KPTM Bangi dalam Berita

Sila dapatkan Harian Metro hari ini 29 Mac 2011. Di halaman 24 (Edisi Tengah, edisi lain mungkin di halaman yang lain...) ada berita mengenai program Anugerah Usahawan Muda Berjaya KPTM 2011 pada Jumaat lepas di mana kita telah memberi anugerah tersebut kepada YBhg. Dato' Sani dari Sani Express dan  Sani United.

Like it or not, we have to be good at it...

Quoted from The Star - 28th March 2011 - Letters to Editor

Master English or lose out in job hunt

Students at the tertiary level who neglect English are doing so at their peril.

Instead, they should not make every effort to master the language.

Though no one can force our undergraduates to study English, they must understand that mastering it would be an asset to them.

They should not blame employers for not accepting them as most companies require graduates who are competent in English, especially at the supervisory and executive levels.

In my research on the kind of skills 73 companies in the country look for, the 12 top needs related to English are to be abe to:

• Communicate justly when there’s a difference of opinion;
• Communicate efficiently to convince clients;
• Communicate effectively to win business opportunities;
• Communicate convincingly over the phone;
• Communicate with proper etiquette or manners;
• Adapt to formal and informal situations when communicating;
• Draft and write proper letters to clients;
• Write short reports on business dealings and events;
• Understand and report what others have discussed;
• Understand and clarify information, letters and reports received;
• Present facts plainly to an audience; and
• Conduct meetings in a brief and effectual manner.

Are our graduates prepared for this?

Students must remember that English is not only for them to seek better jobs after graduating. It has become an indispensable tool for them in their everyday life.

From the tiny electronic gadgets to the Internet and books, English is the main language used. Most newsprints and journals are written in English.

Most popular international news channels on television are in English. In fact, the more languages one acquires the better standing he has in the business and across the globe.

Students who ignore English are by design “localising” the value of their degrees. Many IT graduates from India, for instance, can find jobs in the developed world aided by their good grasp of English.

If our graduates think that they can secure a job as a civil servant where the language may not be a prerequisite, the bloated civil service would not be able to accommodate that many employees.

Even then there are sectors within the civil service that require graduates to be competent in English.

In the case of China, English is taught to all schoolchildren and some universities are now giving emphasis to English. There are now Chinese universities offering graduate courses in English with well-defined programmes. In the main, some universities are offering the sciences in English.

China is now able to draw many international students to study at these universities and the quality of education has improved tremendously as there is a high level of competition among university students.

The focus now is for local and foreign students in China to be able to speak Mandarin and English.

Graduates from these institutions are able to find jobs with local and foreign companies thus making their degrees naturally “internationalised”.

Malaysia cannot talk about globalisation and at the same time ignore the English language.

We cannot dictate to the world to accept what we want. It’s the world out there that will dictate what we should do with our graduates to make them more competitive.

DR M.A. NAIR,Kuala Lumpur.

Keusahawanan & Peluang

Alhamdulillah program KPTM Bangi dengan Dato’ Sani telah berjaya dijalankan. Pihak Sani United sangat berpuashati dengan Majlis anugerah tersebut. Malah ada di antara mereka menyatakan bahawa majlis kita jauh lebih baik sambutannya dari majlis yang serupa yang dibuat oleh sebuah IPTA. Sambutan dari pelajar-pelajar kita dengan mereka berebut-rebut untuk bersalam dan bergambar dengan Dato’ Sani agak memeranjatkan warga Sani United. Syabas diucapkan kepada semua pihak yang telah bekerja bertungkus lumus untuk memastikan majlis tersebut berjalan dengan baik.

Di kesempatan saya dapat berborak dengan Dato’ Sani ketika jamuan petang tersebut, saya ada menyatakan hasrat KPTM Bangi selepas ini dan hampir kesemua cadangan atau usul saya itu diterima oleh Dato’ Sani. Antaranya :

• Kemungkinan KPTM Bangi menjadi agen tiket bas ekspres Sani Ekspres, termasuk untuk charter bas ekspres Sani jika kita dapat uruskan pencarian penumpang, terutamanya musim raya atau cuti.
• Lawatan sambil belajar pelajar-pelajar KPTM Bangi ke Sani United, terutamanya pelajar-pelajar BM117 (Transport).
• Latihan industri pelajar-pelajar AA101 dan AB101 kita ke mana-mana anak syarikat Sani United.
• Meletak brosur-brosur KPTM di dalam bas-bas Sani Ekspres.
• Memainkan CD korporat KPTM di dalam bas-bas Sani Ekspres.

Disamping itu saya rasa banyak peluang untuk kita bekerjasama dengan Sani United di dalam program-program keusahawanan pelajar. Kita seharusnya mengambil peluang perhubungan baik kita dengan Dato’ Sani ini untuk pihak beliau membantu sebaik boleh aktiviti-aktiviti keusahawanan kita. Oleh itu kita perlu dari sekarang membuat perancangan dengan teliti dan mengadakan perbincangan-perbincangan lanjutan dengan pegawai-pegawai Sani United supaya kerjasama ini akan terjalin dan mendatangkan faedah kepada kedua-dua pihak. 

Di dalam kepala saya telah terfikir banyak program boleh dibuat dengan Sani United ini. Saya rasa jika kita sama-sama brainstorm banyak lagi idea-idea kerjasama win-win ini yang akan kita lahirkan.

Let us all seize this opportunity… Carpe Diem!

Kita Semua Boleh Belajar Dari Rakyat Jepun

Terlalu 'bias' bila saya menceritakan betapa bagusnya rakyat dan negara Jepun ni sebab anak sulong saya sedang berada di sana dan belajar budaya dan mendapat ilmu dari orang Jepun. Oleh itu apa kata jika kita mendengar/membaca sendiri pengalaman dari orang asing dan orang-orang Jepun sendiri melalui tweets mereka.

FROM TWEETS AROUND JAPAN

1.

Tokyo Disneyland was handing out its shops’ food and drinks for free to the stranded people nearby. I saw a bunch of snobby looking highschool girls walking away with large portions of it and initially though “What the …” But I later I found out they were taking them to the families with little children at emergency evacuation areas. Very perceptive of them, and a very kind thing to do indeed.

2.

Cars were moving at the rate of maybe one every green light, but everyone was letting each other go first with a warm look and a smile. At a complicated intersection, the traffic was at a complete standstill for 5 minutes, but I listened for 10 minutes and didn’t hear a single beep or honk except for an occasional one thanking someone for giving way. It was a terrifying day, but scenes like this warmed me and made me love my country even more.

3.

It was cold and I was getting very weary waiting forever for the train to come. Some homeless people saw me, gave me some of their own cardboard boxes and saying “you’ll be warmer if you sit on these!” I have always walked by homeless people pretending I didn’t see them, and yet here they were offering me warmth. Such warm people.

4.

The words of BBC’s reports are so moving they make me cry. They were praising us with words of admiration! “One of the worst earthquakes in recorded history has hit the world’s most well-prepared, well-trained nations. The strength of its government and its people are put to the test. While there have been casualties, in no other country could the government and the people have worked together in such an accurate and coordinated way in the face of such tragedy. The Japanese people have shown their cultural ability to remain calm in the face of adversity.”

5.

I'm looking at Yurakucho station from above. I see people standing in line, not pushing or shoving to get onto the Yamanote Line (probably the busiest line in central Tokyo), even at a time like this!

6.

Both the government and the people, everyone is helping one another today. There are truck drivers helping evacuees move. I even heard that the “yakuza” (gangsters, organized crime groups) are helping to direct traffic in the Tohoku region! There have been many recent developments that have made me lose my sense of pride in my country, but not anymore. Japan is an amazing place! I’m just simply touched. Go Japan!

7.

I went to my neighborhood supermarket and was initially surprised that their neon signs were off. They usually are open till 1AM. I then found out that they were open, but were saving electricity so that more power could be channeled to the hard-hit coastal areas.

8.

The Oedo Subway Line for Hikarigaoka is very congested. On the platform and at the gate there are just crowds and crowds of people waiting for the train. But in all the confusion, every last person is neatly lined up waiting his or her turn while managing to keep a passage of space open for staff and people going the other way. Everyone is listening to the instructions from the staff and everyone acts accordingly. And amazingly … there isn’t even a rope or anything in sight to keep people in queue or open space for staff to pass, they just do! I am so impressed at this almost unnatural orderliness! I have nothing but praise for these people!

9.

I’ve been walking for many hours now. I’m touched at how everywhere I turn, there are shops open with people shouting “Please use our bathroom!” or “Please rest here!” There were also office buildings where people with access to information were voluntarily shouting out helpful tips, like “**** line is now operational!” Seeing things like this after walking for hours and hours made me feel like weeping with gratitude. Seriously, there is still hope for this country!

10.

Yesterday, I was impressed and touched by the actions of my neighbor’s 13-year-old-boy. He was home alone when the earthquake hit. But instead of hiding, as soon as the earthquake quieted down, he jumped on his bicycle and road around the block repeatedly shouting at the top of his voice, “Is everyone alright? Is everyone okay?” At the time, there were only women and children and the elderly in the homes. I cannot describe how comforting it was just to hear a strong voice asking if I was okay. Thank you