Wasabi News

Education Ministry to consider dual medium of instruction

2011-04-05T06:47:00.000-07:00

By Chia Huey

The Education Ministry is going to contemplate about the possibility of adopting the teaching of Mathematics and Science in both Malay and English. The use of two medium of instruction or better known as ‘Pengajaran dan Pembelajaran Sains dan Matematik dalam Bahasa Inggeris’ (PPSMI) is not trivial in Malaysia context as the Education Ministry had once practiced it in 2003. However, the practice was abolished in year 2009 due to the disputable arguments from all over the public.

The practice had once been criticized for its inefficiency in uplifting the both English command of the students. As the initial attempt of the study was to improve the English proficiency among the students, the result manifested from most of the major examinations in Malaysia such as UPSR, PMR and SPM showed the otherwise. It makes the public wonder if the objective of the implementation achieved or it had further worsened the condition.

Despite the controversy, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said some quarters were urging for the two subjects to continue being taught in English even the ministry had decided to reverse the medium of instruction from English to Malay.

The suggestion is, however needed to be treated seriously by outlining both the benefits and the drawbacks to the students. Examining from the Malaysia context, it is undeniable that most of the individual are at least bilingual or even multilingual. But the main thrust lies behind the fact; to what extent are they proficient at all the languages? This is especially crucial for teacher as they will be the one teaching and disseminating the idea to the students. The students often absorb what had been taught. Therefore, if this practice were to be imposed again, the intensive training should be at first provided to the teacher to ensure that they are of enough capability to teach the subjects in English.

Besides that, the learning material should also be thoroughly scrutinized before it can be officially used in the classroom. Often we find there are blunders discovered in the textbooks and the exercises which in a way confuse the students. Speaking of teaching in English, other than the technical terms, grammar and structure of the sentence should also be taken into account or otherwise, it can be the culprit of the decline in English proficiency.

Teaching the subjects in English does not only require one to be academically capable, rather, it is the commitment that minds sometimes. Have you come across the situation where the teacher tells you to not mind about the language, as long as the key terms appear? It is seemingly understandable why teaching in English does not uplift the English command of the students. Constant ignorance to proper English usage has made the implementation a mere waste of time and money.

In a nutshell, it is extremely important to study the suggestion discretely as there are still weaknesses identified from the idea proposed. Of course, if the idea is carefully probed, it will benefit the students, or it can be detrimental to the students instead. Ministries of Education, teachers, syllabus designers all play a part in this case or the students will be the victim eventually.

Final question: Fair enough to take the students as guinea pig?

Daily Horoscope

2011-04-05T03:14:00.000-07:00

Daily Comic

2011-04-05T03:05:00.000-07:00

The Music Banquet

2011-04-05T01:40:00.000-07:00

By Chia Huey

Kampar: 10 finalists of Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) second Karaokay Competition sang their hearts out during the annual singing competition to compete for the crown of ultimate winner.

Chew Shern Hui, a Business Information System student was eventually crowned the winner of the competition. He impressed the judges with his very impeccable voice and overall performance. By winning the competition, he also earned himself RM5,500 in cash as the prize of the competition.

The competition was held in Heritage Hall of UTAR with 10 contestants made it to the grand finale. However, one of the contestants, Sushi Lim pulled out of the competition due to personal issues making only nine finalists compeing for the title.

Well-known local singer, Christopher Lai, UTAR Music Club consultant, Song Hong Cheng and local singer Fan Yan Fu were invited to be the judges of the competition. The performers of the night included singer Yean Ng, previous UTAR Karaokay Competition winner Max Lam, UTAR Dance Crew, Cross V and so on.

The night started with energetic performances from the nine finalists before they proceeded to solo performances. The competition was divided into two rounds where the contestants had to perform a classical song in the first round and fast-paced song in the second.

After all nine of them performed for the first round, four contestants were eliminated, with five other successfully advanced for the top five. The five were Noel Tan, Wendy Ooi, Chew Shern Hui, Wayne Low Jun Ying and Cheong Hui Ting.

The second round of the competition having the contestants strived to give their best performance. They rocked the stage with the songs chosen respectively and successfully brought the atmosphere to the max.

Chew Shern Hui was eventually announced as the winner with his final song from Mayday “Love-ING” after he successfully convinced the judges with his stable vocal and outstanding stage charisma.

Meanwhile, Cheong Hui Ting was named the runner up with her final song “First Day” from Stefanie Sun and Noel Tan Xin Ngoh was named the first runner up with the “Dancing Queen” from Jolin Tsai.

Wayne Low Jun Ying, on the other hand, was awarded the contestant with best popularity after receiving the highest poll from the audience as well as Facebook users. He was initially expected to be one of the top three but the hope shattered when he forgot his lyrics in performing the final song.

Powerful Voice: Chew peforming his second 'Love- ING'song of the night.

Sayang Kinabalu "Bah" !

2011-04-05T01:38:00.000-07:00

By Bee Ling

Planning to spend a holiday locally? If you need a great escape with different types of activities to have a peace of mind, experience the culture and tranquillity nature, why do not you choose a destination that will never disappoint you? Sabah, ‘The Land below the Wind’ for sure has all you want; wildlife, adventure, culture and some of the finest beaches in Asia.

In the beginning of this year, my friends and I headed to Kota Kinabalu (KK), the capital of Sabah, to have our wild and woolly 4 days New Year's trip!

We booked our flight tickets earlier last year as Air Asia offered RM0.00 tickets. We just had to pay for the airport tax which totalled up to RM45-60 per pax for two way air ticket, baggage check-in excluded.

In our first day in KK, we took a two hour drive from KK city to the highlands, Kundasang. A trip to Kota Kinabalu would not be completed without visiting Kundasang.

Kundasang is the closest village to Mount Kinabalu which gives visitors a panoramic view of the mountain. Visitors will get to enjoy the cold climate and the refreshing cool air. Personally, I find the simplicity of Kundasang attractive. The life of the people here is very laid back and enjoyable.

Among the attractions in Kundasang are Desa Dairy Farm, Kundasang War Memorial and Kinabalu National Park. Besides these interesting places, Kundasang is also a famous spot for fresh fruits & vegetables due to its cold climate.

Upon arrival, we checked in to Rose Cabin, a cottage, since we need to stay over for a night. Guess what? The room rate is surprisingly more affordable than what we had expected. We only paid RM80 for a room with 8 single beds!

After the check-in, we straight away went up to the Desa Dairy Farm which is situated at the foothills of Mount Kinabalu. It was an amazing experience as the scenery was beyond what we have imagined!

The scenery of the green meadows stretching as far to the foothill of the mountain and offers a magnificent view that is breathtaking! A herd of the Friesian cattle were wandering on the fields further enhancing the beauty of mother nature.

Visitors can also experience horse feeding and cow milking. It is indeed an impressive sight seeing cows obediently lining up at the milking station getting their milk extracted without having anybody guiding them.

Dairy cattle produce pasteurized fresh milk and Sabah is one of the largest contributor of fresh milk in Malaysia. Fresh milk are sold here at a much cheaper price and the taste of the milk is extraordinary good as it is very fresh!

This farm is open to public from 8.30 am to 5.30 pm and charges RM3 as entrance fee.

The next morning after we checked out from Rose Cabin, we proceeded to Poring Hot Springs in Ranau. Poring Hot Spring is named after a tall bamboo plant which was abandoned in that area. It is one of the famous Sabah tourist spots. This place offers natural hot springs where hot sulphurous water emit from the ground. The sulphurous water is believed to be beneficial for the skin.

The entrance fee charges at RM3 for adult and RM1 for children. It is opened daily from 7 am to 6 pm.

The next attraction within the Poring Hot Springs is the canopy walkway. The walkway is a 157.8m long suspended bridge and has an average height of 41m, strung between the giant diperocarp trees - the king of trees. One has to climb up the steep graded trail of 250m long before reaching the bridge.

Visitors who are interested in exploring the canopy walkway have to pay RM3 for adult and RM1 for children. Visitors who intend to bring your camera along will have to add another RM5.

The moment we arrived infront of the bridge, we started to feel nervous. It never crossed our mind that the canopy was actually this high until we got to see it ourselves.

We enjoyed the canopy walk so much that we did not feel any nervousness at all when we walked along it. Along the walk, we got to view the magnificent flora and fauna in birds eye view.

Right after the long walk, we managed to immerse ourselves in the outdoor warm water tubs. There are 4 tubs side by side to each hut and each tub has the capacity to hold two people. The tub takes around 20 minutes to fill. According to David, a friend, said the trick is to find one that does not leak from the waste plug as the tub will not be fully filled.

All these tubs outside are free of charge. However, if you like privacy then you can use the private indoor baths in which you must pay to use them. There is also a free swimming pool around 30 metres away and the water is very refreshing

This place is always packed with both the locals and tourists over the weekends. Visitors who pay a visit here aim to relax while enjoying a soothing bath in the hot tubs. Besides relaxing in the hot tubs, accommodation that offers comfortable resting place and restaurant that offers delicious food are available.

Next, we visited the Tea Garden which is located not far away from the Poring Hot Springs. The Tea Garden can open visitors' eyes to the culture of the native here and attract them using tea products and souvenirs.

There are two long houses for the tourists to have a visit at this tea garden. You can experience the way of life of the native such as Kadazan, Dusun, Murut and etc. There are also some handmade crafts of the native which were displayed in these long houses.

Located at the foothill of Mount Kinabalu, and just a short distance from the Kundasang food and vegetable market, lies this mysterious fort called the Kundansang War Memorial which became our last visit at Kundasang.

From the outside, the Kundasang War Memorial looked like a dead stony fort structure. It is what lies inside the fort that kept this place alive and draw visitors to this place.

This memorial was initiated in 1962 together with the Kinabalu Park by a New Zealander working with Shell Oil Company. The War Memorial was built to remember the 2828 Australian and British prisoners who died during the Second World War at the Sandakan POW Camp and also 3 infamous forced death marches from Sandakan to Ranau. The Memorial is also a tribute to many locals who risked their lives while releasing the prisoners at war. There were 6 Australian survivors to tell their horror. None of the English warriors survived.

It was raining when we arrived here and the weather made the atmosphere here becomes more solemn as it should be.

It is a fort like memorial that was designed by a local architect J. C. Robinson. It has 4 interlocking but separate gardens to represent the homelands of the warriors who had died. There is an Australian Garden, a formal English garden of roses, a Borneo Garden with wild flowers of Kinabalu, and at the top level is the 'Comtemplation Garden' with a refection pool and pergola.

We nearly missed this interesting part of the park as we thought it would one common garden like the rest. It's from this point where you'll be able to see the view of the whole of Kundasang town - a view worth seeing.

Memorial services could also be organized with prior notice. The Memorial is open to visitors and a nominal entry fee is charged.

For those who didnt know what "lokan" is. Well, it's a type of clam found buried in the stiff mud of the landward fringe of mangroves. Scientifically, lokan is known as Polymesoda expansa - what a name, huh?

This roasted lokan is a must-have while you are in KK. I couldn’t find this special cuisine elsewhere in Malaysia, not even in my hometown, Tawau which is also a city in Sabah.

The place which sells this lokan is situated in Jalan Sulaman KK - Tuaran road, our stop for the night to have our dinner.

This roasted lokan has been receiving lots of good reviews which make us decided to include it into our itinerary. Apart from the lokans, they also have barbeque crabs.

While waiting for our lokans and crabs to be ready, we tried their icy cold, scrumptious coconut jelly. What makes it so special is how it's been presented where the coconut acts as the mould for the jelly. The taste is simply out of this world. Each of this jelly is sold at RM4 per piece and RM2.50 for the ones in small cups.

As for the lokans, they are not bad either. The lokans are grilled with special gravy & a bit of grated coconut. It tasted something like mussels but a bit chewier.

The mouth watering coconut jelly has definitely become the main delight of the day. Some of us even joking seriously that how we wanted so much to bring it back to our hometown.

Form the highland, we escape to island getaway in the third day of our trip at Sabah.

Early in the morning, we took a boat which we rented with the price of 80MYR per pax inclusive of tour guide fee. Abang Razit, who is also the driver, guided us for the whole trip of our island hopping.

Manukan Island was the first island that we visited for that day. It is the second largest island in Tunku Abdul Rahman Park and is located just 15 minutes away by a breezy boat ride from the city of KK.

It is covered in dense vegetation and has hiking trails. It is also popular with its rich coral reefs ideal for snorkelling and diving. It brings us closer to nature. Splash away and explore the depths of Sabah's virgin coral reefs which are among the fun filled activities

Shaped like a dolphin or boomerang as we can observe on our way to get here, the island is 1½ km long. Blessed with a long stretch of white sandy beach promising hours of sea, sand & fun!

Most of us experience our first snorkelling and banana boat ride here. A fantabulous experience we have as the coral reefs are so colourful and magnificent with the riches of the marine lives.

From the relaxing activity, we went for a more exciting, fun and adventurous banana boat ride. What I can say is that it gets my adrenaline pumping non-stop!

Apart from the activities that we did, scuba diving, parasailing, Jet Ski, glass bottom boat cruise are also available here. Moreover, you can also do your own activities such as beach games, fish feeding, and chilling out by the beach.

Taken our lunch, we then proceed our hopping to the sun-kissed beach of Sapi Island nearby.

On arrival here, we were amazed by the clarity and colour of the waters surrounding the island. Once we get on the jetty, we were really mesmerized at the natural beauty surrounding this place.

The water here is extremely crystal clear and quite shallow, with ample of shades are available.

In term of snorkelling, one still can do it here although I found there was not so much marine life compared to the nearby island of Manukan.

After done with our snorkelling, we have our rest here, lazing on the sun-kissed sandy beach by enjoying the view of the Mother Nature. My goodness! It’s such a lovely day to laze down by the beautiful beach and worship the sun with such a great weather!

Another thing that you can do here is scuba diving or to go on a small watch tower with the appointed life guards. For those who like camping, you are allowed to do so here but only with the permission of the Park Warden.

Just for the record, Sapi means Cow in the Malay language. The reason for this is that the shape of the island is like the head of a cow which was given by the Bajau people in the old days.

We then ended our hopping at the neighbouring Gaya Island. Overall, I feel that the beach here is acceptably good with crystal-clear water and endowed with some signs of marine life, although I cannot vouch how good is the underwater scene at this bay because I did not snorkel or dive around the area.

However, Abang Razit dived in the water and managed to catch some marine lives that we never seen before such as puffer fish, Pincushion starfish and sea urchin for us to have a closer view.

On the last day of our stay at KK, we tour and venture the city of KK.

We started our day with a visit to Gaya Street where we managed to get some souvenirs to bring back to our home.

Right after that, we went to the Signal Hill Observatory Tower of KK, a natural area where we enjoy the beautiful skyline of the city with a view that extends to the islands.

Sad to say that most part of the coastal line has been blocked by tall structures. However, we still can see some blue sea at far end. Not a good vantage point to view the beach but to have a bird's eye view of the city.

Apart from that, another attraction which we have paid a visit during the daytime includes Sabah State Museum & Heritage Village, The Green Connect, and Sutera Harbour Resort.

During the night before we fly back to West Malaysia, we headed up to the city's most outstanding landmarks, the Menara Tun Mustapha (Yayasan Sabah Tower). Located 4km out of town, this 30-storey circular glass sculpture that reaches 122 meters high houses the head offices of the Sabah Foundation. It is also home to the '@mosphere' restaurant at the 18 floor, where we spent our night to relax. It slowly spins to provide a complete view of Likas Harbour with one rotation per hour.

The tower is open on Tuesday to Sunday from 9am to 6pm. Closed on Monday, except during school & public holidays.

Nuclear Plant - We are ‘safe’, really?

2011-04-05T01:28:00.000-07:00

The incursion of natural catastrophe happened in Japan and later the nuclear crisis. The moans of anguish by Tsunami’s victims are heard everywhere and now, the dreadful news regarding nuclear plant are displayed frequently in the cover page of newspapers.

In relation to the case of nuclear explosion, the severity of it is seen in Japan and affected countries around the nation. Now, let’s look at the nuclear crisis Japan is currently facing. When the media discusses and spreads the news on nuclear explosion, it becomes almost the most dreadful incident to date. However, the information shared by the media themselves were acquired through scientists and government of Japan. Who could make certain of the information released by government is the truth? It might be false as they do not want to cause panic among the people. To avoid chaos among the nation, there is a possibility for the government to cover up the truth.

Leaked information have shown that the cooling facility in the nuclear plants have been disrupted when they were hit by the 9.0 magnitude earthquake. However, the heat generated by the nuclear fission requires a longer time to be cooled down. Moreover, ‘thermal depression’ will be produced even though the system is turned off. The backup cooling system coincidentally has been destroyed as a consequence of the earthquake. How much effort human have to put in order to recover from this tragic buskin?

The frequent explosion of the nuclear plants have caused the release of radioactive substances into the air and water. The substances have drifted far away by airborne and water to all over the world. A comment from a blog stated that the Japanese government is dispensing iodine to people in the affected areas for some protection from the hazardous ionizing radiation. This piece of information has never been told to the public by the media.

Some even claimed that the media cut parts of a video interview where the plant engineers could not answer certain questions. Though private web cameras caught it on tape. The media conglomeration and media ownership have a deep influence on the media in regulating the content of the news in most of the nations. So, are these merely scandals or the hidden truths of the case?

What I have in mind is, media is the two way communication tool which can spread the information effectively, but also can hide it effectively from the public. Real or fake…depends on which side you choose to believe in.

No matter what, the present situation of the nuclear plant is not optimistic and the crisis is worsening. We could never predict what will happen to us tomorrow. Thus, appreciate people around you and enjoy the everyday life. Distinguish news with good judgement.

noun

Sucker for Fantasy!

2011-04-05T01:26:00.000-07:00

Sucker punch shows a battle of 5 women in a fantasy.

By Jin En

Movie Review

Sucker Punch is an American action-fantasy film written by Steve Shibuya and written and directed by Zack Snyder. Sucker Punch features Emily Browning, Abbie Cornish, Jena Malone, Vanessa Hudgens and Jamie Chung as lead actresses.

The film follows a young woman, nicknamed “Babydoll”, who was sent to an asylum in the 1950s and was about to be lobotomised. She attempts to escape with her inmate friends by being in a fantasy world and accepting a challenge to collect five items which include a map, fire, a knife, a key and a fifth, unrevealed item that would require "great sacrifice".

The script was finalized in five months and development began in March 2007. Pre-production took place in Los Angeles in June 2009, then moved to Vancouver in July. The principal photography began in September 2009 and wrapping the filming in January 2010. Major filming were conducted in Vancouver.

On a side note, Snyder is currently mapping out the Blu-ray interactivity for the film in preparation for the film's home media release.

Sucker Punch was released locally on 24th of March 2011 in selected local theatres.

Anwar Is Not The Person in the Tape

2011-04-05T01:21:00.000-07:00

A scene in the infamous video.

By Jin En

Kuala Lumpur: The video first surfaced when a private screening was held at Carcosa Seri Negara hotel on March 21. Some parties hinted on the person in the 1-minute-47-second clip is a“prominent Malay opposition leader”. Following the rumours, Anwar denied being the man featured in the video and accused BN of creating the video with the motive of further humiliating and defaming him.

Three men have came forward claiming themselves to be “Datuk T”— former Malacca chief minister Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Thamby Chik, businessman Datuk Sharzyl Eskay Abdullah and Umno stalwart Datuk Shuib Lazim

Later, a snippet of the video was discovered to have been posted online on video streaming site, YouTube, and is being posted on pro-Umno blogs. It was later deleted for violating YouTube’s policy on nudity or sexual content.

Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail
is convinced that the man
in the video is not the
de facto opposition leader.

On 5^th of April, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail broke her silence by saying the “actor” in the video is not her husband Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

“It is clear that the body and physique of the actor is different than the body and physique of Anwar.” She told reporters saying the man in the video does not resemble her husband after watching the video with her family.

According to a poll by Malaysian Insider found out that 51 per cent of those surveyed did not believe Anwar was the man in the video and with 39 per cent saying the video was contrived by Barisan National.

Similarly, current MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek was forced to resign as health minister after admitting to being the man in a sex tape that caused a chaos in 2007.

Glory Glory Dato Lee Chong Wei!

2011-04-05T01:01:00.000-07:00

By Bee Ling

I am the King: Dato Lee Chong Wei proudly
lift up his trophy after winning the title.

Congratulation to the hero of our country Dato Lee Chong Wei for the success on being the champion of All-England Championship 2011 in Birmingham on 10 March, Sunday night. The world no. 1 was downed to his knees in joy the moment the final point was scored. Malaysians from all over the world rejoiced and felt proud for his win.

The champion of All England Championship 2011 once again standing tall and defending his world No. 1 spot after defeating his arch-rival, China’s Lin Dan during the final with straight set 21-17, 21-17 in 52 minutes.

Lee began the match aggressively and it was a tight competition as both players exchanged points initially. Lee then battle ahead 11-9 before taking a strong 18-12 lead against Lin.

However, errors made by Lee allowed Lin to draw closer but Lee managed to regain his control with a powerful smash earning him the final point for the first set.

In the second game, the points between both of the world’s top players were close but in the end, Lee used his fatal smashes and took an equidistant lead at 11-9.
As Lee's focus started to dither, Lin kept digging deep and his efforts were rewarded with them coming to a draw at 17-17.
However, Lee proved himself to be a great player by getting back his control of the game. He claimed the title with 21-17 against his opponent, Lin.

It was Lee's first victory after his two continuous losses to Lin Dan since his triumph at last September's Japan Open final. The real challenge for that night was not just about winning the title but proving to everyone that he is able to break away from Lin Dan’s shadow. As of now, the nation are putting their hopes high on him getting a gold medal in 2012 Olympic in London.

Apple iPad 2: Gadget above All Gadgets of the Year

2011-04-05T00:55:00.000-07:00

By Bee Ling

The brand new iPad 2 which comes in many improved features.

For the Apple’s fans out there, did you hear that Apple has unveiled its iPad 2 on 2nd March this year?

With the new slogan, ‘All new design- less in your hands. More on your fingertips’, the newly launched iPad 2 is 33 percent thinner and 15 percent lighter.

Below are some of the other features which you could not get on the old version as according to Apple:

1. Faster! To be exact, it is twice faster than the first generation iPad. Everything loads faster , has more memory as it is powered by a dual-core A5 processor and it lasts up to 10 hours.

2. Two Cameras. It now has two cameras. One situated on the front and another on the back. You can toggle between the two cameras while using FaceTime.

3. Lighter and Thinner—It is 33 percent thinner than the first generation iPad. Not only that, the new iPad only weigh 1.3 pounds as compared to the first generation, which is 1.6 pounds.

4. Two colours: The brand new iPad 2 comes in black or white exterior.

5. Available By 2 Networks. Not only AT&T, Verizon is also offering iPad 2.

6. HD Video and Large Screen Connection. It come with HDMI video output (supports up to 1080p of resolution). It can be connected to a HDTV for a larger screen view experience.

7. New Operating System. It comes with Apple iOS 4.3 software update. Better performance for web browsers plus home sharing for iTunes.

8. New ‘Smart Cover’. It is slick and attaches magnetically. It puts the device to sleep mode whenever the cover is being closed and wakes it automatically when pulled away. The cover is thin and protects the screen with no fingerprints transfer. The cover also comes in 10 different colors.

9. Sound Quality. iPad's single speaker is relocated to the back of the device. The sound is now clearer than the previous version.

The iPad 2 is better as it is thinner, lighter, faster, and connects people. Although the iPad 2 is a small device but it influences individuals from all walks of life. Believe it or not, the young and old are raving for it.

2011-04-04T22:35:00.000-07:00

By Pei Ching

Homeless cat:

Have a nice nap in bus stop.

2011-04-04T22:32:00.000-07:00

By Pei Ching

Just waiting:

Everyone has a hope; just don’t know
when it will come?

2011-04-04T22:18:00.000-07:00

By Pei Ching

Kampar's Temple:

A hundred years history of temple in Kampar
is still magnificient.

2011-04-04T22:10:00.000-07:00

By Pei Ching

Rare radish:

Twin radish found in Tesco,
feels hard to separate them.

2011-04-04T22:01:00.000-07:00

By Pei Ching

Birds in Tesco:

Birds are unbearable of the hot weather, thus going into air-conditioned room to
have some chills.

2011-04-04T21:56:00.000-07:00

By Pei Ching

Waiting for you:

Parents are patiently waiting for their children to come home during festive season.

2011-04-04T21:41:00.000-07:00

By Pei Ching

Colourful and wonderful:

Dazzling fireworks bring hope to 2011 year.

2011-04-04T21:18:00.000-07:00

By Pei Ching

Earth Hour in Kuala Lumpur
Give earth an hour, lead a better world.

Save the Earth, Save Yourself

2011-04-04T10:48:00.003-07:00

Pray: All the attendants close their eyes and pray for
one minute for the victims of Tsunami in Japan.

By Kim Yun

Kampar: 489 students gathered at the sport complex in University Tunku Abdul Rahman at 6pm on 25^th March to participate in the UTAR Earth Hour 2011 event. The event was organised by Community Service Society to show and make effort to contribute in saving the world.

The event started with a countdown to earth hour then followed by a speech by the president of the Community Service Society, Chai Wai Kit (21) who is also a Public Relations major.

“We are here today not to just have fun and watch performances. At the same time, we are contributing and helping to save the earth. The main objective of this event is to raise students’ awareness of climate change and to educate students on the threat of global warming,” said Chai.

“We, as students, should play our role in reducing the consumption of energy in order to save the earth. Whenever lights and fans are not in use, we should switch it off,” he added.

Each attendant was charged RM2 as an entrance fee. Attendants are given a door gift which includes a candle. The activities prepared by the club consisted of band performance, poppy dance and drum performance. An exclusive video made by UTAR student of earth hour was also shown. All these activities were conducted under the candle light from the audience.

Attendees were required to write their messages to the earth on a piece of paper. All the messages were tied together with a kongming lantern and was flown up to the sky as a form of praying. The sky lantern was then tied with a thread and being pulled down towards the end of the the activity.

Jennifer Yong Yih Huey (24), one of the attendees of this event said that she felt shocked to see all the performances were conducted under the dim candle light. “However, I was touched by their effort spent in saving the usage of electricity and also for doing a good job in matching the theme of earth hour with the candle light idea,” she added.

“I love the section of making the number 60. All of us cooperated well in that and I believe with this kind of spirit, UTAR students played their role very well in reducing the harm of global warming,” she commented.

Yong Pui Chee (24), another participant of the event said that the event was very meaningful and the effort of the organizer certainly paid off.

“It has raised my concern about the seriousness of climate change drastically. I believe this earth hour event had the same impact on other attendants too,” she comprehended.

Xyn Hui Xin (21), the vice president of the club sent her gratitude to all the participants and urged everyone to switch off the lights on the official earth hour, 26^th March, 8.30pm to 10.30pm.

“The event was held successfully. I hope all the students received the message and will make an effort in reducing the usage of energy from this moment onwards. The effort should not be made only during earth hour but everyday in order to save our mother earth,” she emphasized.

The members releasing the sky lantern which has messages from the attendees tied along to express their blessing for Tsunami Victims in Japan.

Job Wanted

2011-04-04T10:37:00.001-07:00

Students visiting booths, filling in application forms and

submitting their resumes to their preferred companies.

By Kim Yun

Kampar: Students in their last semester can now have a glimpse into their future by obtaining information on a wide variety of possible career paths by participating in UTAR career fair 2011.

The two-day fair was held at the heritage hall in Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman. It started from 9am to 5pm and features 80 exhibitors including The Star, Public bank, Hong Leong bank, Popular, Maybank, A’ Famosa Hotel Resort Sdn Bhd, Hai-O Raya Bhd, Great Eastern Lions Sdn Bhd, Miwaki Sdn Bhd, Prudential Assurance Bhd, Taylor, Hewlett- Packard Multimedia Sdn Bhd and many other well-known companies.

“Every company takes turn to give a free career talk to students in order to offer them a better understanding about the company and working field. Many of us have also set up recruitment counters in order to prepare for interview section once we found the potential job seekers,” said Tan X X, the application developer of The Star newspaper.

Moreover, early birds stand an opportunity to get limited free gifts from the companies. Prizes include notebooks, pad locks, pens, recycle bags and so on.

The Department of Alumni Relations and Placement (DARP) officer, Kong Pui Ling commented that career fair provides a lot of information and job opportunities for fresh graduates. She also added saying companies offer value-added services such as internship program and counselling.

“We received a lot of positive feedbacks from the students. We will try our best to organize it again and improve this in the coming semester,” she added.

A Business Administration student, Liew Kok Weong, who is in his last semester said he hope he could get a job through the career fair before he graduates.

“There is a lot of information here which I did not know about. It has been an interesting experience learning all these new information. I have my formal wear on today and is determined to get interviewed and reach for my dream job. As graduation is approaching, I am getting stressed up in getting a job!” he exclaimed.

Another Finance and Economy student, See Xue Wei has prepared 10 sets of resume and decided to hand it in to companies that offer job prospects related to her field of study and interests.

“Career fairs which are held in education institutions is a good idea as exhibitors here are looking for fresh graduates. It is beneficial to us because we do not have to compete with other experienced employees outside. Thus we must grab the chances of being employed now,” she explained.

Only Graduates of 2010 are eligible for PTPTN loan exemption

2011-04-04T10:30:00.000-07:00

By Goh Chia Huey

Kuala Lumpur :The Ministry of Higher Education reaffirmed that only graduates of 2010 with first class degree honour are eligible to convert PTPTN loans to scholarship, which in other words, they are fully exempted from paying the loan.

The above news was made confirmed by the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak on the Budget Plan 2010.

An officer from Ministry of Higher Education reasserted the privilege is only given solely for graduates with first class degree honour of year 2010. First class honours’ graduates before and after year 2010 are not subjected to the privilege.

This is an unanimous decision made by the cabinet after the issue was being brought to conferment by The Ministry of Higher Education.

In other words, the first class degree holders who obtained the PTPTN loan after 1 July 2005 and graduated before 2010 are not eligible to apply for conversion from loan to scholarship.

The officer further justified that it is due to the different grading system that each university has and therefore all the applications have to go through the examination of special committee to determine if they are qualified for the exemption. Not every application is assured with approval.

The case has undeniably caused a rift among first class honours graduates who obtained their PTPTN loan after 1 July 2005 and graduated before 2010.

Goh Chia Li, 27, a first class degree holder of 2006 from Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) stated that she was shocked and disappointed after hearing the news.

“It was unfair for me as I had already received the black and white from the Ministry of Higher Education stating that I was fully exemption from paying the loan due to the result I attained.”

“And it was after few years later I was told this announcement which I could hardly accept as the money involved is of considerable amount.”

Teo Lee Hong, 23, an Environmental Science undergraduate from Univeristi Putra Malaysia (UPM) also expressed her dissatisfaction towards the case as the exemption from paying the loan had already been the one of the impetus for her study.

“We had been informed about the privilege years ago and strived so hard for it. Now, it seems like our efforts have gone into the drain.”

“To be able to be exempted from the loan payment means a lot to me as I am from an average-income family. The exemption would help to ease me as well as my family’s burden a lot.

The Day with Mortarboard

2011-04-04T10:19:00.000-07:00

The Happiest Moment: Graduates throws their

mortarboard up as a sign of the completion of their degree.

By Kim Yun

Kuala Lumpur: The 12^th convocation by University Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) was held successfully at Dewan San Choon in Wisma MCA on 19^th and 20^th March, 2011.

There were 1,195 graduates from the first batch of 22 Bachelor’s Honours degree programmes from UTAR Perak Campus and 17 pioneer graduates of Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) Mechatronics Engineering participated in the convocation ceremony.

The information UTAR provided also revealed that there were 91 recipients of first-class honours for Honours degree programmes. There were a total of 1,626 students and they were made up by one PhD, six Master’s degree and 38 Bachelor’s Honours degree programmes.

The guests invited in this convocation were Deputy Minister of Education and National Chairman of MCA Youth Datuk Ir Dr Wee Ka Siong, Member of UTAR Council Dato’ Dr Mohd Aminuddin Mohd Rouse, and Member of the Board of Trustees of UTAR Education Foundation and UTAR Council Datuk Leong Tang Chong.

This convocation was marked as a historic day for UTAR because they had their first doctorate graduate, Seng Hoi Ling, who is currently a lecturer in a private college. She felt proud and honoured to be the first UTAR doctorate graduate. Seng completed her research thesis titled Duplex and G-quadruplex DNA Binding, Nucleolytic Property and Topoisomerase I Inhibition of Different Series of Metal (II) Complexes.

The president of UTAR, Prof Datuk Dr Chuah Hean Teik said 98.5% of the 3,000 students who graduated in August in 2008 were employed or are pursuing postgraduate studies within the first six months post graduation. He also purported that UTAR graduates could easily get employed.

Jessie Chng Mi Hong (24), an English Language graduate has been working as a kindergarten teacher for half a year said the education in UTAR has given her the confidence to enter the work field.

“My student life in UTAR had trained me into being an independent adult and I chose UTAR because it provides affordable courses with good quality,”

“I’m glad to have joined UTAR also because I got the chance to meet great people who supported me during difficult times. I would also like to thank my parents for their encouragements and concerns they offered throughout my three years in UTAR,” she added.

Jeevan Raj, who was a part-time Business Administration alumni had switched several jobs with flexible working hours in order to juggle both studies and work well.

“With the cooperation of my classmates, we had discussions after working hours in order to get our assignments completed. Without their help and guidance, completing this degree will be impossible. I would also like to express my gratitude towards UTAR for offering me this part-time course with excellent quality” he commented.

Khor Li Xin (25), sister to a graduate said it is her pleasure to attend this convocation ceremony. She had the opportunity to witness the glorious moment of scroll given to her brother, Khor Ting Sheng who pursued Bachelor of Arts Advertising.

“Thank you UTAR for giving me a chance to attend this convocation. It’s happy to see all students could graduate. To all the students who are still studying like me, let us study hard and appreciate the university life and soon we will be the ones wearing the mortarboard too!” she exclaimed.

Women! Get toned up fast!

2011-04-04T09:29:00.000-07:00

By Pei Ching

Whenever we think about building muscles, we often relate it to men. As they are genetically predisposed to bigger muscle builds. Actually, women need muscles too! Although it is stereotypically applies only to men, it doesn’t mean that is impossible for a woman to get muscles and toned up quickly.

Some women have always wanted to gain weight through building muscles but they are afraid that they will lose their femininity. If you are one of them, fear no more! The truth is, there are only two ways to gain weight and it is either by gaining fat or muscle. The problem with gaining fat is that it often ends up at the places women hate most such as belly or thighs. So it leaves you to only an option, which is through building muscles but without having to forego your femininity as women’s bodies simply do not produce enough testosterone to make them look like body-builders.

To females who want to gain some weight and tone up at the same time, simply follow these easy steps below! Firstly, make muscle building exercises and weight trainings as part of your weekly workout regime. Also, muscles weigh more than fat, so a little muscle gain goes a long way.

Secondly, consume more calories! An extra consumption of 500-1000 calories per day which consist of 6 small meals spread over the day will do the job. This will keep your metabolism consistent and keep a constant supply of energy in building and maintaining your muscles.

Lastly, increase your protein intake to around 1 gram of protein per pound according to your weight (if you weigh 150 pounds then you'll need at least 150 grams of protein per day). Try substituting one of your main meals with protein added shakes. There are shakes in the market which comes in different flavours such as banana, strawberries and other yummy fruits.

Women, from now on, create a toned and healthy body!

Early birds get to have a hearty breakfast!

2011-04-04T09:13:00.000-07:00

A long queue to purchase RM 5 items and
get 2 free breakfast in Kampar’s McDonald

By Pei Ching

Kampar: Cars, motorbikes and bicycles surrounded McDonald's as early as 4 in the morning. This fast-food chain store was crowded by people in long queues. The reason behind all this hype being McDonald's giving out 2 Big Breakfasts for free.

This promotion was a celebration in conjunction of McDonald's win of the Gold Putra Brand Award. Customers got to enjoy the promotion providing each of them spend a minimum purchase of RM5 and present a printed voucher that can be obtained through the internet.

The promotion only applied to McDonald's store that offers breakfast. Though, the vouchers are limited to use during the breakfast hours which spans from 4am to 11am. The duration of the promotion will be valid till 31st March 2011.

A set of Big Breakfast consists of scrambled eggs, English muffins (crisp exterior with soft texture), grilled chicken sausage and hash brown. Tan, a student in Utar said he woke up at 6am just to be part of the promotion. However, he also stated that it was worth it.

Rita, an employee in McDonald’s said, “We have never had this kind of promotion and it was my busiest 7 hours of work during the whole period of the activity.” Even after paying, customers had to wait for a few minutes to get their orders as the queue was long. It was also due to short-handed of employees. Although customers had to wait for quite some time to get their breakfast due to the crowd, they were still satisfied.

Early bird catches the worm, so what are you waiting for?