Failure of Nur Amalina Che Bakri status clarified

Linundus has received a letter through e-mail from Charis Wong who is currently a 3rd year Edinburgh medical student and a course-mate of Nur Amalina Che Bakri, clarifying the latter’s status as a 17A1 scorer which appeared in this blog.

"Dear all. I'm Charis, currently a 3rd year Edinburgh medical student.

I'm writing this as I'm absolutely saddened and disgusted by the rumours spread about my course mate Nur Amalina Che Bakri or more popular known on the net as the 17A1 scorer. To clarify, she is doing very well and is actually doing an intercalated honours degree in Pharmacology with Industrial Experience.

She did not fail her second year but actually did quite well. That intercalated degree is a very competitive one and she obtained it by her merit (with Bank Negara's funding). If I'm not mistaken, she has also obtained an ERASMUS transfer programme where she can do part of that course in a partner European university. She will be returning to 3rd year medicine in 2010, and if all things go well, graduate in 2013.

I understand that there is widespread dissatisfaction about the allocation of scholarships in Malaysia. However, whether it is just or not, I think that Nur Amalina or other scholars should never be victimised by false rumours. It is NOT their fault, whatever it is. Leave her alone, please.

If your anger or frustration is meant to be at the scholarship-givers, i.e. the government or other organisations giving out scholarships, let it be directed at them and them only, and voice out your concerns and frustrations in a manner worthy of a concern citizen.

There are flaws to the system, no doubt. There's the question on whether such a heavy cost of sending a scholar overseas is justified.

Then, there is the issue of scholars who 'disappear' after graduating. There are scholars who fail year after a year, costing taxpayers a huge sum of money. And there's always that talk about the unclear criteria of selection for scholarships.

But let's get our facts right before pointing our fingers, and perhaps check who we are pointing our fingers at, lest we wrongly defame and even character assassinate young scholars with great potential." Your fellow Malaysian,

Charis Wong

Wong can be reached at C.H.L.Wong@sms.ed.ac.uk

The Failure of Nur Amalina (who scored 17A's)

Nur Amalina had held briefly the record of the most A's scored in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia. Upon the announcement of results of SPM 2004 on 26 March 2005, she received 17 1As - a record for number of A's received by a student in the history of Malaysian education back then. She was sponsored by Bank Negara Malaysia to study medicine in the United Kingdom, and did her A-levels at the Cheltenham Ladies College in the UK.

Now Malaysia Push Factors was informed that she had failed her second year medical study at the University of Edinburgh.

What went wrong? Could English language be the problem? We are going back to Malay medium again and that means trouble.

If the students score an exemplary number of distinctions (A's in Malaysia) in a public exam, they are considered the pinnacle of what the Country's education system is capable of producing. They are expected to go through tertiary education anywhere in the world with flushing success. So what could possibly have happened if they fail abroad?

READ MORE HERE

Study Grant Available at INTI College

KOTA KINABALU Sunday April 26. 2009: INTI College Sabah (ICS), a leading institution of tertiary education in the state, is offering a special study grant for the May 2009 intake.

The grant – in aid of parents and students affected by the current economic climate – is for students pursuing Foundation in Business IT, Diploma in Accounting / Business Administration / Hotel Management / Tourism Management, and Bachelor (Hons) in Business Administration / Business & Accounting / Business & Marketing programmes at ICS.

Successful applicants will receive a 20% waiver of their tuition fee each semester, subject to their maintaining a CGPA of 2.0 and above.

To be eligible for the grant, parents and students must meet the following criteria: Parents’ combined monthly income must not exceed RM3,500; Students must have at least 3 As in SPM / CGPA of 2.5 in STPM; Students must be recommended by their school principal.

Today, ICS is one of the top choices for students pursuing education in business and Hospitality & Tourism. 

(Further details read here).

Get-together Far From the Madding Crowd. 

Meanwhile, three of the graduating students of Tourism Management of INTI College Sabah, namely, Ms Mary Sherlynn; Ms Pang Fui San and Ms Mitchelle Ong are waiting for their final examination results which they expect to know by this Wednesday, 29^th April, 2009.

They had successfully carried out a Fund Raising Project recently, together with the other 13 students from the same discipline and who are expected to graduate later this year. The project was part of the course requirements in order to qualify them to obtain their Diploma of Tourism Management from ICS.

In order to give themselves a pat on the back for having successfully carried out the project, they decided to get-together to a thanks giving celebration held at a place where the location is ‘far from the madding crowd’ at James Binaji’s residence at Kg. Ganang, Kondundungan, Penampang on 19^th April.

Various games, including the ever popular “Fear Factor” TV series, were held near the Ganang river - the most feared river in Penampang District due to the ever presence of crocodiles there!

“We played few games called "Fear Factor" which Mr. Sylvester Motulis (our Head of Program) and Ms. Jennifer Ho (our Financial Management lecturer) also participated in the game” said Mary Sherlynn who was the organizing Chairperson.

“The game was initiated by the emcee Mr. Uyug and was basically to transfer the 2 eels (hindung) from one basin to another,” she added. 

According to Sherlynn, the party was again a success because, after the function was over late in the afternoon, her friends told her that “they had a blast!”

They are planning to organize another party come June after Sherlynn is back from Singapore.” It is going to be “Ka’amatan” celebration this time,” she announced.

The party was organized with the courtesy ICS Academic Dean, Dr. Alan Lim, whilst Sherlynn’s cousins, friends and relatives also chipped in financially; and the food was catered by her parents. Her brother Uyug satisfactorily emceed the occasion and also sponsored the Karaoke set. (I also sang my evergreen songs).

The function was attended by the President of Kadazan Society Sabah (KSS) DatuK Marcel Leiking, KSS VP Dr. Jiloris, other KSS members and yours truly.

SLIDE PICTURES

Restoration of caning in School?

The government made the decision to revive caning last month and it will issue specific guidelines on how to implement the punishment, deputy education minister Wee Ka Siong told AFP.

In 2006, the government said it was planning to ban public caning in schools, where the punishment is administered on the buttocks or the palm of the hand.

The education ministry also said a year later that it was considering allowing schools to cane unruly girls to curb an upsurge in discipline problems including gang fights and bullying.

The new Minister of Education should reconsider this proposal. - Linundus

An Educated Parent commented: What is wrong with our education system? We have this child abuse law yet canning has been restored recently by our education ministry.  Aren't we moving backwards instead of forward? This canning is tantamount to encouraging child abuse which is contrary to the Child Abuse Act. Who gives the right for teachers to cane our children? I remember my son was beaten by a teacher of an unsound mind resulting in me approaching the headmaster for a proper explanation and he apologising to me saying the teacher had some sort of mental problem. So if caning is allowed, what will happen to teachers abusing children? Children would want to avoid school for fear of being beaten for minor mistakes. I hope our education minister would seek parents' consensus before implementing any form of punishment. I am a highly-educated parent and am against any form of child abuse. I for one will definitely seek legal action against any teacher who canes my child unless my child has committed serious offences such as fighting in school, drug abuse, etc. I hope this letter will open the eyes of our education ministry so as not to implement any form of punishment without parents' consent.

I have witnessed the caning of a student and it was a traumatic experience.- Linundus

Addiction to pornography leads to broken marriages, expert warns.

Mexico City, Mexico, Apr 1, 2009 / 01:36 pm (CNA)- The president of the organization Morality in Media, Robert Peters, warned this week that at least 10% of the world's population is addicted to pornography and that this vice is the cause of many failed marriages.

During the International Life and Family Congress at the Autonomous University of Baja California, Peters said that in most cases it is men who are addicted to pornography.

During his speech entitled, “The effects of pornography on our children,” he noted that one of the problems pornography poses to marriages is that the one with the addiction begins to lose interest in his or her spouse and wants to recreate the acts depicted in pornography.

He also pointed out that having pornography in the home exposes children to falling into the vice, and that the internet has allowed children to have increasing access to this kind of material. Porn has become one of the main educators of young people, he warned.

Laws must be strengthened to protect minors from pornography, Peters said, and religion is one of the more effective means for combating the addiction, in addition to professional help.

Source: CNA 

Linundus Comments: This is a reminder to all of us as parents, not only as a strong reminder to us from keeping out from the pitfalls and proximity of sin,  but also to monitor our children closely whenever they are hooked onto their computers. They surf to find necessary information in order to assist them in their studies. But sometimes they are tempted to login on pornography websites that are in abundance. If left unchecked, they might get addicted to visiting those websites and may eventually stray away from their study websites.

One can tell their behaviour when they are hooked on to the "forbidden" websites when they quickly change to another informative sites whenever you approach to their study or computer tables.

This matter is one of those important subjects that the Mass Celebrants have been driving home in their Sunday homilies - at least at Stella Maris Church that I know of.

Rape attempt but prevented by menses

There have been rape cases highlighted by the local news papers of late, one of which is the case of the UMS student.

Attempted rape case has also occurred on a local secondary student.

The attempted rape case on the 21-year old student from University Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) can be a lesson to learn from by our unsuspecting school students, or any young girl for that matter.

The University student avoided being raped by two men when they realised that she was having her menses.

I am just wondering whether would-be rapists are put off by the sanitary pads if used under pretext. If so, the pads could be the first defence from being raped based on the story above.

(More to read). 

Be wary of and advise your loved ones!

I received the following e-mail from my ardent reader and, I thought, that it would be of interest to those parents whose children are schooling at a Secondary School in Kota Kinabalu (name of the school withheld). I hope that this sharing will prompt the parents to monitor their childrens’ activities in schools; while they do they do the same with their school studies.

I publish the e-mail as follows: 

“I would like to share a traumatic experience which my relative went through yesterday. She was waiting for her friend near St. (name withheld) Secondary school, Kota Kinabalu around noontime. Suddenly a car (kancil) stopped next to her.” 

“One guy came out from the back seat (and) started to force her into the car, while the driver waited inside car. The guy managed to force her into the car and speeded off. Inside the car, she experienced hell. The guy tried to rape her. Fortunately, she was able to kick the guy in the chest which gave her room to escape.” 

“She jumped out from the moving vehicle. Thank God she suffered only bruised in the head and some part of the body. She hid herself in the nearby jungle as the guy was still looking for her.” 

“This is really terrifying. After those guys (had) left, she called her friend (who) later informed her brother.” 

“They went to lodge a report at the nearby police station. She now suffers physically and mentally from such traumatic encounter. Please tell your love (ones) especially women to be very careful. This attempt is very much similar to what (had) happened to the unfortunate UMS student.” 

Incidentally, I happen to learn from a reliable source that some of the girls from the same school are practicing lesbian. The modus operandi is that the students would pretend to go inside the toilets in pairs and, God knows, what they do. 

I came to know about this predicament because I am a member of the CMI Intercessory Ministry and we are praying for those girls involved in Lesbian practice, to stop.

Could this be the reason why those two guys knew about what was and is actually going on in this School that they have the audacity to try their luck to ‘kidnap’ the said school girl with the intention of having consensual sex with her, and failing which they resort to raping the victim? 

The unholy act of lesbian, if indeed true, by the students of that particular school should be investigated and closely monitored by the School Management. The Parents-Teachers Association (PTA) should look into this matter seriously, especially the kidnapping attempt case, otherwise a similar case that had happened to the unfortunate UMS student might recur again.