Human Capital Development In Malaysia

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Originally Posted by nazrey

Rosmah: All taska to be upgraded as Permata Centres
Posted on July 1, 2011, Friday
http://www.theborneopost.com/2011/07...rmata-centres/

TUARAN: All government-run preschools (Taska) will be upgraded as Permata Centres to strengthen early education in the state.

National Permata Programme Patron Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor said initiatives had already been undertaken to ensure the success of the government’s vision including physical adjustments.

“These centres will adopt the Permata curriculum while teaching staff would be trained for six weeks to improve their skills,” she said during a function, ‘Apa Khabar Anak Permata’ at the Tuaran Anak Permata Centre near here yesterday.

Also present was State Community Development and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Azizah Mohd Dun.

The Tuaran Anak Permata Centre which was set up in 2007 presently has 21 pupils.

Rosmah disclosed that two more centres with a capacity of 40 children each would be built in the state this year, in Beaufort and Kota Belud. These would start operations in August.

She said the Permata Programme had been expanded to 600 preschools throughout the country involving about 20,000 children.

“To date, 32 Kemas preschools and three Perpaduan preschools in Sabah have adopted the programme benefiting about 1,500 children,” she said.

Rosmah also urged parents to give attention to their children’s early education as brain development was critical in the first four years of the latter’s life. — Bernama

Rosmah: Develop children to possess sound moral values
By By Eunice Au 25 April 2012 | Last updated at 09:49PM
http://www.nst.com.my/latest/rosmah-...values-1.77594

KUALA LUMPUR: Society needs to develop children to possess sound moral values, who understand the value of being and doing good as opposed to merely doing what they were told without any reflection.

Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor said yesterday that the topic of character building and values system was no longer something limited to homes and religious settings, alone.

“Values must become an open debate and discussion; it must be discussed at dinner tables, classrooms and boardrooms.

“Good character has to be nurtured, inspired and championed by parents, teachers and leaders,” said Rosmah in her video recorded keynote speech at the Caring Education in the 21st Century symposium, near here.

Rosmah said schools had to introduce innovative methods of rewarding good character.

“Character cannot be built from legislation or regulations,” she said, and explained that these tools would only nurture a situational values system that was not sustainable in the long term.

She emphasised that youths had to be guided to see the value of being good and be aware that doing good deeds were beyond receiving physical or extrinsic awards.

One of the problems in character building were the actions of youths who challenge the norms being labelled as unacceptable behaviour, Rosmah said.

“It is important that we recognise differences in children and not punish them.

“The education system must look beyond traditional classroom pedagogical approaches to encompass explorative ability,” she said.

Citing the Japanese as good examples of citizens with honourable values, Rosmah said Malaysians could learn from them.

Following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami which hit Japan, Rosmah said, there was no looting and people only took what was required from stores.

People chose to do what was right based on their own volition, she added.

Human Resources deputy minister Datuk Maznah Mazlan had attended the symposium, organised by Miss MalaysiaIndia Care Association (MMICARE), on behalf of Rosmah and presented Gift Her Education Grants worth RM2,000 each to six university students.

The recipients were PhD students Thilaga Rati Selvaraju, 25, Nithiyaa Nilamani, 25, Marina Hashim, 24, and Masters students Hazirah Abdul Radzak, 25, Pavallekoodi Gnasekaran, 28, and Tan Shi Wei, 26.

The six students were pursuing research in fields such as molecular medicine, pharmocology, toxicology, marine sciences, biotechnology and immunobiology.

[nazrey]

Centre to educate street children to be set up
Posted on May 7, 2012, Monday
http://www.theborneopost.com/2012/05...-to-be-set-up/

KUALA LUMPUR: A special centre is to be set up to provide basic education for street children, according to the Education Ministry.

The ‘Jalinan Qaseh’ Guidance Centre would be established with a start-up cost of between RM3 million and RM5 million, said the ministry’s Planning and Education Policy Research Division director Dr Faridah Abu Hassan.

She said a paper on the centre would be submitted to the Cabinet this year.

“The proposal can be made this year but the implementation, such as cost and so on, will take time to be determined,” she said when approached by reporters after launching an ‘Education for All’ programme in Chow Kit, here, yesterday.

She said teachers from normal schools would serve at the centre to ensure that the children receive the right education and guidance.

“In terms of concept, first we will teach basic skills, namely, reading, writing and arithmetic, but there are suggestions that we treat the centre as a normal school with other subjects as well.

“But, we still have to see first because they have never been to school. So, we have to tailor the concept for them, and we hope, we can provide several skills at secondary level,” she said.

Dr Faridah said the teachers serving at the centre did not require special training but had to be sensitive to the needs of the children.

She said there were more than 500 street children, aged between six and 17, around Kuala Lumpur and Selangor who had not attended school.

Dr Faridah said the ministry also planned to build a hostel for the street children.

The proposed location of the hostel was the original site of the Federal Territory Education Department in Jalan Raja Muda, she added. — Bernama

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Problems in setting up Permata centres in Kelantan resolved
Posted on May 10, 2012, Thursday
http://www.theborneopost.com/2012/05...ntan-resolved/

JELI: Problems in setting up the Anak Permata Negara centres in Kelantan have been resolved, thanks to the cooperation and supports given by relevant quarters, said Permata Negara Programme patron Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor.

“We were facing numerous problems and restraints to acquire a suitable location for the centre, especially in the opposition-led states.

“Alhamdulillah (All praise be to Allah), in Kelantan, the problems have been resolved with cooperation and supports from the Federal Development Department and the Education Ministry,” the prime minister’s wife said when opening the Anak Permata Negara Centre here yesterday.

Rosmah said six Permata centres had been made available in Kelantan so far, while 32 other kindergartens were using Permata curriculum, including those under the Unity Department, Kemas kindergartens, as well as community kindergartens.

“It was difficult for us to discuss the idea (with opposition-led states) to set up the Permata centre. As the patron of the programme, I can only tell them to do whatever it takes (to set up the centre),” she said.

Rosmah also called on parents to participate in the Permata programme so that they would be able to understand the educational concept available at the Permata centre.

“It will also symbolise the contributions and participation of parents in their children’s education,” she said, adding that early childhood education was vital in shaping the children as the future human capital of the country. — Bernama

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Government to focus on producing skilled manpower — Muhyiddin
Posted on May 8, 2012, Tuesday
http://www.theborneopost.com/2012/05...wer-muhyiddin/

ABU DHABI: The Malaysian government is focusing on how the education system would produce skilled and qualified manpower in the future, said Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

He said this was because the on-going economic transformation programme, initiated by the government, was projected to open up some 3.3 million new job opportunities which mostly should be filled by skilled locals.

“This is most important. English as a second language is important, Science and Technology are equally important.

“So the education (sector) needs to be moving in tandem with the needs of the country,” he told some 250 Malaysians during a gathering with the Malaysian community in Abu Dhabi, here last night.

Muhyiddin, who is also the Education Minister, said therefore the government had made a decision for an education review last week.

He said the National Education Dialogue would invite all the stakeholders to come forward to submit views, ideas, proposals and suggestions for the betterment of the education system.

In the major exercise, Muhyiddin said the dialogue would be ready in three months and would come up with the first draft blueprint for the education roadmap for the next 10 or 15 years.

The current policies were based on the 1956 Razak Report.

“We must have a system of education that not only serves the interest of the community at large like now but (also) what is projected in the next 10 to 15 years,” he said.

He said skilled Malaysians working overseas too were encouraged to come back home and help the country prosper and develop.

Muhyiddin is on a three-day official visit to the UAE. He is accompanied by his wife, Puan Sri Norainee Abdul Rahman and Deputy International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Mukhriz Tun Dr Mahathir.

Earlier, Muhyiddin had an audience with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, General Sheikh Mohamed Zayed Al Nahyan.

“Sheikh Mohamed is very happy with Malaysians working in UAE and credit goes to all of you. It is because of the good services rendered to help the city grow and they need these services and expertise,” Muhyiddin said.

Muhyiddin also had an audience and dinner with the UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Saif Zayed Al Nahyan. — BERNAMA

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German ambassador all for cooperation on skill upgrading
by Norni Mahadi, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on May 11, 2012, Friday
http://www.theborneopost.com/2012/05...ill-upgrading/

MIRI: The German government will always support any knowledge and expertise-sharing programme.

Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Malaysia, His Excellency Dr Guenter Georg Gruber said such support shows the German government’s commitment in viewing education as very important for the community.

“In general, we definitely will support such knowledge and expertise sharing programme, particularly in medical such as by providing medical training to upgrade professional skills,” he said during the briefing session prior to his visit to Miri Kidney Dialysis Centre (KDC) yesterday.

Take KDC for example, his government could perhaps provide medical training for the purpose of upgrading skills, he added.

Assistant Minister of Communications Datuk Lee Kim Shin welcomed the suggestion, saying, “Maybe in the near future we can conduct a study tour to Frankfurt to get first-hand experience on how they manage their dialysis centre there.”

Lee, who is also chairman for the Miri KDC, said the medical staff at the centre is in dire need of such training.

Gruber told Lee that the German government also conducts youth exchange programme and educational tour and arrangement could also made to visit the Red Cross movement there.

Earlier, Gruber and his wife Christiane Anette Gruber also visited Sunflower Centre and 3R Centre.

Gruber was impressed with the world-class facility at KDC and the existence of good will shown by the dedicated team made up of entirely volunteers in the centre.

Also present were the person-in-charge of the centre, Dr Mohd Arif Abdullah, second vice-chairman of Malaysia Red Crescent (MRC) Miri Chapter, Datin Judy Wan Morshidi and the chapter executive committee members.

[nazrey]

German Ambassador visits partner school
Posted on May 11, 2012, Friday
http://www.theborneopost.com/2012/05...artner-school/

MIRI: German Ambassador to Malaysia Dr Guenter Gruber and his wife Dr Volker Wolf, who is Goethe Institute director, visited Riam Road Secondary School (RRSS) yesterday.

The school is the only German partner school in Sarawak, and the first of four partner schools in Malaysia.

The other three are two international schools in Penang and a government university in Kuala Lumpur.

Accompanying the couple were world-famous German Jazz band SLIXS, who will perform at the Borneo Jazz Festival starting today.

RRSS chief executive officer Datuk Dr Fong Onn Min said German language is taught as an optional subject at the school as well as at Riam Institute of Technology (RIT).

“Mastering the language would mean an additional advantage for the students to pursue tertiary education in Germany,” he said.

Meanwhile, Gruber promised full scholarships up to PhD level for every deserving RRSS and RIT student in Germany.

“Education in Germany is very advanced, so are engineering, medical sciences and car industry, making Germany one of the most powerful nations in the world.

“I firmly believe that RRSS students would not face language difficulties as they are already learning three or four languages in school,” he said.

Riam Road Secondary School, which has over 1,500 students, is the largest of the 14 Chinese independent schools in Sarawak.

[nazrey]

Promotions for 60,000 teachers and heads
TIME-BASED SCHEME: Exercise will motivate teachers to improve performance
By AUDREY DERMAWAN AND S. ISTA KYRA |
17 May 2012 | Last updated at 09:28AM
http://www.nst.com.my/top-news/promo...=false/Article



Teacher, Junaina Abd Karim, gets a kiss from a student during Teachers' Day
celebration at Sekolah Kebangsaan Pelindung, Kuantan.
-- NSTP pic by Luqman Hakim Zubir

KUALA KANGSAR: MORE than 60,000 teachers have either been promoted or are being considered for an upgrade under a new scheme that allows them to move up after serving three to eight years in their grades.

Of this number, 37,306 teachers have already been promoted.

Another 24,053 teachers can check their status now on the Education Ministry’s website. The promotions are based on the date a teacher starts work.

MORE...

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Improving childcare education
Stories by NOEL CHANG Monday May 21, 2012
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp...&if_height=628



Better trained: The Government is working towards ensuring all pre-school
teachers have at least a diploma.

KUALA LUMPUR: Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the government, through its education transformation programme, is working towards enhancing the quality of childcare education.

One of the requirements would be for pre-school teachers to have at least a diploma qualification.

To date, Khaled said 93% of pre-school teachers in Malaysia are not formally trained and certified.

He said the lack of qualified teachers could be reduced if teachers in childcare centres and pre-schools are provided with sufficient training.

He said the ministry would be working towards ensuring all pre-school teachers undergo compulsory training to improve their capabilities by 2020.

The Education National Key Results Area (NKRA) sent 6,580 private pre-school teachers for training at private training centres for three weeks in 2010 while 6,421 pre-school teachers were trained in 2011.

This year, an additional 6,999 teachers will be trained by both the government and private sectors.

Khaled said the training would include teachers who are new in the industry as well as existing teachers who previously did not have formal training.

In August 2010, the Education Ministry established a set of standards for kindergarten and nursery staff for raising the country’s pre-school education to a global standard.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also the Education Minister, said the ministry is in the process of formulating a mechanism to ensure the success of its initiatives aimed at improving early childhood education.

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Focus is on making basic education accessible to all
> Reports by LOH FOON FONG, FLORENCE A. SAMY, REGINA LEE, P. ARUNA, AUSTIN CAMOENS and M. KUMAR Tuesday April 3, 2012
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp...&if_height=671



THE Government’s commitment to raise the standards of education saw increased efforts to “close the gap” and “raise the bar” across the Malaysian school system.

Implemented through its Education National Key Result Area (NKRA), it focused on making quality basic education more accessible to all students, regardless of race, religion and location, and to improve student outcomes.

Its National Key Performance Index (NKPI) was pushed even higher than it was set in 2010, with strategies to improve the literacy, numeracy rates and pre-school enrolment rates, among others.

Among its successes last year were a 77.2% enrolment rate for pre-schools compared to 72.4% in 2010 through the Pre-school and Literacy and Numeracy Screenings initiatives. It aims to increase pre-school enrolment rate, from the baseline of 67% in 2009, to 87% by the end of this year.

The ministry had rolled out 3,089 additional government agency-operated pre-school classes nationwide, especially in the remote areas.

“These initiatives aim to uplift the basic standards of education in the country by ensuring every child has a head-start through early childhood education and an opportunity to be fully literate and numerate by the third year of schooling,” it said in the Government Transformation Prog-ramme Annual Report 2011.

The strategies implemented to boost the literacy and numeracy rate include the introduction of screenings and remedial classes to help children master the 3Rs – reading, writing and arithmetic – by the time they reach Year Three.

The screenings are conducted three times each year.

Last year, Year Two students achieved a 97.5% literacy rate and 98.6% numeracy rate while Year One students achieved 91% and 95.4% respectively.

The ministry also awarded the High Performing School (HPS) status to 32 schools last year, on top of the existing 20 HPS identified in 2010.

“The achievements of the HPS are then monitored to gauge the effectiveness and impact of the grants and autonomy accorded to them,” the report said.

Originally Posted by nazrey

LINUS moving on the right track
By Noel Chang Monday September 12, 2011
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp...223&sec=nation

PUTRAJAYA: The Literacy and Numeracy (LINUS) programme, which was introduced as a focus area of the Education National Key Results Area (NKRA) of the Government Transformation Programme (GTP), aims to provide a strong foundation in basic literacy and numeracy skills within the first three years of primary school education for all Malaysian children.

The programme conducts a screening process three times a year to identify students who face difficulties in reading, writing and basic arithmetic.

They are then enrolled in either a LINUS-dedicated remedial class to improve their performance or a Special Education programme for those that have learning disabilities.

This approach has been designed to quickly identify problems at the early stage and rectify them before the students fall behind their peers.

In 2010, the programme aimed to achieve both literacy and numeracy rates of 90% for the then-Primary 1 students.

While the literacy target fell short by 5%, the numeracy target exceeded the original aim with a 91% rate.

This year, the Primary 2 students have been set an increased target of 95 percent literacy and numeracy, while the current Primary 1 students must continue to uphold the strong results of 90% set for their cohort this year.

To date, based on the 2 screenings done in March and June, Primary 2 students have already exceeded their 95% target, with a 95% for literacy rate and 97% for numeracy rate in the second screening. Primary 1 students have also shown some strong improvements, achieving a literacy rate of 83% and a numeracy rate of 97%.

Based on these figures, the objective to achieve 100% literacy and numeracy rate among Primary 3 students by 2012 is right on track.

Originally Posted by nazrey

DPM: High performing schools now number 66
By TAN EE LOO Published: Friday February 3, 2012 MYT 11:33:00 AM
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp...814&sec=nation

KUALA LUMPUR: Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has announced another 14 High Performing Schools (HPS), bringing the total number to 66.

The Education Ministry's aim was to identify 100 HPS by end of 2012.

Muhyiddin said the objectives of HPS were to elevate the quality of the high performing schools and produce excellent students using holistic approaches.

The third objective, he said, was to narrow the gap between schools in the system through coaching and networking.

Originally Posted by nazrey

Najib outlines 3 points for orang asli to excel in education
2011/02/26
http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/N...ation/Article/

PEKAN -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak today outlined the three prerequisites for the Orang Asli to excel in education like the other communities.

He said schools for them must be located near their settlements, there must be dedicated teachers willing to serve in these schools and the Orang Asli must undergo a mindset shift pertaining to their children's education.

"The schools must be well-equipped and comfortable for the children to study and must be close to their settlements because one of the reasons for a high school drop-out rate is the distance, sometimes of 25 to 40 km, between the schools and their settlements," he said at the groundbreaking for Sekolah Kebangsaan Simpai, here.

He also said that dedicated teachers who were willing to serve in the schools located near the Orang Asli settlements would help raise the academic performance of Orang Asli children and their schools.

Najib, who is the MP for Pekan, said it was also vital for the Orang Asli parents to have a change of attitude towards their children's education with regard to their future. - Bernama

Originally Posted by nazrey

Teach for Malaysia to recruit best talents
By KANG SOON CHEN Saturday December 25, 2010
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp...182&sec=nation

KUALA LUMPUR: Outstanding graduates and young professionals will be recruited to teach at under-performing schools under the Teach for Malaysia programme.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who launched the programme yesterday, said high-performing graduates who wanted to contribute to the country were encouraged to take up this challenge.

“I am glad that the best among our graduates have shown interest in joining the teaching profession,” said Muhyiddin in his keynote address here yesterday.

Muhyiddin, who is Education Minister, said Teach for Malaysia was in line with the Education National Key Results Area (NKRA) to enable access to quality education for all.

“We hope to emulate the success of Teach for America and the Teach First programme in Britain where the graduates enlisted are able to improve the performance of students from challenging schools,” he added.

Muhyiddin said the programme participants would undergo an intensive eight-week training stint before being placed at low-performing schools in the Band 6 and 7 rankings.

The participants will be employed as full-time teachers and serve in the schools for two years.

“Teach for Malaysia marks an important milestone in the Government’s effort to enhance the standard of the teaching profession and attract the best brains to teach,” he said.

He expressed hope that those who were recruited would continue teaching after the end of their tenure.

Teach for Malaysia, which was first announced under the 10th Malaysia Plan, is a key human capital and public-private partnership initiative to attract top talent into the teaching profession.

A non-profit organisation, Teach for Malaysia is a partner organisation of Teach For All, an international body which enlists top college graduates to teach in high-poverty areas in its mission to eradicate education inequity.

Malaysia is the first country in South-East Asia and the third in Asia to introduce this programme.

Applications for the Teach for Malaysia programme open on Jan 11.

Teach for Malaysia co-founders Dzameer Dzulkifli and Keeran Sivarajah said the organisation aimed to recruit 50 graduates and young professionals for the initial batch of the programme.

They will commence teaching when the new school session begins in January 2012.

Those interested should go to www.teachformalaysia.org.

[nazrey]

Taib wants more focus on human resource development
by Churchill Edward and Jeremy Veno, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on May 22, 2012, Tuesday
http://www.theborneopost.com/2012/05...e-development/



HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Taib (centre) cuts the ‘Pulut Kuning’ to mark his birthday. Celebrating with him are Ragad (on his left) and his daughters Jamilah (on his right) and Datin Hanifah as well as state cabinet ministers and other local dignitaries. — Photo by Chimon Upon

KUCHING: Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud last night said he wanted to see the next echelon of leaders, including politicians, focus more on human capital development.

This is because more and more people will be talking about human capital besides innovation once the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE) comes on stream and changes the landscape of the state’s central region.

He also pointed out that when the momentum of development in SCORE was at its peak, less and less people would be talking about infrastructure development.

Taib, who is also state Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman, anticipated that 52 per cent of the million workers in SCORE would be skilled workers.

In view of this, he said several universities would provide the training, thus helping employers focus on their main businesses rather than spending millions on training their staff.

Pursuant to Vision 2020, he said the responsibility of training skilled workers had been shifted to educational institutions instead of relying solely on employers.

“This is what we are aiming at. It needs us to invest more and more in education,” Taib said during his speech at his 76th birthday celebration at the Dewan Santapan of the new State Legislative Assembly complex in Petra Jaya here yesterday.

But he cautioned the next echelon of leaders that “fighting to get more and more” among themselves would be a “zero-sum game”.

As such, he said politicians must show that they were serious enough in their efforts to further human capital development to increase productivity by engaging themselves with people who can rationalise and are innovative.

The birthday party was a state affair.

Among the guests were Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu, State Legislative Assembly Speaker Datuk Amar Mohd Asfia Awang Nasar and State Secretary Datuk Amar Morshidi Abdul Ghani as well as State cabinet ministers and their wives.

Also present was Taib’s wife Puan Sri Ragad Kurdi Taib.

Meanwhile, Jabu was given the honour to speak on behalf of the BN leaders.

He commended Taib for his sterling leadership and said that nobody else in Malaysia had the experience and leadership quality that he (Taib) had.

“All the peace loving Malaysians in Sarawak know and deeply appreciate the leadership, sincerity, dedication and brilliant thoughts that Taib has shown over the period of becoming the chief minister since March 26, 1981,” said Jabu, adding that Taib entered the first State Cabinet at a young age in 1963. He also said through Taib’s leadership, Sarawak now boasts the biggest number of higher learning institutes, reflecting that he gives priority to education as a means to nurture quality human resources.

At the birthday celebration, Taib launched a book entitled ‘Sarawak a Pictorial Journey of Progress and Development’ produced by the Chief Minister’s Department.

The book contains major contributions by Taib over the years which gave Sarawak international recognition and elevated its socio-economic status in the country.

BOOK OF ACHIEVEMENTS: Taib shows the newly-launched book as (from left) Land Development Minister Tan Sri Dr James Masing, Housing Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg, Jabu, Morshidi and Second Finance Minister Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh look on. —Photo Chimon Upon

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Five M’sians chosen for European programmes
By SHAUN HO Saturday May 26, 2012
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp...&if_height=585



Joyful news: (From left) Oh, Siti Fatimah, Mohammed Daniel, Maragatham and
Afiq celebrating their selection for the research programmes in Europe.

KUALA LUMPUR: Science offers unlimited possibilities, say undergraduates who encouraged others to take up the field.

Universiti Malaya final-year physics student Afiq Aizuddin Anuar, 22, said science drove civilisations to prosper.

“Science benefits mankind,” said Afiq, who is from Tanjung Malim.

His interest in science paid off when he was among five young Malaysian scientists selected to go overseas to conduct research.

University of Nottingham Malaysia campus doctorate student Oh Pin Pin, 27, said parents should expose their children to the sciences to spark their interest.

“By taking up science, you can enter a wider field compared to your counterparts who take up the arts.

“Because science makes you think, you can still be a businessman if you study science. We deal with science every day,” said Oh, who is from Penang and is also a researcher at the Malaysian Palm Oil Board.

Siti Fatimah Raihan, 21, said youths should not think of science only in terms of physics or chemistry.

“Humans have a natural instinct to learn about themselves and what happens around them. Everything we see comes from science and it is for the betterment of mankind.

“Science is challenging but is also very rewarding,” said Siti Fatimah , a third-year physics student at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.

Afiq, Siti Fatimah and Univeriti Putra Malaysia physics student Mohammed Daniel Davis Muhammed, 23, were selected to participate in the two-month European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) Summer Student Programme in Geneva, Switzerland.

Meanwhile, Oh and Malaysian Nuclear Agency research officer Maragatham Kumar, 30, were selected for the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis Young Scientists Summer Programme in Vienna, Austria, for three months.

Academy of Sciences Malaysia president Tan Sri Dr Ahmad Tajuddin Ali announced the participation of the five at the academy here yesterday.

They will join other young scientists from around the world in the prestigious research programmes.

Dr Ahmad Tajuddin called on more Malaysians to take up science and mathematics. “If not, we will lose our capability to innovate and capitalise on science and technology.”

5 lucky scientists
By AWAINA ARBEE | 26 May 2012 | Last updated at 01:56AM
http://www.nst.com.my/nation/general...ntists-1.87799
DOING US PROUD: They are first to join international research institutions CERN and IIASA


Tan Sri Ahmad Tajuddin Ali, Malaysian Science Academy president

KUALA LUMPUR: FIVE young scientists will go down in Malaysian history as the first ones to do research projects with two prestigious institutions -- International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) and Organisation of European Nuclear Research (CERN).

Malaysian Science Academy president Tan Sri Ahmad Tajuddin Ali said yesterday the five were selected by the two institutions for the research projects.

"This is a unique opportunity for Malaysia, especially for the five youths.

"By collaborating with the two institutions, there will be bigger opportunities for research and alliances with other institutions."

Tajuddin said two of the youths will be joining the IIASA Young Scientists summer programme, while the remaining three would join the CERN Summer Student Programme.

The two heading to IIASA are Maragatham Kumar, 30, and 27-year-old Oh Pin Pin.

The three going to CERN are Mohammed Daniel Davis Muhammed, 23, Afiq Aizuddin Anuar, 22 and Siti Fatimah Mohd Raihan, 21.

All five youths will will broaden their research interests by working in a disciplinary and multicultural research environment with an insight to an excellent research culture.

IIASA is an international research organisation with three core areas -- energy and climate change; water and food; and, poverty and equity.

The world's largest and most respected centre for scientific research, CERN's primary focus is the fundamental physics in finding out about the universe.

Financially supporting the academy is the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Universiti Malaya, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and University of Nottingham Malaysia.

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Govt allocates RM500 million as skills development loans annually
Posted on May 24, 2012, Thursday
http://www.theborneopost.com/2012/05...oans-annually/

KUALA LUMPUR: The Human Resource Ministry allocated RM500 million each year to the Skills Development Fund Corporation (PTPK) to finance skills training for youths and workers, said its Deputy Minister Datuk Maznah Mazlan.

She said RM300 million was specially for PTPK skills training loans for school leavers pursuing the Malaysian Skills Certificate (SKM), Malaysian Skills Diploma (DKM) and the Malaysian Skills Advanced Diploma while RM100 million was towards the workers to improve their level of skills.

“Out of the remaining allocation, RM100 million is channelled towards the State Skills Development Centre in the form of a grant to implement various skills programmes for youths in the respective states,” she said when presenting zakat amounting to RM200,000 to the Zakat Collection Centre and cheques to recipients of the 2011 PTPK Excellent Service Awards here, yesterday.

Since the fund was set up in 2001, more than 200,000 people have benefitted from the financing of between RM750 and RM24,000 for the workers and between RM4,000 and RM24,000 for school leavers depending on the programme and level of training attended.

“About 58 per cent of the borrowers repaid their loans each year and to date, summonses had been issued to about 300 borrowers for not servicing their loans,” Maznah said. — Bernama

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KPJUC plans programmes to train medical specialists
Published: 2012/06/04
http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_New.../KPJX/Article/



KUALA LUMPUR: KPJ Healthcare Bhd is planning to start educational programmes to train specialists for the country.

KPJ Healthcare University College (KPJUC) a subsidiary of KPJ Healthcare, is in the midst of preparing the programmes and getting approval from the medical authorities.

The training programme will be implemented through its newly established School of Medicine that will initially focus on post-graduate programmes.

Professor Datuk Dr Lokman Saim, former dean of the Faculty of Medicine and director of UKM Medical Centre, was appointed as president of KPJUC and dean of the School of Medicine in February to spearhead the project.

With the start of this programme, Malaysia will see a new era in the education and training of medical specialists.

KPJUC will be the first private medical education institution in the country to introduce a post graduate medical specialty programme.

Thus far, all medical specialty programmes are conducted by medical faculties of public universities.

[nazrey]

Originally Posted by nazrey

Ministry Targets To Reduce Dropout Rate Among Orang Asli To 15 Per Cent By 2015
April 30, 2012 17:41 PM
http://www.bernama.com/bernama/state...=662917&cat=ct

BANGI, April 30 (Bernama) -- The dropout rate among Orang Asli pupils has gone down to 25.9 per cent this year from 29 per cent last year, Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal said.

Through the Orang Asli Development Strategic Plan 2011-2015, the ministry, in collaboration with various agencies, has set a target to further reduce the rate to 15 per cent by 2015, he said.

Speaking to reporters after presenting the Orang Asli Excellent Students Award here Monday, he said, the community had shown strong resolve towards achieving progress in education, which can be seen from the increase in the number of students scoring good results each year.

He said last year, seven Orang Asli students obtained excellent Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia results with a cumulative grade point average of 2.8 and above, while 42 others obtained 6As and above in Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia.

Ninety students scored 5As and above in Penilaian Menengah Rendah and another 48 obtained 4As and above in Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR), Shafie said.

-- BERNAMA

Orang Asli book launched
By Mohamed Farid Noh 11 June 2012 | Last updated at 11:55PM
http://www.nst.com.my/streets/johor/...unched-1.93171



Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein autographs a copy of the book.
Looking on is Ongeh Gantuk (left). Pic by Adnan Ibrahim

SEGAMAT: Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein launched a book on the daily lives of the Orang Asli community in Kampung Sungai Peroh, Kahang, recently.

The book is entitled Antara Kasih & Naungan: Program Dian Desa Perkampungan Orang Asli Parlimen Sembrong.

It is the work of 15 students and 15 staff, including Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) lecturers, who spent two months studying the lives of the villagers.

The book was published by UTHM, the Orang Asli Development Department and the Sembrong parliamentary constituency.

Hishammuddin, the Sembrong member of parliament, thanked UTHM for doing the research work.

"It is time that the Orang Asli community is given the appropriate attention so that the development and the quality of lives of this people are enhanced," he said.

Village chief Ongeh Gantuk, 92, said the book was an honour for his community and thanked those who had worked on the book.

"We are proud and happy that the book will be a reference for students so that they can better understand the lives of the Orang Asli.

"I welcome the publication of the book. We are willing to welcome anybody who wants to get to know our lifestyle," said Ongeh.

Also present were Kahang assemblyman R. Vidyanathan and UTHM vice-chancellor prof Datuk Dr Mohd Noh Dalimin.

[nazrey]

Rosmah encourages Orang Asli to acquire knowledge
29 June 2012 | Last updated at 09:57PM
http://www.nst.com.my/latest/rosmah-...ledge-1.99838#

BANTING: Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor today encouraged the Orang Asli community to seize the opportunity to acquire knowledge and use it to enhance their socio-economic status.

The prime minister's wife, who is also Malaysia Orang Asli Foundation (YOS) patron, said acquiring knowledge in various fields was very crucial in the current era to ensure the success of an individual.

"Education forms the backbone of the economic structure, hence with knowledge we will not be left behind or feel inferior.

"People with education will turn each trial or problem into an exciting challenge," she said at the launch of a family wellbeing programme at the Busut Baru Orang Asli village, here.

She noted that Orang Asli parents were now becoming more aware of the importance of education as evidenced by their initiative to send their children to study in urban schools.

She said the government had also been proactive in narrowing the gap between the Orang Asli and other communities, especially in the urban areas, by allocating RM22.5 million annually for their children's free education. -- BERNAMA

[nazrey]

Originally Posted by nazrey

Rosmah: All taska to be upgraded as Permata Centres
Posted on July 1, 2011, Friday
http://www.theborneopost.com/2011/07...rmata-centres/

TUARAN: All government-run preschools (Taska) will be upgraded as Permata Centres to strengthen early education in the state.

National Permata Programme Patron Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor said initiatives had already been undertaken to ensure the success of the government’s vision including physical adjustments.

“These centres will adopt the Permata curriculum while teaching staff would be trained for six weeks to improve their skills,” she said during a function, ‘Apa Khabar Anak Permata’ at the Tuaran Anak Permata Centre near here yesterday.

Also present was State Community Development and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Azizah Mohd Dun.

The Tuaran Anak Permata Centre which was set up in 2007 presently has 21 pupils.

Rosmah disclosed that two more centres with a capacity of 40 children each would be built in the state this year, in Beaufort and Kota Belud. These would start operations in August.

She said the Permata Programme had been expanded to 600 preschools throughout the country involving about 20,000 children.

“To date, 32 Kemas preschools and three Perpaduan preschools in Sabah have adopted the programme benefiting about 1,500 children,” she said.

Rosmah also urged parents to give attention to their children’s early education as brain development was critical in the first four years of the latter’s life. — Bernama

ROSMAH dan Mohamed Juhari pada majlis pelancaran Konsert Permata Seni di Lambang Sari, Istana Budaya.
http://www.bharian.com.my/articles/K...idiIB/Article/

Rosmah: Takeover of Permata programme by ministries deferred
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp...&if_height=202



Serious matter: Rosmah discussing with a representative during the press conference at the Prime Minister’s residence in Jalan langgak Duta yesterday.

Gifted: Rosmah and Orynbayev (right) meeting students of the Permata Pintar school in Bangi Friday.
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp...&if_height=202

All govt-run preschools to be upgraded
http://www.thesundaily.my/news/65260



Rosmah chatting with schildren at the Tuaran Anak Permata centre. BERNAMA

Rosmah launches programme for youths
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp...&if_height=202



Baking time: Rosmah joining (from left) Zulkhairil Fikri, Muhd Fazeri Salam and Nuratikah Rahim in baking cupcakes at the Permata Perkasa Youth Community Centre in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

Push for more Malaysians at Juilliard School
http://www.nst.com.my/opinion/column...school-1.54835



The prime minister’s wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, chatting with Malaysian music prodigy Tengku Ahmad Irfan Tengku Ahmad Shahrizal during a visit to the Juilliard School in New York on Thursday.

Permata expands in Kelantan
http://www.nst.com.my/nation/general...lantan-1.82307



Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor giving gifts to pupils of the Jeli Permata centre during her one-day visit to Kelantan yesterday. Pic by Syamsi Suhaimi

All smiles: Rosmah posing for 11-year-olds Mohd Hariz at the closing of Permata Pintar camp at UKM Bangi.
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp...541&sec=nation

ROSMAH bersama Orynbayev (tiga dari kanan) dan pelajar Pusat PERMATA Pintar Negara ketika lawatan Timbalan Menteri Kazakhstan ke Pusat PERMATA Pintar Negara UKM, Bangi, semalam.
http://www.bharian.com.my/bharian/ar...cle/index_html

Permata scheme to nurture gifted students
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp...&if_height=202



Young Einsteins: Rosmah sharing a light moment with students after the launch of Yayasan Permata at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Thursday.

Curtin honours Rosmah
Monday February 13, 2012
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp...&if_height=202



Recognised contribution: Rosmah receiving her honorary doctorate from
Dr Gill during the convocation at Curtin University in Perth. — Bernama

PERTH: The Prime Minister’s wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor has been conferred the honorary Doctor of Letters degree by Australia’s Curtin University in recognition of her efforts in the development of education, particularly children’s education through the Permata Negara programme.

Curtin University chancellor Dr Jim Gill presented the doctorate to Rosmah at the institution’s convocation here on Saturday.

Also present at the event were Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman, Malaysia’s High Commissioner to Australia Datuk Salman Ahmad and Malaysia’s Consul-General in Perth Hamidah Ashari.

More than 500 graduates of the university, a number of them Malaysians, received their respective degrees at the convocation.

Rosmah, in her acceptance speech, said many of the world’s social ills could be mitigated if education was made accessible to all, including rural people and the urban poor.

She said that when the young were prepared from an early age, they would be mentally, emotionally and psychologically more adept in projecting the best of themselves by the time they reached tertiary education.

“It is proven that the formative years of a child, to at least five years of age, significantly determine his or her ability to succeed later in life.

“There could potentially be a lost opportunity if we do not invest in the right kind of early education for our children,” she said.

Rosmah said the setting-up of the Early Childhood Education and Care Programme under the Permata Negara banner was to ensure that Malaysia’s education focused on holistic human development from an early age and to ensure that the country could build profound human capital.

Curtin University conferred an honorary doctorate in technology to former prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in 2006. — Bernama

PERMATA PROGRAMME: A gift to gifted children
29 June 2012 | Last updated at 01:18AM
http://www.nst.com.my/opinion/letter...ildren-1.99532



PERMATA pintar programme students working on an experiment in a
laboratory at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. The programme caters to for
the needs of gifted and talented children in the country.

WE refer to the report "All girls camp for the gifted" (NST, June 26), where 52 students -- 20 from Saudi Arabia, two from Indonesia and 30 from Malaysia are taking part in a three-week summer camp organised by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia's PERMATApintar programme.

The programme is one of five Permata Negara programmes, the brainchild of Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, the wife of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

The programme caters to the needs of gifted and talented children. All children can have access to the programme.

The PERMATApintar is an important programme for three reasons.

FIRST, it provides much-needed space, environment and guidance for gifted and talented children to develop to their full potential.

Thus, gifted children will not be neglected owing to the lack of qualified teachers to deal with their extra intellectual needs.

Partnership has been formed with institutions such as Johns Hopkins University to train teachers in alternative pedagogies to meet the needs of these children;

SECOND, it allows Malaysia to cultivate its own talents with a stronger potential for these children to serve the country in the long run. In other words, we will not suffer from a brain drain; and,

THIRD, the programme serves as a model for harnessing human capital for developing countries.

At present, countries such as Indonesia, Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia are looking to Malaysia in their efforts to develop their own future leaders among gifted children.

The programme also provides special attention to young gifted girls who can be vulnerable to societal pressures or cultural discrimination that may hinder them from pursuing their education to a higher level.

Every child has a right to education, and right education, among other things, must fit the child's ability and promote his or her potential to the fullest.

Hence, gifted children need education that is envisioned by UKM PERMATApintar school, just like disabled children who need special education.

UKM is proud to be part of this endeavour to give service, knowledge and skills in guiding the gifted children.

To meet this objective, UKM's approach is to offer education from cradle to career so that no gifted child is left behind. This is a major contribution to this country.

UKM is committed to contributing to the initiatives of providing expertise to gifted and special needs education.

In providing education for the gifted, the programme at PERMATApintar looks beyond Malaysia, as can be seen in the current summer camp.

Mawhiba-UKM All Girls Summer Camp is one of the many programmes organised by PERMATApintar UKM in making good its commitment to this greater goal of egalitarian education.

In the words of Dr Amal Abdullah Al-Hazza, the deputy secretary-general for female section of Mawhiba, the training given to the gifted is to assist them "to be better able to contribute to their society and religion".

We must look at providing education at both ends of the capability spectrum, not as a privilege but as a right for the children and their families, but most importantly, as a right for the nation.

It is hoped that the PERMATApintar programme will receive due recognition from all segments of society in and outside Malaysia.

Dr Rashila Ramli and Dr Sharifah Mastura Syed Abdullah, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Selangor
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[nazrey]

TalentCorp heads for Taiwan to network with Malaysians
Wednesday July 4, 2012
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp...&if_height=202

PETALING JAYA: TalentCorp will be spreading its wings to Taiwan, where it will meet Malaysian healthcare professionals based there.

Together with deputy health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, Talent Corporation Malaysia Berhad will be organising international Outreach and Engagement sessions this weekend which includes a networking dinner and hi-tea in Taipei and Kaohsiung respectively.

“The Outreach and Engagement sessions serve as ideal platforms for the creation of structured global networks, which not only ease the search for professional opportunities by returning Malaysians, but also enable leading Malay-sian companies to tap into a wider talent pool to meet their growing industry needs.

“Additionally, these engagements help to establish channels for Malaysians to contribute from abroad, and potentially initiate conversations that lead to new ideas for cross-border business and professional opportunities,” said TalentCorp in a statement yesterday.

The Professional Networking Dinner will take place on Saturday at Howard Plaza Hotel Taipei while the hi-tea session will be on Sunday at the Howard Plaza Hotel Kaohsiung.

Bringing together Malaysian professionals and Malaysia’s leading healthcare companies including KPJ Healthcare, Pantai Parkway Limited, and Mahkota Medical Centre, the events would explore the scope for collaboration and profssional opportunities that are available in Malaysia.

TalentCorp was set up last year to address the brain drain problem in light of the economic transformation programme.

[nazrey]

NiE pullout for schools in 10 states, thanks to 1MDB
Tuesday July 3, 2012
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp...&if_height=202



Wider outreach:
Shahrol and Wong sharing a light moment as they look through the NiE pullout.

PETALING JAYA: 1Malaysia Development Berhad, in acknowledging the importance of English in nation-building, has contri- buted RM100,000 to bring 125,000 copies of The Star’s Newspaper-in-Education (NiE) pullout to secondary schools in 10 states.

Its chief executive officer Datuk Shahrol Halmi presented a cheque for the amount to The Star executive director and group chief editor Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai at Menara Star here yesterday.

“We are now at the juncture where the world is becoming more and more competitive,” said Shahrol.

“The Star-NiE sponsorship programme is one of the ways we can help because in 1MDB, we are all about building human capital.

“To have good human capital, people need to be able to communicate in English, which is a key language (worldwide),” he said.

This is the second time the Government-owned strategic development company has made such a contribution.

It contributed RM100,000 last year to bring The Star-NiE pullout to 50 schools.

“We hope we will be doing it for a lot longer,” said Shahrol.

Wong said The Star’s NiE project was divided into two: the Star-NiE pullouts for national-type schools, and the Step Up pullouts for Chinese schools.

“We feel that Malaysia needs English to keep its competitive edge in the global market as well as in its workplaces,” he said.

“The purpose of the project is to support the use of English language in schools,” he added.

Wong, who brought Shahrol and his team on a tour around The Star’s gallery and editorial floors, said the newspaper had taken to making reading a pleasure by introducing videos, visuals and more “colour” to the stories its editorial team produces.

This included making more visuals and videos available and interactive through The Star’s e-Paper and iSnap feature of the newspaper’s mobile app.

[nazrey]

200 more rural libraries to be opened nationwide
30 Jun 2012 | Last updated at 07:01PM
http://www.nst.com.my/latest/200-mor...wide-1.100377#

TUMPAT: The National Library plans to open about 200 more rural libraries nationwide this year, particularly in Sabah and Sarawak.

Its information and knowledge infrastructure director, Salbiah Mohd Yusof said this would help inculcate reading interest and enrich the knowledge of the rural community.

"To date there are 1,091 rural libraries nationwide, of which 585 were set up by the federal government while the rest by state governments," she told reporters at the launch of the 1Malaysia Reading Carnival and the Kampung Telaga Bata Rural Library here today.

Salbiah said the National Library would continue to upgrade rural libraries, including bridging the information communication technology divide by equipping them with broadband access.

"We also welcome the donation of books, novels and magazines for rural libraries," she added.

Meanwhile, Pengkalan Kubor assemblyman Datuk Noor Zahidi Omar, who officiated the event, was delighted that about 1,000 of 1,200 Kampung Telaga Bata residents had registered as members of the rural library.

Kelantan Public Library Corporation director Wan Mohd Suhaimi Wan Mustafa was present. Bernama

[nazrey]

Vocational training in high schools by 2013
By TASHNY SUKUMARAN Updated: Monday July 9, 2012 MYT 11:48:42 AM
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp...&if_height=202

KUALA LUMPUR: The Human Resources and Education Ministries are aiming to begin vocational training in high schools by 2013, said Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri S. Subramaniam.

"We want to make the vocational education a system of choice, attracting even the brighter students," he said, speaking at the 2011 International Skills Conference at the Putra World Trade Centre here on Monday.

He said vocational education was important, and students would be exposed to it from Form One upwards.

Students would also receive vocational certification along with SPM certification.

Subramaniam explained that the Higher Education Ministry was also in talks with several universities to discuss giving out degrees in learned skills instead of diplomas so that vocational school graduates could have both the paper qualifications and necessary hands-on experience.

"I hope it will jive with the private sector so we can obtain synergy," he told delegates at the two-day conference.

"Exposing students to vocational education at a young age allows them to continue... By 2020, 60% of employment will be skills-based."

Speaking to reporters at a press conference later, the minister also said that the Government and the World Bank were currently conducting a study on Malaysia's human resources and what areas to focus on.

"It aims to assess supply and demand," he said, saying a preliminary report had already been prepared.