Happenings 13 - Kolej Yayasan UEM

ISSUE 13 -2014
Invitation Rugby League.....17
Stu d en t Cou nci l
Camp. ... .. 18
KYUEM Green Day ……11
Registration Day ......5
Students
Registration
and Induction
23-29 July 2013
New students’ intakes for July 2013
were 220 students which 158 are
sponsored students and 62 private
students. Induction week for new
students started from 23 July to 29 July
2013 which organized by Students
Council and Students Services. The
activities such as talk by each subjects
teachers, related departments, team
building, morning exercise and etc.
26-27 October 2013
By : Wan Aemellia Elisha Bt Wan Azzlan
Muscom
Community
Service
at Felda
Residence
Trolak.
22
students from Tahfiz Mawaddah, Lembah Beringin.
Muscom Community Service focused mainly on
introducing them to the outside world as we were told
that they rarely go for an outing further than Tanjung
Malim and are not very much exposed to vast outdoor
activities.
“Everybody can be great...because anybody can serve.
You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You
don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve.
You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by
love.”― Martin Luther King Jr.
Among the highlights of the 2 days and one night
programme were high rope, flying fox, obstacle race
and maze game. Each and every one of them got the
chance to do flying fox and high rope which was a new
experience for most of them. It was satisfying to see
some of them struggling to overcome their fear and
finally made it to walk on the high rope from one side
to another. Unfortunately, the plan of going for night
walk was canceled due to the weather. Nevertheless,
they seem to have a blast during obstacle race. Most
of them get to complete the tasks and solve the codes
given. They also had splendid time during the maze
game. In this game, they were asked to memorize an
utterly intricate maze in just about 20 minutes. Also,
everyone is given a pre-determined role, 'Habil' or
'Qabil' in order to make the game more interesting in
which Habil is supposed to draw the correct maze that
they saw whereas Qabil is supposed to confuse their
team mates.
On the 26-27th October 2013, Musolla Community
(MUSCOM) of KYUEM organised an event, Muscom
Community Service at Felda Residence Trolak. This
involved the high committee of Muscom and few other
KYUEM students. The target group for this event is the
All in all, everything went on smoothly. It is very
gratifying to see the genuine smiles and hearty
laughter with which they rewarded us for the little
things we did for them. We were all pleased to get the
chance to know them. We are looking forward to have
a few follow-ups with them next semester.
Charity Outreach Trip 2013 to Kampung Orang
Asli Tonggang and Asrama Anak Yatim Darus
Salam in Ipoh Perak – Lending Hands for Brighter Smiles
30 November – 3 December 2013
By Nur Amirah binti Maliki
There is a famous saying that goes, “Generosity consists
not of the sum given, but the manner in which it is
bestowed”. Indeed, even giving a single smile is
considered an act of charity. Having realized this, in the
effort to branch out and lend a helping hand, the Student
Council of Kolej Yayasan UEM organised a Charity
Outreach Trip to Kampung Orang Asli Tonggang and
Asrama Anak Yatim Darus Salam in Ipoh, Perak from
30th November 2013 until 3rd December 2013. 46
students and 10 teachers and members of staff
participated in this four-day program. Planning for the
project commenced nearly half a year prior to the event
itself.
Driving uphill along the river from the Tanjung Rambutan
main road to the village, the silhouette of waiting villagers
can be seen in the distance. The energy and excitement
of the children during the English Programme on the first
day for both the afternoon and evening sessions was
overwhelming. Throughout it all the children were
unwavering in their enthusiasm and were responding
actively to all the questions posed to them. A Sports
Carnival was held the next day which involved everyone
in the village, young and old. On the same day, a medical
check-up and a health exhibition was carried out in the
‘Balai Sewang’.
The promise of a better life is something everybody
strives for. For the Orang Asli Temiar, efforts towards the
moulding of a better life carry a deep and profound
meaning. They realise that education is the key, and they
are counting on that to help bring the community to new
heights. There is hope in the younger generation to
change the fate of their peoples, be it in a big or small
way, at the same time preserving the community's identity
amidst the onslaught of modernisation that has swept the
country.
In addition to giving financial aid and delivering donations
in the form of clothes and books, we also organised
motivational talks, a kenduri rakyat and a gotong royong
with the aim of encouraging the integration of villagers
and participants. Not only did the villagers take on a
commendable attitude of synergy and harmony, they
were also friendly and ever keen to participate in any
constructive activity that came their way. To deepen
understanding of the community’s daily life and culture,
participants were temporarily adopted by a number of
village foster families.
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It was a truly wonderful experience which
provided us with a glorious opportunity to interact
with the Orang Asli and to be immersed in their
culture. We learned how to make a seludang (a
traditional head accessory), weave mats and
baskets and most interestingly, we had a chance
to learn the Temiar language itself. The stay has
exposed us to a starkly different way and view of
life, in the process teaching us the real meaning
of being grateful.
“We saw amazing people doing wonderful things
with limited resources. The visit was not just about
donating our time or equipment, it was about a
mutual sharing of experience,” asserted
Jalaluddin Mohd Zaiki, the Project Director in his
speech for the closing ceremony.
I felt that in the short few days spent together, the
participants and the villagers managed to create a
close bond with each other. At the end of the
program, the participants and their foster families
shed tears and were almost unwilling to leave one
another. People say that every meeting has its
end and no one can deny that, but this end was a
painful one. On our way back to college, we
visited the Asrama Anak Yatim Darus Salam, Ipoh
and spent a few hours conducting motivational
talks and sharing sessions. Although it was merely
a short visit, we are hoping the lessons gained
during those few short hours remain etched in the
minds of the Asrama dwellers for some time yet.
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The experience of taking part in this Charity Outreach
was nothing short of amazing. Most importantly, it
was heartening to see the smiles on the children's
faces. They may be too young to appreciate and
remember us today, but sometime in the future when
they've made it, we can take comfort in knowing that
we have helped them at some point in their lives. One
word is sufficient to perfectly describe these four
days: priceless.
Nevertheless when all has been said and done, this
trip could not have come into fruition without the
support of sponsors such as UEM Sunrise Berhad,
Perbadanan Bekalan Air Pulau Pinang Sdn Bhd, The
eCEOs Sdn Bhd, Clixster Mobile Sdn Bhd, Central
Cable Berhad and many others. I would like to thank
them and everyone involved as well as all other
supporters for making this project a reality.
It is the villagers’ and the orphans’ fervent hope that
they may be empowered to lead a better life. We
realised that the villagers and the school could still do
with some assistance and aid. So let us do more for
these communities. Like all of us, they deserve a
better life. For those interested in contributing
towards this endeavour, please contact Encik Che
Wan bin Alang (013-5939721), who is the secretary of
the Kg Tonggang committee and Ummi, the manager
of Asrama Anak Yatim Darus Salam. Any means of
contribution will be hugely appreciated. “Remember
that there is no exercise better for the heart than
reaching down and lifting people up.” Registration Day
It was a beautiful Tuesday morning when families
came to register their child as part of the January
Intake students, batch 16.5. They arrived as early as
7.45 am, and were greeted by members of the staffs
who were very hospitable and attentive. Delicious
morning refreshments were prepared by our Dining
Hall personnel throughout the registration process and
at approximately 10 am, the session began by the
Welcoming Address by the Headmaster, Dr. Paul
Rogers.
After the session ended, which was a little before
lunch, parents left to let their child to start their journey
officially as a student of KYUEM. Once the induction
program commenced after lunch, the students were
briefed by the Student Services Manager, Cik Amal
Hayati on the college's Code of Conduct, followed by
the Academic Manager, Encik Azman to further
explain on the subjects combination, and other
academic possibilities that they could explore.
The Ice Breaking session then started after the day's
afternoon tea break, handled by members of the
Student Council and House Committees and the
Induction Week were carried on till January
11th. Among the activities done were
teambuilding sessions, morning exercise,
academic briefings, university placement
b r i e fi n g s , a n d a s e s s i o n w i t h t h e
Headmaster and their Houseparents too.
7 January 2014
The breakdown for Batch 16.5 students is as per
below:
January Intake 2014
Male students
Female students
Total number of students
Sponsored students
Privately Sponsored
:
:
:
:
:
18 (39.1%)
28 (60.9%)
46 (100.0%)
6 (13.0%)
40 (87.0%)
As a conclusion, the students who enrolled are in fact
a very good combination of students in terms of
personality and education background. They are very
enthusiastic and responded very well to the
teambuilding sessions with the Student Council, and
participated actively in each and every briefing
conducted by the teachers and management staffs
alike. They came on the first day as individuals but
they are now a team that achieves successfully any
given assignment/task as one. They have displayed a
tremendous amount of understanding of what KYUEM
is all about and what they hope to achieve here.
55
18 January 2014
Biology Department
Curricular Trip To
Kuala Gandah
Elephant Sanctuary
DATE
Saturday 18th January 2014 Depart: 6:30 am
Return: 6:30 pm
LOCATION
National Elephant
Conservation Centre
Kuala Gandah
28500 Lanchang, Pahang
PURPOSE
To learn about and experience directly
the conservation of Asian Elephants in
Malaysia as the example species
towards the Biodiversity and
conservation topic of A2 biology course.
PROGRAMME
Arrive 10:00 am …estimate!
Registration & talk on elephant
conservation in Malaysia + video
documentary of wild elephant rescue
operation <30 mins>
Move to the activity area accompanied
by guides for handfeeding of smallish
elephants with handouts provided. If
we're lucky, everyone can see 2 baby
elephants bottlefed around 11:30 am …
Students will also be invited to help with
some work too. There will also be site
visits to a currently constructed wading
& swimming pool for the elephants
1:00 pm lunch
2:15 pm … Hand feeding session with
the big elephants
Students and teachers will make a move
towards the big elephants' paddocks 15
minutes after the elephants head back
to the paddocks.
NO PHOTOS/VIDEOS ARE ALLOWED
HERE.
There might be an assistant veterinary
officer to give a 30 minute questions &
answers session.
4:00 pm Return to college
COST
The cost will be RM70 per head to cover
lunches and fee for Mr Razali’s talk and
programme and fees for guides
(mahouts) to take us around the nonpublic areas of the Sanctuary and to
handle the elephants during our
observations.
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20th - 23rd January 2014
KYUEM
Islamic Week 2014
RECLAIM YOUR HEART : THE MISSING PIECE was the
theme for KYUEM ISLAMIC WEEK (KIWEE) 2014 that was
held for a week from 20th until 23rd of January. KIWEE 2014
was packed with fun activities and meaningful insights that
was planned by all the committee members in order to
achieve the programme’s
objectives.
Forum :
Finding the Missing Piece
LOCATION : GREAT HALL
This title was chosen because it resonates in the
hearts of many who are still searching for the
meaning of life.
The guest speakers was the infamous Youtuber
Aiman Azlan, Lim Jooi Soon, and Dr Haji Mohd
Shafie. Lots of inputs were obtained through this
forum and we were able to see different
thoughts from the 3 speakers about their views
on ‘The Missing Piece’.
TUG OF WAR
& ARCHERY
LOCATION : FIELD
Tug of war competition
was held among the 4
houses. This was where
the toughest among the
toughest in each houses
battle it out to see who’s
the best and the
strongest team.
After a hard battle,
Sapphire proved to be
the strongest team in tug of war and won this
competition.
Archery was also held at the same time as tug of
war but at a different side of the field. It was one of
a kind experience that you can only obtained
during KIWEE 2014. Eventhough it was just for an
evening, the students had fun trying out archery
and learned the right way of holding and aiming.
ISLAMIC
CULTURA NIGHT
LOCATION : LECTURE THEATRE 2
Hijab workshop was a kind of tutorial that was conducted by
a hijabist to introduce different styles of wearing hijab to the
students. Different styles were showed and it was a good
way of introducing hijab to the non Muslims and how it is
worn.
LOCATION : GREAT HALL
Tug of war competition was held among the 4
houses. This was where the toughest among the
toughest in each houses battle it out to see who’s
the best and the strongest team.
After a hard battle, Sapphire proved to be the
strongest team in tug of war and won this
competition.
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RUNNING
MAN
LOCATION :
AROUND THE COLLEGE
Running Man is well known as a
South Korean game show that
consists of celebrities who do
various activities in order to
complete their mission.
An explorace was held based on
this game show as it is popular
among many students. What’s
special was that kids of Lembah
Beringin was invited to come join
this explorace rather than the
students of KYUEM as this would
allow the kids to see KYUEM in a
different perspectives and in an
enjoyable way plus they were able
to learn useful informations.
TALK : MISUNDERSTANDINGS ;
What You Don’t Know About Islam
LOCATION : LECTURE THEATRE
The title was chosen because of the many falsifying of Islamic facts
even among Muslims.
The aim of this talk was to provide a
deeper enlightenment about the finer
details of Islam.
The speaker was Ustaz Fitri Abdullah and
he was not shy to share his knowledge and
answered every questions he could but
time was the limiting factor. It was not dull
and very informative to non Muslims and
even Muslims.
KIWEE 2014 CLOSING CEREMONY
LOCATION : GREAT HALL
Video Competition
Each house had delivered a 5-minute video based on
the theme given. This was to create a sharing
environment so that the students can express their
experiences in life. Topaz was announced as the
winner of this competition with their creative video.
performances was by Diamond where they combined
qasidah with some dramatic acting and lead them to
be chosen as the winner for KY GOT TALENT
competition by our professional judges.
Overall, it was a week to remember
KY Got Talent
Each houses delivered a live creative performances
on the theme peace. It was a chance for the students
to actually showcase their talent in a mannered and
m o d e s t w a y. O n e o f t h e m o s t i m p r e s s i v e
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8
21 January 2014 • By Chew Jin Keat
NH Club FIREFLY WALK
On the 21st January 2014, approximately 20 members
of the Natural History Club set out on a jungle trekking
trip in the woods surrounding KYUEM, seeking fireflies
and also various other types of insects. Members
gathered at the guardhouse around 8pm, armed with
torchlights and nets. After Mr Boler gave us an
introductory talk, we set off, making sure no one was
left behind. At first, we walked along the roads, and
then eventually we took a path which led us directly
into the jungle.
It was a
muddy trail
which we
encountered.
The rough
terrain and
dark surroundings didn’t help
either. Luckily we had torchlights, and experienced
members to guide us. At first, we saw nothing.
Everything was pitch black around us, and there were
no signs of fireflies anywhere. But as we went deeper
and deeper into the jungle, fireflies began to appear.
We could occasionally see lights glowing and twinkling
among the tall trees and bushes. It was a pretty sight
to see, but they were too far away to catch.
At that point, we were too deep into the jungle for me
to have any sense of the direction which we were
heading. We came to a bridge built in the middle of the
jungle, for no apparent reason, but it served as a spot
for us to take a short rest while snapping a few group
photos. The flashlight from the camera was blinding
though, and I was glad when we had finally finished
with the photos. We then set out on another path,
leading into a different part of the jungle.
We had just walked a few minutes when one of the
members gave a cry of triumph. He had successfully
NHNH
NH
caught a firefly with his net.
Everyone stopped while
Mr Boler transferred the
firefly into a small container
he had brought along. We then
examined the firefly under torchlight. It was
one of the small species of firefly (Insecta: Coleoptera:
Lampyridae) and had the appearance of a big ant with
wings, with bands on its abdomen which emitted light.
Apparently you can tell the males apart from the
females by counting the number of bands. Males had
two bands, while females had only one.
After ten minutes examining and photographing the
firefly, we continued on our way, beating through the
bushes and stumbling over rocks. We did not see any
more fireflies, but we saw plenty of other creatures.
We saw several hunting spiders (Arachnida: Araneae)
running along the leaves seeking prey, for example the
yellow Lynx Spider (Oxypodidae). We also happened
to spot several orb web spiders (Araneae: Araneidae)
in their finely woven webs hanging over our heads, like
a transparent round plates. As we looked, a fly flew
straight into the web and the spider immediately
pounced on its prey, tearing it apart and eating it up.
We also saw a clump of pitcher plants in a corner of
the jungle. Next we saw a spider spinning its web. It
was particularly intriguing, watching the spider go
round and round, weaving its web so deftly and finely.
Nearby landed a huge hairy mosquito (Insecta:
Diptera: ) which made us glad we had applied plenty
of insect repellant! The highlight of the evening was a
slug (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Pulmonata:
Onchidiacea or Soleolifera), which is a type of snail
but with no shell, we saw feasting on leaves of a plant.
Interestingly, slugs are hermaphrodite and each one
possesses both male and female reproductive
systems. They are rarely seen in Malaysia.
It was getting late by that time, so we decided to head
back to college, taking a different path. On our way
back, we caught another firefly, this time a bigger one
of a different species with ‘flanges’ at the sides of its
head (a common feature of fireflies). We released it
after taking photos of it, and also the one which we
had initially caught. We reached the college around
10pm, feeling weary and tired. However, it had been
an interesting experience, and I had learnt a lot from it.
Indeed, I was glad that I took the opportunity to go on
this truly educational trip. It had been enjoyable and I
look forward to the next trip.
99
23 & 28 January 2014
By : Ungku Zawir Athari Bin Abdulaziz
MUSCOM
Election
With great power comes great responsibility. Knowing that the
time has come for the Musolla Community (MUSCOM) members
of year 2013/2014 to hand over their responsibilities to the new
committee members, an official election and handover
commences. The event started with the Nomination Day on the
23rd of January where the students and even teachers were
given the opportunity to nominate 10 male and female candidates
that they found worthy enough to go for the High Committee
(HICOM) posts.
Later the next week, after finalizing the top 20 candidates, their
details regarding themselves and their manifesto were publicised
for the students to get to know them better before the election.
The Election Day began on the 28th Of January where students
were directed to the new block to proceed with the election
process. This was where the students can vote for the future
President, Deputy President, Vice Presidents, Secretaries, and
Treasurers. Before any decisions was made, a closed discussion
was held between the advisor, Ustaz Malikie, the MUSCOM
committee of year 2013/2014, a few representative from the
student council and of course, the candidates. This last process
was to judge the suitability of the publicly chosen candidates. The
newly elected HICOM were informed and was then be given a
week to form the new MUSCOM committee of year 2014/2015.
It was really intense for the
students to wait for the
result to be announced
during the MUSCOM
Handover ceremony on the
19th of February. During
the handover ceremony,
the old MUSCOM
committee members
handed over their
portfolios
and
responsibilities to the new
committee members while
witnessed by those who
attended that memorable
night in Musolla As-Saad.
10
10
24 January 2014 | By Nurul Jannah bt Mohd Jailani
KYUEM GREEN DAY 2014
Organising an environmental event has always been
something I’ve wanted to do. So when KY finally gave
me the chance, I took it; and thus KYUEM Green Day
was born. Preparations started more than half a year
before the event itself. There were proposals to be
done, activities to be thought of and meetings with
WWF-Malaysia – our event collaborator – to attend.
Finally the culmination of half a year’s work arrives. It
was the 24th of January 2014 and it was KYUEM
Green Day, the college’s first ever student-led
environmental event.
The event kicked off with a speech by Asirvatham
Lasal, WWF-Malaysia’s longest serving member of
staff. With 30 years of working in conservation under
his belt, he had a lot to share with the students and
staff who were collected in the Great Hall that Friday
afternoon. Mainly he spoke about ‘Save Our Seafood’
and the Forest Stewardship Council – the former
being a campaign WWF had launched with the aim of
educating the public about the importance of marine
conservation, and the latter an introduction to one of
the world’s leading policymakers in terms of the
preservation of global rainforests. He tried to rally his
audience to think of ways we, as members of a
college community and the world as a whole, could
help contribute in the ongoing fight against
environmental degradation. His talk was followed by a
forum, themed Sustainable Consumption. Members of
the floor were encouraged to pose questions to a
panel of four experienced WWF members of staff.
At 4.00pm the assembly ended, and participants of
the workshop (comprising of both students and staff)
made their way to the New Block to begin their next
activity. The workshop was a far detailed look into
what had been discussed during the assembly. The
participants were split into two groups. One group was
assigned to discussing the Save Our Seafood (SOS)
Campaign, headed by Lasal, and the other one was
allocated the task of discussing the issues
surrounding forestry under the guidance of Thiaga,
who is the head of WWF’s Eco-Schools programme.
The main objective of the workshop was to provide a
platform for students to voice out their opinions about
what they could do to contribute to the preservation of
the environment. How can they as students go about
promoting the SOS campaign in KYUEM? How can
the college be more sustainable when it comes to the
use of paper products? Should there be an
‘Environment Exco’ on the Student Council? These
and more were some of the issues addressed during
this hour-long workshop. At the end one reporter from
each group was required to write a brief report of what
had been discussed and this was to be shown to the
Headmaster.
At 5.00pm the tree-planting ceremony began. Every
batch was allocated their own fruit tree, and a tree
was also planted in memory of the late Mr John
Highton. The ceremony was attended by members of
the SMT, teachers, staff and many students who had
come to represent their respective batches. Also
present was Mr Highton’s wife, who had been given a
special invitation to ‘officiate’ the planting of her late
husband’s tree. Students were on their knees and
getting their hands dirty, patting the earth firmly
around their trees. In front of each tree was also a
plaque indicating which batch the tree belonged to
and its species and local name.
Meanwhile, at the Saad Square, the Boot Sale was
starting to take shape. Each House had their own
‘booth’ lined up on one side of the Square, displaying
a wide array of different items on sale, from books to
winter jackets to keychains. The aim of the boot sale
(or jumble sale) was to encourage students to reuse
things, instead of just throwing them away, thereby
eroding the throwaway culture which has become
characteristic of this generation.
At the same time, games were being held in the
walkway lined with boards. Once again it was Lasal
who conducted them. The first game required
students to rearrange a picture that had been cut up
into small pieces. Each puzzle for each group
contained a piece that belonged to another group’s.
The first individual to spot this would be the winner.
The game’s main message was that everything in
interconnected; you cannot solve a problem as large
scale as the maintenance of the global ecosystem by
going it alone. It requires contribution from all types of
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11
parties. The second game was conducted to allow
students to familiarise themselves with seafood that
were deemed ‘okay’ to consume and those which
were not, either due to their endangered status or the
way they are caught. Groups had to sift through the
different pictures of fish and place them into the
correct categories.
video competition. Sapphire took the top prize for
recycling, followed by Diamond, Garnet and Topaz.
For the video however, Diamond came out on top,
with Sapphire, Garnet and Topaz following suit. At the
very end, Lasal, as the sole WWF representative
remaining that night, was given a token of
appreciation by both Dr Rogers and I.
The last activity of the day was the closing ceremony.
Videos from all four Houses were shown, with the
theme ‘KYUEM Goes Green’. After the video
screening the prizes were given away, first for the
poster competition for both hand drawn and digital
categories, and then the major House competitions
such as the month-long recycling competition and the
At the end of it all I feel an overwhelming sense of
satisfaction. The support the event received from both
students and members of staff gave me so much
hope, for here collected in KYUEM was a bunch of
individuals who really cared about the environment.
Here’s hoping that as a result of this event, the green
message got through to many more.
28 January 2014
NH Club
Fishing
Trip
The club official notice came up on the notice board a
week before our fishing expedition. Within 2 days, a list of
more than 20 people was completed and some
participants even have to make way for Natural History
Club members and Duke of Edinburgh participants.
NH
Our journey started after we depart from campus at
roughly 5 o’clock in the evening, using college provided
van to our destination Slim River. The road
journey took about 20 minutes from college. The
lake we fished in Slim River is located in the heart of a recreational park
where locals can breathe in fresh air and stretch their muscles. The
facilities are also in good condition and no trace of vandalism and graffiti
were found. We gathered and were briefed by Mr Boler on the how-to’s
of assembling the fishing tackle. There were roughly 10 rods and every
two of us shared one rod which is perfectly okay as paired anglers can
help each other when there is difficulty or take turns to experience
fishing.
We equipped the anglings and sinkers together, and paid extra attention
to the hooks as they were sharp and impaling. After that, we knitted the
lines into the right position and the fishing tackle was complete within
minutes. The baits we used are crickets and they were supplied by our
teacher. Some students were terrified when grabbing the bait to penetrate the hook within the insect’s abdomen,
but eventually almost all of us conquered our entomophobia and managed to pick up the insects with our bare
hands.
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The casting motion of the angling into the lake can also be acquired easily:
unlock the knob of the reel while attaching two fingers on the line and on the
rod. Position your arm sideways, with the hand facing backwards. When you
are ready, swing your arms anticlockwise and at the apex on top of your
head, release the two fingers and toss the angling as far as possible.
Immediately lock the knob and start spinning the reels to make the lines
tight and stressed. That is the simple motion of casting, and then the angler
should wait until the fish is attracted by the bait.
Then the test of patience reached and we sat down on grasses while
waiting for the fish to get on hook. Nets were also provided and some participants
even scooped the lake water to look for invertebrates while waiting for fishes to stick it’s gullet
within the hook. At times, we felt the trembling of the rod but when we tugged the angling, there were only
weeds attached to our bait which dismays us occasionally. After that we have to cast the bait again back into the
lake.
RICELAND PRAWNS
Many interesting
water bugs were
caught using the
sweep nets,
h o w e v e r ,
i n c l u d i n g
WATER STICK Riceland Prawns
DRAGONFLY LARVA
WATER BOATMAN
INSECT
(Crustacea:
Decapoda:
Palaemonidae: Macrobrachium lanchesteri), several types of Water Snails
(Mollusca: Gastropoda), Water Fleas (Crustacea: Cladocera: Daphnia sp.),
Dragonfly larvae (Insecta: Odonata: Anisoptera), Mayfly larvae (Insecta:
Ephemeroptera), Water Boatmen (Insecta: Heteroptera: Notonectidae)
and
Water Stick Insects (Insecta: Heteroptera: Nepidae: Ranatra sp.). Mr Boler also
scooped up a fish! A small Walking Catfish (Pisces: Siluriformes: Clariidae) was
A CATFISH! netted – the only fish caught on the day!
After an hour of first time experience on fishing, the teacher summoned us to gather back at our meeting area.
Some students had difficulties untangling their lines, but was easily overcome by friends. After dismantling our
equipments, we took a group photo to keep as memory. The outcome of our fishing trip is not disappointing as
the teacher caught a fish and he kept inside his fishing tank.
This fishing trip was fruitful as I myself can finally, for the first time of my life perform fishing. The passion of
expecting a fish to be caught while keeping my awareness up to not be pierced by the hook was simply amazing.
Student Council Election
Manifesto Night 2014
11 February 2014
The final semester for the students of Batch 15.0 meant a stepping down of old
committees and the elections of new ones, especially the Student Council. The
applications were opened in November up until till late January, the final list of
approved candidates was then posted the following day. The candidates for the
2014 council not only had to put up posters and campaign but they were also
required to present their manifestos.
The first of three Manifesto Nights took place on the 11th of February, featuring the
two Sports Excos, Aiman Hashim and Natalia Vera, and also the Treasurer and
Secretary, Hafiz Adenan and Annalisa Iryanna. The two Sports Excos mainly
talked about improving the running of the bicycle sheds and the condition of the
bicycles, as well as encouraging sports among the students. A book festival and
an update of the collection of books in Resource Centre was suggested by the
Secretary while the Treasurer promised to aid in the smooth conduct of future
events. The moderator for the night was former female Vice President, Siti
Nazihah. The main highlight, however, was the three contenders for Female Vice
President which were Nik Nur Ainin Soffiya, Nurul Shamine and Nur Fadhillah.
The Academic Excos and the two contending Male Welfare Excos presented their
manifestos on the second night; Lim Jay Yen, Lim Li Ying, Jasvinder and Chong
Yuen Kit respectively. The Academic Excos both shared the same manifesto on
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getting more past year questions to the students as well as updating the book collection in the Resource Centre.
The contenders for Male Welfare Excos competed to prove which of them can better aid and care for the
students. Former male Vice President, Jalaluddin Mohd Zaiki, moderated the session in a comical fashion. The
three candidates for Male Vice President, Vicknesh Rajkumar, Bhagat Singh and Nur Azman Wazir stole the
show afterward.
Over half of the student body came and filled the Great Hall on the final night, moderated by former President,
Zawani Asri. Manifestos were given by the Religious Excos, Syafie Nazley and Sharifah Farzanah, who both
agreed to improve the Interfaith Dialogue and allow Sikhism in the Circle of Faith. They were then followed by the
ever enthusiastic Food Exco, Zahin Adib, who passionately preached against food wastage at the Dining Hall.
The grand finale of the event was the much anticipated interview and speeches of the two contesting Presidents,
Ilman Ismail and Syed Muhammad. After the usual brief introductions and the manifesto speeches, a long queue
was immediately formed by eager students during the Q&A session. The candidates were bombarded with a
series of difficult questions and the night ended on a rather tense note.
The Special Task Excos, reserved specially for the .5 students, held their manifesto sessions the day after in a
separate event. Benjamin Lee and Crystal Lee were then democratically elected by a show of hands to take up
the posts.
Students were encouraged to vote on the 18th of February where nearly all of the student body lined up in long
queues at the Great Hall to cast their votes. The leaving Student Council conducted the whole process and the
votes were counted that night. Just before lunch the next day, Zawani Asri put up notices on the newly elected
members of the council.
Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award
Qualifier Expedition for Silver and Bronze
14-16 February 2014
By : Koh Yun Xin
Day 1 - Friday 14th Feb: Chiling Reserve. It was a nice sunny morning. At about 10.30am, about 30 of us
(comprising Silver 1, Silver 2, Bronze 1, 2, 4 and 7) took off in our college bus heading towards Sungai Chiling Ikan
Sanctuari. After a 45-minutes drive, we arrived at our campsite and everyone started to pitch their tents and unload
some of the bulky things such as the sleeping mats and sleeping bags. We set off as the second group, each group
15 minutes apart and accompanied by a guide. Carrying with us a lighter rucksack, we walked across a metal
bridge that links our campsite to the forest. It was quite an easy walk initially before we came across some muddy
path that forced us to walk a bit slower to avoid slipping and drenching our shoes. (Walking in wet shoes is definitely
not a pleasant thing, as we had learnt the lesson the hard way last time when we had our expedition in Kerling—
our feet were blistered the next day after we walked in wet shoes).
Initially, our navigation and also the orange marks left by the guides led us smoothly through the forest, but not long
after that we heading uphill and arrived at a small piece of overgrown land and lost our direction. After some
discussion, we decided to walk back to the last junction we took and considered walking in another direction. After a
20-minute walk, we met Bronze 4 and were lucky that there was another guide who knew the way out, he asked us
to follow our original track and he guided us starting from the point that confused us just now. Although we spent
about 40 minutes walking up and down the same stretch of road, we were glad that we found something beautiful—
tiny pitcher plants that came in different colours, some were brown, some were yellow while others were green.
After having a break at the upper waterfalls, we started to walk back using a different route. It was an interesting
walk because we got to cross the river barefooted four times. At the first crossing, many wore slippers but soon we
realized that it will be even easier without the slippers. The rocks in the stream were slippery although they looked
rough, and we had to take a small step at a time and crossed slowly as the water was flowing quite fast. After
walking for about 1 hour, we reached at the campsite, with wet clothes but high spirits. Some of us continued
frolicking in the stream next to the campsite, while others started preparing dinner. It was quite a light track for the
14 first day and we had bonfire that night before we went to sleep at about 11pm.
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Day 2 - Saturday 15
th
Feb:
Bukit Kutu.
Early morning at about 7.00am, we
struck the tent and left for our
expedition up Bukit Kutu. Again as
the second group, we first walked
into an aborigine village called
Kampung Pertak and we met our
guide, Mr William there. At about
8.25am, we walked across a halfcollapsed metal bridge that marked
the starting point of our hiking up
Bukit Kutu. We were very energetic
initially, but walking up the slopes
drained our energy faster than we
thought. It was tough and there was
almost no level ground but only the
slopes that became steeper and
steeper. Though the distance
between our group members grew
wider, we kept each other in sight. It
seemed like a never-ending slope
and everyone was exhausted. (I
myself could barely move, and I felt
that I was going to shatter anytime.)
We stopped a few times but never
more than 1 minute because the
guide told us that long rest would
only discourage us more and our
legs will be even more reluctant to
move.
We met Nisa from Silver 1 on our
way up. She decided to join our
group because she was afraid that if
she pushed herself too much she
might have asthmatic attack, so she
rested and waited for us while her
group members continued hiking. I
think the odds were in her favour
because she lost her tracking shoes
and slippers a day earlier and the
right side of the tracking shoe she
borrowed (from Mr Boler’s wife) was
torn in the middle of her way up. We
stopped and used a sock to bind the
shoe so that it still remained as one
piece. Kivan helped Nisa with her
rucksack and she was able to
continue walking with us though she
looked exhausted. After much
struggle, we finally reached a spot
with many gigantic, overhanging
rocks where we took about 5
minutes to recover our energy
before we continued hiking to the
peak. When we finally reached the
peak, everyone sighed a relief and
was glad that we survived the
ordeal. We had our lunch at a
grassy patch with ruins of old British
hill houses (a tall chimney) and
some of us climbed up to an even
higher spot and took pictures of the
spectacular mountain views. We
also did not forget to take a group
photo in front of a metal plate that
tells the name of the mountain and
its height (Bukit Kutu, 1035m).
Walking down the hill was not as
hard as hiking up but the risk of
injuring ourselves was far higher
because the steep path was slippery
and there were thorny vines
(rattans) and trees along part of the
track. Each of us found ourselves a
thick fallen branch as our walking
stick and it really helped us a great
deal. We crab-walked to cross some
log bridges and luckily no one lost
their balance. Fearing that it will be
dark soon, we started to run down
the hill along the uneven path. I
thought everyone looked quite wild
when running down the hill, as there
were cuts, bruises and blue-blacks
on their hands and legs, and their
hair was messy like a nest. With the
hungry and extremely worn out
expression, I won’t be surprised if
any passers-by mistook us for the
mysterious primate-like Big Foot (a
tall and furry creature that looked
like Yeti) that someone believed still
lived in Peninsular Malaysia.
The campsite for the second night
was a nice and comfortable one at
the rafting company headquarters
next to the Sungai Selangor in Kuala
Kubu Bahru. There were clean
toilets and a proper kitchen. We
spent quite some time treating
muscle pain, cuts, bruises and
backache before turning in for the
day.
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15
15
Day 3 - Sunday 16
16
th
Feb:
Sungai Selangor rafting. We woke
up quite late for the third day and at
about 9.30am we set out in college
bus and soon reached at the upper
riverbank, just below the dam, where
we were briefed about the use and
importance of the lifejackets and
helmets. We first floated down the
fast-flowing rapids to learn how to
benefit the most from our helmets
and lifejackets and to get used to
falling into the water. We were
guided up the riverbank halfway
where we were taught by Mr Pie the
way to paddle our rafts directed by
two orang asli raftmen in each boat
which made us feel very safe. Then,
we went off in the rafts feeling
excited. Although some of us fell into
the water along the way, we were
saved by our teammates and also
the guides. The rapids were big and
wild and Mr Boler informed us that
they are Grade 4 in the whitewater
classification from Grades 1 (weak)
to 5 (huge). There was a time when
our group’s raft almost capsized and
all of us except Xue Mei fell into the
water. It was thrilling! After that there
was a place with many big rocks and
water flew down the rocky slopes in
extremely great speed. Our boat fell
down this very steep slope and
water gushed up and splashed on
us. Though we held tightly onto the
ropes on the raft, not all of us were
lucky to remain in the boat after the
fall. Xue Mei was the unlucky one
this time, she was thrown out and
was having a very difficult and
tumultuous time trying to hold onto
the ropes at the side of the raft. I
held onto her at the shoulder part of
her lifejacket but was too weak to
pull her up, but fortunately Amira
came to our rescue. Many of us
jumped off the raft later when we
were somewhere nearer to the jetty
and we enjoyed floating down the
rapids until we reached our
destination back at the rafting
headquarters.
After having a really sumptuous
buffet lunch prepared by the rafting
company, we bid goodbye to them
and returned to KY very tired but
very happy on completing our DofE
Silver Qualifying Expedition.
16 February 2014
Invitation Rugby League 2014
The annually KYUEM 10’s Invitation Rugby League
2014 was organized by the Sports& Co. Division and
Rugby Club on 16 February 2014. 5 teams
represented their esteemed College/University;
KYUEM, Victoria Institution Old boys Association
(VIOBA), INTEC, Taylor’s University and KYS Business
School. The KYUEM League is Pre-University Rugby
tournament that gathers among the best Pre-University
rugby teams. The objective of this event was to given
an exposure to the students in organizing sporting
events besides acting as a platform for the PreUniversity Rugby teams to competing at highest level.
In addition, this tournament was also to promote
KYUEM as a top notch College which excel in
education as well as extra-co-curricular.
The KYUEM Rugby league started at 9.00am and
ended at 5.00pm. All the teams were at highly –
motivated to compete against each other to ensure that
the league title was theirs. Despite the scorching hot
weather, the league run smoothly with minimum
injuries reported.
The Headmaster of KYUEM, Dr. Paul Rogers, Student
Services Manager, Cik Amal Hayati were delighted to
spend their time watching the game and later giving
away the medals to the team. The overall champion
was VIOBA as they had 4 wins and 1 draw followed by
KYUEM and Taylor’s University. Fahmi Anis, team
Captain for KYUEM Rugby Club was named the Best
Player.
17
Student Council Camp 2014
As per tradition, following suit after the
announcements of the new elected leaders of Kolej
Yayasan UEM, which include the Student Council
members, House Captains and Circle of Faith
Members, a KYUEM Leadership Camp is to be held to
train and prepare the students for their new
responsibilities. The camp, informally known as the SC
Camp, has been ongoing since its inception in 2006
and was carried out over the long weekend from
February 21st to 23rd. It was conducted by the former
student leaders of the college, freshly stepped down,
as their last event.
A usual Introduction & Briefing kicked start the camp,
followed by Ice Breaking. The participants were split
into five groups, which they had to name based on a
‘Candy’ theme, and were then set to introduce
themselves through a game of ‘Toaster’. Afterward, the
participants were to play a game to instil teamwork
and cooperation by balancing household items on the
tips of their fingers. Dinner was held after rest and
Maghrib prayers during which time seniors and juniors
must sit together to allow the chance to get to know
each other even better. The program resumed at 9.00
pm with The Best & The Worst, which was to train the
student leaders to tackle the five main problems in the
college. The five groups were given different
problems, such as Attendance, Participation,
Decoration, ‘Selfish’ and Communication. From there,
they had to come up with the best and worst solutions
to these problems, the worst solutions then had to be
presented by a different group. This was to teach the
students that no solution is bad at that they must work
with whatever was available. The night ended on a
cheerful note and the participants were allowed to rest.
21-23 February 2014
Saturday was a day packed with activities and its
morning began with a game of Chinese Whisperer &
Entangled at the basketball court, the former being
most favoured by the participants. The game was a
creative alteration of charades; its main purpose was
that participants had to convey important messages by
acting them out. Entangled was rather complicated,
requiring good communication and solving skills. The
participants were split into two groups of boys and girls
and from there, each group found themselves in a
mess of clutched hands and odd angles that they had
to untangle into a normal circle. The game took up
most of the morning before everyone was finally given
leave for breakfast. At 9.30 am, the first part of
Handling an Event began. This was an important
simulation given to the participants to plan one of the
most important college events, the College Birthday.
Seniors observed the juniors as they acted out being
in a meeting, keeping close watch of all the actions
taken and only giving them three opportunities to ask
questions. The second part of the event, continued
after a 30-minute break at 11.30 am, gave the seniors
a chance to give their opinions on the simulation.
Constructive criticism and a list of do’s and don’ts
were given to improve the participants’ planning skills.
Agree to Disagree was another simulation where the
participants played the US government and they had
to stop missiles from launching from Cuba by the
USSR. It was soon followed by a Session with SS,
handled by the SS Manager Ms. Amal, and a Session
with Super Seniors handled by Ariff and Hizami. The
event to wrap-up the night was Heart 2 Heart Session
from 9.00 pm to 11.00 pm. The new leaders were to
have private sessions with their predecessors for
advices, reminders and touching talks.
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18
18
Sunday marked the final day of the camp. By this
point, many students had unfortunately fallen ill to food
poisoning and therefore many participants were also
absent. At 9.30 am, the group performances were held
and followed by random games. Insights into the
Calendar was important for the student leaders to
outline and draft out the events for the rest of the year.
Most of the participants gave their opinions and
suggestions on how to sort the events and by the end
of the session, they had a rough outline on the
calendar plan. After lunch and Zohor prayers, a
Session with Headmaster began where he taught the
participants to think fast through a question answering
competitive activity. He left with words of advice and
high hopes for the new student leaders. Warisan was
a slot given so the participants can decide on what
they wanted to leave behind in college for future
generations to remember them by. After long
discussions, they came to a compromise on improving
communication within the college and introducing
washing machines. The grand finale and closing
ceremony of the camp was held at Garden Seafood,
Tanjung Malim, as a dinner. It was a bitter sweet end
to the three-day event with everyone sitting together,
enjoying good food, laughing and taking pictures.
All in all, the SC Camp has once again proven to be
beneficial to the new student leaders. Upon finishing
the camp, most voiced out that they enjoyed this
experience and cherished the valuable lessons they
learned. It not only prepared the students for their
responsibilities but undoubtedly started off cooperation
between the Student Council members, House
Captains and COF members on a good note.
19
NH Club
Kuala Selangor Trip
13 April 2014 | By : Chai Chen Chun
NH
On 13th April 2014 (Sunday), Natural History Club organised a trip to Kuala Selangor. 21
of us including 2 teachers departed at 12.20 p.m. After lunch, we took a tour at Bukit
Melawati by the mini train trailered by a tractor provided. It was a wonderful experience
for all of us. There were some cannons, a light house and Baitulhilal (Place of sighting of
‘New Moon’) and a lots of monkeys (Silver Leaf Monkeys/ Langurs). We then headed to
Taman Ikan Air Tawar. The authority took us to a fish gallery, showing us different species
of freshwater fish such as Red Tilapia.
Then, we went to Kuala Selangor Nature Park (KSNP), which is few steps away from Taman Ikan Air Tawar. We
were divided into 2 groups, each group was guided by a Malaysia Nature Society member for the 3 hours walk.
We were exposed to many types of flora and fauna, such as Ara Paya (Ficus microcarpa), the species that
dominate the secondary forest of KSNP. The tree is supported by aeriel roots. Its fruits are important source of
food for birds and other wildlife. We also saw groups of monkey (Long-tailed Macaque) Other than that, the guide
showed us Sea Hibiscus (Hibiscus tiliaceus) which produces a bright yellow flower with a maroon-eye. Its bark is
turned into string or ropes by the local fishing community.
Beyond the secondary forest was the mangrove forest, where Sonneratia alba species live. As an adaptation, the
mangrove trees excrete excess minerals from leaves. We also spot a lots of holes on the ground of the forest,
home to mangrove fiddler craps and maybe snakes, as if it was the site after World War II. This remind us the
significance of rain forest and mangrove trees.
After the walk, we had our seafood dinner at Medan Ikan Bakar Pantai Jeram. We grabbed the opportunity to
have a walk on the beach paved with white shells while waiting for the meals to be served. Then, we continue
our journey to Kampung Kuantan fireflies. We had the chance to take a close view of the fireflies by boats. Along
the river is the synchronous firefly beetle species Pteroptyx tener (Coleoptera: Lampyridae), which flashes 3
times a second in unison. They have a lifespan of 9 months but the adult beetles only live for 10 to 20 days. It
was amazing to see the eastern “Christmas tree” which is beautifully decorated by countless number of fireflies.
Something worth noticing is that the fireflies emit their light at the same time with same frequency.
Then, all of us return to the college and arrived safely at 10p.m. It was a memorable journey, tiring yet satisfied. It
is another way for us to befriend with nature and appreciate its beauty.
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Dr. Paul
Rogers
Nona Julia
Hashim
GRAPHIC DESIGN BY:
UEM STUDIO CIRCLE
Norazlan Mohd
Nordin
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