Malaysian Pupils Feared Drowned After Bridge Collapse

Search and rescue operations are under way in Malaysia for primary school children feared drowned after a suspension bridge collapsed during a camping trip.

One girl is confirmed dead and two are missing after the incident late yesterday near Kuala Dipang, the national news agency Bernama reported. The victims were less than 13 years old. Police had said as many as 21 students may be missing.

They were among 298 pupils from 60 primary schools on a field trip about two hours from the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur. Between 30 and 50 children were on the bridge when it collapsed at about 10 p.m. local time when they were crossing from the camp site to the Kuala Dipang school to have dinner.

About 20 people were saved when they managed to cling to the structure.

The 50-meter (164-foot) bridge was completed two weeks ago to replace an earlier suspension bridge that also collapsed, Bernama reported.

K. Mathivanan, a 12-year-old student who survived the accident, told Bernama some students were jumping up and down before the bridge collapsed.

Mathivanan said he was thrown into the river, and was able to grab a rope. “The current was so strong, but I managed to pull myself up,” he said.

Investigation Planned

The Education Ministry will investigate the incident, including whether teachers were properly supervising the pupils.

“We hope that the teachers in charge will exercise greater caution,” Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said after visiting the accident scene. “The safety of pupils must be given top priority.”

Mohd Safri Abdul Rafar, a teacher, said he was close to the bridge when he heard a loud noise, as if something heavy had crashed, followed by screams.

“I immediately jumped over the fence into the river,” he told Bernama. “I had a chance to pull out three, or four students.” He said the current was so strong he almost drowned and was forced to climb out of the river.

The bridge collapsed after a metal pillar was ripped out, Perak’s chief minister Zambry Abdul Kadir was cited as saying by Bernama. A concrete block foundation was also ripped out of the ground and part of the bridge walkway was left floating in the river, the news agency said.

The Kampar River is known for water sports. The part of the river where the bridge was built is about 30 meters wide and 1.5 meters deep, Bernama said.

Proposal To Reduce Compulsory Service For Doctors

PETALING JAYA, Oct 21 (Bernama) -- The Ministry of Health (MOH) has recommended to the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) to reduce the compulsory service for new doctors from the present three years to two years.

This was in response to requests from parents who had sacrificed in funding the medical education of their children, said Director-General of Health, Tan Sri Dr Mohd Ismail Merican.

Writing in the special column in the Malaysian Medical Association's (MMA) latest newsletter, he said the ministry appreciated the long hours housemen and junior doctors and doctors in general have put in and the ministry "was doing everything in its power to fight for better remuneration, allowances and promotional prospects."

"Various measures have been taken and will be implemented to ensure that doctors continue to serve the MOH," he added.

Among them were creation of new allowances; improving the current critical and on-call allowances; providing RM80 per hour allowance for working extended hours; and RM200 per hour for those performing operations on off-days.

In addition MOH had also created more opportunities for doctors to get promoted to higher grades and improve working conditions and environment.

He said so far 24,135 posts have been created but as at Dec 2008 only 13,762 or 57 per cent of the posts had been filled of which 2,545 were for specialists from various disciplines.

Dr Mohd Ismail said the ministry was also working on a time-based and flexible promotion for medical officers who were not specialists.

"It saddens me to learn that some of our non-specialist medical officers have retired on low grades even after putting in long years of valuable and loyal service."

"However, with this new initiative the days of medical officers, some of whom are 'gurkhas' in the department, being neglected or overlooked for promotion will be history," he assured.

To address the shortage of doctors in the short term , Dr Mohd Ismail said the ministry had invited those working abroad and those in the local private sector to work with the MOH.

"We have already placed advertisements and hope they will respond favourably and rise to the challenge of providing quality healthcare to Malaysians," he added.

According to Dr Mohd Ismail, last year government doctors provided services to two million admitted patients and 62 million out-patients. This year the number would increase significantly due to the economic downturn and the Influenza A H1N1 pandemic.

Education can boost national integration

I TRULY agree with Farah Syahiran’s views in her letter “Learning languages the way to 1Malaysia,” (The Star, Oct 24).

I think the most basic way towards national integration is through education which is important as all of us go to school as kids. We have to spend 10 years in school just from Year One to Form 5. Therefore, national unity should begin at school.

I come from a national school background and I think such schools really unite all races. The Government should encourage more parents to send their kids to national schools.

I believe Maths and Science should continue to be taught in English because we already have so many subjects taught in Bahasa Malaysia.

Students should be encouraged to take up extra languages such as Mandarin or Tamil.

The additional knowledge can be used as extra merit points to apply for a scholarship.

Students should not take up their own mother tongue as an exam subject. This will help strengthen unity as the next generation will have the ability to understand languages from different races.

Najib Leads Malaysian Delegation To 15th Asean Summit

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 23 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak is leading the Malaysian delegation to the three-day 15th Asean Summit in Cha-am Hua Hin, Thailand, starting Friday.

He will be accompanied by Foreign Minister Datuk Anifah Aman, Information Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim, International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Mustapa Mohamed and senior ministry officials.

A Foreign Ministry statement here says that Najib is also scheduled to have bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Asean member states and the dialogue partners in Cha-am Hua Hin.

During the summit, themed "Enhancing Connectivity, Empowering Peoples", the leaders will be exchanging views on regional and international issues of common concern to Asean, such as Asean connectivity, global economic and financial crisis, food security, disaster management and other issues.

Malaysia views the Asean summit and related summits as important fora in pursuing and achieving the various goals, to ensure that Asean remains relevant in face of current and future challenges, the statement says.

It is also an opportunity to take stock and review the status of cooperation with its dialogue partners with a view to deepening and strengthening the existing relations.

The summit will be held at the Dusit Thani Hotel, Hua Hin, today, followed by a retreat tomorrow before the Asean Plus 1 summits with China, Japan, Republic of Korea (ROK) and India as well as the 12th Asean Plus Three Summit.

The 4th East Asia Summit involving Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea and the 6th Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) will be held on Sunday.

The Asean leaders will also inaugurate the launch of the Asean Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) to promote and protect human rights in the region.

They are expected to adopt four documents, namely, the Cha-am Hua Hin Declaration on the Inauguration of the ASEAN Intergovermental Commission on Human Rights, Cha-am Hua Hin Declaration on Strengthening Cooperation on Education to Achieve an Asean Caring and Sharing Community, Asean Declaration on Climate Change and Asean Leaders' Statement on Asean Connectivity.

They will also issue four other documents with their Dialogue Partners namely, the Cha-am Hua Hin Statement on Asean Plus Three Cooperation on Food Security and Bio-Energy Development, Cha-am Hua Hin Statement on East Asia Summit Disaster Management, Joint Press Release of the 4th East Asia Summit on the Revival of Nalanda University and Statement to Celebrate the Completion and Entry into Force of the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA).

In addition, the Asean foreign ministers will sign the Agreement on Privileges and Immunities of Asean and Memorandum of Understanding on Establishing the Asean-China Centre.

The Asean economic ministers will sign the Memorandum of Understanding between Asean and China on Cooperation in the Field of Intellectual Property and Memorandum of Understanding between Asean and China on Strengthening Cooperation in the Field of Standards, Technical Regulations and Conformity Assessment.

At the sidelines of the summit, the Asean leaders will also have informal meetings with representatives from the Asean Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, Youth and Civil Society Organisations to enhance dialogue and public participation in line with the efforts to transform Asean into a people-oriented organisation.

India's VMU Looks At Malaysia As Strategic Investment Destination

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 22 (Bernama) -- With plans for the relaxation of rules on foreign equity ownership in the services sector, Vinayaka Missions University (VMU) of India said the group now has greater incentives to continue looking at Malaysia as a strategic investment destination.

The leading educational group from India with investments in Malaysia welcomes the statement by International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Mustapa Mohamed that the government may relax rules on foreign equity ownership in the services sector to attract more Indian investors to Malaysia.

VMU pro-chancellor Datuk Dr S. Sharavanan said liberalising foreign equity ownership by Indian investors in the services sector would have a positive impact in attracting Indian investments to Malaysia.

"We at VMU view Malaysia as a strategic location to invest, especially with the government's push towards creating an education hub in the region. We certainly have ambitious plans in Malaysia," he said in a statement on Thursday.

Sharavanan, who is based in Malaysia, said the group's priority outside India over the next few years is Malaysia in terms of foreign direct investment and that the country will also be number two (after India) in terms of revenue generation for years to come.

VMU, which currently operates the Penang International Dental College (PIDC) and Surya College in Penang, has plans to emerge as an established brand in the field of higher education by 2015 with a planned investment of RM260 million over five years, making it the group's biggest investment abroad.

The group, founded 26 years ago, also operates campuses in India, Thailand, Canada and the United Arab Emirates.

Sharavanan sees Malaysia as an ideal location to attract students from the region, including India and China, having the advantage in terms of location, logistics and world-class infrastructure besides enjoying the lower cost of getting quality education at its facilities here.

Economist: Spend more to develop human capital and infrastructure

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s medium to long term growth potential will be better served by more spending to develop human capital and physical infrastructure in order to be competitive, says Asian Development Bank (ADB) chief economist Dr Jong-Wha Lee.

Budget 2010, which is scheduled to be announced on Friday, has been speculated to reflect the 1Malaysia concept besides having a lower operating expenditure due to the higher fiscal deficit this year.

Malaysian Institute of Economic Research executive director Datuk Mohamed Ariff Abdul Kareem had said last week that this year’s fiscal deficit would be slightly higher than the Government’s estimate of 7.6% due to lower income tax collection and expected reduction in corporate tax rates.

Lee said on the sidelines of a conference of the ADB, Bank Negara and the European Union that the two areas in which Malaysia could improve on were human capital and infrastructure. He said this was part of the restructuring and rebalancing that export-reliant regional economies including Malaysia would have to go through to see medium to long-term growth.

Lee said Malaysia would have to improve its human capital before it could move up the value chain in terms of economic development.

“The role of the education system is very important and so is research and development to build a technology platform for the move up,” he said.

He said that as the fiscal deficit was high, there was a need to efficiently allocate resources and spending given the limited scope for fiscal expansion. He said Malaysia could maintain spending on infrastructure as the country’s debt to gross domestic product ratio was still manageable.

“There’s not much room to manoeuvre but Malaysia must still address short-term recovery issues besides addressing mid-term objectives as well as social objectives such as all-inclusive growth,” he said.

Higher Education Ministry mulls "Brain Sharing" programme

JOHOR BAHARU, Oct 18 (Bernama) -- The Higher Education Ministry is studying the possibility of introducing a 'Brain Sharing" programme to enable Malaysians abroad to teach at the local institutions of higher learning while visiting or holidaying in this country.

Its minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the programme would enable them to teach at the local institutions of higher learning for a certain period without giving up their job abroad.

"Malaysians working abroad have various expertise and they can share their knowledge with their local counterparts without having to quit their job abroad," he told reporters here today.

He said they might not want to resign from their jobs abroad purely to teach in Malaysia because of several factors including the lucrative salary received.

Earlier, Mohamed Khaled, who is also the Member of Parliament for Pasir Gudang, attended the charity golf competition 2009 organised by the Social Welfare and Development Council (Mayang) for the Pasir Gudang parliamentary constituency.

He said the ministry would also provide various incentives to attract qualified Malaysians to participate in the Brain Sharing Programme.

Meanwhile, Mohamed Khaled, who is also the Pasir Gudang Umno division head, said the charity golf programme was to collect donations for the Mayang fund. (Bernama)

PPSMI – Will more PTAs speak up?

I attended the PTA EGM of my sons’ school at St. Xavier to better understand the situation. As you know, the teachings of Science and Mathematics used to be in English until they change it around 1970s when I entered Standard One. So, students like me used to study them in Bahasa Malaysia. Then, around the time when my eldest son was in Form Three, all my three children who were school going had to switch to English during Tun M’s time.

When our DPM who is also the Education Minister took over, he tried to change the policy again. Initially, it was a very silly idea of asking the students whom had studied from Std One to Form Three to switch to Bahasa Malaysia at Form Four. Meanwhile, for the primary school, the children have to study from Std One to Std three in English and switch to BM in Std. Four. Both my younger children are going to be affected by this policy which I believe was made without forethought and more to do with garnering popularity.

However, the Education Minister changed his mind again and now, the policy allows both my children to finish their school years learning in English. Yet, those students who are going to enter Primary One in 2012, are going to use BM again.

So, parents all over Malaysia have come together to ask the Education Minsiter to reconsider. During one of the interviews I had with CM Lim Guan Eng, he gave some suggestions that in urban areas like Penang, we can actually have different streams of school since there are schools in the same locality. For example, English and Bahasa Malaysia. Parents can opt for the children to either study Science and Mathematics in English or Bahasa Malaysia. This way, it will not affect children in rural schools where their grasp of the language is not good due to lack of exposure to English.

To those of you who have young children and are concerned with their education, do take the proactive step of voicing out your opinions through the proper channel. There is an action group call PAGE – Parents Action Group for Education. They made a very revealing video on why Science and Mathematics in the English medium should continue.

Gone, but top grad lives on in varsity's hearts

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - Amid the happy throng of parents at the International Islamic University Malaysia's 25th convocation here yesterday, religious teacher Rustamin Amak Jamilah cut a forlorn figure.

As he walked up to receive the scroll for the Bachelor of Business Administration (Honours) degree from Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah, the entire hall fell silent.

The scroll was not his but that of his daughter's -- Safawati, who died on July 17.

The university had flown Rustamin, 54, his wife, Mailah Sarum, 42, and their two sons from Ranau, Sabah to receive the degree on Safawati's behalf.

Rustamin said Safawati, the eldest of nine children, was a research assistant at IIUM's Department of Business Administration when she died of Systemic Lupus.

The chronic disease, commonly known as Lupus, results in the body's immune system turning against its own healthy tissues for reasons that are still unknown.

Choking back on his emotions, Rustamin said: "My daughter was a go-getter.

"Despite undergoing heart surgery when only 8 years old, she always strived for the best. After the surgery, she led an active life, excelling in her academic and co-curricular activities, until this condition developed while she was doing her matriculation studies."

Rustamin said his daughter told him doctors had diagnosed her with a blood disease that could not be cured.

"Only my daughter and I knew about this condition and she stubbornly refused to put aside her studies and work to seek treatment.

"Now that she is gone, all we have are memories of her."

Saifuddin, who handed a donation from the lecturers and staff of IIUM to Rustamin, said Safawati had been an excellent student.

"She graduated with Second Class (Upper) Honours with cumulative grade point average of 3.559. She received the best student award in information technology from the university's Department of Business Administration."

A total of 3,350 undergraduate and 879 postgraduate students received their scrolls on Saturday and today at the IIUM Gombak campus.

UM must play global ranking game all the way

CONGRATULATIONS to Universiti Malaya for being in the top 200 of the THES ranking.

UM has the right combination of strategies to be in the ranking: get the maximum out of the academic staff in terms of publications, aggressive recruitment of foreign staff, and fund international research students, and this will encourage more to undertake research at UM.

Once UM is in this global ranking game, the university must play the game all the way. Lets have more recruitment of foreign staff in 2010 and more money for foreign research students.

In time of difficult economic circumstances in Malaysia, and as a public university, UM has to have adequate resources to play the game full-time in 2010 and beyond.

As has been stated by many observers, if a university’s global ranking is not in the top 50, anything could happen in 2010 or beyond as ranking within the top 50 bracket is very volatile.

Thus UM has to spend more money to sustain or increase the number of foreign staff and international research students. I am sure, with its land bank and private medical wing, the UM has the resources to continue to be in the game.

For USM or other new universities in the peripheral regions, involvement in global ranking may not be a sustainable way to develop Malaysia’s higher education in terms of access, regional equity and sustainability.

If UM and UKM or UTM want to be in the global ranking game and get entangled in this business-driven activity then all the best to them. Every university has its own vision and mission and the public must understand and respect what their have set for themselves.

It would be great for Malaysia’s higher education if we have universities in the global rankings. In the same breathe, we must also salute other universities wanting to change the mindset of Malaysians, who are more concerned about the development of local knowledge and eager to lead the way in terms of their engagement with global and local communities with a view to improve the well-beings of the “bottom billions”.

Admittedly, while these criteria are not counted by global rankings, they are very important to nation-building and international development effort.

Hard work pays dividend for UM

UNIVERSITI Malaya (UM), once a top university in Asia and recognised as a premier educational institution in this part of the world, has successfully made it to the top 200 universities in the Times Higher Education magazine – QS World University Ranking 2009.

Moving from 230 last year to 180 means that hard work was the order of the day and all those who were associated with instituting those needful changes deserve commendation for their unwavering input in wanting to bring back UM’s glorious past when it was once ranked 89 in 2004.

While there is reason for celebration, I hope UM would continue to strive to be among the top 100 universities in the world. UM’s best 2004 achievement was no flash in the pan and should serve as a motivation to bring it to another level of excellence.

This calls for undivided attention, commitment and selfless devotion among its staff, administrators, academics, and the senate, among others, who must collectively ensure no stone is unturned to propel UM further in terms of excellence, eminence, and distinction in providing quality education at both graduate and post-graduate level.

I am glad UM has placed great importance in wanting quality research and development done in its premises and that more facilities are being built or provided for these purposes.

On another note, I call upon UM to set the pace, momentum, and velocity for education quality and excellence as its distinguished and illustrious past indicate it has the means and capacities to propel itself to greater heights.

Many of our past and present leaders are alumni of the university and UM can stand tall that it has contributed significantly by providing leaders to serve the nation unreservedly.

Malaysia is blessed with many natural resources, and technology and other sciences, which are cornerstones of future growth and prosperity that are highly emphasised by the Government. It would be a real failure to the country if UM, together with other universities, do not spearhead both research and development of new things.

Be reminded that educational excellence can only be achieved through hard work. This is paramount if we want our institutions of higher learning to be noted as excellent places of learning and for research and development.

Sadly, four of our premier public universities, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Universiti Putra Malaysia and Universiti Utara Malaysia did not fare well in the ranking.

In this respect, USM, which was awarded Apex university status, is a real disappointment and certainly did not live up to its status.

Government Will Work With Anyone Who Backs 1Malaysia Concept

SERDANG, Oct 10 (Bernama) -- Acknowledging that the Malaysian Indian community faces a host of problems, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on Saturday vowed to work with anyone, be they political parties or non-governmental organisations, which back his 1Malaysia concept, to alleviate the shortfalls faced by the community.

"There are some serious problems in respect of the Indian community and these are genuine problems which need to be addressed. We will work with all, political parties in and outside of the Barisan Nasional (BN) including non-governmental organisations.

"The problems have been with us for a long time and it would take a huge effort to make a difference in resolving these problems. These problems include poverty, higher standard of education at Tamil schools, squatters and creation of business opportunities for Indians," the prime minister told reporters after launching the Malaysian Makkal Sakti Party (MMSP) here.

In alleviating these problems, Najib, who is also the Barisan Nasional (BN)chief, said all parties and not only the community must work and understand each other better.

He stressed that the 1Malaysia concept propounded by him was the best way to achieve this as it promoted harmony among all races living in this country.

He also said that while there were pockets of Indians who were anti-establishment, bent on creating problems and raising uncessary issues, this was not reflective of all Malaysian Indians.

"The majority of the people want the harmony among races to be maintained. They want progress and this is what they will get as long as they believe in the government of the day and the 1Malaysia concept," he said.

Asked if these smaller political parties like MMSP would be allowed into the ruling coalition, he said that would be up to the BN supreme council.

"But whatever it is, these people support the BN except that they are not members of the coalition," he added.

Najib also brushed aside speculation that he had instigated the formation of the MMSP despite having the MIC, touted as the largest Indian-based political party in the country, in the BN fold.

"Makkal Sakti was not formed on my instigation but eventually it would be good for these (Indian-based political parties) to consolidate. The formation of this party is probably the political evolution for Indians in the country," he added.

"I do not want to say whether the MIC failed or succeeded (in assisting the community)...but it is the choice of the Indians (formation of MMSP). What is important is that they support the government," said Najib.

Asked if MMSP would be BN's trump card in winning back the support of the community, which deserted the BN at the 2008 general election, Najib said it was not up to him to say if the newly launched party would be BN's trump card in facing future general elections.

"But Makkal Sakti has brought a lot of support and we hope it can attract more support. On their inclusion into the BN we will discuss that later. It is up to the BN supreme council. Whether they are in or out (of the BN), we are willing to work together and that is the most important thing," he added.

National Swimmer Among Recipients Of Higher Education Ministry Scholarships

PUTRAJAYA, Oct 8 (Bernama) -- National swimmer Khoo Chai Lin and lawn bowling athlete Nor Shafeeqah Yahya were among 138 undergraduate athletes who were given Ministry of Higher Education sports scholarships for the 2009/2010 session.

Khoo, 21, who is doing studies in communications at Taylor's College said she wanted to excel in sports and academics.

Meanwhile, Nor Shafeeqah, 20, said the scholarship will help her study better for a communications degree at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM).

"I am very grateful. I also want to buy sports equipment with the scholarship money," she told Bernama at the ministry's sports excellence night here Wednesday.

Present was Minister of Higher Education Datuk Seri Mohd Khaled Nordin.

The main criteria for the scholarships was excellent achievement in their respective sports and being accredited by the National Sports Council.

Seven university researchers also received the Sports Research Grant worth RM200,000.

Among the recipients was senior lecturer in the sports programme at Universiti Malaya Dr Nadhratul Wardah Salman who does research on "Audit of Sports Provisions in Public Universities in Malaysia."

MIED Trustees Never Held Meeting For 24 Years - Mahalingam

PETALING JAYA, Oct 7 (Bernama) -- The Maju Institute of Education Development (MIED) board of trustees had never sat for a meeting in the last 24 years of its establishment, revealed former MIC Treasurer-General Tan Sri M. Mahalingam.

Mahalingam, who was one of the institute's founders, said the MIED board members were dominated by high-profile MIC leaders which included MIC President Datuk Seri S. Samyvellu as the chairman, seven appointed trustees, including himself and 25 other listed members.

"MIED is supposed to be in the hands of the trustees. Any changes must only be done by the trustees who should decide in its future," he told reporters here Wednesday.

He said the 33 board members should know their responsibilities since they had also played a role in estabilishing the MIED.

"Don't waver from the objective of the establishment. MIED is an extension of a wing of MIC. They should be reminded that they owe their position to the people. They should protect the institute," said the former Deputy Minister, two-time Member of Parliament and Senator.

Mahalingam also said he was surprised to discover that he was no longer one of the MIED trustees, beginning this year.

According to the Asian Institute of Medicine, Science and Technology (AIMST) 2008/2009 Annual Report, which was shown to reporters in the media conference, it was stated that Mahalingam was an MIED trustee only until last December.

"I have never signed anything, any letter, or received any notification about this. I have the right to know the reason why I was removed from the board of trustees. I am not angry, I just want to know the reason," said Mahalingam.

He also pointed out that nothing moved in MIED or MIC without Samyvellu's knowledge.

On another note, Mahalingam said Samyvellu should explain his stand on the MIED to the people to clear the air.

Last week, Samyvellu was reported saying that the MIED was a separate entity from the MIC and since it was a separate entity, the MIC had nothing to do with it.

"I heard other MIC leaders comment on this issue, not from Datuk Seri (Samyvellu) himself. He should explain his stand to the people, especially to the Indian community," he said.

To a question by reporters, Mahalingam said he did not know why Samyvellu was slow in giving up his post as party President, and personally thought that it was time him to do so.

"I also ask myself why? (he has not retired)...but I have already, privately, told him to retire, in my capacity as a friend. It's time to hand over the leadership to new people," he added.

PM:Education system reflects choice of community

PARIS: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said the existence of national type schools in Malaysia, including Chinese schools, is part of an education system “we inherited from our forefathers.”

“It was decided at the point of independence. It is not ideal...something we accept. We have inherited from our forefathers a system where various communities decide on the type of education to choose for their kids,” he said during a question-and-answer session with Malaysian students at Pavillion Davphine in Place du Marechal de Lattre Tassigny, here.

Citing an example, he said the Chinese may want to send their children to the Chinese school.

“Although it was not ideal but it is something that we have to accept because it is a choice of the Malaysian community. If we have to go against the choice, then there is bound to be social unrest. The Chinese want to have their schools, we cannot take it away from them. That is the reality. We cannot escape from the reality,” he said


Najib, who is in France for a four-day official visit, was responding to a remark by a Malaysian student that he was confused by the promotion of 1Malaysia to unite Malaysians when the government still allowed Chinese schools to exist in the country.

“One Malaysia is a process, a journey.

“Though students may be from different schools, but if they accept 1Malaysia, it could encourage greater interaction. It would achieve greater national unity and a sense of belonging among Malaysians.”

He also said that the government was taking steps to make national schools more attractive, especially for non-Malays.

“Earlier in his speech, Najib explained the concept of 1Malaysia as the country's guiding philosophy towards transforming Malaysia in becoming much stronger and successful by 2020 and beyond.

He said he promoted this concept when he became Prime Miniser because he believes that national unity and integration are the cornerstone in the process of nationbuilding.

Najib said that Malaysians should go beyond tolerating and accepting each other's diversity.

“Our diversity is a strength, not a burden.

“The highest level is to celebrate our diversity. This should be our pride. The 1Malaysia message is powerful. One dream, one people, one nation.”


Najib also told the students that for any civilisation to prosper, it has to be inclusive and open.

“If a civilisation is closed up, resistant to ideas and free movement of people, it will wither away. If we build on the civilisation, on ideas, and able to bring in new culture, that civilisation will prosper.

“If we reject new ideas, movement of people, we will never become a nation that can take its rightful place among the leading nations of the world.”

Najib called on the students to be part of this “long journey” in transforming the country.

“We have set aside a huge allocation to prepare the next generation, when we can pass the torch for you to carry on the struggle.”

Malaysia Seek Additional Scope Of Interest As Chair Of Malay Studies

WELLINGTON, Oct 5 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian government has agreed to continue as Chair of Malay studies in the University of Victoria, New Zealand and hope it can cover other aspects apart from just Malay language.

Towards this, a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) was signed here today between Higher Education Ministry of Malaysia, Ministry of Education New Zealand and Victoria University on the Malay Studies Chair here on Monday.

The Higher Education Secretary-General Datuk Dr Zulkefli A Hassan represented Malaysia and New Zealand Secretary for Education Karen Seawell signed on behalf of the New Zealand government while Victoria University Vice Chancellor Prof Pat Walsh signed on behalf of the university.

Zulkefli said the Malaysian government had agreed to renew the Chair of Malay Studies contract which expired last December due the positive impact since it's establishment in 1996.

He said the government hoped that the scope of the Chair could be widened by not only covering the Malay language but also other Malaysian interest as well, such as economy and politics.

Walsh meanwhile, said the Malay Studies Chair had enhanced relationships between the university and Malaysia as well as contribute a lot in the understanding of Islam and the Muslim culture.

"We are looking forward to further enhancing the relationship with Malaysia in the future," he added.

Walsh said Malaysians studying in Victoria had quadrupled since the last decade and they had contributed to the cultural diversity for campus life.

Malaysian students had been studying in New Zealand since 1950's when the Colombo Plan was introduced.

From the ground

LTHOUGH the top brass of private IPTs were largely positive to the ministry’s proposed incentives, not all were as keen in acclimatising to the new requirements.

The facial expressions of those at the closed door meeting were a clear giveaway of the differing takes of the situation and while time seemed to stand still for some, it just ran out for others.

Here are some responses from various private IPT heads to the ministry’s strategy:

Dr Peter Ng,
UCSI University president and secretary general of the Malaysian Association of Private Colleges and Universities (Mapcu)

“I feel that the Government is really forging ahead with their efforts to shape the industry. All of us at Mapcu got wind of this and it’s great that it is happening.

“Participation in the Rating System for Malaysian Higher Education Institutions (Setara) requires private IPTs to at least meet the minimum requirement and this will improve the provision of quality education.

“However, I’m cautious about the call to offer a wider selection or programmes. It’s fine if we’re talking about programmes which will add value to Malaysia’s human capital development. We shouldn’t diversify for the sake of it.

“We have to be clear in our strategy to benefit the nation. This is the approach we’re using at UCSI and we have gone into actuarial science and applied maths as there is a need for good statisticians in Malaysia.”

Prof Datuk Dr Chuah Hean Teik,
Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (Utar) president

“It is important to create a culture of excellence and the participation of private IPTs in Setara brings us one step closer in achieving this. Malaysian IPTs need to be competitive locally and internationally. Utar is prepared for Setara and we’re participating voluntarily at the moment.

“Also, greater collaboration between public and private IPTs is welcome. We’ve already experiencing this as some of staff have collaborated with their counterparts from Universiti Utara Malaysia.

“While the ministry’s decision to get serious with private IPTs is good, I think a patient approach would work better as many IPTs need time to adjust to the new requirements.

“As for enforcement, there is a need for transparency and the task forces need to be trained well in the proper operating procedures. They must not come across as antagonistic and there are high standards for them to meet.”

Elizabeth Lee,
Sunway University College executive director

“The government’s move to meet us has given us a good avenue to raise some burning issues and it shows that our feedback is valued. It is heartening that private IPTs are recognised as engines of growth.

“I applaud the call to improve quality and it is about time to clamp down on underperforming private IPTs as they spoil the brand built by the serious players.

“I’m happy that there has and will be greater transparency in this sector and I’m sure that things will move forward with Prof Radin as Registrar General.”

“It is good that we are benchmarking ourselves using international standards. I’m sure good private IPTs will not only fulfill the requirement to fully migrate to the Malaysian Qualification Agency’s framework, but also seek international accreditation.

“Private IPTs should only accept qualified foreign students and the ministry’s move to diversify Malaysia’s foreign student populations is good.”

MAEPA Phase Two Will Be Implemented Mid Next Year

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 2 (Bernama) -- The Malaysia- Australia Education Project for Afghanistan (MAEPA) Phase Two will be implemented in the middle of next year as both countries continued efforts to develop Afghanistan's education system.

Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong said implementation of MAEPA Phase Two was in line with MAEPA Phase One implemented from June 29 to Oct 2.

He said MAEPA Phase One proved effective in training 30 teachers from Afghanistan.

"This programme is a success as they (Afghan teachers) have responded well to the course," he said when closing a MAEPA course at the Malaysian Teaching Institute in Lembah Pantai here Friday.

Dr Wee said implementation of MAEPA Phase Two was dependent on the ability of trainee teachers under Phase One as they would be training 180 Afghan lecturers upon their return.

The Education Ministry would be sending two supervisors from the Kuala Lumpur Language Insitute to Afghanistan to monitor application of Phase One of the project.

MAEPA is an education programme for Master Teacher Trainers (MTTs) for Afghanistan aimed at upgrading their skills and methodology.

The project was follow-up to the agreement reached between former prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his Australian counterpart Kevin Rudd when the latter visited Malaysia on July 10 last year.

Teaching English Writing

A friend of mine, Oon Yeoh has quit his deputy editor position at the Sun on Sunday (no pun intended :)) You'd have notice his fairly regular columns in the Sun as well as the Edge newspapers. He'll be taking time off to work on some of his pet projects, including an political biography of Lim Kit Siang. However, to pay the bills, he'll be doing various freelancing projects, including his new part time job with New Era College to teach English writing:

I haven't worked out the syllabus for the course yet but I'll draw upon my years of experience in newspaper journalism to come up with something that will help the students become adept at writing straight news, feature articles and commentary pieces.

It's going to be a challenge, for sure, as the students at New Era College are mainly Mandarin-speaking.


To be very frank, I think Oon's probably going to be in for a fairly rough ride as to the standards of English among his students. This will be true not just at the New Era College, but at many other universities and colleges as well, particularly those which attracts the most Chinese school students. The objective the course he is conducting is:

... to enhance listening, note-taking and reading skills in English. We hope that at the end of the course, the students will acquire the nuances of the English language, the particular appeals in the design of persuasive and informative messages as well as the fundamentals of different types of news.

Oon will have a major challenge ahead. Meeting these objectives will be very difficult, not because New Era College is a poor college, but because our primary and secondary schools (both national and vernacular) do not provide sufficient quality and training in English language. Hence unless the students come from an English speaking family or happen to "mix" with English speaking friends from the early years (I have fortunately fallen into this category - and yet I still struggled to a B3 for my 'O' Level English in Singapore), his or her standards are likely to be poor. Please note, I have no doubt that many of these students would have been good English speakers/writers, if they have had the right education opportunities.

I have no doubt that Oon would have many ideas to incorporate plenty of interesting lesson plans for his students. However, he will most likely have to incorporate many of the English language basics including strengthening vocabulary, dramatically improving grammar (simple stuff like tenses) and subsequently, working to "straighten" their thought structures.

One of the basic lessons which I believe will be most useful for his students will be to teach them to write professional resumes as well as how to answer simple questions often posed in application forms (which tends to be a feature with large local companies or MNCs). This will not only touch on the students English language skills but also prepare them for their next steps in seeking employment. Some of my grievances with graduates and their applications are blogged in "Graduates Need to be Serious 1".

As a student/graduate seeking employment, I should pay particular attention to the "freeform" question segments. Some examples of questions asked as part of the job application process are (examples from Jobstreet):

* What would you consider as your biggest achievement and why?
* Describe a situation where you tried your hardest but failed.
* How did you handle your most challenging experience in your previous job?
* Describe the last time you did something that made you feel good about yourself.
* Describe your personal qualities that suit the requirements of this position.
* Describe a time you were asked to do something you did not think was right.

I remember the time when I applied for my first job some 10 years ago now (no "online" facilities available then!) where I had to fill up an application form for a position in the local chapter of a multinational consulting company. It was 6 pages long with at least 3 questions of the above nature, and you are advised to write your answers for the questions on a separate piece of paper should there be insufficient space. It took me nearly 3 weeks to complete that application form!!

Why did it take so long?

* Well, first of all, it took me a while for the "writing juice" to start flowing

* I would think of the answers and plan a tentative outline

* I would think of the answers which will catch the attention of the employers

* I would think of the answers which I believe strengthen my case in securing the job

* I would research the company in great detail, understand their "culture" and seek to provide answers which will fit those cultures (it's so easy with Google now!)

* I would have friends with "A*" for English help review my language and grammar

* I would draft the answers, leave them for 2-3 days and return to review the answers again, to obtain a fresh perspective on them.

* I would read the answers I've written from the perspective of an employer, to see if "I" would be satisfactorily "impressed", differentiating myself from the tons of applications they must receive.

* I finally sent in the application after being satisfied that I can't make further changes to the answers "overdoing" it :)

And why did I put in so much effort?

* It's a job I clearly wanted, and I wanted to do justice to myself

* These questions offer me a chance to distinguish myself from the tons of applications the employers receive, and I decided to take it

* On hindsight - it was well worth it, I got my first job after being shortlisted and attended 3 rounds of interviews.


However, I realise that the graduates putting in applications today can't be bothered to spend some quality time "answering" these questions. Jobstreet has an interesting function which tells you how much time a candidate spends writing the answers to the questions - most spend bare 3 minutes! I know that submitting resumes online is a breeze today, but what's the rush? The candidates seem to regard these simple questions as bothersome as well, wasting their precious time. You can tell how "bothersome" these questions are, when the number of candidates who applied for a position I advertise for (e.g., web application developer) dropped from between 800-1,100 candidates to approximately 150-300 candidates after Jobstreet installed the "Test" and "Question" features in the application process. Even then, many of these candidates who proceeded to submit left the question's answer blank.

The key errors in the candidates submissions are as follows:

1. Bad spelling, grammar and vocabulary

2. Candidates do not answer the question. I asked about "A", I'll get stories about "Z".

3. Candidates to not structure their answers logically and coherently (i.e., their thoughts are all over place)

I believe that if Oon is successful in just the above task and challenge, it'll help the candidates tremendously, towards securing their interviews, which provides the opportunities to impress and secure the job position. In addition, should they be able to improve significantly on 1-3 above, they'll not just have a "better" application, the lessons learnt will also apply to many of the tasks that are carried out as part of a job e.g., report writing, presentations etc.

For the benefit of those who would like to read some of the answers which I have received, I've listed some below. These submissions are from students all over, local and overseas colleges, and of all races. I've also ignored answers from very weak candidates e.g., 3rd class honours, as they are even worse (well, actually, most of them leave it blank). These answers are extracted from candidates who submitted their application for an Analyst position advertised in March this year:

Question: Why do you think you can make a difference in this position?

Answers:

* "I am into analyzing and is a better speaker than a technical person. I have great interest in business especially e-commerce. I believe myself can be a good consultant."

* "I can help the business to grow by introducing new technology to the business example like m-business which all includes wap phones, PDA and so on..."

* "i have knowledge in IT areas and Business areas cause i did my degree in Business information system with IT and i did my master in international business"

* "I am sure i will gain a certain degree of experience from the post. I am willing to learn any kind of experience from the post. I think the post will be a challenge for me."

* "i have learn management consulting when i was studied in London...and i get upper second class in my degree. i have experience enough to handle this job. i willing to work more and indepentendly. besides that, i feel very interested in e-business."

* "For this position i would like to make myself have a differences changing in my future. Base on this positiion this a like and analysts & consult so i have interested with this task."

* "By having good analytical skill and technical background in system development, will be able to produce practical business solution to the client and work closely to the development team."

* "I am Computer Science student that graduated from Tunku Abdul Rahman College which is a recognize college in Malaysia. I am gained the knowledge of E-Business in my study and the skill of communication with customer from my working experience, most of the customer of my current job is from oversea such like Belgium, USA, England, Thailand, Singapore, China etc."

* "I'm very confident my knowledge and experience could help me make the difference in this position. I'm also a strong person in analyst issues and technologies to make difference solutions. I've the strong leadership skills as well as working independently for certain task and also a good team player. I've also the multi tasking skills in handling projects or task with a good result as output. This is provent by me handling or holding few position in one time."

* "since i have the experience working in consultant company,it is an advantage for me to serve better in your company."

* "Yes with the multitude of experience from many different fields i think i will be a good option. "

* "I can persue my strong interest in this position by contributing the best for the company. In this position, I am able to make the best out of me by delivering excellent solution to client & provide excellent satisfaction with our team work. I believe having a strong interets in what I'm doing will give me more satisfaction & with this, a good job can be done much more efficiently..and most of all, happiness will last if I'm working on a dream job."

* "With the given opportunity and confidence, i believe i'm here to drive myself towards my employer's mission and vision. "

* "I hold 3.84 for CPGA in degree study and score 9As and 2Bs as my SPM result (science student). Besides, I am interest in e-business application development in my university study. "

* "I'm have an outgoiung personality that makes me suitable for this position in addition to those theory knowldeges in IT that i have gained during my studies. I just need a chance to learn up and contributing my skill in this employment of real life work situation. "

* "I am hardworking and willing to learn. Given the position, I will dedicate myself to it, and will definately do my best in it."

Higher Education Improves Quality of Life for Recipients

From earnings to pension plans and overall community vigor, higher education yields significant rewards to its recipients and society as a whole, shows a College Board study.

“Higher education’s broad payoff—which includes both monetary and nonmonetary benefits—should motivate U.S. policymakers to work toward improving access to postsecondary education for all segments of the population,” said College Board President Gaston Caperton.

These are the dual messages in the extensive 2007 “Education Pays” report to be released Sept. 12 at a College Board-sponsored panel on Capitol Hill. The study’s results will be the topic at Wednesday’s panel, which will include Sandy Baum, senior policy analyst at the College Board and co-author of the report; Mike McPherson, president of the Spencer Foundation; and Suzanne Morse, president of the Pew Partnership for Civic Change. Richard Whitmire, USA Today editorial board member and writer, will be the moderator.

“[Higher education] yields a high rate of return for students from all racial/ethnic groups, for men and for women, and for those from all family backgrounds. It also delivers a high rate of return for society,” the study reports.

Benefits to the Individual
The typical college graduate who enrolls at age 18 earns enough in the first 11 years to compensate for taking time out of the labor force and borrowing to pay the full tuition at a public four-year college, the study shows.

In addition to higher personal earnings, the study also reports that the availability of employer-sponsored health benefits and pension plans increases with every level of education completed. For example, almost 70 percent of full-time employees with at least a bachelor’s degree have access to pension plans while only 53 percent of high school graduates have that access. The percentage drops to 32 for employees who do not have a high school degree. Likewise, the level of participation in available pension plans increases as education levels increase.

Societal Benefits
College graduates are also more likely than others to engage in behaviors that improve their health. Additionally, society reaps significant rewards when a higher percentage of its residents have postsecondary education, the study shows. Higher rates of volunteering, voting and donating blood correspond to higher levels of education as do lower unemployment and poverty rates. Similarly, socially valuable behaviors, such as tolerance for the opinions of others, seem to increase with education. A more educated workforce also would lead to higher wages for all.

“In the current climate of rising college prices and budget constraints at all levels of government, it is particularly important that the benefits of higher education receive as much attention as the costs,” said Caperton. “[This study illustrates] the role of higher education in creating opportunities for students and in strengthening our country as a whole.”

College Enrollment
As indicated in the first part of the report, the many positives associated with higher education highlight the lingering disparity among demographics in accessing and succeeding in postsecondary education. The second part of the report focuses on these statistics.

While college enrollment rates have increased fastest over time at the lower end of the income distribution, about 30 percentage points more high school graduates from the highest income quintile than from the lowest enroll in college immediately after high school. Moreover, the study shows significant differences in college enrollment related to ethnicity.

“College participation rates among whites are higher than those among blacks and Hispanics,” reports the study. “Gaps in college enrollment rates have fluctuated over the past three decades and are now relatively large by historical standards.”

More female high school graduates are enrolling in higher education, overtaking males by about 4 percent in 2005. Among 18- to 24-year-old high school grads, 49 percent of females and 45 percent of males were enrolled in postsecondary institutions in 2005.

In addition to ethnicity and income, the study also reveals that parent education levels and student (standardized) test scores are positively correlated with a student’s chance for college enrollment and completion.

The study also reports on a number of other trends. For example, the proportion of U.S. adults who have a four-year degree has doubled in the last 30 years and has increased almost fivefold since 1940. Other factors relating to trends in higher education, including community characteristics and international comparisons, are also documented.

The College Board: Connecting Students to College Success
The College Board is a not-for-profit membership association whose mission is to connect students to college success and opportunity. Founded in 1900, the association is composed of more than 5,200 schools, colleges, universities, and other educational organizations. Each year, the College Board serves seven million students and their parents, 23,000 high schools, and 3,500 colleges through major programs and services in college admissions, guidance, assessment, financial aid, enrollment, and teaching and learning. Among its best-known programs are the SAT®, the PSAT/NMSQT®, and the Advanced Placement Program® (AP®). The College Board is committed to the principles of excellence and equity, and that commitment is embodied in all of its programs, services, activities, and concerns.

Malaysia Confident Of Reaching SIFE Final

PUTRAJAYA, Sept 30 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian team in the Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) competition, which will be represented by Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), is confident of reaching the final of the 2009 SIFE World Cup in Germany next month.

Team's head Azalia Abdul Rahman said the team, comprising 11 UMS students, had prepared all the materials for the competition including video and slide presentations.

"We have worked almost three years on four projects which we will present at the competition," she told a news conference at the Higher Education Ministry here Wednesday.

The four projects, which involved the participation of the locals in Sabah, had been successful in increasing their income by more than 100 per cent, she said.

The projects are the Kampung Kipouvo Homestay, Green It, Turkish Farm and Sambitan cloth marketing.

Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah said SIFE is the annual competition for successful community-based projects around the world.

He said that this year, participants would be from 40 countries including Australia, China, Canada, Germany, Nigeria, France, South Africa, Brazil, Egypt, the United Kingdom and the United States.

"Malaysia is not new to this competition. The Malaysian Team finished second at the 2003 World Championship in Frankfurt and was a finalist at the 2001 World Championship in London as well as in Barcelona (2004) and Paris (2006)," he said.