Education Malaysia for Students

Baucar Buku 1Malaysia BB1M Book Vouchers 2013 / Pic Credit Berita Harian: Baucer buku itu diserahkan oleh Menteri Pengajian Tinggi, Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin kepada wakil institusi pengajian tinggi awam (IPTA), institusi pengajian tinggi swasta (IPTS) tempatan, Politeknik dan Universiti Malaya (UM) selaku tuan rumah. Daripada jumlah itu, RM134.2 juta untuk pelajar IPTA, RM107.5 juta (IPTS), RM23.6 juta (Politeknik) dan RM6.3 juta (UM) dengan setiap pelajar menerima RM250. The 1Malaysia Book Vouchers 2013 ( Baucar Buku 1Malaysia BB1M 2013 ) will most probably be distributed to students in mid February after the students return to universities from the Chinese New Year semester break.

Berita Harian: Tarikh masuk IPTA Dalam pada itu, Mohamed Khaled berkata, kementerian memutuskan tarikh kemasukan ke IPTA bagi sesi 2013/2014 bagi program ijazah pertama adalah pada 1 dan 2 September ini membabitkan lulusan Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) dan setarafnya. Katanya, bagi program diploma untuk lulusan Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) sesi kemasukan adalah pada 2 Jun, manakala program Asasi pada 26 Mei ini. “Pada tahun ini, sejumlah 160,000 tempat disediakan untuk kemasukan ke IPTA serta institusi latihan dan kemahiran dan ia tidak termasuk 130,000 peluang kemasukan ke IPTS,” katanya. Malaysia public university (IPTA) 2013/2014 enrolment/intake dates for first year undergraduates (STPM result-holders) are September 1 (Sunday) and 2 (Monday) depending on which states the universities located. Diploma programmes 2013/2013 enrolment/intake date for SPM result-holders is June 2 (Sunday) whereas foundation programmes is May 26 (Sunday).

Bernama: An additional quota of 100 places have been made available in each public institutions of higher learning (IPTA) and polytechniques in the country for poor students who qualified but were left out due to socio-economic factors.[...] He said most of them comprised those from poor families, minority ethnics, Orang Asli and children of disabled parents. These (total) 5,200 varcity places are definitely good news to students from humble backgrounds.

Bernama: KUCHING, Jan 23 (Bernama) -- The placement of some 600 new teachers in Sarawak by next month or March this year is expected to help ease the shortage of teachers, especially in the rural areas, state Welfare, Women and Family Development Minister Datuk Fatimah Abdullah said Wednesday. She said these teachers would be posted to primary and secondary schools which faced shortages mainly of religious and Malay language teachers.[...] At present, she said, there were 364 vacancies out of a quota of 14,327 to be filled in the secondary schools, while the national primary schools had 354 out of a quota of 20,002 and the national-type schools another 64 out of 5,111. Data from the education department also showed that a total of 4,117 Sarawak-born teachers were serving outside the state, including 879 in Sabah, 821 in Selangor, 638 in Johor and 292 in the federal territory of Kuala Lumpur as at Oct 31, last year. On the closure of schools with only a handful of students, Fatimah ...

Facts on Malaysian Mission Schools / Pic Credit The Star Online: There are currently a total of 438 mission schools in the country. Out of 438: 128 are in Sarawak, 101 in Sabah and 209 are in peninsular Malaysia. The first mission school was the St Xavier's Institution, established in Penang in 1852. Most mission schools started out as single-sex schools and used English as the medium of instruction. In 1970s, most mission schools agreed to the Education Ministry managing the school but maintained ownership of the school buildings and the land. Examples of leaders who attended mission schools are Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein, who both went to St John's institution, Kuala Lumpur

Traumatised: Sharif waiting at the hospital in a bloodied shirt after the stabbing / Pic Credit The Star Online: PETALING JAYA: A schoolboys' quarrel quickly escalated into violence when a 12-year-old boy stabbed his classmate with scissors in the school compound.[...] However, the incident has traumatised Sharif, who now does not want to return to school. “He is very quiet now. He doesn't even want to talk to us. “He keeps telling us that he doesn't remember what happened,” she said. What's happening at our schools? How did the student learn to become such violent? Video games? Movies? It's really sad and angry to see such incident happened at school which should be free from violence and full with love and care from the teachers and friends.

Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah said on Twitter: @ kim_syahmi baucer buku akn diedar Feb. Kad siswa sdg diedar berperingkat2. Tq — Saifuddin Abdullah (@saifuddinabd) January 21, 2013 So, it is confirmed officially that the 1Malaysia Book Vouchers 2.0 ( Baucar Buku 1Malaysia 2013 BB1M 2.0 ) will be distributed in February 2013 instead of originally planned January 2013.

Bernama: Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah said the social media not only connect people but can also become a teaching medium in learning and co-curriculum activities. "We need to change with the times. During our time it was typewriters being used, our students now live in the computer era. Well said, Datuk Saifuddin, who himself is an active social media user. He contacted KS Bawani via Twitter then phone call when the listen video first went viral . He posted on his Facebook and Twitter: "I spoke to Bawani on the phone last night. She is in high spirits" and then a few days later "I had teh tarik wif bawani just now. She is passionate & polite".

Bernama: "I want to make it clear that there is no brainwashing process at our universities. "Why should there be and should we invite Sharifah (speaker Sharifah Zohra Jabeen Syed Shah Miskin who created controversy at UUM recently)...who is she? Might as well invite a minister but that is wrong. So, the allegation (of brainwashing of undergraduates) is ridiculous."[...] Mohamed Khaled also said that Malaysia needed not emulate Cuba and Argentina which gave free education to their people, as development models as the two countries had a host of other problems. The Higher Education Minister has finally spoken in regards to the now famous listen video that went viral on social media. All UMNO people try to distance themselves from Sharifah Zohra even though previously she was with pro-UMNO organization, Kongres India Muslim Malaysia (KIMMA).

The Star Online: A sex survey by Uni-versiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) has found an alarming number of sexually active secondary school students with multiple sex partners. “We carried out the research in 2011 among 1,000 secondary school students (aged 15 to 17) in 50 schools statewide. “About 10% admitted they had sexual intercourse and some admitted to having intercourse with multiple partners,” said UTM Education faculty lecturer Faizah Abd Ghani, who headed the research. She added students who took part in the research also admitted practising “friends with benefits” (friends with sexual relationships without emotional attachments). Wow, this issue needs to be tackled immediately through proper sex education and counseling. Great thanks to UTM for carrying out such survey.

Bernama: The number of students from China who are pursuing studies in Malaysia is expected to show a significant increase of between 50 and 100 per cent in line with the recent recognition given by the republic to 71 institutions of higher learning (IPT) in the country. Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Dr Hou Kok Chung said the list of the recognised IPT was finalised by the Ministry of Education of China (MOE China) two days ago as a continuation to the Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) inked by Malaysia and China on April 28, 2011.[...] Hou said approximately 10,000 students from China were currently studying in Malaysia, while the Malaysian students in China numbered about 3,000. Good news to Malaysian students planning to further study in China, especially those currently studying at Chinese independent schools.

The Star Online: UUM vice-chancellor Datuk Prof Dr Mohamed Mustafa Ishak said Bawani had not contravened university rules although she was actively involved in political activities. “Students are allowed to join political parties as long as they do not bring partisan politics to campus,” he said, adding that Bawani lost in a recent campus polls. The university was aware of Bawani’s participation in rallies such as Bersih and Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat, said Dr Mustafa, who also distanced the university from Sharifah Zohra. “She (Sharifah Zohra) has nothing to do with UUM or the Government. It is a programme organised by SW1M together with a small student body. We have allowed hundreds of such programmes to be held at the campus,” he said, describing the way the panellist entertained Bawani’s question as “a bit harsh and undiplomatic”. “We regret that the incident had angered many.” UUM has finally spoken on the listen video that has gone viral in Malaysia's social medi...

The Star Online: The university, which boasts of a sprawling 1,100ha-wide area of natural surroundings in Serdang, will offer nature trails and even a chance for visitors to milk a cow. [...] She said the UPM could also introduce cycling and horse riding in the campus grounds for visitors to behold its scenic landscape.[...] The tour packages, a collaborative effort between UPM, Tourism Malaysia and the ministry, consist of agricultural and educational tours at the Ayer Hitam forest reserve, equine centre, deer farm, cattle farm and human anatomy museum. The university will also give tourists a glimpse of its vast bio-diversity, with over 100,000 specimens in its museums and 16,000 life specimens. Good job, Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen!

Bawasi KS shared  her side of the story in an interview for the first time after the LISTEN video went viral in social media.

Bernama: State Education, Higher Education, Science, Technology and Human Resource Committee Chairman Datuk Ahmad Razif Abd. Rahman said programme, implemented since 2010, would be carried out following its success in rehabilitating problematic students. Students who went through this programme were found to be more discipline and focus on their studies, he added. [...] "It is like a honeymoon to forge closer relations between the parents and their problematic children." This approach is interesting - problematic students get 'rewarded' with 'honeymoon' with their parents at hotel for three days.

The Malaysian Insider : A video of a pro-Barisan Nasional (BN) speaker publicly chewing out a university student at a forum that has gone viral is embarrassing the authorities and has forced both a deputy minister and the Umno Youth chief to engage in damage control to prevent its fallout from impacting the ruling coalition ahead of Election 2013. Similar incidents like this do happen not only in Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) but at many local public universities ( IPTA ).

January 24 (Thursday): Prophet Muhammad's Birthday ( Hari Keputeraan Nabi Muhammad S.A.W. / Maulidur Rasul ) February 10 (Sunday): Chinese New Year ( Tahun Baru Cina ) February 11 (Monday): Chinese New Year Second Day ( Tahun Baru Cina Hari Kedua ) May 1 (Wednesday): Labour Day ( Hari Pekerja ) May 24 (Friday): Vesak Day ( Hari Wesak ) June 1 (Saturday): Agong's Birthday ( Hari Keputeraan Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong ) * August 8 (Thursday): Hari Raya Puasa * August 9 (Friday) Hari Raya Puasa ( Hari Kedua ) August 31 (Saturday): National Day ( Hari Kebangsaan ) September 16 (Monday): Malaysia Day ( Hari Malaysia ) * October 15 (Tuesday): Hari Raya Haji / Qurban * October 16 (Wednesday): Hari Raya Haji / Qurban Hari Kedua * November 2 (Saturday): Deepavali ( Hari Deepavali ) November 5 (Tuesday): Awal Muharam ( Maal Hijrah ) December 25 (Wednesday): Christmas ( Hari Krismas ) Source: Department of Prime Minister, Malaysia

Source: Ministry of Education ( Kementerian Pelajaran Malaysia )

Windows 8 partners are getting agressive in promoting the new operating system from Microsoft. This time Asus Malaysia is giving away GSC movie tickets for free through its Explore Windows 8 & Win Facebook contest. How to Redeem Free GSC Ticket Like Asus Malaysia  Explore Windows 8 & Win Facebook app . Play the mini game. It is so easy that you can complete it in less than 30 seconds. Fill the form with your address and you will get the free GSC movie ticket sent to your home. Bonus: You will automatically enter the lucky draw for 1st Prize: 2x ASUS VivoBook S400 series 2nd Prize: 1x ASUS VivoTab RT  3rd Prize: 2x ASUS VivoBook S200 series At the time of writing, there are still 6395 tickets up for grab.

So far only DiGi offers rebate for smartphone with prices more than RM500. Others have not updated their Youth Communication Packages to include smartphone priced above RM500 even though government lifted the smartphone ceiling price cap on last Thursday. Syarat-syarat kelayakan permohonan Pakej Komunikasi Belia (Rebat RM200) i. Warganegara Malaysia yang berumur di antara 21-30 tahun pada tarikh memohon; ii. Pendapatan bulanan adalah RM3,000 dan ke bawah; iii. Model telefon pintar 3G yang ditawarkan; iv. Untuk langganan baru dan sedia ada pakej jalurlebar; dan v. Satu telefon hanya untuk satu belia Steps To Redeem The Rebate: Register yourself at Pakej Komunikasi Belia @ Suruhanjaya Komunikasi dan Multimedia Malaysia website . Upon successful application, you will get a reference number. Print out the slip with reference number or just note the reference number down. Bring appropriate documents like IC and student card if available to the dealer shops. Choose the devic...

The New Paper: The 14-minute video, which does not contain sound, also shows him measuring his penis with a ruler. It has watermarked text stating his name, e-mail and scholarship organisation, the Singapore National Co-operative Federation (SNCF). Responding to TNP’s queries, spokesmen for NUS and SNCF said the student has denied being the person in the video and that he had made a police report in June last year. Clearly this should be filed under blackmail instead of sex offense like previous case involving NUS ASEAN scholar Alvin Tan and his girlfriend Vivian Lee posting sex videos for fame. One funny observation: how can this be called sex video when there is only one person?

News that matters and short commentary by yours truly on education, students and current issues in Malaysia.