in society to ensure the balanced development of the younger generation, he added.

Also present were the Raja Permaisuri of Perak Tuanku Bainun, State Education, Human Resources and Information Technology Committee Chairman Datuk Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir and the school principal Zahrah Mohd Ali.

The Sultan said schools, which produced good results showed the combined efforts and role played by the schools, the students and their families, and the community.

He said programmes organised by the schools would be more successful and effective with the support of the parents and active participation of the local community.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

May 15th, 2005, 05:22 AM

Data on all students at the click of a mouse
Sunday May 15, 2005
BY K. PARKARAN AND M. KRISHNAMOORTHY

PETALING JAYA: It will not be that easy for students to hoodwink parents and school authorities if a recently implemented move to compile a comprehensive profile of all five million students nationwide is a success.

At the click of a mouse, parents will be able to find out if their child had actually attended a co-curricular activity on a certain day or had really scored an “A” in Additional Mathematics.

For the school disciplinary teacher, information on a student’s record can be cross-checked against the socio-economic profile of the family to get a better picture of the reasons for misbehaviour.

And from a macro perspective, policy makers will be able to avail themselves of the overall performance of each school and monitor its strengths and weaknesses.

This is all part of the reporting system initiated by the Education Ministry to build up a comprehensive database of all students from Year One to Form Six.

The particulars being collected include a student’s personal profile, attendance, grades in all subjects, co-curricular achievements, conduct and attitude.

While the information – to be updated by teachers monthly – is stored at the individual school, the ministry will have access to it via a central networking system.

Central to the project is an attempt to evaluate not only the “hard information” related to academic performance but also the “soft information” pertaining to the students’ emotional development.

In a circular issued recently, the ministry stated: “This system will provide quick access to all quarters, including parents, to have a clearer picture of their children’s formative stages and development in all areas. Weaknesses can also be identified promptly for remedial action.

“This is in line with nation’s educational philosophy to produce Malaysians who are balanced emotionally, spiritually, physically and intellectually.”

The circular said parents could obtain full details on their children from the system and choose to take their own measures to overcome weaknesses, if any.

“This can also bring about better interaction between class and subject teachers and parents,” it added.

According to a school principal here, the programme was supposed to have been implemented last year but many schools could not proceed because they lacked the facilities and had not been given proper directions.

“The directive was sent again recently with the ‘Urgent’ stamp on it, reflecting the importance the ministry is placing on the matter,” he said.

The National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) welcomed the move and hoped that the comprehensive report would be simple enough for parents to know at a glance how their children were performing.

“Parents, especially those in the rural areas, must be able to understand the format,” said secretary-general Lok Yim Pheng.

“However, we disagree with assessing the competency of a child in each subject, which could be subjective. Different teachers may have different criteria in their evaluation and this can lead to confusion,” she said.

nazrey

May 15th, 2005, 09:50 AM

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The inspiring, trendsetting Limkokwing campus was recently visited by some fittingly fashionable personalities in the form of Guess girl Amber Chia and Joseph Chow, a top model in his own right.

Chia and Chow were named Best Female Model of the Year 2004 and Best Male Model of the Year 2004 respectively at the recent Kuala Lumpur-Asia Fashion Week (KLAFW) organised by the Malaysian-International Fashion Awards (MIFA).

During their visit to the Limkokwing campus on Jan 6, the award-winning models who are accompanied by MIFA managing director Syeba Yip, receive a mock cheque for RM5,000 each from Puan Sri Tessie Lim, senior vice president of Limkokwing.

“I am impressed with the innovative design and vibrant colours of the campus. It is so convenient here because everything is within reach while everyone is so friendly. I feel I want to study here,” says Chia.

Limkokwing has sponsored the cash prizes in support of MIFA's drive to promote the local fashion industry. Tan Sri Dato' Dr Lim Kok Wing, president of the university college, says, “We are pleased to work with MIFA and to sign an MOU cementing our ties. I have no doubt this is the beginning of active collaborations between us to train young people for the industry and in the process, promote the country as a fashion centre.”

In echoing the same thoughts, Puan Sri Lim says Limkokwing aims to help Malaysia become known for producing quality things. “We want to promote outselves as a country of quality and not of imitators.

“We can help promote KL as a fashion centre and shopping destination,” she says, adding that it is the aim of the university college to showcase its best talents to retailers locally and regionally.

Industry within university
The visitors tour the various business units at Malaysia Design & Innovation Centre, the professional arm of Limkokwing located within campus. Among others, they get to check out Centrefold, the fashion retail store run by Limkokwing's Fashion & Retail Design School, and Making Headlines, a hair salon that is a collaboration between Limkokwing and international hair specialist Wella.

These business units, part of the Limkokwing concept of fusing university education with industry, allow students to learn to create and manage products and services on campus. They help make the Limkokwing learning experience a unique one.

In the case of Centrefold, it marks the first time a university college is running its own fashion retail outlet, producing and retailing clothes. Centrefold is run by Limkokwing's Fashion & Retail Design School, the largest of its kind in the country. Since its inception four years ago, it has made quite an impact by often winning awards in big-scale events, confirming the ability and talent of Limkokwing students.

“I have no doubt these students will make a difference when they enter industry because Centrefold's aim is to create heroes,” explains Tan Sri Lim. “Our graduates will launch their own brands and make significant contributions to industry.”

Centre of excellence
Centrefold's lead designer is Daniel Chong, a former Limkokwing student who added yet another feather to his cap during KLAFW when he won Most Promising Fashion Designer and Best Evening Wear at MIFA Gala 2004. He had in the past two years won other major competitions such as the Kebaya: The Interpretations and the Originate Your Levi's Jeans Contest.

Another first is Making Headlines, a design salon that has brought the expertise of a world-renowned hair specialist on campus. Wella International is also in collaboration with Limkokwing to establish a unique international training academy for hair design that will produce a new generation of hair specialists.

The academy is set to help Malaysia become a regional centre of excellence for hair design and salon entrepreneurship. It starts the ball rolling by offering Asia's first Professional Diploma in Hair Design, a programme aimed at raising the local industry's level of expertise.

Other attractions at the Wings Plaza of MDI include trendy cafes, design galleries, a fashion store, a hip fitness centre and a cybercafe. Two exhibitions are also currently running on campus, namely the Best of Malaysia Showcase 2004, highlighting top Malaysian brands, and the British Design: Innovation and Application exhibition recently launched by the Duke of York Prince Andrew. These are again in line with the Limkokwing philosophy of bringing industry into campus and hence allowing students to interface with leading professionals and businessmen.

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Lim Kok Wing Jr. and Tiffanee Lim welcoming
Prime Minister Dato' Seri Abdullah Badawi at the
Limkokwing booth in the Penang exhibition

Penangites were given a clearer picture of Limkokwing University College's contributions towards the content industry at the My Malaysia, My MSC @ Penang Exhibition recently. The exhibition was held in conjunction with the launch of Penang Cybercity Status 1 by Prime Minister Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Limkokwing's booth was the second largest at the exhibition held at the Penang International Sports Arena that featured 53 hi-tech companies. The booth easily stood out with its impressive giant visual depicting the futuristic Limkokwing campus in Cyberjaya.

The three-day exhibition attracted hundreds of visitors keen to find out more about the Multimedia Super Corridor extension.

Dato' Seri Abdullah visited the Limkokwing booth during the launch, welcomed by Lim Kok Wing Jr and Tiffanee Marie Lim, who represented their father, Tan Sri Dato' Dr Lim Kok Wing.

Other VIPs who visited included Science Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Dr Jamaluddin Jarjis and Penang Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon.

Dato' Seri Abdullah had earlier launched the CyberCity 1 project that marks the extension of the MSC in Cyberjaya to Penang. The latter covers 364.2 hectares of land, linking parts of the Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone on the island to the Bayan Baru town centre, the Tunas Muda housing project and the Bayan Bay project near the Penang bridge. The CyberCity rollout will later be extended to Bertam and Batu Kawan on the mainland.

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Deputy Minister of Higher Education
Datuk Fu Ah Kiow receives a memento
from the Limkokwing University College.

No stranger to awards and accolades, Limkokwing University College of Creative Technology has received yet another thumbs up from an important member of government.

At its graduation ceremony held for the first time at its Cyberjaya campus, Deputy Minister of Higher Education Datuk Fu Ah Kiow commended Limkokwing for its contributions to the education industry, pointing out that many firsts for the university college have turned out to be firsts for the country as well - “the most recent being the introduction of what is termed ‘industry within university',” he said.

Datuk Fu credits the university's success on its creativity and innovative spark, adding that it is “something Malaysians must embrace in order for the country to become more globally competitive”.
“It (Limkokwing) has always been a university college driven by creativity and high technology and its new campus in the heart of Multimedia Super Corridor has only

served to enhance these strengths. We certainly need more institutions of higher learning of this mould to help us advance our National Innovation agenda,” he said, adding that Limkokwing graduates “figure among the most accomplished and employable in the country and wherever they choose to go”.

He also said he was pleased to see a homegrown university drawing in many international students. “The sight of 4,000 students from 60 countries under one roof means Limkokwing is very international in appeal,” he said.

The ceremony saw 820 students receiving their scrolls at the university college's Hall of Fame.

The students from the Faculty of Architecture & the Built Environment, Faculty of Communication, Multimedia & Broadcasting, Faculty of Art & Design, Faculty of Creative Multimedia and from the Millennium Institute of Technology received their Bachelor's Degree, Advanced Diploma or Diploma before a packed audience that included industry leaders, faculty members and of course, proud parents.

The ceremony also saw some 102 various honours handed out to the cream of the crop of Limkokwing. These high flyers were rewarded with prestigious awards such as the Tan Sri Dato' Awang Had Salleh Award, the Presidential Award and the Young Achiever's Award.

Culture of excellence
Among the outstanding graduates this year is Nor Hazlin Norsalam, 23. The Communications, Multimedia & Broadcasting student received an applause as she received the Tan Sri Dato' Dr Awang Had Salleh Award for her many achievements.

In addition to her schoolwork, the aspiring thespian has also been active in the local art scene, appearing in local productions such as The Importance of Being Earnest and Lady Swettenham. The talented lass said her experience at Limkokwing has made her proactive and independent. “Instead of waiting around for someone to tell us what to do, we get going and that's fun!” she said.

She also appreciates the opportunities the university has given her, such as the in helping to organise the official launch of the Cyberjaya campus by the Prime Minister Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. She was the master of ceremony at the event and she described it as “a real confidence booster”.

Another award winner Eleanor Simone Danker, 23, commented on the hands-on experience at Limkokwing. The Mass Communication graduate and winner of the President Scholar's Award and Industry award for Excellence in Public Relations, said, “My lecturers did not just teach theory, but also made sure we were exposed to industry”.

Among her experiences as a Limkokwing student was her internship with Rantau PR, where she had the chance to handle events such as the Apple U2 iPod launch at Zouk, KL.

Outstanding Limkokwing graduates are a product of the unique brand of education conceived by its president, Tan Sri Dato' Dr Lim Kok Wing, whose sights have always been focused on producing a creative and versatile workforce for the knowledge economy. The latest development put in place by him is the “industry within university” concept introduced through the university college's professional arm, Malaysia Design Innovation Centre.

Industry within university
The university and MDI work hand-in-hand to expose students to industry by incorporating business units on campus. These business units, ranging from a hair salon to a fashion boutique to cafés, give students first hand experience on how businesses are run.

This initiative also puts the industry in touch with the student body, a sizable think tank of creative minds, giving them innovative insights and fresh ideas to help their business.

Graduates are all for the business units on campus. Ethan Lim, winner of the Industry Award for Excellence in Advertising Concepts award, was happy with the industry exposure, saying “the business units have given me an idea of what to expect when I join the industry”.

He added, “I had many opportunities to interact with industry professionals while I studied on campus, and I learnt as much as possible from them.”

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Limkokwing University College of Creative Technology will be actively engaged in the reconstruction of the Republic of Maldives which was badly hit by the Dec 26 tsunami.

The Maldivian Minister of Education HE Dr Mahmood Shougee recently called on Tan Sri Lim Kok Wing, the president of the university college, and the latter has pledged to provide an initial RM700,000 in scholarships and computers to the Maldives as part of its contribution towards the reconstruction of the country which was reported to have lost all infrastructure on 13 of its inhabited islands and 29 of its resort islands. The damage caused to the nation’s 200 inhabited islands have been shocking – many island communities have been displaced and over 12,000 locals are homeless in the country with a population of 287,000.

Tan Sri Lim said the scholarships will be distributed by the Maldivian government. He added that at the request of the minister,

Limkokwing would also consider other forms of support including donating books and transfer of technology.

“We discussed how we could lend support to the Maldivian government in such areas as promotion of tourism and trade,” said Tan Sri Lim.

The Maldives, a country consisting of a group of atolls in the Indian Ocean south-southwest of India, has always depended on tourism for growth and is now counting on the industry for recovery.
Dr Mahmood said the contribution “to help the education system recover from the effects of the tsunami is accepted with gratitude”. “The offer will undoubtedly contribute to the recovery of our country and will be remembered by our people.”

He added that he looks forward to strengthening ties with the university college in an attempt to build his country’s human resource capital.

Creativity and innovation important
Accompanied by the assistant executive director of the Maldivian Department of Higher Education and Training, Abdul Muhsin Mohamed, Dr Mahmood toured the Limkokwing campus where he saw “the importance of creativity and innovation in higher education and training” – as he put it.

“Creativity and innovation will be given priority as the economy of the Maldives is driven by tourism and tourism-related industries, and in these fields, creativity and innovation play a major role,” says Dr Mahmood.

The minister, who had visited Limkokwing several times in the past, expressed amazement at how Limkokwing has “grown and is clearly now a leading university”.

“I am surprised to see so many students from so many countries,” he said in reference to Limkokwing’s highly international student population of 4,000 from 60 countries.

Universities such as Limkokwing, he added, provide the kind of manpower that developing countries such as the Maldives will find important in terms of economic development.

Dr Mahmood’s visit also covered the various business units of Limkokwing, housed under Malaysia Design Innovation Centre, the professional arm of the university college. This is where the university college’s industry within university concept is realised; where industry has been brought on campus to allow students to interface with professionals while they study.

nazrey

May 15th, 2005, 10:08 AM

LimkokWing University College of Creative Technology
http://www.limkokwing.edu.my/

http://my.jobstreet.com/jobs/2005/4/l/10/_pics/lkwsl4a2.jpg

nazrey

May 15th, 2005, 10:14 AM

LimkokWing University College Photos (http://community.webshots.com/album/172585590QmGsNX)

nazrey

May 15th, 2005, 11:55 AM

A touch of Danish glamour
Sunday May 15, 2005

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Danish students add to the cosmopolitan
flavour at Limkokwing.

What makes Limkokwing University College of Creative Technology (Limkokwing) an interesting place in which to study?

Some may say that the reason lies in the university college's eclectic mix of students which gives it a cosmopolitan and international flavour.

Among the international students currently studying at Limkokwing are seven young Danes who are there as a result of links between the university college and their colleges in Denmark.

The students – Kim Eskebjerg, Ulrick Moerck, Andreas Rugtued Neumann, Dennis Godballe Birk, Kenneth Revsbeek, Per Bjorn and Mikkel Soelberg – are young, vibrant and full of life.

All seven have good impressions of Malaysia.

“Malaysians speak good English and it is easy to move around the country,” said Ulrick who is surprised at how widely spoken English was and pleased to find fast food outlets at every corner.

“Malaysians are kind and attentive to our needs and that’s nice,” he added.

“It’s also exciting to see what the university college has done – mixing business with education. It’s a good way to create innovation, a win-win situation,” Ulrick saided, referring to Limkokwing's industry-within-university concept.

Kim agreed: “It makes the transition from student to employee easier.”

He described his stay in Malaysia as a vacation where, besides studying, he got to learn about other cultures.

Ulrick revealed that he had wanted to visit Malaysia after watching the movie Entrapment starring Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

“Most people in Denmark think of the Petronas Twin Towers when Malaysia is mentioned. I have since found out that there is much more to Malaysia than that. There are so many different cultures and races living together in harmony here.

“I also saw some of the work done by the first batch of Danish students. I saw how good the work was and decided it was something I wanted to do as well,” he said.

Per was particularly impressed by the care and guidance given by lecturers here.

“I have always wanted to study animation. The teachers take time to explain the smallest details to us, unlike back home where teachers leave it to the students,” he said.

nazrey

May 15th, 2005, 12:00 PM

Supporting science education
Sunday May 15, 2005

http://thestar.com.my/archives/2005/5/15/education/p14Fisher.jpg

Fisher (centre) presenting the mock cheque to Prof Mohamad
Zohadie (left) while UPM’s Forestry Faculty dean Prof Dr Mohd Hamami
Sahri looks on.

As part of its commitment to support science education, ExxonMobil subsidiaries in Malaysia (ExxonMobil) recently contributed RM30,000 to the annual Natural Science Quiz jointly organised by Universiti Putra Malaysia’s (UPM) Forestry Faculty and the Education Ministry.

ExxonMobil’s chairman Rob Fisher presented the cheque to UPM’s vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Ir Mohamad Zohadie Bardaie.

Speaking at the cheque presentation ceremony, Fisher said that ExxonMobil has long recognised the importance of science-based education.
“Technology is the lifeblood of ExxonMobil. Advancements in technology have made it possible to produce oil and gas in the toughest of places, and to safeguard the environment at the same time,” said Fisher.

“That's why we support programmes that educate the young about science and technology. We believe it is important to ensure that the next generation is equipped with good science education, regardless of the career path they choose.

“The Natural Science Quiz is an excellent way to promote interest in science education among students,” he added.

The Natural Science Quiz, which began in 1977, is organised for secondary school students throughout Malaysia.

Students who won the preliminary rounds and state level competitions organised by the Education Ministry will participate in the national-level competition to be held in the Federal Territory of Labuan from July 28 to 31.

The students will be questioned on topics related to environmental and natural sciences, biology, ecology and forestry. The winning teams will take home challenge trophies and cash prizes.

This year's preliminary round quiz saw 4,386 students from 1,462 schools taking part, an increase from the 4,182 students from 1,394 schools who participated in 2004.

“We are pleased that the quiz is attracting more and more participants, and that the students' performance has improved. This confirms our belief in the value of the programme. The company is proud to continue its support of the programme,” said Fisher.

nazrey

May 15th, 2005, 12:07 PM

Monash students love research
Sunday May 15, 2005

http://thestar.com.my/archives/2005/5/15/education/p15Julliha.jpg

Scholarship recipients (from left) Juliha, Budi and Haryani
are elated at the chance to contribute back to society via research.

Monash University Malaysia's (Monash) communication students Juliha Bee Mohd Noor and Haryani Othman are elated. They have both been offered scholarships that will allow them to contribute to society in a meaningful way – through research.

The two were among 163 students who recently received scholarships worth over RM800,000 from Monash pro vice-chancellor Prof Merilyn Liddell.

Juliha, from Singapore, said she was grateful for the chance to give something back to the community. She worked hard for the scholarship because she loves research and enjoys seeing how academic theories work in real life.

Her honours research will delve into Singapore’s online communities to see how sexual minority groups use online tools to empower themselves.

“It’s an interesting topic. Sexual minority groups in Singapore are now resorting to online tools to make their voices heard and to raise issues that affect their community. Ten years ago this was unheard of,” said Juliha.

Haryani is looking at issues on social bonding, using the famous Tan Sri P. Ramlee movie trilogy – Bujang Lapok, Seniman Bujang Lapok and Pendekar Bujang Lapok – as the framework for her study.

She said the late P. Ramlee, a multi-talented icon in the Malay entertainment industry, was also a consummate entertainer, director, actor, singer and composer.

“From the movies, an interesting study can be done on how people of the same sex bond and why they bond in a certain way,” she said.

Another scholarship recipient, merit scholar Budi Soetantijo from Medan, Indonesia, emphasised that success comes from hard work and consistent study.

A second-year engineering student, Budi felt that studying in Monash had provided him with plenty of opportunities, including the option to seek work placement overseas. This was something he has been aiming for since his secondary school days. However, he feels that hard work is still essential for success.

“The study regime at Monash is demanding and rigorous but extremely fulfilling. Nevertheless, determination and hard work are still essential ingredients for success,” said Budi.

nazrey

May 15th, 2005, 12:08 PM

From diploma to degree
Sunday May 15, 2005

http://thestar.com.my/archives/2005/5/15/education/p16Ramesh.jpg

(From left) Vijendran, Dr Barnsley and Bedlington
at the signing ceremony.

The Systematic Group has entered into a new collaboration with Thompson Rivers University (TRU) in Canada to allow students pursuing its diploma in Computer Systems Operations and Management programme to qualify for TRU's Bachelor of Technology in Applied Computer Science.

To commemorate the collaboration, a Memorandum of Understanding was recently signed.

TRU was represented by its president Dr Roger Barnsley whilst the Systematic Group was represented by senior director of operations Vijendran Arulrajah. On hand to witness the signing was Acting Canadian High Commissioner Rachael Bedlington, TRU's Lim Peng Loong and Canadian Education Centre director Saras Shivanandha.

“TRU's industry-driven programmes are what we need.

”Students these days prefer programmes that prepare them to face the challenges of work,” said Vijendran, commenting on the Group's decision to partner with the university.

“We are proud to be in partnership with Systematic Group and are confident the partnership will flourish,” said Dr Barnsley.

TRU offers programmes in business, information technology, health, science and mathematics, arts and journalism, philosophy, geography, education and tourism.

The tie-up will allow students to pursue a Canadian degree upon completion of their diploma.

The minimum entry requirement for school leavers with Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia qualifications to enter the diploma programme is three credits. A Sijil Tinggi Persekolehan qualification or its equivalent is required for entry into the degree programmes.

There are flexible payment schemes to ensure the programmes are within the reach of most students.

nazrey

May 15th, 2005, 12:14 PM

More links with Aussie unis
Sunday May 15, 2005
By A. LETCHUMANAN

http://thestar.com.my/archives/2005/5/15/education/p17Palanivel.jpg

Palanivel (fifth from left) sharing a light moment with Dr Deen after
the signing ceremony. Looking on are (from left) La Trobe representative
Prof Ian Robinson, Kedah State Exco Datuk V. Saravanan, AIMST Board
of Directors chairman Datuk Dr Ampikaipakan, Griffith University
representative Prof Loo Yew-Chye and Australian High Commissioner
H. E. James Wise. – Bernamapic

The MIC-owned Asian Institute of Medicine, Science and Technology (AIMST) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Griffith University and La Trobe University in Australia.

AIMST also signed another MoU with registered training and educational services provider Australian Institute of Technology Transfer (AITT).

Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk G. Palanivel represented MIC President Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu at the signing ceremony.

In his speech, Palanivel said the efforts made by AIMST in forging collaborative links with premier universities and institutions overseas are to be welcomed.

“The two Australian universities are highly ranked and have traditions of excellence that can assist AIMST in strengthening its teaching and research programmes at undergraduate and postgraduate levels,” he said.

Palanivel said validation of AIMST courses by these universities would impact positively on aspiring local and foreign students who wish to pursue their degree programmes in AIMST and Australia.

He said MIC's educational arm, Maju Institute of Educational Development (MIED), has already started constructing the RM450mil state-of-the-art campus in Semeling.

AIMST will offer 16 courses in medical, dental and pharmacy-related fields which have been approved by the National Accreditation Board (LAN).

The MoU with Griffith is for AIMST degree programmes in management information systems, computer science specialising in software engineering, multimedia or networking, information technology in management, information systems and multimedia system.

The MoU with La Trobe is for degree programmes in electrical and electronic engineering and electronic and communications engineering.

AITT chief executive officer Dr Deen Kuthubutheen said the validation means that the two Australian universities would, upon successful completion of the evaluation, recognise AIMST degrees as being equivalent to degrees offered by them.

AIMST students who have completed two years of the said programmes would be able to complete their remaining year at the Australian universities and obtain degrees.

Deen also said that the validation process includes recognition of the AIMST matriculation programme as an entry qualification for direct admission to the relevant degree programmes in the two universities.

A similar arrangement is being considered with Queensland University of Technology in Biotechnology and Biotechnology Innovation, and with the University of Melbourne in postgraduate medicine and para-medical sciences.

This will not only open doors to AIMST and its students but also place AIMST in a position to attract both local and foreign students who wish to complete their degrees in Australia.

“The inter-institutional links that will be developed will see collaboration in joint research, joint university-industry interaction, joint supervision of postgraduate and research students, joint courses and programme development to meet specific needs, joint publications and exchange of sabbatical leave facilities,” Deen said.

nazrey

May 17th, 2005, 08:25 AM

Today's Students Will Anchor Race Towards 2020
May 17, 2005 11:21 AM
From Yong Soo Heong

FRANKFURT, May 17 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has described students of today, who will eventually become future leaders, as the anchor runners of the country's race towards developed nation status by 2020.

"You will hit the tape on time or perhaps even faster, all this depends on you," he told almost 500 Malaysian students currently studying in central Germany who had come to listen to his speech on Monday night.

Malaysia has targeted 2020 to achieve developed nation status, another 15 years more, which Abdullah said some considered to be still a long time away while others felt that it was rather short.

The prime minister, accompanied by his wife, Datin Seri Endon Mahmood, was given a rousing welcome upon arrival at the Hotel Arabella Sheraton here. Present were Higher Education Minister Datuk Dr Shafie Salleh, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar, International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy and Tourism Minister Datuk Dr Leo Michael Toyad.

Abdullah, who is on a three-day visit to Germany, said the duty of the current country's leaders was to pass on the baton to the young and ensure that it did not drop along the way.

To attain developed nation status, the prime minister said, it also meant that Malaysia's manpower must be of high quality and capable of high productivity and innovation.

He said that if Malaysia aspired to be a developed nation by then, it could not afford to be entirely dependent on other countries but should develop its own technologies.

Abdullah told the students that biotechnology offered Malaysia a competitive edge as it was one of the few countries in the world with a rich bio-diversity.

The development of biotechnology would complement earlier endeavours in information communication technology (ICT).

He also stressed the importance for Malaysia to be more competitive in view of the changes in the region and the need to add value to the country's human capital, products and services.

"We must not be left behind. To be competitive in the future, you (young) people must take the lead, the time will eventually come for you (to lead)," he said.

Abdullah said that things in the world were changing very fast and situations were becoming more complex.

"But if we have a better understanding on a lot of things around us and recognise the challenges, then that knowledge is extremely important if we are to do well."

Abdullah also commended the students for having come to further their studies in Germany and learning German as well, including having a "doa selamat" citation done in German at the function.

In the past, the prime minister said, the Malaysian government usually sent students to Commonwealth countries for further studies but this had changed to suit the country's needs in acquiring the best skills and knowledge from anywhere.

Abdullah advised the students to seek help from their university counsellors or even officials of the Malaysian embassy if they encountered problems during their studies.

They should not drop out of the scene and become untraceable altogether, which was unhealthy, he said.

Describing Malaysia as a country with a relatively young population, he said the young of today were important assets in terms of human capital for the country's future.

He said 60 per cent of Malaysia's population was under 40 years old while those between the ages of 25 and 30 formed 30 per cent of the population,

"Just think about it, what if there are no young people in a country, What will happen if the old people are no longer around, who would replace them?"

An engineering student who had travelled about two hours by rail from Bonn to meet the prime minister said the off-the-cuff speech by Abdullah was useful advice for students like her.

After the speech, a Frankfurt-based Malaysian cultural dance troupe, Badan Kebudayaan Malaysia di Frankfurt (BKMF), gave a 30-minute performance of dances drawn from the various ethnic groups in Malaysia.

Formed in 2002, BKMF comprises a multi-racial mix of dancers from about 10 countries. Its dancers were trained by Abdul Mutalib, a dance teacher from Istana Budaya, who has been coming to Frankfurt to conduct lessons annually for a duration of six weeks each.

Sabariah van Opstal, the coordinator of BKMF, said the troupe had performed in many European cities for Tourism Malaysia.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

May 20th, 2005, 07:04 AM

Curtin Sarawak enters research phase
Friday May 20, 2005

http://thestar.com.my/archives/2005/5/20/nation/mr_pg21curtin.jpg

MODERN CAMPUS: An aerial view of the Curtin University of Technology Sarawak campus.

When the Curtin University of Technology Sarawak campus was set up about five years ago, the management of the Australian university and the Sarawak government were mainly concerned with trying to find students.

Nowadays, after successfully attracting some 2,000 students and academic staff from more than 20 countries, Curtin Sarawak is heading towards research and invention.

While playing its academic role of providing tertiary education – that is equal in standard to its main campus in Perth but at only one-third of the costs in Australia – Curtin Sarawak has taken on a pioneering role of starting several important research projects at the request from the state government.

This campus, located about 35km north of Miri, near the Sarawak-Brunei border, is in the process of handling four pioneer research projects, namely:

·STUDY into solving engineering and infrastructure construction problems on soft soil widely found in Sarawak;

·A PROJECT to design and implement a sustainable energy and telecommunications system for the population living in some 5,000 longhouses and settlements in the interior areas;

·STUDY on how to reduce ground water pollution in oil palm plantations and ways to transform palm oil residues and wastes into energy via a cleaner and more efficient combustion process; and

STUDY into why Miri has very high kidney failure cases and why Bintulu has very high asthma cases.

Curtin Sarawak has set up teams of researchers and formed units in the university campus to handle these projects.

In fact, the sustainable energy and communications project for rural Sarawak is already in its second phase of implementation, whereby Curtin researchers have signed a memorandum of understanding with the state Public Works Department (PWD) to start site testing.

Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr George Chan Hong Nam said the research role taken up by Curtin Sarawak is as important as its academic role.

“The state government wants Curtin Sarawak to be developed into a centre that can help find solutions to problems found in Sarawak that affects a lot of people.

“For example, the soft soil engineering project. Sarawak has a lot of problems with road construction because of the soft and unstable nature of the ground in many parts of the state. Newly built roads ended up with cracks and depressions within just a short time.

“We hope to come up with the technology and ideas to build roads that are more lasting and require less maintenance,” he said.

http://thestar.com.my/archives/2005/5/20/nation/mr_pg21prof.jpg

EXPANSION PLAN: Lee (right) in discussion with Prof Lodwick (centre) and a university staff on the expansion plan for the campus.

The sustainable energy and telecommunications project is also another very interesting and important project.

Curtin Sarawak and PWD hope to build a telecommunications system that can help overcome the huge logistics problem faced in the interior areas.

The team is also trying to design a system that can generate reliable and sustainable energy using solar energy to help power rural schools, interior settlements and clinics.

State Assistant Minister for Infrastructure Development and Communications Lee Kim Shin, who is also Curtin Sarawak’s director of business development, said the state government will spend another RM20mil to expand and upgrade the current infrastructure and research facilities at the university campus.

“The expansion project has to be carried out in order to accommodate a bigger student population and staff, as well as cater for more intensive research projects,” he said.

The state has spent more than RM500mil to construct the first phase of the university.

“This second phase of development will include building a multi-purpose hall, student centre, bookshop, cafeteria, two lecture theatres and a childcare centre.

“Curtin Sarawak is committed to maintaining and enhancing high academic standards and we place great emphasis on the usage of modern technology and facilities to support teaching, learning and research programmes apart from offering international and cross-cultural learning experience,” Lee said.

The Curtin Sarawak university campus is the first overseas branch campus of a foreign university in Borneo. It offers courses in business, language, sciences, engineering and economics.

Its vice-chancellor Prof Graham Lodwick said Curtin Australia and Curtin Sarawak are able to share technology and ideas in both academic and research fields because of geographical similarities.

Curtin Australia has already pioneered important inventions and technology throughout its history and such ideas can be adopted in Sarawak, he added.

nazrey

June 1st, 2005, 07:07 AM

nazrey

June 4th, 2005, 09:43 AM

Govt To Consolidate National Schools Into Premier Schools, Says PM
June 04, 2005 15:28 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, June 4 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said Saturday the government will continue to consolidate national schools into premier schools that enjoy the support and trust of the people.

He said the government desired to see national schools become the preferred choice of the people and to play a major role in fostering national solidarity.

"National schools belong to all groups; the government's aspiration should be given undivided support by all the people," Abdullah said in his speech at the investiture ceremony at the Istana Negara here in conjunction with the 62nd birthday of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

"It is also in this spirit that the government always holds steadfast to the social contract among the various communities in Malaysia.

"There should be no exploitation and discrimination in the name of religion or race, anywhere at all," he said.

-- MORE

nazrey

June 10th, 2005, 10:45 PM

Educationists Told To Help Preserve Borneo Languages
June 09, 2005 14:07 PM

KOTA KINABALU, June 9 (Bernama) -- Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili has called on teachers and educationists to make a special effort to help preserve Borneo native languages.

"Like many parts of the world, there are many minority languages and dialects that are slowly disappearing and the world will be poorer for it.

"This is also happening in our own backyard where the issue of preservation and conservation of the Borneo languages is certainly a great challenge that need to be addressed," he said when launching the Borneo language teaching conference, here Thursday.

Dr Maximus said it was a great task to preserve native languages or Borneo languages "while learning other languages in the process of broadening our knowledge".

"As such, it is an effort that must be taken seriously by everyone especially teachers and educationists," he said.

He said that due to ethnic diversity, the languages of education and commerce such as Bahasa Malaysia, English and Chinese are the second and third language for most people of the Borneo origin.

Therefore, he said: "For most people in Borneo, "one who does not have any knowledge of other languages apart from their own, it is certainly a great challenge and an effort to learn these languages".

Dr Maximus said that many barriers in the past had been broken due to the modern technologies that enabled the citizens of the world to interact and explore new ventures and opportunities.

"As such, efforts to learn more than one language such as English, Mandarin, Japanese will certainly open many doors of opportunities especially in business ventures and economic activities," he added.

He said that in order to create 'towering personalities', Malaysians especially graduates "must learn more skills and be able to communicate in more than one language", thus enhancing their competencies as well as becoming an asset in the service industry including tourism.

He said languages also play an important role in unifying diverse ethnic groups, particularly in Malaysia, which has a population of 25.6 million people with each coming from a potpourri of various ethnic groups.

Dr Maximus said languages like Bahasa Malaysia and English play a crucial role for the country's citizens to communicate and to interact with each other, and is often regarded as one of the tools for national unity.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

June 11th, 2005, 09:08 PM

Medical Faculties At Varsities Able To Handle Bigger Intake Of Students
June 11, 2005 19:35 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, June 11 (Bernama) -- The government has increased the teaching capacity at the medical faculties of all the public universities to cater to a bigger intake of students, Higher Education Minister Datuk Dr Shafie Mohd Salleh said.

He said this was to prevent a recurrence of last year's problem where 128 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia top scorers failed to get places to study medicine locally.

Dr Shafie said basic facilities such as teaching equipment had been improved or upgraded and more lecturers had been recruited since last year.

"So far, so good. I am quite sure that what happened last year will not happen again," he told reporters after launching the Career and Education Fair 2005 here.

Last year, after a public outcry, the government awarded the top scorers Public Service Department scholarships to study medicine overseas.

Dr Shafie also said that the announcement of this year's university intake would be made before the end of the month as the new 2005/2006 session begins in July.

In another development, Shafie said he had approved the unpaid leave of University Malaya economist Assoc Prof Dr Terence Gomez who had tendered his resignation after the university did not approve his two-year secondment to take up a research post in the United Nations.

"I only saw the application yesterday and I approved it," he said when asked by reporters to comment on the matter.

Shafie said he had also rejected Gomez's resignation, which means the economist could return to the university after completing his two-year secondment in Geneva.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

June 11th, 2005, 09:09 PM

PTPTN Able To Provide Loans To 100,000 Tertiary Students This Year
June 11, 2005 19:33 PM

MACHANG, June 11 (Bernama) -- The National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) is able to give out loans to about 100,000 new students to pursue studies at public and private institutions of higher learning this year, PTPTN Chief Executive Datuk Othman Jusoh said here.

He said the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) had approved a loan of RM1 billion to PTPTN for the purpose.

"Some RM2 billion is expected to be approved at the end of the year," he told Bernama after the launching of the National Education Savings Scheme promotion for the Machang parliamentary constituency by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry Datuk Sazmi Miah here Friday. About 400 villagers joined the scheme.

Othman said the loans would begin to be disbursed next month as soon the intake of new students to the 17 public and 200 private institutions of higher learning began.

He said PTPTN had so far disbursed loans amounting to RM8 billion to 650,000 students but was only able to collect RM128 million in repayments up to last month.

PTPTN had difficulty tracing the majority of the borrowers because they did not have permanent addresses, he said but added that the corporation would go after the defaulters with the assistance of the EPF and the National Registration Department.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

June 12th, 2005, 06:53 PM

Seni Silat Lincah Plans To Form Silat Faculty At USM
June 12, 2005 20:25 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, June 12 (Bernama) -- The Seni Silat Lincah Organisation Malaysia (PSSLM) plans to set up a silat faculty at Universiti Science Malaysia (USM) as a move to uphold the identity of the martial art.

Its founder Datuk Omardin Mauju said he had sent a proposal to the university and was waiting for a reply.

"We held preliminary discussions with the university and they suggested that we write and make a formal proposal. This we already did and we are now waiting for the reply," he told reporters here, Sunday.

He had earlier attended the opening of the 27th annual general meeting of the organisation by Information Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir.

Omardin said among the aims of the faculty was to gather the experts from all the branches of silat who could teach the art to others.

"He said currently silat is being practised in 50 countries and the faculty could also draw these people to study the art here.

Meanwhile, Abdul Kadir said his ministry would assist the organisation to expand through the electronic media.

RTM had aired the programme "Mahaguru", a silat programme but it had ended.

"I will also seek to enable the various silat groups to participate in the Merdeka celebrations," he said.

Abdul Kadir also launched the organisation's website at www.silatlincah.com.my.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

June 16th, 2005, 01:54 AM

BCB to finance RM100m student computer loan scheme
By Alfean Hardy

http://www.theedgedaily.com/cms/storage/images/com.tms.cms.image.Image_80474f31-cb73c03a-1fbc3550-fe8bfc1a/1/BCB_inside.jpg

Anuar (right) and ECM Consulting CEO Mazlan Nordin
launching the Siswacare programme

Bumiputra-Commerce Bank Bhd (BCB) will provide loans of up to RM100 million for 20,000 university scholarship students to own their own computers.

BCB will offer a five-year loan on an interest of base lending rate plus 1.5% per annum for the students in six local universities to buy computers, software and peripherals under various affordable packages.

The programme, SiswaCare, is the brainchild of management consultancy company ECM Consulting Sdn Bhd.

â€�The RM100 million will be divided into 20,000 attractive packages that we have bundled together on a first-come-first-serve basis,â€� said BCB vice president consumer loan retail product and marketing Anuar Amin Ayob.

Speaking to reporters on June 15 in Kuala Lumpur following the signing ceremony between BCB and ECM Consulting, Anuar Amin said there were risks involved, especially with the issue of non-performing loans.

We are in the business of maximising revenue but if we wanted zero risk, we earn nothing. We have calculated all the risk involved. The risks arenâ€�t as bad as giving out clean facility or credit cards,â€� he said.

â€�This is our initial roll-out. We have never actually ventured into the student population and we are going to see if students can be a profitable segment to the bank. We will study this loan portfolio and see if we can improve it further.

â€�Of course, affordability is an issue; thatâ€�s why weâ€�ve come up with a comfortable monthly repayment package.

"Also, when an applicant receives his or her PTPTN (perbadanan tabung pendidikan tinggi nasional) loan, we automatically deduct the first six months repayment from it. We also make their parents the co-borrower under the scheme,â€� he added.

nazrey

June 24th, 2005, 03:50 PM

Almost 40,000 Students Offered Places In Universities This Year
June 24, 2005 19:41 PM

PUTRAJAYA, June 24 (Bernama) -- A total of 39,976 students who had passed the Sijil Tinggi Pelajaran Malaysia and matriculation have been chosen based on meritocracy to pursue higher studies at public institutions of higher learning (IPTA) this year.

The Director-General of IPT (Institutions of Higher Learning) Management Department, Ministry of Higher Education, Datuk Prof Dr Hassan Said said this year's enrolment increased by 2.8 per cent from the 38,892 places offered last year.

Of the total, 23,477 or 58.7 per cent were candidates from the science stream and 16,499 (41.3 per cent) from the arts, he said when announcing the status of applications for admission into public IPTs for the first degree programme.

Hassan said the total number of applications received was 105,014 with 64,877 being categorised as eligible, who had the minimum qualification of 2.00 CGPA (Cumulative Grade Point Average) and above and fulfilling the special requirements of the study programme.

All the successful candidates will continue their studies at local universities with the exception of Kolej Universiti Islam Malaysia (KUIM), International Islamic University Malaysia (UIAM), Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), Islamic Faculty of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) and Islamic Faculty of University of Malaya (UM) which are reserved for bumiputera students.

The successful candidates who were selected based on the merit system comprised 24,941 Bumiputeras or 62.4 per cent of the total, 12,802 Chinese (32 per cent) and 2,233 Indians (5.6 per cent), Hassan said.

He also gave details on the number of students pursuing nine competitive study programmes namely Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Electronic Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Law, Accountancy and Economics based on the racial composition.

There were 910 places for medicine (544 for Bumiputera, 321 Chinese and 45 Indians), 190 for dentistry (115 bumiputera, 62 Chinese and 13 Indians), 284 for pharmacy (135 Bumiputera, 143 Chinese and 6 Indians).

Electronic engineering offered 1,701 places (1,116 Bumiputera, 516 Chinese and 69 Indians), chemical engineering 881 places (494 Bumiputera, 346 Chinese and 41 Indians), mechanical engineering 1,455 places (909 Bumiputera, 501 Chinese and 45 Indians).

Law offered 294 places (142 Bumiputera, 105 Chinese and 47 Indians), accountancy 1,121 places (478 Bumiputera, 593 Chinese and 50 Indians), and economics 1,167 (605 Bumiputera, 463 Chinese and 99 Indians).

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

June 27th, 2005, 12:43 PM

M'sia And S'pore Explore Cooperation In Education
June 27, 2005 18:08 PM
By Jackson Sawatan

SINGAPORE, June 27 (Bernama) -- Malaysia and Singapore have agreed to explore cooperation in education aimed at bringing students of both countries closer together and ultimately enhancing people-to-people relationship.

Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein and his Singapore counterpart, Tharman Shanmugaratnam, acknowledged that such cooperation would be in the interest of both countries as it brings the people together from a young age.

"There are so many things that we can share together," Hishammuddin told a joint news conference with Tharman here Monday.

Earlier, they attended a briefing and discussion at Raffles Girls' School (RGS) on programmes that can be implemented by both sides, including a proposed twinning programme between RGS and Kolej Tunku Khursiah of Seremban, Negeri Sembilan.

Other programmes being look into include exchange of students as well as teachers, particularly in the teaching and learning of the Malay language, English, mathematics and science.

Hishammuddin said the challenge now was no longer about Malaysia competing with Singapore but rather about Singapore and Malaysia vis-a-vis the world.

"Challenges of the future require us to work together," he said, adding that the comfort zone created through the learning process in schools would provide people from both countries with a strong relationship, irrespective of the ups and downs in bilateral relations.

Tharman, meanwhile, said that there was much that Malaysia and Singapore could explore despite the fact that the two countries had different systems of education -- with English being Singapore's medium of instruction and Malaysia using the Malay language.

"We can sit down together and discuss specific programmes...this is very inspiring and very encouraging," he said.

He said the generation of Malaysian and Singaporean students in the 60's had been greatly advantaged socially and economically because they had the opportunity of studying together. Earlier in the morning, Hishammuddin, who is in this island state at Tharman's invitation, was briefed Singapore's education system at the Nanyang Institute of Education.

After the RGS function, Hishammuddin called on Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew at the Istana.

Tuesday, Hishammuddin will visit the Northland Primary School at Yishun Avenue and attend a briefing and discussion at the Regional Language Centre of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organisation.

His visit to Singapore is part of Malaysia's effort to enhance cooperation in education with the Asean countries.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

June 27th, 2005, 07:50 PM

153 National Schools Teach Mandarin, 76 Teach Tamil, Says Hishammuddin
June 27, 2005 23:08 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, June 27 (Bernama) -- A total of 153 national schools now have Mandarin communication classes while 76 teach Tamil, Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said Monday.

The number of Mandarin and Tamil teachers depended on the number of classes and, so far, the ministry had 204 Mandarin and 104 Tamil teachers at national schools, he said.

"The number of teaching and learning hours is 60 minutes per week," he said in his written reply to Datuk Liow Tiong Lai (BN-Bentong) in the Dewan Rakyat.

He said several steps had been taken to overcome the shortage of Mandarin teachers, including offering Mandarin courses at degree and diploma levels.

The ministry had also recruited retired teachers to teach Mandarin and Tamil, and offered conversion courses to serving teachers interested to teach the languages, he said.

Replying to Dr Mohamed Hayati Othman (PAS-Pendang), Hishammuddin said the ministry spent RM4.3 million as service fee last year for the Educational TV programme carried by Astro. As at Jan 2005, some 9,139 schools received the service.

When the Educational TV programme was carried over TV2, RM5.023 million was paid annually to Telekom Malaysia Berhad which operated terrestrial broadcasting stations.

To a question by Fong Po Kuan (DAP-Batu Gajah) on sex education in schools, Hishammuddin said a draft on the National Sex Education Guidelines was being fine tuned for approval by the Cabinet.

The Education Ministry drafted the guidelines together with other panel members, including the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry, Health Ministry, lecturers of institutions of higher learning and the Malaysian Aids Council.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

June 28th, 2005, 04:42 PM

Making Education Accessible To All: OUM Goes All The Way
By Tiong Sue Yii
June 28, 2005 11:24 AM

KUALA LUMPUR, June 28 (Bernama) -- Staying true to its motto, "University For All", the Open University Malaysia (OUM) is actively promoting its Lifelong Learning Programme with up to 50 per cent discount on academic fees for senior citizens and the disabled.

OUM president and vice-chancellor Professor Tan Sri Datuk Dr Anuwar Ali told Bernama that the programme, implemented last month, incorporated a special scheme for those aged 55 and above and the disabled certified by the Social Welfare Department, who need only pay half the tuition fees.

He said the discount was a form of financial assistance to the two groups of students to encourage more people to seek knowledge and upgrade their skills by furthering their studies.

"Interested candidates can download the application form from our website at www.oum.edu.my and submit certified true copies of their identity cards together with the completed forms," he said.

As for the lifelong learning programme, Prof Anuwar said it was an ongoing programme which is conducted on demand, varying according to the needs of the students or members from various organisations and associations nationwide.

"Our lifelong learning programme covers all the spectrum, senior citizens, career-related people, youth, entrepreneurs and the general public. We are launching the Lifelong Learning Programme on July 5 in Seremban, catering to various groups of people from the public.

"We have talks on "Seeking Knowledge As a Lifelong Career" targeting sixth formers, "Internet and Its Future" targeting parents, "Building a Caring Society" targeting trainee teachers, "Management of Organisation" targeting youth associations, and "Cash Flow of Management for Small Businesses" designed for small business owners," he said.

OUM, he said, adopted the Open and Distance Learning (ODL) concept, incorporating three learning approaches -- the face-to-face approach, online learning or e-learning and self-managed learning emphasising independent studies.

"These three approaches are called blended pedagogy. Besides, each student is required to take a study management course for one semester to guide them in time-management and proper learning techniques.

"I think OUM is playing a role in promoting Malaysia as a centre of excellence in education. So, if we encourage lifelong learning, we can continuously upgrade the community, the workforce...we are very serious about enhancing the education standards, the quality of our students," he said.

In further efforts to show their commitment towards the Lifelong Learning Programme, Prof Anuwar said, OUM had even established a School for Lifelong Learning.

With 26 academic programmes consisting of 14 bachelor degree programmes, seven diploma programmes and five masters programmes, OUM is set to expand by introducing more programmes in its next intake.

He said that after the recent May intake, the number of students registered with OUM nationwide stood at over 31,700, comprising 13,425 teachers pursuing their tertiary studies and 18,307 others from the open market.

"We are targeting another 4,000 in the September intake so that the figure reaches 35,000. Normally there are more students in the September intakes than the other two intakes in January and May," he said, adding that the Bachelor of Information Technology programme was the most popular, with over 6,000 students.

http://bernama.com.my/bernama/newspic/fe/KL11_280605_OUM_Three.jpg

PROF ANUWAR ALI… “OUM adopts the Open and Distance Learning
(ODL) concept, incorporating three learning approaches --
the face-to-face approach, online learning or e-learning
and self-managed learning emphasising independent studies.”

For the September intake, OUM will introduce six degree programmes -- Accounting, Human Resource Management, Hospitality Management, Tourism Management, Mathematics and Management and Education Administration.

The new programmes at the Master and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) level are Master of Education in Education Administration, Master of Science in Business Administration, Master of Science in Engineering and PhD in Business Administration and PhD in Engineering.

The former Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) vice-chancellor said the new degree programmes would appeal to those looking for a more specialised degree which was more attuned to their existing or future careers.

The Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy programmes emphasised research in their chosen fields and would appeal to those who wished to pursue careers in consultancy or higher education, he said.

The Master of Education programme catered for those in leadership positions in the education industry who wished to enhance their knowledge and gain specialised skills in running the institutions, he said.

He added that entry requirements for the new programmes were the same as those for previous intakes except for the postgraduate programmes.

"For the Masters of Science (Business Administration), you need at least a Bachelor's Degree with honours in Business Administration, Management, Marketing, Finance, Economics, Commerce or equivalent or a Bachelor's Degree in the above areas plus two years of working experience.

"As for the Master of Science (Engineering), the requirement is a Bachelor's degree with honours in Engineering or its equivalent. For the PhD in Business Administration and Engineering, the candidates should have a masters degree in the related fields," he said.

Adding yet another feather to its cap, OUM has achieved the ISO 9001:2000 status for its digital library from Sirim.

In conjunction with the ISO certification, Prof Anuwar said, the Tan Sri Dr Abdullah Sanusi Digital Library, named after OUM's founder who died in 2003, would be holding a three-day book fest from July 1-3 before receiving the ISO certificate on July 7.

"I think e-learning is the way to do it. The more people who know about e-learning, the better it will be. Our digital library is essential to provide references and guide to our students who are 90 per cent working adults studying part time or on the distance learning mode," he said.

Prof Anuwar encouraged members of the public to utilise the digital library by subscribing to its services with a minimal fee starting from RM100 per annum for students.

The library boasts of about 7,000 volumes of books (hardcopies) located at the Central Library and Learning centres, five databases on more than 23,800 titles from ebooks, 12 online databases on e-journals with 50,000 titles, covering all courses offered by OUM and the campus is wireless enabled.

With a full degree programme costing about RM17,000 to RM18,000 and Diploma programme costing RM13,000 to RM14,000 and only about RM25,000 for a Masters Programme, OUM is indeed a flexible and affordable option in tertiary studies.

OUM had proven its strengths in a wide range of disciplines from Information Technology to the Arts and Social Sciences, Business and Science since its inception in August 2001, Prof Anuwar said.

With 32 University Learning Centres and Regional Learning Centres nationwide, OUM hoped to reach out to all segments of the society in its quest to pioneer lifelong learning, he added.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

June 29th, 2005, 03:30 PM

Cabinet 'Yes' To MMC Decision, Exempts Current CSMU Pre-Medical Students
June 29, 2005 19:42 PM

PUTRAJAYA, June 29 (Bernama) -- The Cabinet Wednesday agreed with the decision of the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) to withdraw its recognition of the medical degrees of Crimea State Medical University (CSMU) in Ukraine.

However, it allowed 247 Malaysian students who have enrolled in the pre-medical programme at CSMU to continue studying there until graduation.

Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said the pre-medical students, who are due soon to enter year one of their medical degree programme, would be the final batch of CSMU medical graduates to be recognised by the government.

He told reporters after the Cabinet meeting that CSMU medical degree graduates after this batch, including graduates of other unrecognised universities, would have to sit for a special qualifying examination to obtain recognition.

Dr Chua said the Cabinet Wednesday also decided that his ministry should organise the examination with the collaboration of the MMC and Public Services Department (PSD).

The examination would be conducted with the cooperation of Universiti Malaya, Universiti Sains Malaysia and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.

The Cabinet also directed the ministry to re-evaluate the medical programmes offered by 333 universities recognised by the government, he added.

The MMC decision to de-recognise the CSMU medical degrees sparked off protests.

MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu accused the council of racial bias because Indians comprised the largest number of Malaysian students enrolled in the CSMU medical degree programme.

The issue was hotly debated in the Dewan Rakyat last week and led to the suspension for three months of Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Datuk S. Sothinathan, who is the MIC secretary-general, for breaking ranks with Barisan Nasional (BN).

Sothinathan had questioned the replies of Deputy Health Minister Datuk Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad who defended the MMC decision.

Dr Chua said there was no racial bias in the MMC action which was taken to maintain the level of professionalism of MMC and medical practitioners in the country.

He said the MMC viewed seriously the deterioration in the ratio of lecturer to students at CSMU, from 1:6 to 1:10 last year.

Dr Chua said the ratio was vital in the medical course which emphasized "hands-on" and "clinical" learning, as practiced in local universities.

"What worried the MMC is that CSMU offered pre-medical studies to holders of the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia, and there are SPM students with poor results who have been enrolled in CSMU.

"There are some who did not obtain credit and some who failed but, going through certain parties, still managed to register for the pre-medical. We also received written complaints of elements of corruption and undergraduates alleging they were raped.

"MMC wrote to CSMU to seek clarifications on measures taken to address the weaknesses which were detected. Unfortunately, there is no response," he said.

Dr Chua said MMC also tried to obtain confirmation from the Ukraine Medical Council whether the CSMU students were recognised in that country but it had not received any official reply until now.

He said another concern of the MMC was the unsatisfactory level of English proficiency by Malaysian graduates of CSMU.

"Based on all these reasons, MMC decided to withdraw its recognition. The withdrawal has no connection with race," he said.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

July 1st, 2005, 07:27 PM

Shafie: Students With CGPA 4.00 Can Study Medicine.
July 01, 2005 23:11 PM

KBANTING, July 1 (Bernama) -- Students who scored 4.00 for their Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) who applied to pursue a medical course this year have been assured that they would be able to do so at local universities.

Minister of Higher Education Datuk Dr Shafie Salleh said the government was taking steps so that issues like the failure of 128 students to secure places at universities to study medicine last year would not be repeated.

He said there were sufficient local universities where they could study medicine.

The Minister said the local universities offering medical courses had adequate and quality teaching equipment.

He said his ministry had also acquired many teaching equipment this year and had sought the cooperation of the Health Ministry not to withdraw the doctors whom they had lent as lecturers.

"We assure those who obtained a CGPA of 4.00 and applied to do medicine will be able to do so", he told reporters after handing over initial loan funds totalling RM1,500 to 262 students here, Friday.

Last year a total of 907 students who passed the Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) and matriculation who obtained 4.0 for their CGPA applied to study medicine but only 779 people secured places.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

July 12th, 2005, 11:18 PM

10,000 Smart Schools By 2010
May 31, 2005 19:05 PM

IPOH, May 31 (Bernama) -- The Education Ministry's target to have all its 10,000 over schools as Smart Schools within five years could be derailed by under-enrolment in about 2,000 schools and lack of electricity in rural areas.

Its secretary-general, Datuk Ambrin Buang said majority of the under-enrolment schools or with students less than 140 are located in rural and remote areas where stable electricity supply remains a problem.

"The key to this is stable electricity or it will affect the quality of ICT teaching. If all schools can address this, we can achieve our smart school target as planned," he said at the Perak Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) Forum, here Tuesday.

Ambrin said there are currently 87 schools under the pilot smart school projects, with 5,809 computers and 261 servers, and the ministry hoped to have 155,516 computers by 2010.

He said currently 4,495 schools have computer labs, 93,372 computers, 4,495 servers while 7,949 schools are involved under the SchoolNet project and 9,539 schools with 11,709 television sets getting access to Education TV.

Ambrin said the introduction of English in the Teaching of Mathematics and Science (ETeMS) three years ago had fastened the usage of ICT in schools as it involved 9,539 schools, providing 97,104 laptops, 69,000 LCD projectors, 67,439 screens, 2,286 TVs and 9,662 printers.

He said through ETeMS, 232 interactive multimedia titles were created and would be increased to 3,075 by 2010.

"But we need more courseware, especially done with local content as many companies went web-basing. Many teachers can take their own initiatives to create courseware and we will look at rewarding them," he added.

Another essential factor to ensure the success of ICT usage in schools are teachers, said Ambrin, adding that their different level of competency and qualification are among the challenges faced by the ministry.

"If they are coming out now from teachers' training colleges, they got the basic knowledge of ICT. But for those in the profession for a very long time, we need to motivate them to be ICT friendly," he added.

He said so far, 76,636 teachers have been trained under ETeMS and 3,692 for smart schools.

-- BERNAMA

Apiit smart school to start operations Jan 2006
Updated : 10-06-2005
Media : Business Times
Story By : GOH THEAN EU

ASIA Pacific Institute of Information Technologies (Apiit) smart school, with a total investment of at least RM80 million, will start operations in January 2006.

Apiit¡¦s managing director Dr Parmjit Singh said the school, built on a 6ha site in Subang, is expected to accommodate 2,500 students from primary and secondary classes.

The 6ha land allocated for the smart school is part of the 18ha land we purchased, which also comprises the development of a university and campus project,he told reporters after a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signing ceremony at Bukit Jalil in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

Apiit, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sapura Resources Bhd, bought the leasehold land from Subang Properties Sdn Bhd, a 52 per cent-owned subsidiary of Sapura Industrial Bhd (formerly Sapura Motors Bhd) for RM40 million.

The MOU was signed between Apiit Smart School Sdn Bhd (wholly owned by Apiit Sdn Bhd), represented by Parmjit, and Midland Leadership Centre (MLC) represented by its director Professor Sir Geoffrey Hampton.

Hampton is currently the adviser to Prime Minister Tony Blair on education matters and he is the first educationist in the UK to be knighted for his service in education.

MLC will play the role as an adviser for Apiit¡¦s smart school and provide training to the school¡¦s teachers and lecturers. A senior academic adviser will be based in Malaysia to act as a liaison between Apiit and MLC.

nazrey

July 17th, 2005, 05:30 PM

Perak Umno Wants smart Status For All National Schools
Updated : 10-06-2005
Media : Business Times
Story By : GOH THEAN EU

IPOH, July 17 (Bernama) -- Perak Umno will propose that all national schools be given the smart school status to ensure they are not left out in mainstream education.

Its liaison secretary, Datuk Ramly Zahari said the proposal would be raised by a delegate from Perak during a debate on education at the party's general assembly next week.

"Smart schools are models for the learning process which mostly use information technology which is still lacking in national schools in the rural areas," he told reporters Sunday.

He said the State Umno Liaison Committee had agreed on the proposal to raise the status of national schools and to convince parents to send their children at these schools.

The Perak Umno representative who will debate the motion on education is the State Education, Human Resources and Information Technology Committee Chairman Datuk Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

July 18th, 2005, 07:56 AM

Alagappa Varsity Offers Distance Learning For M'sian Students
July 17, 2005 23:01 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, July 17 (Bernama) -- Alagappa University in India has offered Malaysian students a distance-learning programme for its first academic session expected to start in Malaysia in January next year.

Vice-Chancellor Dr P. Kanniappan said the university offered 57 programmes for undergraduates, post-graduates and PhD in management, computer applications, sciences and education.

Alagappa University is one of the top 15 universities in India and a member of the Association of Commonwealth Universities, he told reporters Sunday.

Kanniappan said the university was recognised by the Malaysian government.

He said the university regarded Malaysia as among the best market places to promote its distance-learning programme.

He said a local company, Ark Centre (ARK), had been appointed by the university to disseminate information and promote the programme.

More information on the distance-learning programme can be obtained from ARK Centre via 03-33736287.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

August 1st, 2005, 10:26 AM

High-tech way to promote unity
Monday August 1, 2005

VIRTUAL characters Izzad, Chong and Raj have an important mission.

They have to locate hidden treasure in a pre-war bungalow left behind by General Yamashita during World War II.

Their expedition takes them through a Malay kampung, a Chinese new village and an Indian estate, where they learn about the respective community's culture, language and practices.

Their success in the quest will hinge largely on teamwork, unity and strategic planning in overcoming obstacles.

Titled Adventure Ria, the animated game is among 50 culture- and unity-themed computer software games designed by Yayasan Kemajuan Sosial Malaysia (YKS) under its pilot e-Integrasi project.

There are also other games like my.CITY, in which pupils build and manage a harmonious-living city, a Little PM (pemimpin murid kecil) game on choosing a leader to run an organisation and The Visit, which involves preparation of local delicacies and stage shows to welcome a VIP.

http://www.thestar.com.my/archives/2005/8/1/central/m_16computer.jpg

Krishnan (right) observing pupils going
through the programme.

The Uniform Bodies Online is a game about team formation to organise jumble sales and fund-raising events, the Ibu Mithali (Exemplary Mum) gets pupils to describe their mothers, while the Young Malaysian Entrepreneur teaches pupils to manage and run a business.

Project manager L. Krishnan said e-Integrasi was a high-tech way of promoting racial integration among primary pupils in national and vernacular schools.

The project has benefited some 400 selected pupils from 26 schools in Penang since its introduction last June.

“Gathering children to play physical games can be difficult due to time, venue and logistics constraints.

“So, we started an innovative approach by combining information technology with entertainment, and providing Year Four, Five and Six pupils with free two-hour lessons on the software usage five days a week,” he said during a lesson at SK Permatang Bertam in Kepala Batas, Penang.

Krishnan said lessons were conducted at two cluster centres, in SK Permatang Bertam on the mainland and Island Girls Primary School on Penang island, involving 11 national schools, 10 Chinese schools and five Tamil schools.

“We are now recruiting an additional 200 pupils for this project as we modify the games and software with multi-user features,” he said.

http://www.thestar.com.my/archives/2005/8/1/central/m_16jiabin.jpg

Jia Bin showing the ‘Mountain Game’
installed in the e-integrasi programme.

He said e-Integrasi – mooted by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi – was partly funded by the Science, Technology and Innovations Ministry under its Demonstrator Application Grant Scheme (DAGS). Dell Asia Pacific and Penang Indian Entrepreneurs (Pie) sponsored 40 computers.

Project community co-ordinator Shalahudeen Abdul Hamid said the virtual lessons were only 70% of the project, while the remaining 30% were outdoor activities involving the children's parents and families.

“We conduct field trips and organise dinners and tele-matches for parents, trainers and pupils. Hari Integrasi celebrations are held once in three months.

“Through these events, families of different races can develop a special bond, and many of them visit each other during festive occasions,” he said.

Parent Rahmah Yahaya, 46, said her son Rohaizat Haziq Ahmad was inspired to eat chapatti after learning about it from the project, adding that she, too, had tried her hand at making vadei and kuih kapit.

Another parent, Tan Tian Seong, 50, said his children, Jia Bin, 11, and Jia Jui, 12, hardly had Malay or Indian friends before joining the project, as they were from a Chinese-majority village.

SJK (T) Palaniandy teacher S. Thenmozhi said her pupils' command of Malay and English had improved, noting that many others had been pestering her to be part of it.

Year Five pupil Lim Kin Chun, who does not have a computer at home, said the games were exciting and helped sharpen his thinking.

Year Five pupil Nurul Nabihah Kamarulzaman and Year Six pupil K. Vanitha both said the games taught them to respect each other's culture and beliefs.

nazrey

August 3rd, 2005, 06:00 AM

Smart Schools To Be Extended To Rural Areas
August 02, 2005 19:12 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 2 (Bernama) -- The smart school concept which was introduced in 1996 to churn out students with critical and creative thinking will be extended to the rural areas, said Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein.

However, the definition of the smart schools for the rural areas, whose learning and teaching process as well as administration aimed to assist the students in facing the challenges of the Information Age, would be different from the 88 existing smart schools in towns .

"The definition to be used will depend on our experts, such as scheduling, equipment and the teachers... we will announce it in stages," he told reporters after launching the information and communication technology (ICT) strengthening programme in schools, at Sekolah Menengah Sains Selangor, here Tuesday.

The smart schools had been introduced by the government to help the students in facing the information era.

Hishammuddin said the establishment of the smart schools in the rural areas was necessary to narrow down the gap between the schools in rural and urban areas and to enable the rural students to compete with the others.

"If we want to compare the smart schools with the schools in the rural areas, the opportunity and the playing field is not even," he said.

Earlier, he launched the "Strengthening ICT In School and Schoolnet Project In Asean Setting", a three-year programme organised by the South East Asian Ministers of Education Secretariat (SEAMES) since 2003.

The project, sponsored by the Japanese Fund-in-Trust, is to demonstrate that the usage of ICT in education can help in enhancing the teaching and learning processes, and three subjects -- Science, Mathematics and English -- have been identified to be implemented in the project.

Eight Asean countries -- Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam -- have benefited from the project.

Three schools selected to represent Malaysia in the project are Sekolah Menengah Sains Selangor, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (P) Seri Aman, Petaling Jaya and Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (Felda) Bandar Baru Serting, Negeri Sembilan.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

August 8th, 2005, 05:37 PM

New Incentives Coming To Get Private Colleges To Merge
Updated : 08-08-2005
Media : Bernama

The government will provide additional incentives for private institutions of higher learning (IPTS) to merge, consolidate their operations and improve the quality of education.

Higher Education Minister Datuk Dr Shafie Mohd Salleh said a working paper had been prepared by his ministry and its officers were discussing the proposed incentives with the Finance Ministry.

"We are not making it mandatory for the IPTS to merge but we are asking them to take the opportunity and get the incentives offered to them," he told reporters after being briefed on Kolej Universiti Sains dan Teknologi Malaysia's research station in Pulau Bidong, Monday.

He was commenting on a suggestion by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak two days ago to reduce the number of IPTS because not all of them were able to offer quality courses and attract students.

The existing incentives offered to merged IPTS included tax and stamp duty exemptions in the purchase of buildings.

So far, only two consortiums had been set up through mergers. They are Malaysian University System which involves the merger of five IPTS and Kolej Bersekutu Universiti Teknologi Mara which is made up of 19 IPTS.

Dr Shafie said there were over 500 IPTS nationwide and some needed to be closed down immediately.

The government also planned to set up a trust fund to help IPTS students who faced problems when their institutions ceased operations, he said.

"We will discuss with the IPTS to see their response. If they agree, the ministry will draft new legislation," he said.

Dr Shafie said other than students, the IPTS themselves would be able to tap the fund to meet their cost of operations if they faced financial problems.

He said similar funds had long been set up in countries like the United States and Australia, and had clearly been able to help students pay their tuition fees.

nazrey

August 9th, 2005, 06:11 AM

‘Let kids learn from mistakes’
Story and Photo by EDWARD RAJENDRA
Tuesday August 9, 2005

PARENTS have been advised to tell their children that mistakes are a natural part of life in order for the children to develop resilient minds.

Women, Family and Community Development deputy minister Datuk G. Palanivel said opportunities to demonstrate this arose often.

“One method is to accept a more positive, less defeatist attitude toward mistakes.

“If the child makes a mistake, attempt to remain calm and ask them to think about what they can do to avoid the mistake in future,” he said.

”Humour is also incredibly effective at minimising the negative power of mistakes,” he said after visiting Salim Saleh and his three sons who have been given shelter by the Klang Welfare Department at Teluk Gadong Besar, Klang.

On July 25, StarMetro had highlighted the plight of Salim and his sons who were forced to live in squalor in a makeshift tent at Jalan Batu Tiga Lama.

MIC Kota Raja deputy chairman S. Chandran also contributed a 21-inch television to the family.

Palanivel added that one of the most important duties of a parent was to help their children develop a belief that they can learn from mistakes.

”Mistakes are a natural part of life. We learn by experimenting and mistakes and failure can be important parts of our learning process.

“If we accept our setbacks, we can continue to risk, learn and move on with excitement and satisfaction,” he explained.

“None of us knows what our own children can accomplish.

We do know that our own children’s accomplishments will be greater if they are not burdened by fear of mistakes and failure,” Palanivel said.

triple-j

August 10th, 2005, 04:51 AM

hey guys, i've been an avid observer for the past two or three weeks and today i decided to join and register. I'm in Australia studying and i haven't been back since 2002 so this forum do give me updated information about what's happening in Malaysia especially what's going on in our construction scenario (as i'm a sucker for building). Err...i've read somewhere that the new UiTM campus in Sarawak is beautiful in term of architecture aspect. If any of you hardcore forumers do have the pics, can you post it here?. Cheers guys

ZaHiRnYa???

August 10th, 2005, 05:03 AM

Welcome to the fourm triple-j

Unfortunately the weather is damly hazy and it is very difficult to take picture of any construction :(

triple-j

August 10th, 2005, 07:07 AM

yeah i read that haze stuff happening through nst.com.....well guys have nice hazy day :cool:

ZaHiRnYa???

August 10th, 2005, 07:13 AM

yeah i read that haze stuff happening through nst.com.....well guys have nice hazy day :cool:

Well, I guess the goverment will announce "darurat" sooner or later. The situation is getting from bad to worse :(

Shah Alam is terrible already. Can even see the car in front less than 50 metres. :rant:

Well, if darurat, then dont have to come to work :cool:

nazrey

August 24th, 2005, 06:58 PM

All set for the big opening
Sunday August 21, 2005
BY GAVIN GOMEZ

THANKS to the Klang Valley's excellent network of highways, especially the new Sistem Lingkaran-Lebuhraya Kajang (Silk) highway, the journey to the University of Nottingham campus in Semenyih, the first British university campus in Malaysia, was surprisingly quick and easy.

The university’s vice-president, Prof Brian Atkin, said the area surrounding the campus was developing fast.

“A short distance from our campus is a new housing area and a large plot of land in front has been earmarked for a new township to be developed by Boustead Holdings Bhd,” he told reporters during a recent media visit to Nottingham's sprawling 100-acre campus about 30km south of Kuala Lumpur.

Before the briefing, guests were busy comparing travel times where it was concluded that it would take anywhere between half-an-hour and 40-minutes to drive from Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Jaya or Subang to Semenyih.

“Many students, even those from the Klang Valley, are actually opting to stay on campus or on their own in rented premises around Semenyih.

http://www.thestar.com.my/archives/2005/8/21/education/e_09semenyih.jpg

Just like its campuses in the UK and China, the University of Nottingham's
campus in Semenyih also has a big white building with a clock tower and lake
in front of it.

“We are looking forward to students having a great campus life here,” said Prof Atkin whose hard work and diligent planning in getting the campus operational since its conception seven years ago, is finally paying off.

Piling work on the campus began early last year and the first phase of the campus is now ready with students scheduled to start classes next month.

Campus administrative support services director Paul Boardman said the contractors did a good job.

Nestled amid the surrounding greenery, the RM100mil campus is impressive by any measure. About 60 of its 100 acres are part of its teaching facilities, including engineering laboratories, a four-storey library, sports facilities and accommodation for over 600 students.

“Phase Two comprising a swimming pool, tennis courts, academic buildings and an Islamic centre will be completed by April next year,” said Prof Atkin.

http://www.thestar.com.my/archives/2005/8/21/education/e_09atkin.jpg

PROF ATKIN: 'Many students, even those from the Klang Valley, have opted
to stay on campus.'

The main building is identical to the one at its main campus in Nottingham –a big white building with a clock tower and lake fronting it.

“Our campus in China also has the same building concept,” he added.

With a current enrolment of 1,400 students, the university has grown by leaps and bounds since enrolling its first batch of students into its Jalan Conlay campus in 2000.

“We foresee having 2,100 next year and 2,700 by 2008 given our new campus and offer of more courses,” Prof Atkin added.

The university now offers undergraduate courses in business, computer science and information technology, electrical and electronic engineering, chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, mechatronic engineering and soon, pharmacy, in addition to postgraduate courses.

By 2007, it expects to introduce more courses ranging from education, communication studies and environmental management to biotechnology and occupational health leadership.

“The Malaysian market is important to us as seen in our development plans,” he said. The university has shared a long and reputable history with Malaysia having graduated Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and Sultan of Perak Sultan Azlan Shah, among a host of dignitaries who are alumni of the university.

“We are proud of our heritage and are looking forward to build on it,” he added.

The university is also looking at positioning itself regionally so as not to be in competition with its China campus.

“We are looking at a 25% international student population here,” Prof Atkin said, adding that the university was now busy adding final touches to its campus before its big opening later this month.

Parents anxious about sending their children to study in Semenyih can rest assured that the university is placing utmost importance on security.

“Each hall will have a warden who will be responsible for students' welfare,” Prof Atkin added.

There are several options for housing at the campus with rent starting from RM330 for a room for four and up to RM600 for a single room with an attached bathroom and air-conditioning.

“Giving students a variety of options means they get to choose exactly what style of accommodation they want,” said Boardman.

The single rooms come equipped with a single bed, study table, closet and voice and Internet points.

As for meals, students can either cook in the dorm pantries or opt to eat in the campus cafeteria.

nazrey

September 2nd, 2005, 12:16 AM

Arts Schools Being Planned For Sarawak, Johor
September 01, 2005 21:22 PM

PUTRAJAYA, Sept 1 (Bernama) -- The Education Ministry plans to set up two arts schools in Sarawak and Johor to attract students towards the arts field and make it their chosen career.

Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said the plan which was submitted together with the ministry's Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP) proposals, would provide a solid foundation to students to pursue the discipline to a higher level.

"We don't want our children to look only at certain careers. They should be given the opportunity to look at various other careers and in this context, they will look towards arts, music and culture," he told reporters at his ministry Thursday.

He said the decision on the setting up of such schools would depend on the 9MP allocations.

He said the time had come for the government to set up arts schools just as the sports schools in Bandar Penawar, Kota Tinggi and in Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur.

This was because a comprehensive education development did not rely merely on academic achievement but the co-curriculum aspect like arts and sports as well, he said.

Hishammuddin also said the ministry was fine-tuning several matters including the teaching staff and learning session before making Arabic a mandatory subject in schools.

Currently, Arabic is taught under a pilot j-QAF (Jawi, Al-Quran, Arabic and Fardhu Ain) programme.

Hishammuddin was commenting on a statement by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi during his visit to Brunei on Tuesday that the government wanted Arabic to be made mandatory for Muslim students to ensure they could read and write Jawi and recite the Al-Quran well.

"The prime minister's statement was a call and reminder to us that the programme must continue," he said.

-- BERNAMA

nazrey

September 7th, 2005, 10:18 AM

Private school boom in Malaysia
Business Alert, 6 September 2005
Source: Carolyn Hong, Singapore Straits Times, 6 Sept 2005

From zero school fees, V. Pillai, 46, is now paying thousands of ringgit a year for his three children. Even his youngest son goes to a kindergarten where the fees are a hefty RM500 a month. But it is money well spent, Pillai says.

“I see countries like India progressing so fast, and it dawned on me that my children are going to have to compete with the world,” he said.

Thousands of Malaysian parents, who think like Pillai, prefer to give up free government education for expensive private schools to give their children the best, Carolyn Hong writes.

Statistics by the Education Ministry show almost 30,000 primary and secondary students are enrolled in private schools, compared with 25,000 in 2001, and 22,000 in 2000. There are about four million primary and secondary schoolchildren in Malaysia.

Fees range from RM10,000 to RM12,000 a year while international schools charge as much as RM40,000 a year. There are now over 140 in Malaysia.

Anecdotal evidence suggests a high proportion of private school students are Chinese, with a good percentage of Malays and a smaller number of Indians, Hong says.

Rohana Mahmood, a joint owner of the Sri KDU school with the Paramount Corporation, said the industry boomed because of the perception that government schools are not delivering the results. Also, the fees have become more affordable.

In the early years, private education was restricted to the tertiary level. But since the 1990s, the industry has caught on that private primary and secondary schooling can also be lucrative. Pioneering private schools like Sekolah Sri Kuala Lumpur, Sekolah Sri Cempaka, and Sekolah Sri Garden are the market leaders.

Some feel private schooling is widening the gap between the haves and havenots, and creating elite Malaysians who are insulated from real life. But gap or no, private schools look set to remain popular. Three new ones are already on the horizon, two in the affluent Subang Jaya suburb near Kuala Lumpur and one in Putrajaya.

When Sri KDU opened in 2003, it had a waiting list of 500 children. Today, it has parents registering their kids for the school year of 2010, Hong points out.

nazrey

September 11th, 2005, 01:50 AM

Yeoh appointed Universiti Malaysia Sabah Pro-Chancellor
By June Ramli

TAN Sri Dr Yeoh Tiong Lay has been made Universiti Malaysia (UM) Sabah’s Pro-Chancellor. The appointment is from July this year to June 2008.

He was officially appointed by the Yang DiPertua Negeri Sabah, Tun Ahmadshah Abdullah, who is also the USM Chancellor, at a ceremony at Istana Negeri Sabah.

Yeoh is the founder and executive chairman of the YTL group, which include public listed companies of YTL corporation Bhd, YTL Power International Bhd, YTL Cement Bhd, YTL Land and Development Bhd and YTL e-Solutions Bhd.

nazrey

September 11th, 2005, 02:01 AM

Computer room for rural school
Saturday September 10, 2005
Story and photo by ELAN PERUMAL

THE Klang Rotary Club has turned a classroom at the North Hammock Tamil School in Meru into a computer room for the pupils.

The aid also came with 10 brand new computers, tables, chairs and air-conditioners.

Club president Xavier Jayakumar said the aid was part of the club’s three-year commitment to the rural school, which included the setting up of a library with multimedia facilities.

He said the computer centre would be provided with an additional six computers soon so that each pupil would have access to a PC during IT lessons.

http://thestar.com.my/archives/2005/9/10/central/p20murugan.jpg

“The school has only 86 pupils and we hope to make it really conducive for the children to get used to the IT world,” he said.

Xavier said the computers were given by individuals, social organisations and companies.

“We also have plans to conduct tuition for the pupils,” he added.

School headmaster G. Selvarajoo was overwhelmed by the contribution.

“The club has taken the school to a new dimension and I’m very grateful to all who are involved in this project,” he added.

Rotary District 3300 governor Dr Ken Khoo Boo Khen and Selangor Education Department (Tamil schools) director M. Murugan were also present at the brief ceremony.

nina_marhaini

September 20th, 2005, 07:10 AM

saya ada send 2 benda yang sama..anda abaikan yang atas..tumpukan yang kedua sahaja..harap maaf..

szehoong

September 20th, 2005, 07:43 AM

saya ada send 2 benda yang sama..anda abaikan yang atas..tumpukan yang kedua sahaja..harap maaf..

Saudara/saudari,

Ini bukan forum untuk jual-beli. Sila ke forum lain untuk tujuan sedemikian. Terima Kasih.

English:

This is not a commercial forum and we do not condone any forumers with the sole intention of selling or buying in these forums. Thanks!

Subangite

September 20th, 2005, 08:19 AM

Education in Malaysia, a teacher fell to his death as his classroom floor was rotten. Thats the current state of education in Malaysia. Shocking and Embarrasing!

ZaHiRnYa???

September 20th, 2005, 08:30 AM

Saudara/saudari,

Ini bukan forum untuk jual-beli. Sila ke forum lain untuk tujuan sedemikian. Terima Kasih.

English:

This is not a commercial forum and we do not condone any forumers with the sole intention of selling or buying in these forums. Thanks!

Didnt see anything? You deleted it already ke? What's for sale :lol:

ZaHiRnYa???

September 20th, 2005, 08:34 AM

Education in Malaysia, a teacher fell to his death as his classroom floor was rotten. Thats the current state of education in Malaysia. Shocking and Embarrasing!

I feel so sorry for the teacher. :ohno:

Subangite

September 20th, 2005, 08:38 AM

I guess one of the hazzards of being a teacher in Malaysia.

szehoong

September 20th, 2005, 08:42 AM

Education in Malaysia, a teacher fell to his death as his classroom floor was rotten. Thats the current state of education in Malaysia. Shocking and Embarrasing!

ALthough it is the Ministry of Education we're to be blamed for the lack of fund but I do believe that the school had a part too play when it comes to things like termites. Apart from the MOE, I believe that part of the blame should be on the school board for not prioritising on termite-busting.

If the school have no fund to fix it then declare lah that the building is not safe. And inform to the ministry of education that it is urgent in need of repair. According to the news report, the school didn't place any urgency on that and blame that the termite infested floors can't be seen. :ohno:

And this incident have no bearings or whatsoever on the quality of education in Malaysia. It is a serious setbacks on the maintenance of schools and thats it :ohno:

szehoong

September 20th, 2005, 08:44 AM

I guess one of the hazzards of being a teacher in Malaysia.

This is a freak incident and I do not see teachers from all over the country falling from the ceilings my fren :ohno:

szehoong

September 20th, 2005, 08:47 AM

Didnt see anything? You deleted it already ke? What's for sale :lol:

Yes.....deleted :D

Its a direct selling thingy ;)

ZaHiRnYa???

September 20th, 2005, 09:00 AM

But then since the incident happen....Education Ministry said that they will expediate the rennovation of all affected n badly stated school all over Malaysia.

ZaHiRnYa???

September 20th, 2005, 09:07 AM

Yes.....deleted :D

Its a direct selling thingy ;)

Oh...cool :lol:

Selling what?

Subangite

September 20th, 2005, 09:08 AM

szehoong

September 20th, 2005, 09:25 AM

Oh...cool :lol:

Selling what?

Aiyah....din read lah......you want to read it? I can send it to ya via email hahahaha :D

szehoong

September 20th, 2005, 09:29 AM

Fair enough freak incident, I'm not suggesting its a daily occurance, my friend.

However it does reflect shockingly on Malaysian schools that such an incident could have occurred in the first place. I hope legal action is taken and charges of negligence put forth in court against those responsible.

I am not too sure how informed you are about this issue but it reflects more on the state of Vernacular schools more than the ordinary govt schools. IN your last postings, you made it sound like it is all that bad when only the upkept of certain schools are neglected. Seriously.....not all govt schools are bad infrastruture-wise and certainly this is not the thread to freakingly bring out this issue as if it is related to 'education in Malaysia'.

If you need to criticise please do so constructively ;)

ZaHiRnYa???

September 20th, 2005, 09:34 AM

Aiyah....din read lah......you want to read it? I can send it to ya via email hahahaha :D

No need ler. :lol:

Subangite

September 20th, 2005, 09:54 AM

In a recent The Straits Times (Singapore) article, there was coverage on the increasing popularity of private schools in Malaysia, as opposed to government and vernacular schools. The article mentions that private schools in Malaysia are booming and doing brisk business. All well for private education sector in Malaysia, the article also poses a very important question, why is this the case? Why are increasingly more Malaysian parents willing to part a substantial amount of their hard earned ringgit by sending their kids to private schools? Whats wrong with public or vernacular schools? Well The Straits Times gives the explanation and reason of the disparity in infrastructure and quality of teaching.

This is a singapore centric view but I think its food for thought and definately worth discussing the education infrastructure in Malaysia, perhaps also the disparities of education in Malaysia regionally, within a thread titled "education in Malaysia". I might be mistaken, I might be wrong, I am new to this forum.

szehoong

September 20th, 2005, 11:14 AM

^^ Well.....the topic above fits well to the discussion of this thread. :okay:

I don't mind people straying into other things during discussion but your first post in this thread misses the mark badly and IMO irrelevant. But anyway no harm done :)

Back to topic:

I am a product of both govt and private school in Malaysia and I could say that although private schools fared slightly better in terms of facility, the quality of education is the same. Teachers in private schools do give better attention but govt schools had its fair share too.

In fact the govt school I attended before I changed to a private one had better facilities than the latter. It is also better recognised by the govt and the society.

The primary reason why many parents nowadays send their children to private schools is due to the security they offered and most tot that these schools prepared their children better for private colleges and overseas education. Most are charmed by their marketing skills.

Another reason is that some private schools have poor admission standards. Some students whom had bad records in govt schools have no problem enrolling in these schools as 'money talks' :D Same thing with most local colleges unfortunately :(

Many whom sent their children to these schools are parents whom could afford the best for their children. Not that those parents whom send their children to govt schools are not but the level of pampering these days are off the charts! :D

Anyway the rate of private schools enrollment isn't as alarming as it seems as I think it is being sensationalised by the Straits Times. ;)

nazrey

September 24th, 2005, 08:23 AM

A self-contained campus village
Star Special – Education Guide, 21 September 2005

http://www.ytlcommunity.com/common/showimage.asp?imgid=45325

UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM

SINCE inception in 2001, the University of Nottingham's Malaysia Campus has impressed the local education fraternity with its adherence to its reputable parent - the University of Nottingham in Britain - as well as the quality of courses which include foundation, undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in Business, Computer Science and Engineering.

Since then, the Malaysia Campus has climbed another notch with its ground-breaking move to a brand new, purpose-built, state-of-the-art campus in Semenyih, 30km south of Kuala Lumpur.

This is the first purpose-built campus of a British university outside Britain and has been designed to reflect the attributes of University Park Campus in Nottingham.

It occupies a scenic position overlooking greenery and is a self-contained, self-sufficient neighbourhood village. It combines a high quality living environment with state-of-the-art learning and teaching facilities.

The increased capacity and enhanced facilities will allow for the introduction of a wider range of courses including laboratory intensive courses. For the academic year 2005/06, these include the Master of Pharmacy and LLM International Legal Studies.

The Master of Pharmacy is a four-year undergraduate Pharmacy programme leading to the honours degree of Master of Pharmacy (MPharm). The MPharm degree will be offered as a "2+2 course" with students undertaking the first two years at the Malaysia Campus after which they will transfer to Nottingham to complete years three and four. The first students will be admitted to this programme in September 2005.

New developments within the Faculty of Social Sciences and Education are The School of Law and The Institute of Work, Health and Organisations. The School of Law is consistently ranked among the top Law Schools in Britain and it is among the leading centres for legal research and teaching in the world. To start with, it will offer the LLM in International Legal Studies.

The Institute of Work, Health and Organisations (I-WHO) , is a postgraduate research institute in Applied Psychology. The work of the institute focuses on the contribution that applied psychology and related areas can make to occupational and public health and safety.

http://www.ytlcommunity.com/common/showimage.asp?imgid=45326

It is planning to offer an interesting portfolio of quality postgraduate courses. The first is the Executive MSc/Diploma in Occupational Health & Safety Leadership. It is an executive lever course for more senior managers, applied psychologists or human factors specialists and occupational health and safety managers or practitioners, all who have an active interest in contemporary issues of management of health and safety at work.

Additional courses in Bio-Science, Bio-Technology, Civil Engineering and Education are being planned for in 2006/07.

The Faculty of Health and Biological Sciences meanwhile will expand as the School of Biological Sciences is established and new courses in Plant Biotechnology are introduced.

The School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering will also get its own building, enabling the introduction of Civil Engineering and the expansion of Chemical and Mechanical Engineering.

All aspects of students' needs have been looked into with three halls of residence. On-campus-facilities include a bookshop, cafe, convenience store, sports complex as well as students' associations building where students' recreational needs are catered for.

There are three intakes a year, in February, April and September, with September being the main intake for the undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.

The University will also have a new "Teaching Facility" on Jalan Conlay in Kuala Lumpur where many of the postgraduate programmes, including business and management programmes, will be delivered.

University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus is now located at Jalan Broga, Semenyih, Selangor. For further information, contact 0389248000 (Mondays to Fridays, from 9am -5.30pm), or e-mail enquiries@nottingham.edu.my or visit the website at www.nottingham.edu.my