Education Malaysia for Students

Malaysiakini: The Education Ministry has rolled out the second phase of 1BestariNet, described by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) as a "failed" project, which will see 138,820 Altitude smartphones by Yes 4G distributed to teachers. According to an Education Ministry circular to state education departments, the 138,820 Altitutde smartphones would be distributed to teachers in Putrajaya, Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Malacca, Penang, Kedah and Perlis between October and December. In Selangor, the devices were distributed in a number of special ceremonies attended by political leaders. Previously, the PAC in its proceedings had branded the 1BestariNet project a failure and questioned why the government was extending the contract. The Education Ministry planned for the project to run for 15 years at a cost of RM4.077 billion. Why would a teacher need a mobile phone? Don't they already have their own smartphones? What they need instead is reliable and fast internet c...

Malay Mail Online: The Auditor-General (A-G) will conduct a follow-up audit on the Education Ministry’s RM 4.1 billion 1BestariNet programme nationwide as concerns about the programme remain within both the audit department and the Public Accounts Committee (PAC). “We have decided that the A-G will make a follow-up audit and PAC members will visit the schools ourselves,” PAC chairman Datuk Seri Hasan Ariffin said during a press conference today after the A-G’s briefed to PAC on its latest report tabled in Parliament today. [...] The cost for the first phase was RM663 million, but the programme was plagued by bad performance complaints from teachers and other stakeholders, Hasan said. The PAC previously conducted its own inquiry into the programme after the A-G highlighted the delay in the programme’s implementation in the 2013 Audit Report. In its report on the 1BestariNet probe tabled to Parliament in October this year, PAC urged a review for the whole programme due to the...

Navigating a new city can be daunting particularly if you are a student. International broadcast star DJ Goldierocks, a.k.a. Sam Hall, who was in Kuala Lumpur recently for The GREAT Britain Festival, shares with British Airways some rock solid tips on how Malaysian students can hit the ground running when they land in the UK. An alumnae of Goldsmiths, University London, DJ Goldierocks said, “Get an Oyster Card as soon as you land in London. It definitely helps you to save a lot on transportation cost.  Also, take the bus when you travel in London as this is the best way to understand the city. More importantly, embrace independence! There are lots of awesome things to do in the UK. You can explore the food markets and restaurants, or buy vintage clothes at the boutiques during the weekends. I can spend all day eating at Borough Market!” DJ Goldierocks also shared her “must-go” places in the UK with students from Malaysia. 1. Bestival Festival, Isle of Wight “Bestival F...

Congratulations to University Teknikal Malaysia Melaka champion of the Universities Innovation Fun Day by Airbus Group in Malaysia! (From left : Muhammad Luqman Arif, Ida Nurfarhana bt Marzukhe, Raymond Lim - Managing Director Airbus Customer Service, Ahmad Fauzan Kadmin, and Muhammad Amirul Shah) Kuala Lumpur, 16 November – Engineering students from four local universities have put to the test their academic skills at the Universities Innovation Fun Day organised by Airbus Group in Malaysia. The champion team from University Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM) won prize money of RM3,000, individual plaques and certificates of participation. Finalists of the Universities Innovation Fun Day with Airbus Group in Malaysia. Airbus Group invited over 20 public universities to participate in the Universities Innovation Fun Day. To qualify for the finals, participating teams had to submit a 3-minute video depicting a mission to carry a payload (raw eggs) in the air for a distance o...

The New Strait Times Online: There are three phases to the project, with the first implemented under a two-year, six-month contract that ended in June 2014. Last year, PAC contended the ministry’s request to push forward the second phase claiming that the first phase had failed. Two years after its implementation, the Auditor-General’s Report 2013 stated that the project had not achieved its objectives of providing high-speed 4G broadband and the VLE platform to schools nationwide. From a total of 89.1 per cent of the 48 schools tested, including feedback from 70.3 per cent of 491 schools, it stated that the broadband access was unsatisfactory. Additionally, 58 per cent of 501 schools said the 1BestariNet access did not cover the entire school area. There was also a delay in installing Internet services. By the end of 2014, while 8,886 schools nationwide were provided with broadband connectivity, another 1,003 were connected through interim Internet services provided by other t...

Scholarship to commemorate Sudirman and aid an underprivileged student to hone vocal performance Kuala Lumpur, 7 November 2016 – Music legend the late Dato’ Sudirman Arshad was talented beyond measure, an iconoclast who captivated Malaysia with his unique voice and striking stage persona. In 1989, a young, diminutive Sudirman stepped onto the world stage during the Asian Music Awards at the Royal Albert Hall, London, and defied expectations, clinching the Best Asian Performer award. A symbol of bearing the Malaysian flag proudly, he united Malaysians regardless of race or religion through his voice and melodies. In memory of Sudirman, The Actors Studio, with the help of Yayasan Sime Darby (YSD), has established the Sudirman Scholarship to commemorate 25 years since the passing of the Malaysian music legend. The scholarship will be awarded next year to an outstanding young talent to pursue a degree in vocal performance at a local university. The Actors Studio Co-Founder and...

Malaysiakini: A total of 753,058 former students who took loans from the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) have not repaid a sen, resulting in them owing RM5.191 billion to the corporation, Higher Education Minister Idris Jusoh told Parliament. Replying to a question from Che Mohamad Zulkifly Jusoh (BN-Setiu), who asked how many defaulters had not repaid a sen to PTPTN, Idris replied that as of Aug 31, this year, a total of 1,917,033 students who took the loans had completed their studies. “A total of RM18.311 billion was supposed to be collected from the former students. “However, out of that total number, only 1,163,975 paid their dues, resulting in RM9.6 billion collected,” the minister replied. To put the numbers in perspective, 60.7% (1,163,975) students have paid their dues, while the remaining 39.3% (753,058) loan defaulters have not repaid a single sen. The number is rather staggering, considering PTPTN has and will continue to bar loan defaulters t...