2016 KULN Annual Report

ANNUAL REPORT
2016

Kelab Umno Luar Negara IOWA

CONTENTPage | 1 KULN IOWA ANNUAL REPORT 2016

1| FOREWORD 2-4

2| EXECUTIVE COUNCIL 5 - 10

3| COMRADES 11-12

4| THREE PILLARS 13
14-63
Pillar 1: Intellectualism 64-84
Pillar 2: Professionalism 85-96
Pillar 3: Community Service
97
5| EDITORIAL TEAM

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FOREWORD

Muhammad Fikri Ashraf
Abdullah Hasin

President KULN Iowa

First and foremost, I would like to share my gratitude to my Executive Council members
for giving me an opportunity to share a few words and my thoughts throughout this
year. I would also like to express my highest gratitude to the Editorial Team for their
hard work and determination on completing this first edition of Annual Report by Kelab UMNO Luar Negara (KULN) Iowa.

Intellectualism. Professionalism. Community Service. These are three founding pillars for KULN Iowa. Through these
pillars, we have initiated and carried out many impactful and meaningful events to our audience who were mostly young
people. We believe there are many young talents here at Drake University and the United States and we, KULN Iowa, have the
desire and ambition to empower all these young talents to one day become future leaders to move our country far better than
what we are today.

I would also like to take this chance to thank all other organizations in the US including, but not limited to, Drake
MASA, Education Malaysia, COMMS, NAMSA, MAHEC, AMSISU and MISG for your support through-out the year. We always
remember that without their encouragement and guidance, we might not be able to stand strong as what we achieve today.

Lastly, I wish all the best to the next leadership of KULN Iowa. Let us hope and pray that KULN Iowa will remain strives
for excellence but still remains the KULN Iowa that we know and love.

Sincerely,

MUHAMMAD FIKRI ASHRAF ABDULLAH HASIN

President KULN Iowa 2016

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FOREWORD

PUAN AZIMAH BINTI ABDUL AZIZ

Director of Education Malaysia Chicago

Assalamualaikum. 3 years ago, a group of student came to meet me with a strong determination to be
the change for our beloved country, Malaysia. And this year, KULN Iowa is still standing and produce a lot of young leaders
that will strive for the betterment of Malaysia. Being the advisor for this organization, I strongly belive that all the members
already shown to the world what we were capable of. In 3 years, there are so many achievements and knowledge gained.
Alhamdulillah, this year, the first annual report for KULN Iowa will be published and shared to the world. Sweats, blood and
tears will become sweet memories after every events and activities is completed.

Education Malaysia Chicago would like to share our gratitude to KULN Iowa for the energy, support, and
commitment given to every event held by EMC throughout these years. KULN Iowa really is an exemplary example to other
Malaysian students in the United States of America and also other students in this world. The benchmark setted by KULN Iowa
really shown the maturity of thinking and also shown highest level of patriotism to the country as they keep producing good
events and and also good leaders.

Last but not least, I strongly believe that KULN Iowa is one of the best KULN in this world. I hope, all member from
KULN Iowa will be a very good leader in the future and will always fight for the country. The determination and also the
hardwork shown will really push the boundaries. Let this annual report be the first written records on the successes of KULN
Iowa and I am hoping that KULN Iowa will always be the best in the future.

Sincerely,

AZIMAH BINTI ABDUL AZIZ

Director of Education Malaysia Chicago

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“Leaders don’t create followers, they create more
leaders.”

― Tom Peters

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KULN IOWA HIGH COUNCIL

“Ultimately, leadership is not about glorious crowning acts. It's about
keeping your team focused on a goal and motivated to do their best to
achieve it, especially when the stakes are high and the consequences
really matter. It is about laying the groundwork for others' success, and

then standing back and letting them shine. “
- Chris Hadfield

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Muhammad Fikri Ashraf Abdullah Hasin
President

MOHAMAD SYAMIL ADHA ABDUL MALIK
Vice President

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MOHD HAZIQ FARHAN ABDUL HARIS
Secretary General

MOHD MATHORIDIE BIN MOHD SOBRI
Vice President of Logistics

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MOHAMAD HAZIEM HANAFI
Vice President Project Development & Strategy

SAFIAH AMIRAH MOHAMAD AZAHAN
Vice President of Media

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NOR ADLIN IZURIN BINTI DZULKILFI
Vice President Of Finance

ATIKAH PUTERI ABDUL AZIZ
Vice President of Corporate Relations

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ABDUL MATEEN HASHIM COMRADES 2014/2016
Actuarial Science & Information Systems
ATIKAH PUTERI ABDUL AZIZ
Senior Actuarial Science
Junior
AZIZAH MASTURINA MOHAMED SALLEH
Physics ELSA ATHIRA ASRI

SYAHIRA ANIS YAHYA Actuarial Science & International Relations
Actuarial Science & Information Systems
Sophomore
Senior
Actuarial Science SAFIAH AMIRAH AZAHAN
Quantitative Economics
Senior
Sophomore
MOHAMAD HAZIEM AIEMAN HANAFI
Finance MOHAMAD SYAZWAN ABDUL RAHMAN
Freshman Actuarial Science & Economics
Senior
MOHAMMAD NOR ABDUL RAHMAN
Actuarial Science MOHD HAZIQ FARHAN ABDUL HARIS
Senior English

MUHAMMAD IQBAL MOHD RAFI Sophomore
Finance & Economics
Senior MUHAMMAD AZAM ALI
Actuarial Science
MUHAMMAD FIKRI ASHRAF ABDULLAH HASIN Junior
Actuarial Science & Finance
Junior MUHAMMAD HAZMAN MOHD DANIAL
Actuarial Science & Accounting
MUHAMMAD ZAFRI MUSTAZAH Sophomore
Finance
Senior NOR ADLIN IZURIN DZULKIFLI
Actuarial Science
NUR ILI ATHIRAH AHMAD KAMAL Junior
Actuarial Science & Information Systems
SABRINA ASILAH KHAIRULNISAN
Senior Business Studies
Sophomore

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PILLARS

1. INTELLECTUALISM

2. PROFESSIONALISM
3.COMMUNITY SERVICE

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SERVICEPILLAR I

“Kelemahan kaum intelektual akan meneruskan
revolusi kaum pandir”

― Syed Hussein Alatas

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On 26th February, KULN Iowa held a “Teh Tarik” session discussing on a topic on “Mahasiswa Manja” which has
been conveyed by media back in Malaysia as a negative trait of today’s college students. “Manja” or spoilt, is defined as
the tendency to feel discontented when one’s desires are not met. “Mahasiswa Manja”, or spoiled students, is simply
described as being too demanding.

These are claims made by the older generation concerning the youths. This is mostly due to the perception that
youths are unwilling to put extra effort in getting something they want or need. Adding to that, they also argue that youths
have a negative inclination to complain and put blame on others rather than being proactive and taking responsibility for
the issues that they find troubling.

In Local newspaper’s’ headlines like: “Beli iPhone, makan tak cukup” described some students who are willing to
starve themselves for luxury. However, it will be unfair to label every college student with the same barcode. There are
students who use their pocket money to help their families financially. Some students come from families that aren’t as
financially stable as others and they feel responsible for their parents and siblings. Also, only hearing the opinions of the
older generation would make this a very one-sided argument. The situation today is different from back in the 80’s and
90’s. The reliability on technology has become more and more prominent and has changed our lifestyles and study
experience. A laptop and a smartphone can be considered as necessities to study.

The next thing discussed is the sponsorship money that sponsored overseas students receive. Sponsorships
involve a huge amount of money. Therefore, the students bear a great responsibility to their families and the people of
Malaysia. They are expected to study hard and graduate with above average credits. However, knowledge is not only
gained in the classroom. The experience of living in another country is almost as precious as the academic knowledge that
the students gain. Students should adapt to good values that are practiced overseas and apply them in Malaysia. Being
independent away from families and out of their comfort zones is a precious lesson that oversea student can learn.

Next is whether a sponsorship is a privilege or a right. This depends a lot on the perspective a person sees from.
It can be seen as an incentive by the government to “experiment” on different systems of education. Upon coming back
to Malaysia, the students can contribute ideas or perspectives to improve the education system in Malaysia. This is not
just for the education system. It can be implemented in other sectors in Malaysia. It can also be seen as a privilege as not
every student gets the equal opportunity to receive a sponsorship.

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Personal Branding & Dealing with
Media

 Journalism is not dying- it is changing
 News network is experiencing decline in viewers because of the nasty debates in current American

politics
 Best practices: keep your post concise
 Have great metadata so that people can find what you post
 You have to manage your own story
 One of our biggest concerns in today’s usage of social media is privacy management
 Think about the leaders of your industry, and try to model them in your personal brand
 To be relevant, you have to listen to the conversation in your industry and be included
 In your creation, be distinct, personable and sincere
 When it is photo/image, it will get more shares
 Solicit feedbacks in your content creation
 Be mindful of what you share on social media- don’t just make it just about pointless chatter
 70/20/10 rule- 70% info, 20% dialogue, 10% babble to appear professional on social media.
 Think about when to respond-business hours/ within 24 hours etc
 When you are thought leader, you should use noun-verb structure
 Try to talk directly to the readers! Use “you” a lot to connect with readers
 Write for the fifth to ninth grade to have people consume your media as much as possible
 Handling negative comments- don’t censor and be understanding in addressing them
 Acknowledge that it happened, apologize and then take the conflict offline.

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An event was held by KULN IOWA at Drake University because of the interest shown by students on
how China have affected culture on contemporary Malaysia. The event is held on April 22nd 2015 and was an
informative and fun session with Professor Timothy O’Neill, a visiting assistant professor of history
specializing in the cultural and intellectual history of East Asia, with a research focus on traditional China.

Students who participated in the event totaled to 25 people and all of them took away new knowledge on
how large the Chinese culture has been influential to Malaysia and even the world. From the creation and
culmination of standardized test at China that spread to the whole world to how they become bankers and
created their own industry like mines and banks. The event ended at 5.30 pm.

Attachment

(Professor O’Neill explaining how ethnicities are interspersed in Asia)

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Everyone wants to be successful, but sadly, not everyone is willing to do what it takes to achieve success. A
lot of people were given opportunities to attain success but never take advantage of them. People are afraid to take
on challenges or shoulder risks in order to become better. Sometimes, people just wait for the “right time” but
eventually “later” becomes “never”. The common factor in all of the above reasons is “yourself”.

Start with yourself if you want to be successful. No one understands yourself better than you. To be a champ,
you have to believe in yourself when nobody else will. Therefore, stop comparing yourself to other people and gather
up courage to work towards your own success. It is what you do each day that gets you where you are right now.
Some people are just born to do things last minute and work effectively under pressure. Some are just the type of
people who need to get things done early. Whoever you are, understand yourself and push yourself beyond your limit.
Make yourself strong to continue your journey in the future.

Second, there will always be new things to learn and room for improvement. Don’t stay in your comfort zone
and always take risks to try on new things. It is best to try different things until you find the something that suits you.
When you change the way you do things, you will get different results in life. Therefore, if you continue to do what you
have always been doing, you will never get to where you want to go. Be determined and build yourself up to compete
in this rat-racing world. Life is too short to get stuck at the same place for a long time. Just remember, no one is good
at everything. It is okay to fall hard, but it is never okay to stop trying. Sometimes you win, other times you learn.

Third, life can get really hard sometimes and make us want to give up. Worry not! Keep motivated. “Re-
energize” yourself with positivity. Take a few moments to pull yourself back together. Nothing is impossible when you
have yourself prepared. You have to fight through bad days in order to earn the best days. Attitude is important.
Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference. Change “I CAN’T” into “I CAN” and pretty soon you will say “I DID”.
Besides, motivation is equally important to make sure you are on your toes to success. Do not stop when you are
tired. Stop only when you are done! Stay focused and never give up.

Next, parents, siblings, friends, mentors, significant others, and just everyone will always have your back. Just
so you know, everyone is born with at least one angel who will always be by your side through your thick and thin.
Who will always be by your side to support you every time you fall or break down. Who will always pray for your
successes and be proud of them. It is okay to sometimes turn to them and cry on their shoulder. It is okay to get
strength from their sincere advice and silent prayers.

Last but not least, I will share my favorite advice from my senior which motivates me when things are getting
out of my control.
“It is okay to be stupid. At least, you can learn and improve.”

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MOCK
PARLIAMENT

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KULN Iowa Event Report

Mock Parliament 2016

1. Introduction
Mock Parliament 2016 was executed because of the interest shown by students on the topic of how our
Parliamentary work and the structure of the system itself. The event is basically our effort in copying
how the structure of parliamentary system in Malaysia is.

2. Objectives
2.1. The objective of the event was to educate Malaysian students, particularly those studying in the United
States, of how the parliamentary system in Malaysia works and functions, specifically Dewan Rakyat. It
also served as an extension of the many intellectual discourses held in Drake University, Iowa State
University, University of Iowa and other nearby universities and merged them into one sizeable
discussion. The biggest objective of the event was arguably to connect Malaysian students around the
Iowa region and fulfill the long-standing prospect of having an Iowa-wide event, parallel to the name of
the club itself, KULN-Iowa. Based on the diversity of the elected Members of Parliament and the
feedbacks received from the audience, both online and present, the event could be considered
successful.

3. Location and Time
3.1. Location
The event was held at Schilletter-University Village (SUV) Community Center in Ames, Iowa.
3.2. Time
The event ran from 10am to 5pm on April 17th, 2016.

4. Attendees
There were at least 50 students attending the event as present audience, and many more as livestreaming
audience. The YouTube views of the live video reached to as much as 632 views. Participants included 11
Members of Parliament and 4 members of the Executive Committee for the mock Dewan Rakyat, namely a
speaker, a secretary and 2 minute-takers.

5. Event Flow The committee of the events arrived
Arrival of audiences and Members of Parliament
7:30 a.m. :
10:00 a.m. :

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10:30 a.m. : The event started
The project director briefed all the members on the basic ground rules
10:59 a.m. : and manners of meeting
11:00 a.m. : Everyone, but the Executive Committee of the mock Dewan Rakyat, took his or her
1:15 p.m. : respective seats
2:15 p.m. : A bell was rung for a full 1-minute before the executive committee
5:00 p.m. : took their place
Dewan began discussion
Lunch break
Discussion resumed
Last motion past
Closing ceremony and photo session took over before the event was dismissed

6. Financial Summary
The budget given to us for the whole event totaled to 300 dollars. However, we managed to cut our
expenses to only 250 dollars and kept the remaining 50 dollars in the treasury of KULN Iowa.

7. Marketing Strategy
Marketing of the event was done mostly through Facebook. An event page was created to promote on the
profiles of the MPs involved and details on the real Dewan Rakyat and how the event was going to go
through. A lot of feedbacks were generated, particularly from people staying outside the Midwest region.
For that reason, I believe that we represent the whole of Malaysian students in the Midwest region when we
organized the event.

8. Sponsors
8.1. Member of Parliament, Kuala Lipis, Abdul Rahman Mohammad
We managed to get donations from one of the member of parliament and this helped in providing us the
money needed to get the event running.
8.2. Datuk Fadilah Yusuf
The minister of roadworks fund us in making the event a success through monetary donation towards
our organization, KULN Iowa.

9. Feedback
9.1. Pros
- The program informs us the current format of how the parliamentary system works.
- Students who volunteered to be a part of the program itself gets to express ideas and develop their
soft skills like public speaking and critical thinking.
- Expose the coordinators of the program on how to deal with technology like how to stream the
program.
9.2. Cons
- The attendance of the program is minimal because of the restriction of the venue.
- Range of participants from different race is non-existence. We tried as hard as we could to get
diversity in the mix but there are some complications that made them hesitate to join the event.

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Prepared by,

________________________
Mohammad Nor Abdul Rahman
Project Director KULN Iowa’s Mock Parliament

10. Pictures

(Program coordinators and volunteers pose for a group photo)

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(The layout of the proceedings as the event is happening)

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MEMBER’S CORNER

It was on November 21, 2015 that I had my first experience of being a moderator at a professional event. I
remembered how I had to drive through the snow to get to this extravagant event called Immigrant Entrepreneurs
Summit. This event is held every year and its mission is to bring businesses of diverse backgrounds together to share,
learn, and celebrate the immigrant entrepreneurship and contribution to the overall academy. It is sponsored and
supported by various companies and organizations here in Iowa, including Polk County Iowa. In overall, this event
has contributed significantly to the growth of the community here in Iowa, especially among immigrant entrepreneurs.

Although my experience as a moderator for the workshops that were held during this event was truly
sensational and enriching, in this article I’d like to underline my observations of the attendees. As the name suggested,
the majority of the attendees were immigrant entrepreneurs here in the United States. What’s interesting about them
is their eagerness to learn and to persevere here in the land of the unknown. From the information that I gathered
through talking to some of the attendees, many of them were struggling to keep their businesses going due to the
difference in culture and customs. Despite this, they did not simply give up on their ambition of having successful
businesses. On the contrary, they took this as a challenge to become better and develop their business skills. They
asked critical questions as well as questions that enriched their minds. The attendees’ desire to learn and improve
themselves was an interesting sight that certainly warmed my heart.

As an international student here, I felt a strong connection between their experience and mine. Coming here
to the States, there were various differences in culture that I had to adapt to. At times, it may be difficult to adjust,
especially when it comes to overcoming the feeling of longing for your friends and family at home. Nonetheless, I had
to persevere through these feelings and adapt in this new environment in order to maintain a good grade. Aside from
that, seeing the attendees at this event also reminded me of the importance of basic business skills. In this modern
age where capitalism has proliferated to nearly every corner of the world, knowing the modus operandi of a business
is highly encouraged. I’m saying this based on my experience of talking to two students who attended this event. One
of them was an art major who produced paintings and selling them online and the other was a biology major who
wanted to find a sponsor to fund his research. Despite the huge difference in their field of studies, both of them came
to this event to find the necessary business skills to further their motives.

I strongly believe that as a sponsored student abroad, one should always grab the opportunity to grow
themselves. Always look at the finer details of what you’re doing. There’s always an important lesson that could be
learnt underneath the surface. Undeniably, my experience in this event has certainly helped me to build my network
and hone my public speaking skills, but ultimately, it serves as a greater lesson through the reflection of others.

Hazman Danial

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When I move halfway across the world, I knew I wanted to
deviate from what I know and what I’ve been told before. And lo and
behold, I was thrown into my first year experience class aptly named
“Adult Films”. No, it’s not about watching R rated movies and writing
a paper about said movies. Instead, we dealt with adult life themes.
Mainly, how to evaluate your tried and true ideals including but not
limited to your faith and the choices you have made in life.

I was told to examine my belief system- whether or not it has the
credentials to belong in the realm of my “ultimate truth”. I was at first,
glad that this experience presented itself. I am a Malay Muslim and
within the context of my social location, I was told to not ask
questions about who I am. I was told that my ideology is
empowerment within itself and should not be further examined
because it could lead to doubts. This piece however, is not a critique
to the inadequacies of Malaysian religious education or education in
general. I am after all, a product of such environment and I think I’m
getting by just fine. Instead, I want to draw attention to our timidity as
a society to examine our belief systems. To ask existential questions
within the context of Islam is insufferably difficult in Malaysia.

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I soon discovered however, that questions such as “what is the
character of God you’ve claimed to exist?” or even “how do you know
that Islam is your ultimate truth?” can easily be answered with the
tools provided to me by my own education system from the
community I grew up in. The flaw is not in the things we are taught-
it is the inability or the timidity that we possess to put those tools to
the test. We are gung-ho over protecting each other’s faith that we
forgot empowerment comes through knowledge. Protection from our
guardian- be it our parents or the discourses by our religious bodies-
isn’t empowerment. It breeds the feeling of infantilization and much
more dangerously, resentment.

So what is the conclusion of my experience? It is that I know
something more about myself that confirmed the truth within my
belief system. It is that the questions asked can easily be answered
through the Quran. It is that my faith in Islam only strengthened, and
not weakened. I can’t claim that my experience can translate
universally to everyone. I can claim though that knowledge removed
most of the timidity surrounding my faith practices. Now, more than
ever, I can be unapologetic about my identity. I can claim, proudly,
that I am a Malay Muslim from Malaysia and I believe wholeheartedly
that Islam is my ultimate truth.

Best,
Elsa

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The Ups and Downs of Studying Abroad
*This is the personal opinion of the author and is not a reflection of KULN Iowa.

During my childhood, I was taught with the idea that great people always study abroad. Whenever
somebody scored even remotely well on tests and examinations, the teacher would give words such as “Hey, you
are such a bright kid. You should aim to further your studies abroad. It’s really great.” Coming from a village
quite distanced from big cities in Kedah, I experienced a lot of such things. Especially when both of your brother
and sister are currently studying overseas. And to top it off, your aunt is the teacher of the primary school that
you went to. Pressure was on me when I was taking my Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) as it would determine
where I will be studying next. I would consider myself to be hugely affected by this environment and soon, find
myself wanting to study overseas as well. So much so that I would consider myself a failure if I cannot do so.

Thankfully, I am blessed with such opportunity and have been studying in the capital city of Iowa, the city
of Des Moines for a year and a half now. Taking English as my major for undergraduate degree is also one thing
that I am absolutely grateful for. Nobody sponsored by MARA is studying the same field as I am and English
studies in the United States is really, well I would say, interesting. My mind at first was not ready for such open
discussion on topic considered taboo in Malaysia. Homosexuality, racism and sex is talked about and discussed
every day. Adapting to such things was very hard for me and definitely introduced my mind to a particular way
of thinking. Yes, it does conflict with my own beliefs but I tried to accept that not everybody will hold the same
beliefs that you so dearly hold as well and in truth it helps me in communicating with people that don’t share their
opinions with me. A trait that I am certainly proud to admit of having.

What I am trying to get at is, people in Malaysia do have the tendency to persuade people to study abroad,
over-glorifying these institutes, but with good reasons. The above point is just one of the many benefits a young
student, like myself could actually get. This is not to say that people studying in Malaysia will not be on par if
not better than the students overseas. Heck, a lot of my friends are on a better place in life than I am right now yet
they are indeed local students. However, I recognize the benefit of exposing ourselves to an environment that we
are not comfortable to improve ourselves as a person. I admit I am not always actively trying to put myself in
these situations but putting your efforts here and there sometimes could really go a long way. Such a long way
that you need to travel almost 16 thousand kilometers away from rural Kedah, in my case.

It had been 4 years now since I started studying in the states. Now, it is less than 3 months
before my graduation and a few months ago I started to feel slightly discouraged – an emotion twenty-
something can relate to these days. It’s the hopelessness that arises when I consider how to get ahead
in life; the disappointment that envelopes me when I wonder if I’ve made the right decisions so far. With

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the anxiety to face the real world after graduation, I contemplate whether I should go back home or
stayed here. Some says staying here for the better job and better salary but some says I should go
back and serve the country. Until recently, a friend of mine lend me a book; The Alchemist by Paula
Coehlo that had helped me to realize something that is important. The motive of lending me his book
was to encourage me to start reading again but what I got from the book is way more than just that. As
I read the book, I couldn’t help but make connections relatable to my situation. I don’t want to waste
the whole post talking about the whole book. Here, I would like to touch on two life lessons/quotes that
had had give impact on my decision making for my life after college.

“Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And that no heart has
ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second’s
encounter with God and with eternity.”

I really love this quote and made me realize that the decisions that I made should be based on
what I want to do and not what people expect me to do. The fear of society judging me had been
hindering me from making decisions that are good for me. It is good to get opinions from others but at
the end of the day it is still all about yourself. Don't let the fear of others holding you back on achieving
your dream!

“He still had some doubts about the decision he had made. But he was able to understand one
thing: making a decision was only the beginning of things. When someone makes a decision, he is
really diving into a strong current that will carry him to places he had never dreamed of when he first
made the decision.”

It’s a really mind blowing concept if you just sit back and think about it for a moment or two. This
quote reminds me of how older generation always says “semua benda yang berlaku ada hikmah di
sebaliknya” and in this book it says that the universe is conspiring to help you to achieve everything
you want. But of course we have to be clear of what we want and expect. All the decisions that we
make and decide is an opportunity for something amazing. Even when it doesn’t seem that way, there
is always a crack of silver lining.

There are a lot more quotes in the book that really awed me and open up my eyes as well as
my mind. If you are stuck in between decisions or lost in searching your future path, I recommend
reading this book! So what is my decision in the end? Just wait for my next installment! Till then,
Salam :)

Warmest

Regards,

KULN Iowa Internal VP

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__________________________________________________

Setelah tamat pengajian aku di universiti selama 3.5 tahun, aku berasa sangat
kecewa dengan diri sendiri pada awalnya atas sikap aku yang tidak berhempas-pulas
dalam memanfaatkan sepenuhnya peluang yang telah disuap kepada aku. Begitu
banyak ruang dan peluang yang ada untuk aku menjadi lebih baik daripada apa yang
aku ada sekarang namun penyesalan ini hanyalah sia-sia kerana masa tidak boleh
dikembalikan. Apa yang aku ada hanyalah taubat dan semangat untuk tidak
melakukan kesilapan yang sama. Alhamdulillah kini aku berada dalam sebuah institusi
kewangan berwarna darah di tanah air namun dengan rasa geram dengan diri sendiri,
aku ingin berkongsi 3 kesilapan yang telah aku lakukan:

Kurang Penglibatan Dalam Kampus

Aku dapat merasakan perkara ini merupakan kerugian yang besar bagi pelajar
yang berpeluang melanjutkan pelajaran di luar negara. Selain daripada reputasi
akademik universiti-universiti luar negara, pengalaman menjalankan kehidupan di luar
negara memberi impak besar kepada kehidupan aku. Malang sekali, aku tidak
menggunakan peluang yang ada di Amerika Syarikat dengan melibatkan diri dengan
aktiviti dan kelab dengan lebih aktif daripada apa yang telah aku buat dalam masa 3.5
tahun aku di universiti. Tidaklah bermaksud aku mengurungkan diri aku dalam bilik,
bermain FIFA atau menghadap drama di Netflix 24 jam. Aku ada menyertai organisasi
“professional fraternity” semasa aku di tahun pertama (Freshman) dan kedua
(Sophomore) dan aktif dalam menggerakkan komuniti aku di universiti pada tahun
ketiga (Junior) dan (Senior) dengan menubuhkan satu kelab yang berfokuskan negara
sendiri. Tetapi aku merasakan kerugian pada diri aku kerana tidak menggunakan
platform yang ada untuk membawa aku keluar dari kepompong selesa. Aku yakin
dengan penglibatan dalam aktiviti dalam kampus inilah yang membentuk soft-skills
yang diperlukan selepas tamat pengajian seperti kerja berkumpulan, pembentangan,
sesi brainstorm, pergaulan dengan orang baru dan sebagainya. Tetapi, amatlah rugi
jika pelajar yang belajar di luar negara tetapi tidak mahu keluar dari zon selesa dan
tiada pengalaman dalam melibatkan diri dalam aktiviti di universiti.

Tidak Memanfaatkan Cuti Musim Panas

Cuti musim panas adalah cuti panjang bagi pelajar di bumi Amerika Syarikat.
Jika tidak mengambil kelas semasa semester pendek musim panas, cuti semester ini
boleh mencapai sehingga lebih daripada tiga bulan. Ada yang akan pulang ke tanah
air dan ada juga yang melancong ke negara atau negeri lain. Bagi aku, tidak salah
untuk berjalan-jalan, selfie dan melompat sana-sini semasa melancong. Tetapi,

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cukuplah kalau melancong sekadar sebulan sahaja dan manfaatkan selebihnya
dengan melakukan internship yang berkaitan dengan pengajian sendiri. Pengalaman

bekerja amatlah penting dan bukan sekadar untuk menghiasi resume dan Linkedin
semata-mata. Tetapi ia lebih kepada anda memberi refleksi terhadap diri sendiri, sama
ada anda betul-betul telah memilih pengajian serta haluan yang betul. Begitu banyak
ruang dan peluang internship yang ada di dunia ini. Bayaran tolak tepi. Yang penting
pengalaman dan pengajaran daripada pengalaman tersebut. Jika tidak, jangan
menyesal dan terkial-kial mencari kerja atau tidak mempunyai idea untuk bekerja apa
selepas tamat pengajian. Jangan salahkan MARA atau JPA atau Talentcorp.

Tidak Memberi 100% Usaha Dalam Akademik

Ramai orang yang (acah-acah) berjaya mengatakan apa yang belajar dalam
kelas tak penting. Ada juga yang memberi contoh beberapa jutawan (atau ahli politik)
yang tidak mempunyai kelayakan akademik tetapi masih berjaya. Bagi aku, ini
merupakan falasi, terutama bagi seseorang yang bergelar sarjana (scholar). Scholar
ini dilaburkan bagi membawa sesuatu perubahan atau penambahbaikan kepada

negara kita. Seaktif mana pun kita dalam penglibatan aktiviti-aktiviti di dalam kampus,
akademik tidak seharusnya diabaikan. Jangan jadikan kesibukan sebagai penghalang
kepada kurangnya fokus kepada akademik. Aku telah berjumpa dengan ramai pelajar
yang mempunyai CGPA melebihi 3.5 dalam masa yang sama aktif dalam penglibatan
kelab-kelab dalam kampus. Percayalah, apa yang dipelajari dalam kelas merupakan
asas-asas kepada aplikasi dalam kehidupan bekerja kelak. Malah, firma-firma besar

dalam dan luar negara amatlah menitikberatkan pengetahuan berkaitan dengan
akademik. Aku pernah menghadiri temuduga dan aku ditembak bertalu-talu dengan
soalan berkaitan dengan kelas-kelas yang pernah aku ikuti semasa di universiti. CGPA
juga amatlah dititikberatkan dalam memohon kerja selepas tamat pengajian, terutama
pada era di mana CGPA 3.5 ke atas itu merupakan kebiasaan bagi pelajar lepasan
universiti (ditambah lagi dengan kelayakan profesional seperti CFA dan ACCA). Jika
ada terdengar orang kata akademik tidak penting, katakan bullshit kepada Yang
Berhormat tersebut.

Ini semua penyesalan terhadap apa yang telah berlaku. Tiada apa yang aku
mampu lakukan untuk mengubah apa yang telah berlalu tetapi aku tahu selagi hayat

dikandung badan, masih banyak yang aku mampu lakukan untuk tidak mengulangi
kesilapan yang sama. Namun aku yakin segalanya telah ditentukan oleh Allah SWT
dan apa yang aku dapat adalah yang terbaik untuk aku, bukan apa yang aku
mahukan. Apa yang penting adalah sentiasa berusaha ke arah yang lebih baik. Bak
kata Albert Einstein,

“Ketidaksiuman adalah melakukan perkara yang sama berulangkali dan
mengharapkan keputusan yang berbeza.”

Semoga anda tidak melakukan perkara yang aku nukilkan di atas. Jika ada, taubatlah
segera.

Dinukil oleh,
Orang Lama

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_______________________________________________

Duhai pemuda,

Aku menulis dengan gementar dan berharap. Aku khuatir tetapi masih menyala dalam
diriku setitis harapan. Aku masih melihat setompok cahaya di hujung terowong ini,
walau sekelilingku sedang dibaluti zulmat maha gelap. Beralah dan mengalah tiada
dalam kamus hidup! Kerana aku yakin dengan kalam murobbiku,

Sesiapa sahaja yang memilih Tauhid menjauhi Syirik
Sesiapa sahaja yang memilih Keadilan menjauhi Kezaliman
Sesiapa sahaja yang memilih Kebaikan menjauhi Kejahatan
Tuhan tidak akan membiarkan mereka terkontang-kanting sendirian.
Seluruh alam akan dibawa oleh-Nya menyokong pilihan.
Kerana ia sebuah perjuangan.
Sebuah kemuliaan.

Masamu begitu banyak di usia dini. Apa yang kamu lakukan? Masamu begitu banyak
di usia dini. Apa yang kalian isi? Masamu begitu banyak di usia dini. Apa jawapan di
hadapan Rabbul ‘Izzati kelak?

Izinkan aku untuk berkongsi sebuah pepatah Arab,

‫ركود الماء يفسده فراغ الشباب يتقله‬
“Statiknya air akan merosakkannya, statiknya pemuda (dengan banyaknya masa
lapang dia) akan membunuh dirinya”

Aku mahu berkongsi pesanan inspirasi pada kalian, agar kita semua kembali pada
ilmu. Lihatlah di sekeliling kalian wahai pemegang jiwa membara! Dalam mendepani
arus globalisasi yang deras, umat Islam kian tenggelam dengan kehidupan yang
melalaikan serta dilemaskan dengan hiburan yang tidak mendidik jiwa seorang hamba.

Tidakkah kalian risau melihat kerosakan yang berleluasa ini? Seperti pemuda Al Kahfi
yang tidak tenteram dengan kemaksiatan dan kegilaan pada zaman mereka. Di dalam
al-Quran, Allah telah membentangkan satu kisah untuk tatapan pemuda Islam
sepanjang zaman. Dalam usia yang masih muda mereka sudah mengenal betapa
tingginya nilai iman dan agama sehingga mereka tidak sanggup menggadaikannya
walaupun dengan tawaran harta benda yang mahal. Mereka lebih rela
mempertahankan iman dan agama mereka biarpun terpaksa hidup dalam buangan
dan terasing.

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Duhai pemuda,

Masyarakat kita sudah jauh daripada kebenaran. Masyarakat kita sudah terhumban
dalam kegelapan. Masyarakat kita sudah terperosok di lembah kejahilan. Buka
matamu seluasnya melihat realiti. Selamatkanlah umat ini dengan seruan kalian!

Ketahuilah olehmu, bahawa tiada jalan lain untuk memandu kepada kebenaran
melainkan dengan ilmu pengetahuan. Adapun maksud ilmu itu hanya dua. Untuk
menghapuskan kejahilan diri, seterusnya kejahilan orang lain.

Aku yakin roh pemuda kalian meluap-luap dengan semangat pejuang. Singa dalam diri
kalian mula bangkit mengaum. Kalian mahu mengubah dunia. Tetapi kalian dulu perlu
berubah!

‫اصلاح نفسك وادع غىرك‬
“Perbaiki diri kamu (terlebih dahulu), kemudian serulah yang lain”

Inpirasi yang kalian tawarkan pada umat mesti berpaksikan ilmu pengetahuan. Jangan
kita seru mereka dengan kosong. Jalan yang akan kalian tempuhi penuh onak dan
duri. Hanya ilmu yang akan membimbing sebagai kompas, mudah-mudahan kalian
tidak tersasar dari jalanNYa.

Duhai pemuda,

Ilmu itu luas, seperti hamparan laut tak bertepi, dalam tak berdasar. Faedahnya amat
banyak sehingga tiada upaya anak Adam untuk berenang dan mengharungi lautan ini.
Keluasaan ilmu sudah Sang Penguasa rakamkan dalam Kalamullah, Luqman ayat 27,

‫َو َل ْو أَنَّ َما ِفي ٱلأَ ْر ِض ِمن َش َج َرةٍ أَ ْقلاَ ٌم َوٱ ْلبَ ْح ُر يَ ُمدُّهُ ِمن بَ ْع ِد ِه َس ْبعَةُ أَ ْب ُح ٍر َّما نَ ِفدَ ْت َك ِل َما ُت ٱََّّل ِل ِإ َّن ٱََّّل َل َع ِزي ٌز َح ِكي ٌم‬
“Dan sekiranya segala pohon yang ada di bumi menjadi pena, dan segala lautan
(menjadi tinta), dengan dibantu kepadanya tujuh lautan lagi sesudah itu, nescaya tidak
akan habis Kalimah-kalimah Allah itu ditulis. Sesungguhnya Allah Maha Kuasa, lagi
Maha Bijaksana”

Ilmu itu ibarat kota yang kukuh. Ia melindungi dan menyelamatkan kita daripada bala’.
Kita dilindungi daripada asakan luar bala’ yang bertali arus. Kita diselamatkan daripada
serangan dalam bala’ yang bertubi-tubi. Ketahuilah pemuda, bala’ yang aku
maksudkan adalah kejahilan. Kejahilan tidak pernah leka mengintai peluang walau
secarik. Pantang lepa, ia masuk memporak perandakan kehidupan.

Duhai pemuda,

Kalimah Iqra’ dipilih sebagai permulaan untuk mendidik Nabi Muhammad dalam
membangunkan umat Islam, setelah lama dibelenggu dengan kegelapan jahiliyah.
Kalimah Iqra’ dipilih sebagai kunci pertama risalah kenabian. Bangsa Arab pada ketika
itu sudah lama terpesong daripada ajaran agama yang benar. Amalan dan ritual yang
bercanggahan dengan kesucian beragama bermaharajalela sewenang-wenangnya.
Mereka tidak mengenal erti akhlak, etika dan moral. Justeru, Nabi Muhammad S.A.W
hadir di tengah kebuntuan masyarakat bagi membawa mereka ke arah kebenaran
yang sejati.

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Kita dapat lihat transformasi umat Islam secara berdikit-dikit sehingga mencapai era
kemuncaknya kerana umat Islam berpegang kepada mesej yang terakam melalui titah
Allah S.W.T: Iqra’! (Bacalah!)

Jika kita menelusuri lipatan sejarah dunia, kita dapat menyaksikan umat Islam begitu
unggul menguasai hampir dua per tiga dunia. Kekuatan transformatif kalimah Iqra’

tidak hanya merubah jiwa dan minda bangsa Arab, tetapi juga dunia keseluruhannya.
Kita semua sedia maklum bahawa tamadun Islamlah yang menjadi pelopor kepada
kemajuan tamadun yang kita kecapi sekarang. Dunia Barat hari ini tidak mungkin
mencipta keunggulannya dalam bidang sains teknologi tanpa sumbangan tamadun
keilmuan Islam.

Hakikat ini dijelaskan lagi lewat buku seorang sarjana Barat, Jonathan Lyons, melalui
buku yang berjudul The House Wisdom – How Arabs Transformed Western
Civilization. Umat Islam dahulu berbangga dengan Baitul Hikmah, perpustakaan yang
sangat kaya dengan karya-karya akademik sekaligus menjadi pusat kegiatan keilmuan
seperti penterjemahan dan pengkaryaan. Pada waktu itu, seluruh dunia memusatkan

perhatian kepada tamadun Islam, umat Islam adalah umat yang terkehadapan dari
segenap aspek. Kita pernah menjadi umat yang gemilang suatu masa dahulu!

Duhai pemuda,

Memang menghairankan bagaimana umat yang gah dan gemilang satu ketika dahulu
dengan tradisi keilmuan tiba-tiba jatuh merudum. Kita pada hari ini ibarat berada dalam
barisan terkebelakang dari sebuah kafilah yang berjalan. Di saat tamadun lain
berlumba-lumba untuk meningkatkan kualiti hidup mereka berpaksikan ilmu
pengetahuan, kita masih terkial-kial mencari arah.

Tak mampu dihitung betapa beruntungnya dunia dengan kemajuan umat Islam pada
zaman silam, dan demikian pula tidak ternilai ruginya dunia ini apabila umat Islam
ditimpa tragedi ketandusan ilmu dan intelektual.
Inilah realiti pahit yang perlu ditelan. Kita sudah lesu. Kita sudah layu.

Sedarlah pemuda sekalian,

Al Quran bukanlah sekadar kitab yang dibaca semata-mata dengan motif ta’abudiy. Al
Quran tidak diturunkan sekadar untuk mencari pahala. Malahan, setiap ayat mesti
difahami dan direnungi mesejnya. Umat Islam harus membaca Al Quran dengan
gagasan tadabbur, agar pembacaan tidak sekadar membaca, bahkan ia menghasilkan
kefahaman dan penghayatan.
Kegagalan untuk terkesan dengan semangat Iqra’ inilah yang menatijahkan kelesuan
intelektual, kebekuan daya bersaing dan ketandusan spiritual. Andainya umat ini ingin
bangkit mengulangi kegemilangan sejarah masa lalunya, semangat Iqra’ harus dipugar
dan disegarkan.

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Duhai pemuda,

Renungilah mesej yang terkandung dalam ayat 1 sehingga 5 surah Al-‘Alaq ini,
‫ٱ ْق َرأْ ِبٱ ْس ِم َر ِب َك ٱلَّ ِذي َخلَ َق * َخلَ َق ٱل ِإن َسا َن ِم ْن َع َل ٍق * ٱ ْق َرأْ َو َربُّ َك ٱلأَ ْك َر ُم * ٱلَّ ِذى َعلَّ َم ِبٱ ْل َق َل ِم * َعلَّ َم ٱل ِإن َسا َن َما لَ ْم َي ْعلَ ْم‬
“Bacalah (wahai Muhammad) dengan nama Tuhanmu yang menciptakan (sekalian
makhluk. Ia menciptakan manusia dari sebuku darah beku. Bacalah, dan Tuhanmu
Yang Maha Pemurah. Yang mengajar manusia melalui pena dan tulisan. Ia
mengajarkan manusia apa yang tidak diketahuinya.”

Tetapi ingat! Ilmu tidak seharusnya membuat kita sombong. Ilmu tidak berhasrat
kepada insan yang bongkak mendabik dada. Bukan jagung yang patut kita contohi,
semakin berisi semakin jegang Sebaliknya jadilah seperti padi, semakin berisi semakin
tunduk.

Semangat Iqra’ ialah semangat yang mendorong kita sentiasa ghairah mencari ilmu

pengetahuan demi pengabdian kepada Maha Pencipta. Umat yang sedar ialah umat
yang memahami bahawa titah Iqra’ ini seiring dengan orientasi tauhid. Bertitik tolak
dari motivasi Iman, kita mengenal, mengagumi dan mengabdikan diri kepada Ilahi atas
dasar ilmu pengetahuan yang betul.
Kerana ilmu semuanya datang daripada Tuhan. Dia yang Maha Bijaksana
mengajarkan kita cahaya ilmu. Dia mengajarkan manusia apa yang tidak diketahuinya.

Lantas, kita membaca atas nama Tuhan.
Duhai pemuda,
Bagi seorang pencinta ilmu, tiada istilah berhenti. Proses pembelajaran ialah proses
yang panjang tanpa noktah. Inilah inspirasi sebenar yang perlu kalian cari. Teruskan
kembara kalian, merentas dataran, membelah lautan demi meraih sebuah ilmu
pengetahuan.

-PEMUDA-

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Last week, the College of Business and Public Administration (CBPA) here in Drake
University, organized a service weekend, which aimed to become the platform for students to
give back to the community. I believe that this was a good step taken on their behalf because in
this world of globalization where everyone is striving for themselves, we need to realize the
fundamental need to contribute back to the society at large. The long term goal of the service
weekend is to make the students realize how they could significantly change someone’s life
through this event, or their own initiatives. Thus, I took this chance to participate in three of the
activities.

On Friday, we went to Wesley Acres, a senior nursing home. There, we participated in
the Wesley Acres Activity Day, whereby a few activity stations were set up. These activity
stations allowed the seniors to participate in games, arts and crafts, poetry reading, photo booth
and cookie decorating. Tiring as it was, nothing was more rewarding than seeing the smiles on
their face while having our company. I truly felt like our attention and time managed to break
their long and lonely days.

On Saturday morning, we went to Hope Ministries’ Encore Thrift Store located at Merle
Hay, Urbandale. The ultimate purpose of Hope Ministries is to help women and children who
are homeless or in need of support. Hope Ministries operates two thrift stores in the Des Moines
area, both of which offer low-cost clothing, shoes, furniture, household goods and other slightly
used items. Hope Ministries accept various donations and these are the things that they will sell
at their stores. We went there to help sort, tag and prepare these donations for sale.

On Sunday, we went to help “Just Between Friends”, a huge sales event where
communities come together to buy and sell the best in gently-used children’s and maternity
items at huge savings. They are able to sell those items to other families who can use them and
put 65-75% of the selling price back in their pocket. If there are items which are not sold during
this event, they will be donated to Hope Ministries.

When I came to these events and talked to the volunteers, I realized that the majority of
them have a full time job and a family that they need to tend to. It was then that I had a moment
of clarity. In today’s individualistic world of success, we must never lose sight of those who are
less fortunate than us. Community service is not about time; volunteers don’t necessarily have
the time, but they do have the heart to contribute back to those in need.

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"A Balanced

College Life"

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.”
– Albert Einstein.

“While keeping to move, you will have to keep balancing; or else you will be drowning.”

What does it mean to be balanced? Personally, I always feel that it is great not to overdo
something; at least to me, being moderate would be a better option. I found that the quote above
is so appealing, which urge me to spice it up with one more compelling line. In leading towards
a balanced life, it would be easier to draw a line between external and internal needs. External
needs usually involves study, social and fun time while internal needs includes having a good
health, mind and heart.

As a student, it is common to dedicate much of our time for studies, but bear in mind, this phase
is also important for our life development. Taking our time off to do something fun and
socializing would not hurt our studies. If we get scared that it might waste our time too much,
try to invest our time on something that is fun but at the same time useful and meaningful. The
best example would be travelling! I personally love travelling as we could seek out a lot of
knowledge about those places as well as enjoying the scenic views that it has. Believe it or not,
we are actually rehearsing on taking control of our financial plan, which is a good start before
really planning for our future financial commitment. Apart from that, try to be involved with
different kinds of activities that will build up our living skills. It could be something as simple
as volunteering or taking a leadership position.

Same thing goes to our internal needs; spending time on our self is essential for the mental
health. Do some reflections about our attitudes towards people, challenge ourselves to go out of
comfort zone and allow some ‘me, myself and I’ time. Leading a healthy life would also add up
the spices to your balanced life. When I said healthy life, it does include having a healthy
interpersonal relationship with the community apart from healthy eating. Our time in college is
the best opportunity in building up the communications skills since we will eventually
encounter numerous kinds of people with different personalities to handle with.

I truly believe that we should really start balancing our life as much as we can since college
because we could never imagine how busy we could be as soon as we step our feet into career
world. More complicated situations are yet to come when we decide to build our own family in
the future. This is only my 2 cents, but let’s start to juggle our priorities in life!

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Tips for interview: S.T.A.R

Interview can be a nerve-wrecking situation and you do not want to blow out
your chance by being nervous. When you are nervous, you may ramble
when answering interview questions. The absolute best thing you can do to
prepare for a job interview is to practice your answers to the questions you
are most likely to be asked. Use the S.T.A.R. method as the guidance to
answer the question.

S for situation
When you get the question, take a few seconds to try to think of a situation
that might be suitable for the questions asked. You do not have to rush, but
you do not want to appear indecisive. The situation can be just about
anything. Do not worry whether the situation is relevant or not. That is
because the way you elaborate the situation that matters. No situation is
small or not important. It is important to bring energy and enthusiasm to the
situation you are going to tell.

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T for task
Next, further explain the situation by telling the interviewer about the task
you were in charge of in that situation. This transition from telling the
situation and explaining the task that you need to accomplish is very
important. When interviewers ask for an example of a time when you did
something, they are asking behavioral interview questions, which are
designed to elicit a sample of your past behavior. If you fail to relate a
specific example, you not only do not answer the question, but you also
miss an opportunity to prove your ability and talk about your skills.

A for action
As for the action, it is about the thing that you had done to accomplish the
task given to you. Attitude plays a key role in your interview success. There

is a fine balance between confidence, professionalism and modesty. Even if
you are putting on a performance to demonstrate your ability,
overconfidence is as bad, if not worse, as being too reserved. You know
your ability; make sure the interviewer believes you can too. Restate any
strength and experiences that you might not have emphasized earlier.

R for result
To conclude your answer, you can share about the result from that situation
you faced. Result can be the success of the event that you were in or the
value that you learnt from that situation. This part is crucial because this is
your last chance to sell your skills and abilities. In this part, try to incorporate
the values that the company are looking for. Address those values in the
interview so you can convince the interviewer that you have those values
and are willing to learn.

Remember, rehearse your answers with S.T.A.R method out loud. Practice
saying them over and over and over, until your answers fly off your tongue
automatically. The more you practice, the better you will get and the more
comfortable you will feel. And most importantly, if you do this, you will see a
significant improvement in your interview experience. Lastly, do not forget to
send a thank-you note or shoot an email after the interview

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TEH TARIK SESSION

BUMIPUTERA RIGHT:

IS IT STILL RELEVANT?

Prepared by: Elsa Athira Asri

Bumiputera Right is a special right for the Malays and the natives of the states of Sabah and Sarawak (known as Bu-

miputera) which is part of the Malaysian constitution under Article 153. Under this right, Bumiputera will gain special
quotas on civil services, public scholarships, land and house ownership as well as public education.

Some argue this special right is no longer needed as Bumiputera are now able to compete with other races in Malaysia
in a level playing field. Some argue that it should not be abolish as it is part of the constitutions agreed by all races
during our independence. For some, this debate are worrying since it is dividing Malaysia that consist of many races.
The ques-tion here is should we abolish this special right, reduce or maintain it? In other word, is it still relevant after
more than 50 years of independence?

Let’s talk about scholarship first since it is one of the inequalities between bumis and non-bumis. As a result, bumis
most controversial and closely related to us as students. are way backward from their non-bumis counterpart.
The special right is there to fix this problem.
Against:
1. Other races are more qualified if the scholarships are 2. The special right allow bumi to compete on a level playing
awarded based on merit system instead of using quota. field with other races.

2. Some Bumis are able to sponsors their own children to Should we then open more quota to non-bumis in UiTM then?
study in tertiary level while there are some non-Bumis
who can’t afford their children university education. This 1. We should give more oppotunities to non-Bumis.
is not fair. 2. It will helps Bumis to be more competitive.

Support:

1. This problem stem from our history. The colonials had
implemented “divide and conquer” policies which creates huge

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Audience now moves on to more general topics regarding the 4. Bumis need to take example from the Japanese who are
special right: hardworking.
5. Some Bumis never been exposed to the other races.
1. Government need to take charge to make sure that every 6. On scholarship and education matter: The issue is not
races are able to improve their economic status. about the Bumis right, but our National Education Philoso-
phy. We’re too focus on materialistic approach, not
2. In general, bumiputera right is not fair but necessary to humanis-tic (i.e: to produce students that can achieve
uplift majority of the population (which consists of Bumis) multiple As and get scholarship).
towards a better status on par with the other races. 7. Special rights encourage Bumis to have the “take it easy”
attitude.
3. We should open bumis special rights quota to all races
based upon % of population ( i.e: 55% bumiputera, 45%
non- bumi).

“This problem stems from our history. The colonials had
implemented “divide and conquer” policies which cre-
ates huge inequalities between bumis and non-bumis.”

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BUMIPUTERA RIGHT: IS IT STILL RELEVANT? 13

Should we abolish or maybe reduce the special right? Wrap-up Session

1. No- it’s part of the social contract that we all agree. The 1. Unity and justice are very hard issues to solve. It depends
Bumi have give every rights for the non- bumi that ares agreed on the individual itself. We need to change our mentality
upon on the same social contract such as they can establish the first on those issues then and only then we can solve this
vernacular school (Sekolah jenis kebangsaan cina/ india). special right issues.

2. We need to unite first, before we abolish the special right. 2. We should preserve it. But, there are some non- bumi that are
unfortunate just like bumi. Special stories about non- bu-mis
3. Our leaders used race based politics that divide the nation. who work hard to repay their loans to study overseas.
So, bumi should value this right/ privilege. Don’t take for
granted!

4. If we want to achieve unity, we need to do that 3. It should stay- But, government & the people need to
through education. take action and propaganda to promote unity among
different races.

5. We can’t abolish vernacular school- Other races are afraid 4. It should stay. Something need to be done for bumis need to
that it will lead to the decrease in usage of their own mother realize that bumis not just the “tuan tanah” (landlord). If we’re
tongue. Besides, it’s part of social contract too. on the level playing field, bumi will lost everything.
6. Some suggested we take example from the American De- Bumis need to work hard like non-bumis.
segregation Busing program.
7. Some suggested that government give incentive to Bumis 5. Still relevant. It’s part of the constitution so we can’t
to send their kids to the vernacular schools. change it. But, we can change our mentality.
8. Some opposed with that suggestion. Some bumis might 6. Bumis too comfortable with their special right. Do we still
not consider vernacular school due to the same reason why need another 50 years for all races to play on the same level
non-bumi don’t wanna go to the national school (language, field?
culture and religion). Besides, Non- bumis might isolated 7. Should be preserve- It’s part of the compromise made
those bumi in the vernacular since they received during our independece. Bumis need to change. We need
government incentive to go there. to get out of comfort zone to be better nation.
9. We should give incentive for non-bumis too to go to 8. Should preserve the right. But remember, Melayu takkan
the national school. hilang didunia, tapi apa kesan Melayu di dunia ini?
9. Agree that it is still relevant, but to change the bumis
mentality is hard. Some races only live with their own
races which promotes racism. Government need to help to
solve this problem.

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TEH TARIK SESSION

ABOLISHING VERNACULAR SCHOOL

ONE STEP TOWARDS UNITY?

Prepared by: Elsa Athira Asri

The conversation starts by defining the schools that exist in Malaysia. There are schools that are approved by minis-

try of education and conducted in the mother tongue language – SJK Cina, SJK Tamil, SK (Malay). The difference is the
medium of instruction and sometimes the syllabus. On the other hand, there are Sekolah Wawasan, Sekolah Mubaligh,
Sekolah Bestari, SBP and MRSM that are special forms of the government schools with different type of purposes.

Audience’s point of views promoting homogeneity. We should be able to work toward
integration rather than assimilation.
A member audience points toward the fact that abolishing
vernacular schools will not make much difference towards One important point is how there are many Malays and In-
unity. The only main difference is the medium of instructions. dians in SJKC; so language is not a barrier. Education should
Another member delves further into the topic of medium be the main focus. Younger people should be taught to meet
and befriend people from other races. An audience member
of instructions. In boarding schools, students are required also brought up the fact that official forms which require us
to talk in English. English should be the main medium of to state our ethnicities is what contributed to the wedge. We
instruction in order to promote unity. Unity will not be shouldn’t have to distinguish ourselves with our ethnicities if
achieved if we kept distinguishing ourselves by our we choose not to.
respec-tive languages. It creates a barrier.
How about the students from SBP and MRSM, what is
your opinion about this?

Some of the audience members agree with the motion. Abol- An audience member stressed that it is not a problem
because there is a fair number of Chinese and Indian in
ishing vernacular school and having everyone at the same the class. It is a turning point in life because that is the
par, will do more to promote unity than any other methods. time where she could meet different ethnicities.
Some audience members argued in part to the previous
However, some offered contrasting view; it does not help point that in order to disregard the difference, we should be
unity at all. We can create a teaching system that conveys the more homogenous. It is the easier route to get to unity.
Distinctions cause more harm than good.
same idea even if they are in different languages: this will do
more to promote unity than anything else. The fact that we

function as a society while still retaining our identities is
what makes Malaysia unique. It will be ashamed if we try to

blur that identity. An audience member invoked Indonesia
by saying that our system is the way to go instead of

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KULN IOWA ANNUAL REPORT 2016

Before the session ends, we invited everyone in the room to 7.This is what makes Malaysia different. The quota of what
share their final word on their position on the topic. Below races can be admitted into what schools should not be there
are the results: because it limits the unity. Education is the most important
way to unite the people
1. Disagree, it is not about having the schooling system; it’s 8.Disagree, but we are responsible to change our younger
about respecting each other. generation’s perspectives on race relations
9. Education should start from the family since it plays a
2. We should interact more rather than pushing for radical bigger role while we are growing up, rather than focusing
change to the system our energy on blaming the schooling system
3. It should be abolished to promote unity 10. Agree to abolish, but unity can come through learning
about each other’s languages and cultures
4. Disagree, because different school have different style and 11. Agree, differences that are emphasized such as this are
unique. Embrace the culture difference. what makes us hostile towards one another
12.Agree to abolish, because we need to tackle the problem
5. Disagree, because of personal experience. This member from the core
has Malay friends who went to SJKC, and no major
difference can be detected.

6. Disagree, because the progress towards unity stems from
individual’s perspective.

13. Disagree because the system is what makes us unique

14. Agree abolish and reset everything so that everyone can
have equal opportunity

8.

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16 PILLAR I: INTELLECTUALISM

TEH TARIK SESSION

AN EVENING WITH

THE MINISTER OF WORKS

Prepared by: Elsa Athira Asri

The moderator started by introducing Datuk Seri Fadilah under 24 hours through the GPS technology. However, one
obstacle that we face in en-forcing this method is the fact that
Yusof. Datuk Seri then took the floor and started a brief intro- many complaints are directed towards the roads that we have
duction about his work scope etc. no jurisdictions in. The roads would typically fall under the
state or municipal governments. So when these types of
“Bismillahirahmanirahim. Thank you for inviting me to this session. complaints come in, we would redirect them to the appropriate
It is a pleasure to be here. I would like to share a bit more about authorities.
the Ministry of Works. Under Ministry of Works, we have 3
agencies and 3 professional bodies. One of them being Jabatan The other issue that many Malaysians are interested is the
Kerja Raya (JKR) which main job scope includes acting as tech-nical toll enforcement in our country. Tolls were in essence, sug-
advisers to the government. We are in charge of everything that gested by the private sector under the public-private part-
has to do with the building of infrastructures, roads, bridges, nership when we started building our freeways.
slopes, buildings and project managements for all government’s
buildings. We are also in charge of Lembaga Lebuhraya Malaysia It is used to reimburse private companies which have spent
(LLM) which is in charge of regulating “real” highways. Lastly, we money to build, operate and maintain the freeways. Tolls are
are also in charge of Contractor Industry Development Board only imposed on roads in which there are no other financial
(CIDB) which is used to promote the building sector, regulat-ing alternatives. If there are alternatives, tolls would not be im-
contractors and promoting Malaysian companies overseas. Besides posed. This can be seen in the Pan-Borneo roads where the
that, CIDB also gives on-site training to workers in the building government would pay annual fees to private companies in
sector. We also have direct control over several profes-sional order to build, operate and maintain said roads. That being
bodies which are the Board of Engineers, Board of Archi-tects and said, we are constantly trying to find ways to reduce the
Board of Quantity Surveyors. burdens of road users under the ministry. I think that is all
the introduction I am going to give, please feel free to ask
The main issue that we deal on regular basis is the condition of any questions. Thank you.”
our roads. In an effort to maintain and better our road condi-
tions, we have worked to be more people-friendly and making Just to get the ball rolling, I would like to ask the first question.
ourselves reachable through emails, phone, fax and social How does the Ministry of Works adapt to climate change? How
media to encourage people to report problematic road does the ministry utilize green technologies in public buildings
conditions. We also have a smartphone application called and other areas of the public sector?
Aduan Jalan KKR. Through this method, road users’ complaint
will reach us in re-al-time and we would be able to respond