KALEIDOSCOPE: Musings on The Multifarious Nature of Life

KALEIDOSCOPE: MUSINGS ON THE MULTIFARIOUS
NATURE OF LIFE

Copyright © 2022 by F.A.M.E APB

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be
reproduced or used in any manner without written
permission of the copyright owner except for the use of

quotations in book review.

Published by UiTM Sabah

ISBN: 978-967-17507-3-5

Table of Contents

Creative Writing ......................................................................................................
A Tribute To A Great Friend ...........................................................................1
Dhomir .............................................................................................................2
My Little Kite...................................................................................................4
Post-Calamity...................................................................................................6
Rogeo’s Penpal Letter About Eliet ..................................................................7
The Many Facets Of Working From Home (Remote Teaching): A Long
Episode Of A Forever Mutating Virus ............................................................9
Waze-Aholic: It’s An Addiction ....................................................................13
13 Cheers! ......................................................................................................14

Language And Linguistics.......................................................................................
Potential Threats To Malay Manuscripts .......................................................15
The Relationship Between Ancient And Modern Chinese Myths.................22

Reflection ..................................................................................................................
My Top 3 Reasons Why Horror Is The Best Film/ Literary Genre For
Developing Critical Thinking ........................................................................24
Oh, My Inglish!..............................................................................................26

Online Teaching And Learning ..............................................................................

Concerning ‘Tekhnologia’ & On9 Education ................................................29
Pandemik Vs Endemik : Cabaran Dan Implikasinya Terhadap Dunia
Pendidikan .....................................................................................................32
Should E-Learning Replace Conventional Learning?....................................36

Foreword

From classroom musings (really, confessions) to poetry, there is an apparent human element
behind the following works. Much of the content addresses aspects of life, teaching & learning
during the pandemic, as well as the cultural and linguistic heritage of the written word.

We hope the content resonates with you and inspires you to do some writing of your own!

Happy reading,
The editorial team

A Tribute to a Great Friend

No man is an island; we aren’t built for isolation but rather, to form connections. This five-
stanza poem exemplifies this truth. It is a thank you note from one dear colleague to another,
which serves as a reminder that the connections we form in our working and private lives do
not necessarily have to be mutually exclusive.

Concerning Tekhnologia & On9 Education

The COVID-19 pandemic ushered in the age of online learning on a massive scale. In today’s
education climate, the role of the educator has once again undergone a paradigm shift. In other
words, the facilitative aspect of teaching has now been thrusted into the fore, and with that
comes exciting pedagogical changes that must be embraced, as well as new challenges which
have to be dealt with in order for learning to take place. This evolution does not diminish the
“human touch” in teaching, but rather enhances it. There is no turning back for educators during
this turbulent season, for as long as there are lockdowns, Movement Control Orders (MCO),
and COVID-19-related standard operating procedures, educators must adapt, or be left behind.

Dhomir

Let’s learn some Arabic! Dhomir means personal pronoun in Arabic grammar, and this Malay
poem sets out to introduce fourteen words that constitute this Arabic part of speech. In every
stanza, the use of personification to explain the meaning of the Arabic words brings life to the
personal pronouns, and one can’t help but feel a sense of human connection while reading them.

My Little Kite

The love of a mother knows no bounds, but a mother must be careful not to confuse mothering
with smothering. This poem invites the reader to muse on the personal thoughts of one mother,
who treads the thin line between being overprotective and underprotective.

My Top 3 Reasons Why Horror is the Best Film/ Literary Genre for Developing Critical
Thinking

The things that go bump in the night may not actually be what really scares us. Often, it is the
anticipation of the encounter which scares us more. That, is dread, which is different from the
cheap jump scares that plague Hollywood in recent years. Merely saying boo! really loudly in
Dolby Surround Sound does not truly make a film scary. What does, is the careful threading of
dread, which intertwines with philosophical ideologies like existentialism. There is a case to
be made for incorporating more works of horror into education, and this is simply because good
horror, is smart; one requires acute interpersonal and intrapersonal awareness to produce
quality works of horror, while good horror can best be savoured with a keen mind.

Oh, My Inglish!

Mdm. Suzie Rahman Wong takes us on a walk down memory lane as she recalls her own
English as a Second Language (ESL) learning journey. It is a walk with familiar sights for
many Malaysians: direct translations from the mother/native tongue, hilarious misusage of
English idiomatic phrases, and heavy code-mixing. However, this walk is not paved with
bloodied broken tiles; it is a pleasant and happy one, which celebrates our unique Malaysian
heritage.

Pandemik vs Endemik: Cabaran dan Implikasinya terhadap Dunia Pendidikan

The authors offer a general retrospective look concerning education in Malaysia, with COVID-
19 set as the backdrop. While facing the pandemic phase, a great surge of IT proficiency among
both educators and students alike could be observed, and as for internet coverage, it was and is
still an essential component of today’s education climate in the endemic phase. The authors
offer a quick look back at how much we have achieved thus far in our efforts to adapt to the
new normal, in terms of education.

Post-Calamity

There cannot be shadow, without light. In the midst of our personal suffering, this poem
reminds us that all is not engulfed in darkness; there is always hope, and that pain and suffering
are transient. In the grand scheme of things, we may feel our suffering is long and hard, but
with good company, it makes the ride through the storm, much more tolerable.

Potential Threats to Malay Manuscripts

A nation’s literary and historical heritage must be preserved and protected at all costs. They
are our only connection to the ancient past, and those who forget the mistakes of the past, are
doomed to repeat them. However, there is something more to it than that; we would be able to
see how our ancestors’ human connections moulded the trajectory of our nation’s history. In
today’s politically charged atmosphere, it is that much more important that Malaysians be free
from the emotional puppeteering of those in the corridors of power, especially in terms of race

relations. In other words, knowing our history frees us from being captive in the mind and spirit,
and so we should apply our utmost care in preserving these manuscripts.

Rogeo’s Penpal Letter about Eliet

The letter is a heart-warming recollection of how a man met, and fell in love with a woman.
The tone in which it was written is sweet, without being saccharine. Like a heaping bowl of
halo-halo, there are many flavours to savour in life; the bad experiences only serve to make the
good ones taste better. Rogeo is a charmer for sure!

Should E-Learning Replace Conventional Learning?

The COVID-19 pandemic has now entered its fourth year of wreaking havoc on societies
everywhere. Concerning education, the shift to full online learning has brought up the titular
question. Ms. Sazirah Jaafar offers us a discussion on this very pertinent issue. In the article,
the author provides arguments against the notion of totally replacing conventional learning with
the current online method. As with many things in life, moderation is key.

The Many Facets of Working from Home (Remote Teaching): A Long Episode of Forever
Mutating Virus

It’s safe to say that the author serves as the inner voice of many an educator teaching in this
COVID-19 climate. Our secret thoughts and desires as educators are laid out bare in this tell-
all confession piece. Count the number of times that you nod in agreement as you read through
it!

The Relationship between Ancient and Modern Chinese Myths

There are ample examples of Chinese ancient myths making their way into today’s works of
fiction in China. The author provides a glimpse into these examples by exploring inheritance
relationships and conducting a comparative textual analysis of the past and present works of
fiction. In this regard, cultural and linguistic preservation appears to be thriving in China.

Waze-Aholic: It’s an Addiction

Are all addictions bad for you? The author doesn’t seem to think so. For someone that defines
on-the-move as much as the author does, the navigation application Waze is a certified time-
saver!

13 Cheers!

This heart-warming yet melancholic poem is indicative that one can indeed be a parent and a
friend to one’s child. Indeed, time slows down for no man nor woman, and so we ought to
cherish every moment we have with our children. At the end of the day, the sobering reality is

that we would really only possess memories of being with our loved ones, and even those too
will fade. This sombre reminder should not dishearten us, but rather cause us to be more

appreciative of the time we still have with those whom we love. Happy Birthday, Alva!

*Disclaimer: The views expressed in this publication are those of the contributors and
do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of Universiti Teknologi Mara, Sabah.

Editorial Board

Editor-in-Chief
Dr. Jocelyn Yee Vun Lee

Advisor
Delia L. Olaybal

Assistant Editors
Assoc. Prof. Jasman Jaafar

Brandon Chai An Weng
Jenna Desiree Robert

Technical Team
Sazirah Jaafar

Nur Fatimah Aisyah Shahril
Siti Nur Fatimah Md. Aminnullah

CREATIVE WRITING

A TRIBUTE TO A GREAT FRIEND

Jasman Jaafar
Akademi Pengajian Bahasa,
Universiti Teknologi MARA Cawangan Sabah.

Dear PM Lan
Whom I have known since 1989
Who was my housemate once
And I, your best man,once upon a time

Dear PM Lan
A great friend, a wonderful colleague to everyone
One you can rely on when the time comes
A privilege, an honour second to none
To have been in your company
And on the list of those you consider ‘kawan’

Dear PM Lan
Thank you for all you have done
And in the journey that will come
May you find solace, happiness and anything else that you want

Dear PM Lan
Do forgive my misdeeds as they cannot be undone
And do keep me in your heart as one
Of the many who have made your work and life journey a pleasant one

Dear PM Lan
Enjoy the embellishments of your retirement plan
And thank you for being a wonderful friend, colleague and mentor who is one of a
kind.

6.08 PM, March 9, 2022

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DHOMIR

Nur Fatimah Aisyah Shahril*, Siti Nur Fatimah Md Aminnullah*,
Muhamad Azhar Zubir

Akademi Pengajian Bahasa,
Universiti Teknologi MARA Cawangan Sabah.

Sinar mentari menyinari bumi,
Bunga pakma indah sekali,
Dikenali sebagai kata ganti nama diri,
Dhomir diterjemah pendek sekali.

Dhomir itu terpisah tiga,
Ghoib, Mukhotob, Mutakallim bahagiannya,
Diguna kita berbeza cara,
Marilah kita mengenalnya.

Tiada di mata Ghoib jadinya,
Bercakap berdua di depan mata,
Mukhottob itu kategorinya,
Mutakallim pula kami dan saya.

Satu Dhomir bahagi tiga,
Dipecah lagi bahagiannya,
Bukan sepuluh juga sebelas,
Akan tetapi empat belas.

Ana jelas maksudnya saya,
Maklum sudah buat semua,
Nahnu pula kami maksudnya,
Buat kata ganti diri yang pertama.

Huwa seorang jejaka idaman,
Hiya seorang wanita pilihan,
Menunjukkan bilangan satu orang,
Bukan dua dan lebih orang.

Dua orang lelaki juga perempuan,
Bersama membeli buku di toko baharu,
Huma gelaran wahai tuan puan,
Mereka berdua gunakan bukan buat kamu.

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Sekumpulan pelajar di dalam dewan,
Mereka bersama menuntut ilmu,
Hum mereka lelaki wahai kawan,
Hunna pula mereka perempuan perlu tahu.
Kamu untuk lelaki Anta,
Kamu untuk perempuan Anti,
Walau tujuh jaraknya,
Kamu tetap di hati.
Kamu berdua ialah Antuma,
Lelaki perempuan boleh diguna,
Satu bukan ramai pun bukan,
Hanya bilangan dua yang dibenarkan.
Bilangan banyak pula Antum Antunna,
Antum diguna buat kamu semua lelaki,
Kamu semua perempuan pula dipanggil Antunna,
Tidak boleh diubah ini hakiki,
Belasan empat Dhomir diketahui,
Jangan lupa untuk diamalkan,
Dhomir jangan hanya dihafali,
Namun juga harus dipraktiskan.

3

MY LITTLE KITE

Marianne Fung
Akademi Pengajian Bahasa,
Universiti Teknologi MARA Cawangan Sabah.

My little kite,
How beautiful you are!
Designed perfectly by Divine Hands
Equipped to soar with the Breath of Life
Such huge potential!
Yet tethered to an unbreakable string
Forged from flesh and blood
Nurtured with love
Since the day your umbilical cord was formed.

My little kite,
What an honour to be given
Such huge responsibility and privilege
To hold the wheel that houses this bond
Anxious to know
How long is the string?
How high will you fly?
What direction will you go?
What troubles will you face?

My little kite,
Go where you must
Fly high as you want
Some flights are smooth
Some can be rough
I am anchored firmly to the ground.
Holding on to the wheel
To share all your ups and all your downs.

I will loosen my grip
So you can soar
I will be your North arrow
So you can find your bearing
I will reel you in to safety
So you will not face the turbulence alone
This is my promise to you, my little kite.
The kite string will go limp without its kite flying high
The kite cannot fly high without its string being pulled firmly.

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Fly, my little kite

See and taste the world

If ever you need me

I will be standing here
Patiently waiting to share your world…

(Dedicated to all parents and children)

5

POST-CALAMITY

Aries Henry Joseph*, Jasman Jaafar*
Akademi Pengajian Bahasa,

Universiti Teknologi MARA Cawangan Sabah.

Here we are...You and I
As we watch yonder...
The cycle of life seemingly endless
And time slows down
to a crawl
Kissing the dust of souls who perished
Leaving bitterness behind

Alas, all is not lost
Life perseveres and nature sings
To what say you?
To possibilities, of light at the end of the tunnel
Waiting to be embraced
Where we celebrate
With joy, love and laughter again!
Be grateful
Be thankful
For what lives have brought us
Lessons we gained
Etched in mind, forever stays

Here we are again
You and I
A beautiful bond intertwined
As life flourishes again
Like new blooms in Spring
Daffodils and Tulips rejoice
Beckoning the mind and soul
For you and I
A new dawn awaits
Better and stronger
Bidding farewell to the sorrows of yesterday

6

ROGEO’S PENPAL LETTER ABOUT ELIET

Delia L. Olaybal

Akademi Pengajian Bahasa,
Universiti Teknologi MARA Cawangan Sabah.

Dear Delia,

My name is Rogeo. I am a Sabahan who was born in Sandakan in 1947. My
father was an architect, who came all the way from the Philippines in the early 1900s.
My mother was a domineering housewife and a Bruneian, who converted to
Catholicism when she was three years old. She came from a Muslim family. My father
sent me to the Philippines to study and I took a Diploma in Mechanical Engineering at
one of the private universities in Manila. Not to forget to mention, I am the youngest
among my siblings and I was dying to live an independent life. So, I flew to the
Philippines when I was 20 years old and stayed with my aunt who has settled in Manila.
I really enjoyed my life as an undergraduate there, and I was loved by many lovely
Filipino girls. However, I had laid my eyes on this one particular girl. She was my
neighbour, and she was also studying in a nearby university where I was studying.
Every morning, I would wait for her to board the public bus to the campus, so that I
could see her. She was beautiful. Her black ponytail hair swung right and left as she
walked. Her brown eyes were dashing. She took my breath away, just by looking at
her from the back of the bus. I did not have the courage to talk to her until one day,
when I told myself that I must make the first move. I walked towards the row where
she was sitting. There were other empty rows of seats, but I said to her “Can I sit here?”
She looked up and smiled, as if she knew that I had been laying my eyes on her. She
then replied, “It is up to you.” It was definitely a green light for me. We introduced
ourselves and got to know more about each other, but I did not reveal where I was from.
To cut the long story short, we got married after being in a relationship for three years.
Our witnesses were her best friend and my best friend. After registering for our
marriage at the Civil Registrar Office, we celebrated our wedding with only 10
Philippine pesos (MYR 0.80) on Halo-halo (a Filipino shaved ice dessert). We got
married with the consent of her parents, but not mine. I did not tell my parents about
my marriage. I knew that my mother would call off the wedding if she had known about
it. I did mention earlier that I did not tell my wife where I was from. She just got to
know that I was from Sabah, on our wedding day. How naïve could someone be?
Anyway, Eliet, the name of the love of my life, and finally, my wife, got pregnant with
our first daughter when she was about to graduate, and that was exactly one year and
six months after our wedding. Yes, we got married when we were still studying, and I
was 24 years old. She went up the stage to receive her scroll when she was in her fourth
month of pregnancy. I too, graduated at the same time, and my parents attended the
ceremony. I could not hide the fact anymore that I was married, and my wife was
pregnant. My parents and I took pictures on my graduation day. That was the time I

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plucked up the courage to tell them that I was no longer their baby boy, but a married
man and soon to be a father. My mother was shocked and furious. My father, usually
the composed one, was also surprised. My mother just walked away tensely and went
back to the hotel. Eliet was not there when I broke the news, but she knew that
something was wrong. We decided to just wait for my mother to calm down, and in the
evening of the second day, my father told me that my mother wanted to meet Eliet. I
took Eliet the next day to meet my parents for the first time. My mother had a bad first
impression of her and she said to her, “Buruk sekali!”. Eliet just smiled. She did not
even understand Bahasa Malaysia (BM). I did not translate the phrase to her. I guess
someone told her about it later. To cut the long story short again, all of us flew back to
Sandakan, Sabah. We had to stay with my parents because I was still unemployed. It
did not take long for my mother to accept Eliet as part of the family. Eliet was really
wonderful to both my parents who had begun to love her and treated her as their own.
The “Buruk sekali!” phrase was no longer applicable. She had proven to everyone,
especially my mother, that I had made the right choice to choose her as my life partner.
There is a lot more to share about Eliet, but I think I have to sign off for now.
Yours truly,
Rogeo

8

THE MANY FACETS OF WORKING FROM HOME

(REMOTE TEACHING): A LONG EPISODE OF A FOREVER

MUTATING VIRUS

Jocelyn Lee
Akademi Pengajian Bahasa,
Universiti Teknologi MARA Cawangan Sabah.

I have a little secret to tell you. I had kept this fantasy to myself all these years.
Something that I had longed for, but didn’t have the courage to reveal to anyone else.
Prior to March 2020, a month shy after the FORWARD Research Dialogue, an
intervarsity research symposium on 21.2.2021, the dream travelled 299792458 meters
per second in a vacuum to reach me. I was flabbergasted when the whole nation was
asked to work from home. Before the hit of the forever mutating virus, my home was a
place where I continued working, which included cooking, doing house chores, and
taking care of my pets after my 8-5 job. Narrating this episode (about two years) of my
life seems surreal.

How is it possible to work from home (WFH)? Let’s unpack this phrase. The
WFH concept was first put forward by Nilles in 1973. His WFH was actually
“telecommuting” or “telework”. Different terms have been used over the last four
decades: remote work, flexible workplace, telework, telecommuting and e–working.
The definitions of all these terms are the same i.e. the flexibility of employees to work
in any place using technology to perform the job. This paper is not about the production
and work performance of working from home, but it focuses on other facets of working
from home which are largely not discussed in the literature.

My Daily Route

WFH did not require me to commute to work by car, but on foot. It took 3
seconds to travel from my bedroom to my workplace to turn on my computer which
took ages to start, and apart from traveling to said workplace, I made regular trips to
the kitchen to make my morning coffee. From the kitchen I would then detour to the
laundry room to take out the clothes from the washing machine and put them on the
clotheslines in the backyard. After completing the first chore, I would then return to my
work station to make sure the camera and the microphone functioned well. The hunger
pangs were immense and intermittently I moved striding down to the pantry to get some
snacks, after which, I would munch my way back up to my office. Other than the desire
to eat and ease myself due to calls of nature, the next thing I would do was to water the
plants in the hot sun. My path up and down, to and fro, in and out was restricted to the
1300 square feet boundary of the two-storey terrace. Boredom was inevitable. Leaving

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the house to get a papaya or a bag of vegetables or sometimes a loaf of bread was my
way to gasp for air and find joy amid chaos and uncertainties.

My Work Station

The tiny space next to the staircase in the sitting room was converted into a
home office initially. Next to my table is the storeroom where I keep all the hoarded
stuff that has sentimental value. To make my work terminal more well ventilated, I
would open the glass door in the sitting room. Living in a modern day long-house offers
no privacy, particularly when walls adjoin. I have learned after 17 years of dwelling in
the same place that even if you have a word with your spouse, all grouses are best to be
settled inside the closet. I just wonder why our human ears can prick up like bunnies
when we hear all the different sound waves – chatting, screaming, groaning, moaning,
bickering, backbiting, arguing and the list goes on. The truth of the matter is, in this
gated community, you can hear basically all kinds of noises including felines going into
heat cycles and crying at the top of their lungs as long as their larynxes could hold it.
These cries are likened to the cryptic codes of military intelligence; you must have the
ears to decode, “Come now, Meow! I need you immediately or I want it now, NOW!”
I thank God that humans are more discreet and do not exhibit such an overt act in the
public places. After a few weeks of leaving the glass doors open, I reckoned it wasn’t
a good idea after all.

Virtual backgrounds and green screens weren’t state of the art for users at that
time. The bare stair railing behind me was my authentic green screen. After two months
of the unstimulating background, I adorned the stairs with hanging potted plants. At
least then, I felt good with the green and I assumed my students would find the plants
pleasant to their eyes even if the online classes were uninspiring. The mediocrity of the
stairs catapulted me to move my office upstairs next to my bedroom. At least the white
façade of the exquisite bookshelves which were shipped in from Ikea many years ago
would do the trick of showing a real office background and not an appear-to-be-like-
office-space image.

My Workmates

My two workmates, Noah and Walter are loyal. I had not expected to be so fond
of the two, and of the closeness we felt throughout my entire time of sheltering at home.
Noah has a big sturdy build. He needed to be walked every morning. His low
whimpering sound indicated that he was adamant. You wouldn’t want to mess with him
or else, he’d throw his tantrum by pulling the clothes down from the clotheslines or
messing up the place by tearing the paper or plastic bags into pieces. He would make
sure you’re sorry for not being punctual too. Because he is the big brother, he is forever
jealous of Walter. Walter, in contrast, has a unique character. His petite size will make
you think that he is gentle and harmless, but you would change your mind when he
growls at you if you disturb him when he is fast asleep. When he is not in the mood to
be with you, he is not himself. Whenever Walter is angry, he would be like Iron Mike

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Tyson who gave several punches to the face of an eccentric passenger on a JetBlue
flight – play with the horns, get the bull. Walter’s canine aggression on the spur of the
moment had won him the title “the lion of the orient.”

Other than the two workmates described earlier, Khai was another colleague of
mine who joined the workforce in the second year of the pandemic. A series of
onslaughts of galling creatures confirmed the need to have Khai around. His cries had
four keys. The first key was the call for attention. This could be the sign to let others
know of his presence. The second key could be heard whenever he detected the high-
pitched sounds emitted by his prey, not audible to human ears. When he had marked
the whereabouts of his target, he was ready to pounce on it. As for the third key,
whenever he wanted to ease himself in his litter box, he would make an announcement,
and for the fourth key, it was an unmistakable long whining sound to signify his
defiance whenever he was in a dire circumstance.

One unique thing about Khai was that showering was his happy hour. He
enjoyed being touched and tickled when the warm water trickled onto his tiny body. He
would be so still when the hairdryer emitted its stifling air onto him. He would thrust
his entire body onto the floor. His two legs would be open for you to caress him as he
basked in the warm air. The noise produced by the handheld hair dryer seemed to be so
calming to him. His closed eyes indicated that he was enchanted by the steady humming
sound. Throughout the entire time of my online teaching, two were snoring on the couch
and one was soaking up the sun or simply luxuriating in the backyard during working
hours. I did badmouth their slothful nature to my superior, but they were just lucky as
measures were not taken against them and the case was closed.

Out of goodwill, my neighbour, Maureen, advised me to neuter Khai. “Male
cats tend to urinate to mark their territories as they grow,” she said matter-of-factly.
Since then, my daughter and I had been closely monitoring Khai’s testicles. Just when
we thought his fruits were ripe enough to be harvested, we called the veterinarian.

“…too young. You must wait till he’s six months old.”

“But he is old enough! He’s started looking for girls in the neighbourhood.” We
lamented.

The delay was not without a price. Khai has not been home since then. My
daughter and her friend have combed the area and knocked on every door in search of
Khai, but to no avail. We are still waiting for him to come home and introduce his
family to us. We will have a tea ceremony so that the bride, whoever she is, can serve
tea to her in-laws and other family members. I just wonder why Khai could do such a
thing as to leave me and forget my affection for him. I told myself that I would not shed
a single drop of my tears for such a meow man like him.

11

Other Facets of Online Teaching

Dress code

WFH is a harbinger of breaking the dress code required by your employers. My
style and taste altered drastically. The latest fad didn’t matter anymore. After all, only
my face and torso had to be visible. My clothing combinations were outlandish: long
sleeve blouse with a pair of home shorts, singlet and cardigan with a micro-mini skirt,
a chiffon blouse with a pair of ripped raw hem denim shorts. I was stupefied by my own
selection of mixing and matching.

Office hours

Working hours were longer in WFH. It wasn’t unusual to be at the computer at
11.00pm. I spent months to get the hang of using the digital platforms. The countless
tutorials and live sessions attended only fried my brain and attenuated my desire to
learn. I knew what Zumba was, but Zoom was an alien. I didn’t know that Google had
Google Meet. Wayward was bad but Webex, I heard, was better. When the connection
was terrible, WhatsApp and Telegram were good to go. Other than short breaks and
food grabbing at the kitchen, my bottom was glued to the chair. I often nibbled on my
food at my computer. My proper meals were either skipped or delayed. Having said
that, my appetite remained the same but my snacking between meals increased. After
two years of WFH, most people’s derrieres expanded from a heart shape to a pear or
round shape. It was quite a milestone.

Noise

I had assumed that there would be no other interruptions other than the
unreliable wi-fi. I was wrong. Background noise was impossible to avoid. Some days I
could hear hammering, drilling, and hacking noises when a student turned on the mic.
Other days I could hear someone keeping the engine idling or a motorbike revving
nearby. Numerous times the roosters were crowing at the background, and everyone
was awakened for a moment. My delivery man honked at me a couple of times, and I
had to put everything on hold to rush out to the gate to get my parcels. Most of the time
the noises drove my blood pressure up, but some days, the noises reminded me that we
are humans and being noisy is human nature.

What I had experienced in WFH, from the uncommon route to work, unusual
proximity with furry workmates, radical working outfits, extended office hours and
strange household noises were bizarre. Remote teaching is indeed out of the way and
distant. After two years of my bittersweet experience, I will add one more aspect to the
spectrum of remote teaching: unconventional. Yes, the change has been drastic and
rapid, and yes, we (assuming you also feel the same) have been suffering from digital
fatigue, but we survive the impact of an avalanche!

12

WAZE-AHOLIC: IT’S AN ADDICTION

Octavia Willibrord
Akademi Pengajian Bahasa,
Universiti Teknologi MARA Cawangan Sabah.

“How’s your day like today? I have a million and one things to do and it involves a lot
of travelling everywhere!”

Yes, this is my daily rant, juggling work, motherhood and the issues of my
world. My days are always on the go and I know I am not alone. Ever since the start of
this pandemic, where Work from Home (WFH) is slowly becoming the past tense, I’ve
had to deal with one of my major issues-- traffic jams. Driving to and fro from Kampung
Nampasan, Penampang all the way to Sepanggar is no mean feat, especially during rush
hour traffic. This weekly 300-km drive does not include impromptu pick-ups from
schools due to emergencies.

The distance from my house to my workplace is admirable, especially if this
will be my routine until I retire. I have been behind the wheel since I was 19 years old.
I know my way around all the major roads around town. However, it takes a lot of
learning experience, traffic knowledge and good timing to know which route to take
especially during peak hours. I am sure a lot of you can attest to this, especially those
who spend most of their time on the road.

So, I have recently found this marvelous application. I knew about it, but never
befriended. Instantly, it has become my BFF and I can honestly go as far as
recommending it to others. Yes, that shows how much I trust this marvelous
application. Oh! WAZE, where were you during my times of traffic distress in the past?

Waze, a noun that has become music to my ears. No, I am not making extra
money from promoting this application. But I am promoting this application to those
who are still struggling with traffic jams. Waze has shown me shortcuts connected to
routes I always take. These shortcuts have cut a considerable amount of time being
stuck in the jam. I am extremely grateful for this AI technology. Waze recommends the
best and fastest route for you to take without you having to guess. All you have to do is
to sit back and trust the process. However, a word of caution, you must make sure that
your phone is fully charged and your tank is full to ensure a stress-free drive to your
destination.

Waze has become an addiction for me. It is the oxygen to my traffic journeys. I
once went “cold turkey” navigating my way around KK traffic without Waze. Sadly, I
only survived for a mere 10 minutes. Yes, I fell off the wagon. I am back at it and I
doubt I’ll ever quit.

“Hi, I’m Octavia and I’m a Waze-aholic. Care to join me?

13

13 CHEERS!

Alice Wong
Akademi Pengajian Bahasa,
Universiti Teknologi MARA Cawangan Sabah.

Dear Alva,
It’s hard to believe you are now thirteen,
No longer a kid, but a full-fledged teen,
I see the changes, new interest, and passion,
Before long, you’ll turn eighteen;

You still keep your slippery slime,
But fashion is now your new obsession,
Your hair is longer, your face more defined,
It’s like you’ve become a whole new person;

We’re best friends, you and I, like peas in a pod,
You read my thoughts as I read yours,
You act like an adult, isn’t it odd?
You keep my secrets as I keep yours;
You’re growing and blooming, it’s normal I know,
Can’t you do it all in slow-mo?
That way, I get to watch you grow,
I know one day, I’ll have to let go;

Happy sweet birthday my darling Vava,
Motherhood’s a breeze because of you,
Thanks for making it easy for mama,
Here’s to more magical moments with you.

Love,

Mama.

14

LANGUAGE AND LINGUISTICS

POTENTIAL THREATS TO MALAY MANUSCRIPTS

Ahmad Azman Bin Mohamad Ramli
Akademi Pengajian Bahasa,

Universiti Teknologi MARA Cawangan Negeri Sembilan

Introduction

Malay manuscripts, commonly written in Jawi script, are part of the invaluable heritage
of the nation which have been preserved for years. This is because Malay manuscripts
contain evidence of the Malays’ glorious intellectual tradition and civilization that can
be studied by today’s and future generations. Therefore, these precious items of the
nation’s heritage should be protected from any potential threat that can endanger their
safety to ensure that they can be utilized for as long as possible. This article will discuss
some of the potential threats as well as the preservation methods in protecting these
Malay manuscripts. It is hoped that the discussion will enlighten the readers on these
two important aspects of the management of Malay manuscripts.
In helping the readers to understand the ensuing discussion with ease, significant terms
will be discussed and explained first. These terms are ‘manuscripts’, ‘Malay
manuscripts’ and ‘threats’.

Manuscripts

Roe (2005) defined ‘manuscripts’ as “valuable historical or literary records of people
or families created, received, assembled, or accumulated as they conducted their daily
personal activities. According to Hunter (2003), a manuscript is “…either a handwritten
document or the first draft of a book or article. Manuscripts are generated by individuals
or families.” Based on the definitions, it can be said that manuscripts are written
records, whether handwritten or typed, that are composed and owned by an individual
or a family derived from their personal daily activities.

Malay Manuscripts

National Library of Malaysia (2002) defined ‘Malay manuscript’ as a handwritten art
piece, commonly written in Jawi script. Malay manuscripts were published within the
early part of the 16th century until the early part of the 20th century. They were written
on materials such as paper, leather, palmyra palm leaves, bamboo, stones, barks, and as
well as on animal skins. All the knowledge that was embedded in Malay Manuscripts

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covers the subjects of literature, history, religious texts, medicine, legislation ,
constitutions, charms, and tips.

Threats

Whitman and Mattrod (2003) define ‘threat’ as any object, person or other entity that
may endanger an asset. Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary defines threat as “a
suggestion that something unpleasant or violent will happen, especially if a particular
action or order is not followed”. Based on the definitions, it can be defined that a threat
to Malay manuscripts is any object, person or other entity that may endanger them. The
danger here refers to the manuscript being lost, damaged, destroyed, and the contents
being incomprehensible.

Threats to Malay Manuscripts

Malay manuscripts were recorded or written on materials that are fragile such as paper,
leather, palmyra palm leaves, bamboo, wood, and animal skins, making them
susceptible to various types of potential threats that can jeopardize their safety. This
section will discuss some of the types of potential threats that need to be taken into
consideration by the owner, the curator, and people in charge of the Malay manuscripts
repository. This section will also discuss the preservation methods in protecting the
Malay manuscripts from each of the potential threats.

Temperatures

Temperatures that are too high and excessive can cause the Malay manuscripts that
were written on paper to wrinkle, turn yellowish, and will eventually be reduced to dust.
The change in temperature from low to high and vice versa, excessively high
temperature, or a sudden rise in temperature will also affect the expansion and
contraction of the physical condition of the manuscript. This condition can cause the
physical property of the manuscript to be weakened and damaged. Therefore, it is
important to keep the Malay manuscripts in a storage area that has good air circulation
and an appropriate temperature of between 180 C to 220 C. If the storage area has no
air-conditioning facility, fans can be used for air ventilation. Savumthararaj (2008)
stated that it is better to have a storage facility that is installed with a 24 -hour
operational air-conditioning facility.

Moisture

The moisture level in the storage space of Malay manuscripts should be controlled
attentively. This is because high humidity will cause the growth of fungi (fungus and
mildew) on the manuscripts. Meanwhile, low level humidity will cause the manuscripts,
especially those which were made of paper, to become dry and eventually begin to
experience the process of decay. Relative humidity level that is appropriate in keeping
the manuscripts in the storage space should be in between 50% to 55%. The humidity
level in the storage space of Malay manuscripts can be controlled with a dehumidifier

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or silica gel. Excessive water vapor in the air in the storage space will be absorbed to
reduce moisture with the use of these apparatuses. This will prevent the growth of fungi
on the manuscripts.

Light

Light comes from two main sources, the sun and lamps. Both types consist of light
rays. The most dangerous ray is the UV ray. When paper is exposed to UV rays, the
process of oxidation will occur. This will weaken its physical property, causing it to
turn yellowish, be easily damaged, and broken. To protect these paper manuscripts from
the rays, some methods must be applied to reduce the level of exposure of the
manuscripts to the sources of light. Firstly, the storage space of the manuscripts should
not have windows. If there are windows, those windows need to be equipped with
curtains to block light. Secondly, the room lights must be covered with light filters and
light switches need to be turned off when the room of the storage space is unoccupied.
Thirdly, the manuscripts must be kept in boxes, files, envelopes, and other suitable
storage containers.

Dust

If the storage space of Malay manuscripts has high humidity rates, dust accumulated on
their storage space would encourage the growth of fungi (fungus and mildew) on the
Malay manuscripts. These fungi would damage the paper manuscripts as they produce
an enzyme that can soften the paper as it will start to consume all the nutrients in the
paper. Small and sharp particles will also damage paper manuscripts besides being
harmful to human health. These threats from dust can be curbed by means of clean
storage space and a vacuum cleaner to clear the dust when necessary. The effort to
ensure cleanliness includes cleaning up the shelves and cupboards where the Malay
manuscripts are kept. Do not use a broom and a piece of cloth as it only removes dust
to other places, not permanently get rid of it.

Water

Water can also pose a threat to Malay manuscripts. First, water can cause manuscripts
to be dirty and muddy. Second, wet manuscripts will swell, and the weakened texture
will be hard to manage. The ink will also dissolve. Third, wet pages of the Malay
manuscripts will stick together if they are not quickly separated. Fourth, sluggish Malay
manuscripts will encourage the growth of fungi such as mold and mildew. Fifth, the
acid content of the Malay manuscript paper will increase if the paper is exposed to
water. Finally, manuscripts that are exposed to water will be easily attacked by pests
such as termites. Water threats can be controlled in many ways. One of the ways is to
make sure that the storage space is not built in flood-prone areas such as by the riverside
and low lying areas. Besides that, pipelines and water tanks should not be placed near
the storage space. Moreover, Malay manuscripts should be kept at least 6 inches from
the floor and the roof of the and wall of the storage space should be in good condition.
Finally, all the windows must be closed when it rains.

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Fire

Hunter (2003) stated that fire can destroy records in a matter of seconds. Therefore, the
storage space of Malay manuscripts should be far from fire- causing sources or fire-
prone places like canteens, kitchens, oil-depots, equipment stores and chemical storage
facilities. As a precautionary measure, fire-fighting equipment should be installed in
the storage space. Some examples of fire-fighting equipment are sprinklers, fire
extinguishers, smoke detectors, first aid vessels, alarms, emergency phones, and fire
doors. All employees of an institution that preserves Malay manuscripts should undergo
fire-drill training at least once every 6 months or a year.

Natural Disasters

Whitman and Mattord (2003) state that natural disasters can threaten the safety of
records because they happen unexpectedly without even a little warning. In Malaysia,
common natural disasters are floods, fires, storms, and landslides. One method to
minimize damages due to natural disasters is by ensuring that the institution responsible
for managing the manuscripts prepares a Disaster Preparedness Plan. Read and Ginn
(2011) mentioned that a disaster action plan is a document that sets out the procedures
to be implemented in preventing a disaster from damaging the records, preparation
procedures during a disaster that affects the records, and procedures for the recovery of
the records. For public institutions, expert advice in preparing the plan can be obtained
from the National Archives of Malaysia.

Pests

Plumbe (1966) states that some of the pests that can destroy the manuscripts (especially
those that were made of paper) are silverfish bugs, cockroaches, termites, and rats.
These pests favor manuscripts as they contain chemical substances like glue, gelatin,
and cellulose which are these pests’ favorite food sources. Termites and rodents will
not only damage Malay manuscripts, but also the cupboard and the wooden shelves
used for their storage. To protect these manuscripts from pests, certain precautionary
measures need to be taken. Firstly, the storage space of the manuscripts should be
installed with air-conditioners. This is because air-conditioned storage space is less
often attacked by pests compared with storage space that does not have an air -
conditioning facility. Secondly, the storage space of Malay manuscripts should always
be sprayed with an appropriate insecticide such as DDT, dieldrin, pyrethrum, and
benzene hexachloride. To get the best results and to ensure the safety of staff, the
services of pest control companies can be utilized to perform this task. Thirdly,
wardrobes and wooden shelves should be replaced with those made from non-rusting
iron. Fourth, the storage space of these manuscripts should be declared as a protected
area where food and drinks are prohibited. This is because the remnants of food and
drink can attract pests. Finally, the storage space of Malay manuscripts should be
fumigated. Fumigation can kill the pests effectively. Gases commonly used for this
activity are methyl-bromide, ethylene oxide and thymol vapor. However, these
activities should be done with caution because the gas used can be dangerous to

18

humans. As a safety precaution, it is advisable to obtain the services of a pest control
company to perform this activity.

Human

William (2006) mentions that humans can also threaten the safety of a record
deliberately or undeliberately. There are some threats caused by humans. Firstly, they
store and handle the manuscripts carelessly which may result in the manuscripts being
ruined or lost. Secondly, they might steal the manuscripts and sell them for easy money.
To prevent Malay manuscripts from being destroyed or damaged by man, some
measures can be implemented. Firstly, storage space of Malay manuscripts should be
well protected from unauthorized entry to prevent theft. Secondly,the storage space
should be declared as a non-smoking area and free from food and drinks. Thirdly,
employees who are given the responsibility for managing the Malay manuscripts and
the researchers who study them should be given training in handling and managing the
manuscripts accordingly.

Materials Used in the Process of Producing Malay Manuscripts

Most Malay manuscripts were written on paper. Forde (2007) states that paper is
produced by the process of mixing raw materials and chemical substances. Most of the
raw materials are from plants such as wood, rags, straw, bagasse, esparto, or grass.
Examples of chemical substances used are soda, sulfur, alum and rosins. During the
manufacturing process of this paper, acid will be produced. If the content of the acid is
too much in the paper, it can reduce the quality of the paper and this can eventually
cause damage to the Malay manuscripts. The acid can also be absorbed into the Malay
manuscript paper when the manuscript is used and stored. The acid is the product of
dust, oil and environmental pollution. Efforts must be taken to avoid the manuscripts
from being damaged or destroyed by the acid in the paper. For example, Malay
manuscripts should be handled with care and stored in a clean place that is free from
pollution. In addition, Malay manuscripts need to be kept in containers that are acid-
free. Malay manuscripts that are ruined by acid or any other threats need to be quickly
sent to conservators for preservation. One of the components of Malay manuscripts is
ink. Some ink used contain a lot of acid that can damage the paper and cause the color
to fade. Any Malay manuscript that is ruined by the poor quality of its ink or any other
threats needs to be quickly sent to conservators for preservation.

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In short, the preceding discussion shows that there are different types of potential
threats that may endanger Malay manuscripts. This article has discussed eleven
potential threats. It is hoped that it can enlighten the readers on the types of potential
threats that can endanger the safety of Malay manuscripts as well as the preservation
methods in protecting these valuable manuscripts. With this knowledge, it is hoped that
it will help to ensure this invaluable heritage can stand the test of time for the benefits
of the present and future generations.

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References

Arkib Negara Malaysia (2003). Akta Arkib Negara 2003 (Akta 629). Kuala Lumpur: Percetakan
Nasional Malaysia Berhad.

Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary Third Edition. (2008). New York: Cambridge
University Press.

Forde, H. (2007). Preserving Archives. London: Facet Publishing.
Hunter, Gregory S. (2003). Developing and Maintaining Practical Archives. New York: Neal-

Schuman Publishers Inc.
Perpustakaan Negara Malaysia (1997). Tradisi Penulisan Manuskrip Melayu. Kuala Lumpur:

Perpustakaan Negara Malaysia.
Perpustakaan Negara Malaysia (2002). Warisan Manuskrip Melayu. Kuala Lumpur:

Perpustakaan Negara Malaysia.
Plumbe, W. J. (1966). The Preservation of Books. London: Oxford University Press.
Quible, Z. K. (2005). Administrative Office Management: An Introduction. New Jersey: Pearson Prentice

Hall.
Read, J., & Ginn, M. L. (2011). Record Management. Mason: South-Western. Cengage

Learning.
Roe, K. D. (2005). Arranging & Describing Archives & Manuscripts. Chicago: The Society of

American Archivists.
Smith, J. R. et al. (2002). Record Management. South-Western:Thomson Learning.
Savumthararaj, G. (2008). Pengurusan Rekod & Sistem Fail. Kuala Lumpur: Intan Spektra.
Whitman, M. E. & Mattord, H. (2003). Principles of Information Security. Thomson Place:

Course Technology.
Williams, C. (2006). Managing Archives: Foundation: Principles and Practice. Oxford:

Chandos Publishing.

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THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ANCIENT AND MODERN

CHINESE MYTHS

Bok Check Meng
Akademi Pengajian Bahasa,
Universiti Teknologi MARA Cawangan Jasin Melaka.

The legacy and impact of the myths of ancient China have been echoing for millennia,
and can be seen in the cyber (online) fantasy novels of today. The creation of mysterious
creatures in these cyber fantasy novels are based on the novels of gods and spirits in
ancient China. Using text analysis to explore inheritance relationships, it was found that
both cyber fantasy novels and the novels of gods and spirits in ancient China possessed
unchanged writing styles, along with a common aesthetic. Today’s literary landscape
in China is marked by a fusion of the traditional and modern elements.

The novels of gods and spirits in ancient China were mostly derived from the
book “Shan Hai Jing”(山海经). Even today, one can encounter familiar myths from the
“Shan Hai Jing”. Some of these preserved myths include “Kuafu chasing the sun” (夸
父追日), “Nuwa fills the sky” (女娲补天), “Yi shooting nine suns”（羿射九日),
“Jingwei fills the sea” (精卫填海) and “Dayu controls the water” (大禹治水). Some of
these ancient myths are also recorded in the “Xishan Jing”（西山经), “Hainei Xi Jing”
（海内西经）, “Hainei Bei Jing”（海内北经） and “Dahuang Xi Jing”（大荒西经
）.

At the time of the Wei and Jin Dynasties, the deeds of ghosts and gods were
considered by the society at that time to be especially pertinent. The Wei and Jin
Dynasties, in which metaphysics flourished, were the famous dark ages in Chinese
history (Tao Dongfeng, 2006, p. 449). At that time, the writings of the devil's deeds for
example, were regarded as the true account of reality, when in fact, the novels of gods
and spirits in ancient China were describing nonsense and served as a way for people
to vent about life’s troubles. Those ancient people used ghosts and illusory worlds as
tools to reflect their living conditions at that time.

During the Jiajing and Wanli reigns of the Ming Dynasty, printing technology
and the publishing industry flourished. With the rapid development of the printing
industry, these god-devil novels were written at length and led to the creation of
interesting stories, of which the public generally enjoyed. In the Ming Dynasty, Wu
Cheng En's classic fiction “Journey to the West”(西游记) was penned. During the Qing
Dynasty (the last of the imperial dynasties), there were two novels of gods and spirits
in ancient China: Pu Songling’s fox-ghost legend, “Liaozhai Zhiyi”(聊斋志异), and Ji

22

Yun’s “Yuewei Caotang Biji”(阅微草堂笔记). Interestingly, his “Liaozhai Zhiyi” used
ghosts and foxes as tools to discuss the social reality of the time, so as not to offend the
emperor. His “Liaozhai Zhiyi” uses storytelling methods inherited from the legends of
the Tang Dynasty. In Ji Yun's “Yuewei Caotang Biji”, it records many demon foxes
and ghosts, karma and other anecdotes that have been circulated during Qianlong's
reign.

After conducting a comparative textual analysis between some of those ancient
works and modern fantasy prose, namely novels from 2001 to 2022 such as “Zhu Xian”
(诛仙), “Tian Xing Jian” (天行健), “Guichuideng” (鬼吹灯) and “Daomubiji” (盗墓
笔 记 ), inheritance elements were found. For example, the recurring use of 鲛 人
(jiaoren) or monks who live in the water like fish, was selected for further investigation
into the extent of inheritance occurring between the ancient and modern literature. It
was found that there were direct uses of mythical creatures mentioned in the ancient
texts, in the modern novels. For example, in the chapter “Dahuang Dongjing” (大荒东
经) of “Shan Hai Jing”, an ancient creature named “kui” is described as follows:

Strong as a cow, blue body without a horn, one foot, the first water into the
water will have wind and rain, its light like the sun and the moon, its sound like thunder,
its name is kui.( 壮如牛，青色的身而无角，一足，初入水则必有风雨，其光如日
月，其声如雷，其名曰夔。)

The “kui” creature in the cyber fantasy novel "Zhu Xian" is also physically
strong. It is described as having only one foot when standing, and the sound it makes is
like that of thunder. Clearly, this is the same beast from "Shan Hai Jing".

In China, modern works of fiction which incorporate supernatural elements are
rooted in the ancient written myths. While innovations can be found in modern
iterations of those fantastical beings based on the original ancient works, the text
analysis of the ancient and modern works of fantasy reveal that there is an inheritance
of traditional Chinese writing forms. This inheritance means that cyber fantasy novels
have the characteristics of the novels of gods and spirits from ancient China. In sum,
today’s online fantasy Chinese novels are heavily inspired by the murmurs of the
ancient past, and as such, it seems likely that these arcane legends will continue to live
in the minds of future generations.

23

REFLECTION

MY TOP 3 REASONS WHY HORROR IS THE BEST FILM/

LITERARY GENRE FOR DEVELOPING CRITICAL THINKING

Brandon Chai
Akademi Pengajian Bahasa,
Universiti Teknologi MARA Cawangan Sabah.

We all know that scene… The “insert heartthrob here” protagonist who insists on
staying in a haunted house, who is then greeted by that split-second silhouette of a
spine-chilling CGI that pops up in the bathroom mirror, as she turns back around to
resume washing her face. Sorry! That is not good horror per se. I am compelled by
unseen forces to convince you with three reasons why quality horror films and literature
are worth experiencing, and how they aid critical thinking.

Good Horror Explores the Human Condition

The themes explored in quality works of horror
question what it means to be human, especially in terms
of morality. What is evil? Where is it found? Is evil really
“out there” or “within”? I recommend Stephen King’s
book-to-screen “The Mist” as a thesis on true evil. True
monsters are found, not from outer space nor the depths of
the seven seas. As the book and movie teach us, the true
monsters are found among the people around us, or
perhaps even within ourselves.

The Devil is in the Details

To think critically, one needs to pay attention to the
details. To truly enjoy horror works is to enjoy the details, and
consuming quality horror works would allow one to develop a
sensitivity for details in general; watch Stanley Kubrick’s
movie adaptation of “The Shining” and pay close attention to
the furniture throughout the film.

Another hallmark of great horror storytelling is using
suspense effectively to create tension. In “Click-Clack the
Rattlebag” by Neil Gaiman, the author takes its readers on a
suspenseful journey up a long flight of stairs. Don’t miss the
terrifying “hints” along the way! The story begs the question,
“Can you let your guard down among strangers, as harmless as
they may seem?”

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Good Horror Scares you into Having an Opinion
Horror also comes in the form of real

experiences represented through vivid realism
in movies. Sit through Elem Klimov’s “Come
and See” and tell me you aren’t a changed
person. This film portrays real life events in
World War II with such ferocity and dread that
it would seem the director wanted to turn every
viewer into an instant pacifist. If you have never
had a strong opinion against violence on a
massive scale before, this film will be the right
choice.

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OH, MY INGLISH!

Suzie Rahman Wong
Akademi Pengajian Bahasa,
Universiti Teknologi MARA Cawangan Sabah

It always amazes me. I have learnt the English Language for almost 40 years, but I
always feel that I am not as competent in the language yet. I have mostly spoken and
written in the language ever since I was in secondary school, yet I still have doubts at
times about the tenses, spelling and pronunciation of certain words. Not to mention, I
have taught the language too for almost three decades! Well…Learning the English
Language has been a continuous journey for me, whose mother tongue is not English,
and it started as me, being the student and later being the instructor of the English
Language. Looking back on my experiences in learning and teaching the language for
about five decades, they always put a smile on my face.

“I have an apple…I have an orange...I have two apples…I have two oranges…”
Those were the typical lessons that most little kindergarteners experienced during my
time. Not knowing the rules of grammar, we happily chanted the sentences in class and
were very proud of demonstrating our ‘abilities’ to repeat these sentences. It was a
momentous event when the teacher gave out star stickers for us to show off to our
parents and friends. I remember showing off my collections of star stickers to my
friends and was so proud of walking along the school corridor with my bag full of star
stickers on it. I felt like the ‘star’ in school! Those were happy, innocent childhood
moments in learning the English Language as a second language, different from the
languages I spoke at home with my family. I was more used to speaking the Hakka
dialect, and the local Malay language at home, as well as with my friends around the
kampong. The English Language was ‘an exclusive’ language and if you can cakap
orang putih (speak in the English language) in the kampong, even if it was just a few
English phrases or in a ‘broken’ language, you were considered one of the smartest and
favoured ones in the neighbourhood. How flattering! So, it was also very common to
have some people speaking in a rojak (mixed) English language. I was one of them.
My friends and I would confidently and proudly show off our ability to speak in English
at school, “So, what you want to makan later? I malas want to go canteenlah. Maybe
we should just tapau food from home.” The rules of grammar were definitely “out of
the window”, but to us, as long as the other person understood our message, there was
nothing to fuss about.

When I was seventeen, I was sought after in kampong as an English language
tutor. I taught students who were weak in the English language, especially those who
were sitting for their form three national exam, SRP or LCE (lower certificate exam),
as well as those who came to learn some simple phrases for a job interview. I remember
one incident of me roleplaying as an interviewer with a friend who asked for my help

26

to practise the English language for a job interview at a local clinic. “Do you think it is
important to teach the local community about practising good hygiene?” I asked. My
friend smiled and confidently replied, “Of course! It is very important. The local
community needs to practise good hygiene, especially in throwing their wastes. It is
like answering nature’s call to help the community.” We both applauded, satisfied with
our mock-job interview. After the actual interview, my friend came to me, thanking me
profusely, saying the interviewer was in a light mood and even laughed during the
interview session, which seemed promising. We both high-fived and felt it was a
success already and eagerly waited for the good news. But the good news never came.
We wondered why and only discovered the reasons for our misinterpretation of the
‘promising laughter’ during the interview a few weeks later. We both laughed so hard
at our silly responses of “answering nature’s call”, crafted during our mock job
interview session.

My love for the English language grew when I enrolled in a Teaching English
as a Second Language (TESL) course to pursue my first degree. I remember our drama
projects of “Much Ado About Nothing” and “Macbeth” during my pre-university
semesters at a Teacher Training College in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur. That was when I
discovered my talent in acting, at least as Mac Duff, who entered the stage, yelling,
“Horror! Horror! Horror!”, at the top of my lungs, with all eyes set on me. Holding the
part as Mac Duff, the friend of Macbeth, I was already very proud of myself for that
brief yelling part in the drama. I left the many dialogues of other characters to my more
capable course mates. Apart from that, the TESL undergraduates were labeled as the
tambirang (snobbish) clans at the college as we commonly flaunted our ability to speak
in English better than the students taking other courses such as the teaching of music,
Mathematics or Chinese language. But admittedly, not everyone was proficient in the
language to always speak in a ‘non-broken’ and non-rojak English. Some of the
‘broken’ and ‘rojak’ language was sometimes camouflaged by the British or American
accent adopted as we tried to acclimatize to the culture in the English speaking country.

The ‘rojak’ and ‘broken’ English language was still spoken among friends, even
when we pursued our studies in an English speaking country. It felt more original,
friendly and less pretentious. There was something about the ‘rojak’ and ‘broken’
language that made us feel a sense of caMARAderie among us in a foreign land. Not
that we did not attempt to speak the Queen’s language, but we sounded more Malaysian
which we were silently proud of. Whenever we heard some strangers say something
like, “let’s go makan at the café…ehhh..you going to town later? Jom…wait lah…”,
we automatically got excited and became friendlier with each other. However, the
extent of how much ‘broken’ the language we use is also important. There was an
incident when my friend went to meet a newly found Malaysian friend whom she got
acquainted with through an Internet online chat, and only to be disappointed (briefly)
when during the parting moment at the train station, the newly found friend uttered in
a loving manner, “Take care very much”. My friend frustratingly said to me, “Potong
betul lah! (It was disappointing!) I was already in a sad mood to leave on the train, and

27

suddenly he had to say, “take care very much!” Translated into Malay language, I think
it means, Jaga diri elok-elok, a common parting phrase for most Malaysians.

Talking about translation, I remember some fun(ny) experiences as an English
instructor with my students learning the English language. In my pre-sessional English
class, I had one student who was not very proficient in English, but I admired his
determination in learning the English language. During a closing to his show-and-tell
presentation, he amazed me with an idiom, “Turtle turtle in the boat, pretend pretend
you don’t know”. For a second, my mind was reeling, trying to remember any idiomatic
expressions of such nature. Then, it dawned on me. That was a direct translation of an
idiomatic expression in the Malay language, Kura-kura dalam perahu, pura-pura tidak
tahu. Oh, my dear student! I tried very hard not to laugh for not wanting to discourage
him. There was also another student who confidently said to me, “…like chubby chubby
potato”. It took me a few days trying to figure out the meaning of the phrase and I
finally gave up, and went to ask the student myself what she meant by the expression.
Smiling innocently, she told me, “it’s like the Malay expression, diam diam ubi berisi”.
Oh dear! I tried to maintain a serious expression and simply nodded. Direct translating
from one’s mother-tongue, particularly from the Malay language to English, is pretty
common among second language learners. It reminded me of the incident of “answering
nature’s call” during my friend’s job interview when what we actually meant was to
respond to the call to protect our nature. Oh, My Inglish! While some do not oppose
learning the language through translation, some others feel otherwise. And while there
is no right or wrong on the methods we use to learn English, I always caution my
students about using the Google translate feature. More often than not, Google translate
can give us funny translations that are out of context and commonly structurally
inaccurate. While we are more technologically advanced now with many features of
artificial intelligence (AI) that can assist us, I am a conventional instructor who believes
in learning the English language through direct communication with others and flipping
through the thick, old dictionary and encyclopedia.

Learning the English language is fun. That was what I was told when I was in
primary school. I did not believe it then, especially when I was ‘forced’ by my parents
to read thick English novels, and to retell the stories to my parents as a way for them to
make sure that I really had read the books. I wished we had the Internet then, like we
do now when it is very easy to look for any information online, including some book
reviews. But if we had the Internet then, I would have been tempted to trick my parents
into thinking that I had read the books, when I actually simply read the reviews online.
Then, I would not have learnt much in learning the language. My experiences have
proven to me that learning the English language is actually fun and funny too. Despite
my many years of speaking and writing in the language, I still do occasionally get
confused by certain spellings – previlege? privelege? privilege? Perhaps I need to start
giving out star stickers to myself now.

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ONLINE TEACHING AND
LEARNING

CONCERNING ‘TEKHNOLOGIA’ & ON9 EDUCATION

Jenna Desiree Robert
Akademi Pengajian Bahasa,
Universiti Teknologi MARA Cawangan Sabah

“Technology is just a tool. In terms of getting the kids working together and
motivating them, the teacher is most important.” - Bill Gates.

(The word “technology” is derived from the 17th century Greek
word tekhnologia meaning ‘systematic treatment’, from tekhnē ‘art, craft’ + -logia).

Two years have passed since teachers everywhere started teaching exclusively online.
Like thousands of educators globally, my first Open and Distance Learning (ODL)
moment – my instance of engaging with technology fully instead of the traditional
classroom - took place in my own home in the middle of March 2020. For years, the
Teaching & Learning process, a taken for granted enterprise, began with the clacking
of shoe heels down the hallway and the routine checking of attendance lists. This time,
the computer screen beckoned me to look into the camera and speak into its
microphone: “Good morning students”. The images of my students lit up the screen –
smiling, some even giggling, others looking like they had just woken up or their parents
or siblings were in the background. Some students’ audio even emitted the sound of
roosters crowing. Encouraging (and awkward at first) as this scene was, I took a gulp.
This scene seemed informal, or too carefree for a classroom setting. It was with some
hesitation, that I watched my own movements mirrored back at me and the students’
expectant faces (some nonchalant or sleepy) but all in
good spirits. Then came the initial poor lighting, poor
image and sound quality, and the challenges of
marking work online and answering messages into
the night. One wonders how two years have passed
and how we endured it all. The remedies were
resilience, determination, good online bargain-
hunting skills (Shopee, for instance), a huge chunk of
patience and sacrifice (especially from one’s own
pocket).

On the brighter side, the computer, like Jambatan Tamparuli, had connected
two sides. Unlike a bridge, it has linked us in the digital world through the internet.
That is just one of technology’s many blessings! And speaking of blessings (quality
time with family!), imagine the many opportunities which present themselves for online
educators: Google Classroom, Telegram, Facebook etc.

However, digital classrooms have new rules: “don’t forget to turn off your
camera when you stand up in front of the digital classroom in your shorts!”; “remember
to test the audio before class begins!” And within this set of new rules, students open

29

up their laptops or smartphones to watch recordings or videos for their courses. They
take surveys, fill up answers on their tests, and construct their assignments. With a click,
they take selfies to post on their social media to express and show how ‘busy’ they are
during the pandemic, not to mention the many times both students and teachers must
show their countenances in the alam maya.

Nonetheless, hope in technology is restored, one might say. It is one thing to
know that we have technology – it gives one a sense of duty and responsibility – and
another to know that we are connected to an instant repository which anyone, whether
educator or student can gain access to. The digital classroom IS the 21st century dream.
It is the face of learning now. As Jennifer Borch, a researcher stated, “Twenty-first
century learners are ‘plugged-in’, fluent with technology and motivated by social
media”.

“For centuries, one of education’s hallmarks has been the instructors’ ability to
encourage their students to learn”

For education, the signal moment came at the start of the pandemic. Traditional
classrooms made way for digital ones, adapting to tech savvy strategies for education.
For example, there’s learning analytics, adaptive learning, calibrated peer review and
automated essay scoring (Balfour, 2013). For decades, the physical classroom was the
focal point of the education world with some exceptions of Blended Learning and
outdoor activities. Researchers have stated that web-based instruction is THE new
normal (Dziuban, Graham, & Moskal, 2018): a comment on the proliferation of
electronic gadgets of the technological industry but also an extension of education’s
evolving landscape and the digital native’s prowess in the digital world. If you
conducted a classroom online to give lectures and tasks, why not include artificial
intelligence (AI), to do all the marking (except for those subjective answers) while
gaining time to mentor and give personal feedback to students? The ubiquity of the
internet gives education such evolutions a novel, modern advantage.

Online classrooms change the landscape of teaching and learning yet they can
never efface the presence of the person in charge, the educator. For centuries, one of
education’s hallmarks has been the instructors’ ability to encourage their students to
learn. “Technology is a tool”, Bill Gates once said. For those who waver at the idea of
sitting in front of their desktops and laptops, tablets and handphones, there are many
options akin to the traditional classroom. At the end of the day, the instructor is still in
control over what gets disseminated to their students. To use technological applications,
one must learn by trial and error.

“The hubris is that AI reaches all four corners of the earth”

That said, the challenges that educators and students face are endless. All need
a creative solution, and one such issue is the perennial and pervasive lack of Internet
connectivity in many societies. The hubris is that AI reaches all four corners of the

30

earth. In reality, educational access for all demographics is a major concern. The quality
of the Internet connection impacts the quality of the students’ learning environments,
and this is something out of the educator’s control. In the face of this, the resilience and
determination of some, as shown by motivated individuals such as Veveonah Mosibin,
a Sabahan, cannot be highlighted enough. In education, motivation goes hand in hand
with learning. Communicating ideas and information is part and parcel of the industry;
students play a big role in reciprocating with that challenge.

The present and future educators, policy makers
and students, have a choice. One might favour the
convenience and comfort of traditional methods and
settings or one can choose to innovate and take new
risks and embrace the NEW normal with a little bit of
guidance. Technology is everywhere nowadays, and
education has managed to revamp, reconstruct, refine
and reorient itself to the present-day standards and
decorum.

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PANDEMIK VS ENDEMIK : CABARAN DAN IMPLIKASINYA

TERHADAP DUNIA PENDIDIKAN

Muhamad Azhar Zubir*, Siti Nur Fatimah Md Aminnullah,
Nur Fatimah Aisyah Shahril
Akademi Pengajian Bahasa,

Universiti Teknologi MARA Cawangan Sabah

Disember 2019 merupakan detik yang pasti tidak akan dilupakan oleh seluruh netizen
daripada pelbagai lapisan masyarakat dan peringkat umur. Dunia dikejutkan dengan
pandemik Coronavirus 19 atau singkatannya Covid-19 yang dipercayai bermula di
China. Ia menular begitu cepat dan pantas . Petikan daripada Berita Harian bertarikh 28
September 2020 menyatakan, “Pada 11 Januari lalu, kematian pertama akibat
coronavirus dilaporkan di China. Lapan bulan selepas penyakit itu dikenal pasti, yang
muncul di Wuhan pada Disember 2019, dunia kini merekodkan lebih sejuta kematian”.
Pesakit yang dijangkiti Covid-19 ini akan mengalami gejala daripada selsema biasa
hingga kepada radang paru-paru (pneumonia) yang teruk sehingga boleh menyebabkan
kematian (Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia, 2020). Oleh yang demikian, Pertubuhan
Kesihatan Sedunia (WHO) pada 11 Mac 2020 telah mengisytiharkan bahawa penularan
Covid-19 ini sebagai pandemik. WHO memperakui bahawa virus ini tersebar ke
seluruh pelusuk dunia dengan populasi yang sangat besar dan juga merentasi wilayah.
Sebagai langkah bagi mengatasi dan membendung pandemik Covid-19, kerajaan
Malaysia telah mengambil pelbagai langkah seperti melaksanakan Perintah Kawalan
Pergerakan (PKP) di seluruh negara bermula pada 31 Mac 2020 selama 14 hari.
Pelaksanaan perintah kawalan ini adalah mengikut Akta Pencegahan dan Pengawalan
Penyakit Berjangkit 1988 dan Akta Polis 1967. Terdapat enam sekatan atau larangan di
bawah perintah yang dikuatkuasakan ini antaranya ialah penutupan semua institusi
pendidikan tinggi (IPT) awam dan swasta serta institut latihan kemahiran di seluruh
negara.

Penularan Covid-19 yang begitu pantas dan cepat ini telah menyebabkan banyak
perubahan yang berlaku kepada lanskap politik, ekonomi dan sosial dalam kalangan
masyarakat. Ianya turut memberi implikasi yang besar pada bidang pendidikan. Kira-
kira 1.5 bilion pelajar dan keluarga di seluruh negara terjejas susulan penularan
pandemik Covid-19. Hal ini menyebabkan kerajaan pelbagai negara memilih kaedah
pengajaran dan pembelajaran secara jarak jauh bagi mengatasi cabaran ini dengan
inisiatif memperkukuh sokongan kepada guru serta menilai semula dasar pentaksiran
dan peperiksaan.

Susulan pelaksanaan norma baharu pengajaran dan pembelajaran tersebut,
terdapat pebagai cabaran dan tribulasi yang dihadapi dunia pendidikan baik oleh tenaga
pengajar mahupun kepada para pelajar itu sendiri. Antara cabaran-cabaran yang

32

dihadapi ialah kesukaran mengakses internet. Bagi memastikan sesi Pembelajaran dan
Pemudahcaraan (PdPc) dalam talian berjalan dengan lancar, akses kepada internet amat
penting supaya PdPc dapat dilaksanakan dengan jayanya. Sekitar waktu tersebut, kita
dikejutkan dengan beberapa video yang tular di Malaysia memaparkan kesukaran yang
dialami oleh Veveonah Mosibin, salah seorang pelajar Universiti Malaysia Sabah
(UMS) yang terpaksa memanjat pokok bagi mendapatkan capaian internet di
rumahnya. Video tersebut lantas membuka mata dan minda netizen yang menontonnya
akan kesukaran yang dihadapi oleh para pelajar khususnya yang berada di kawasan
pedalaman sama ada di Semenanjung mahupun di Sabah dan Sarawak.

Tribulasi dan mehnah berikutnya adalah perihal kemampuan para pelajar untuk
memiliki alat-alat elektronik atau alat bantu pembelajaran seperti telefon pintar,
komputer riba ataupun peranti mudah alih yang lain. Walaupun kita berada dalam
negara yang serba maju dan membangun, namun golongan B40 masih ramai dan jumlah
rakyat yang tergolong dalam kategori ini telah meningkat kesan daripada penularan
Covid-19 yang menyebabkan rakyat kehilangan perkerjaan serta sumber pencarian
mereka. Secara tidak langsung, ia memberi impak yang besar kepada kehidupan
seharian mereka terutamanya bagi ibu bapa yang mempunyai ramai anak yang masih
bersekolah di peringkat rendah, menengah mahupun pengajian tinggi. Justeru itu,
pelbagai inisiatif diambil oleh kerajaan bagi membantu golongan-golongan yang
memerlukan khususnya B40 bagi meringankan sedikit bebanan yang ditanggung
mereka sepanjang PKP dilaksanakan. Bagi pelajar-pelajar IPTA dan IPTS pula,
bantuan-bantuan alat bantu belajar seperti komputer riba turut disalurkan kepada
mahasiswa dan mahasiswi B40 yang amat memerlukan bagi meneruskan pengajian
mereka di institut pengajian tinggi berkenaan.

Krisis pandemik Covid-19 memberi impak yang besar dalam pelbagai aspek
kehidupan manusia. Walaupun PdPc dalam talian dilaksanakan sepanjang tempoh PKP
sehinggalah ke fasa peralihan kepada status endemik, para pekerja khususnya warga
pendidik mestilah mempunyai nilai integriti, kreativiti, dedikasi, kematangan spiritual
dan daya tahan yang tinggi semasa menjalankan tugas hakiki walaupun tanpa kawalan
bersemuka seperti waktu sebelum pandemik. Selain itu, bantuan dan sokongan daripada
syarikat telekomunikasi dalam menyokong aktiviti pengajian dan pembelajaran secara
alam maya dengan memberikan satu gigabyte secara percuma setiap hari kepada pelajar
dan pendidik amat dihargai dan dipuji ramai netizen.

Antara implikasi positif lain pasca pandemik Covid-19 yang dapat kita lihat
ialah perkembangan dalam sistem Pendidikan yang dibangunkan oleh Kementerian
Pendidikan Malaysia (KPM) seperti Eduweb TV dan Webinar untuk para guru, dan
Online Quizziz untuk murid-murid sekolah rendah bermula dari tahun satu sehinggalah
tahun enam. Di samping itu, pihak Perpustakaan Negara juga tidak melepaskan
peluang dalam memberikan bantuan dan khidmat yang terbaik dalam sistem pengajaran
dan pembelajaran secara atas talian dengan menyediakan Portal eLib eBook untuk para
pelajar dan murid bagi menggalakkan pengguna meminjam buku atas talian secara
percuma. Krisis pandemik Covid-19 dan pelaksanaan PKP juga secara tidak langsung

33

telah membawa kepada peningkatan tahap kompetensi penggunaan komunikasi terkini
iaitu Google Meet, Zoom, Whatsapp, Telegram, Skype, Microsoft Team dan lain-lain
lagi. Menurut Global Digital Report (2019), Malaysia menduduki kelompok kelima
tertinggi dunia dan tempat teratas di Asia Tenggara dalam penembusan media sosial
mudah alih. Laporan tersebut turut menyatakan penembusan internet di Malaysia kini
pada tahap 80 peratus dengan pengguna menghabiskan purata lapan jam lima minit
sehari dalam talian.

Tanggal 4 April 2022 menyaksikan pembukaan semula sekolah-sekolah,
institusi-institusi pengajian tinggi awam dan swasta (IPTA/IPTS) dan institut-institut
kemahiran secara bersemuka dengan mengekalkan beberapa prosedur operasi standard
(SOP) ketat seperti pemakaian pelitup muka (face mask). Pembukaan semula sekolah,
institusi pengajian tinggi dan institut kemahiran ini dilaksanakan berperingkat dan
berfasa setelah negara beralih daripada fasa pandemik kepada endemik. Diharap ia
dapat membuka suatu lembaran baharu demi merealisasikan tuntutan Falsafah
Pendidikan Negara ke arah perkembangan individu yang lebih holistik dan realistik.

Kesimpulannya, kerajaan melalui kementerian Pendidikan perlu
mengemukakan solusi yang tuntas bagi menghadapi dunia IR (Revolusi Industri) 4.0
yang akan lebih mencabar serta dunia pasca Covid-19 yang memerlukan pendekatan
luar biasa dan bukan konvensional. Walaupun kebanyakan negara sudah beralih dari
fasa pandemik kepada endemik, sistem pengajaran dan pembelajaran secara alam maya
tetap akan diteruskan dalam dunia pendidikan selari dengan era globalisasi dunia tanpa
sempadan. Pengajian secara maya atau dalam talian sudah tentu mempunyai kelebihan
dan kekurangan. Jika ia digunakan dengan sebaiknya, maka ia akan dapat memberi
manfaat kepada penggunanya. Sebaliknya, jika ia disalahgunakan oleh pengguna, maka
ia akan memberi kemudaratan kepada kehidupan pengguna tersebut.

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Rujukan

Alyasa, J. (2020, 16 Mac) . Covid-19: Perintah Kawalan Pergerakan di seluruh negara bermula 18
Mac.Sinar Harian. https://www.sinarharian.com.my/article/74100/KHAS/Covid-19/Covid-19-
Perintah-Kawalan-Pergerakan-di-seluruh-negara-bermula-18-Mac

Hasnan, H.A. (2020, April 5). Usaha Malaysia dalam menangani pandemik COVID-19. Astro Awani.
https://www.astroawani.com/berita-malaysia/usaha-malaysia-dalam-menangani-pandemik-
covid19-236795.

Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia (2020). Soalan Lazim Penyakit Coronavirus (Covid-19).
http://www.myhealth.gov.my/wp-content/uploads/FAQ-COVID-19.pdf.

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SHOULD E-LEARNING REPLACE CONVENTIONAL

LEARNING?

Sazirah Jaafar
Akademi Pengajian Bahasa,
Universiti Teknologi MARA Cawangan Sabah.

The internet has been well-known for providing, transmitting and retrieving efficient
resources of information. As cited in Arkorful and Abaidoo (2014), Richard and Haya
(2009) mentioned that the power of internet and technology is vital in teaching, learning
as well as in the area of research as it provides ways to make available resources for
both learners and instructors to share and acquire information. The adoption and
integration of the internet and technologies have been brought beyond its mere
utilisation in the classroom. This adoption and integration is known as the concept of
e-learning, although its vast definitions are defined by various researchers and experts,
e-learning should be understood as the use of information and communication
technologies to enable the access to online teaching and learning resources (Arkorful
& Abaidoo, 2014).

According to Kamsin (2005), e-learning provides benefits to the teaching and
learning process, including convenience and flexibility, individualised instructions,
self- paced materials, broader and greater range of opinions and feedback, more direct
control, high level of interaction and participation, as well as engagement and
concentration. Due to such rewarding and beneficial features of e-learning, some
conceptualisations by researchers suggest to allow e-learning to replace and substitute
the conventional approach in education. Although several researchers have proven e-
learning may appear more effective as it provides better outcome and grades than
conventional learning (Odhaib, 2018) and as mentioned by Kasim (2005), that 57% of
students accepted that e-learning can substitute conventional learning, there are
disadvantages which emerge along the process of adapting to e-learning, which impede
the teaching and learning process: e-learning reduces social and cultural interaction,
many instructors are not properly trained to facilitate online learning and e-learning is
unable to cater to all learning styles and preferences of students.

The idea that e-learning may function as a replacement for conventional
learning is not agreeable for most of the researchers as e-learning reduces social and
cultural interaction. According to Kamsin (2005), e-learning provides poor interactivity
in the process of teaching and learning between students and instructors as compared
to conventional learning. E-learning is known for its portability feature in which
learning may be conducted or experienced in any setting, and it does not require the
presence of either the students or instructor. However, this feature has somehow

36

impeded the authenticity of learning where real-life face-to-face communication would
not be able to be experienced. Although e-learning provides significant benefits in
students’ academic performance, especially in providing better outcomes and grades as
stated by Odhaib (2018), the students would somehow fail to acquire and enhance their
soft skills such as communication skills. While it is obvious that there are platforms
that can be used for practising communication skills such as video conferencing
applications, “the impersonality, suppression of communication mechanisms such as
body language, and elimination of peer-to-peer learning” (Kamsin, 2005, p. 87) emerge
on these e-platforms. This is due to the complete absence of vital personal interactions
between students and instructors as well as among the students themselves. Hence, the
reduced social and cultural interaction emerging from the utilisation of e-learning
eliminates the authentic learning experience of learners.

The poor interactivity between students and instructors does not only affect
authentic learning experience, but also affects the reliability of test and quiz
dissemination due to a lack of “human touch”. According to Spurlock-Johnson et al.
(2004), tests and quizzes would not be able to be monitored on e-platforms. In a
conventional classroom where examinations or quizzes are held, students are given a
specific time to brainstorm and synthesise ideas as well as present their understanding
of the subject matter in the presence of an instructor as the examination invigilator. In
this situation, students are more likely to present truthfulness in answering the tests or
quizzes as they are monitored. Nonetheless, in e-learning platforms, if tests or quizzes
are to be conducted via such platforms, students may not be able to present their
truthfulness and discipline in answering the tests or quizzes as they are not monitored.
Therefore, they are free to refer to their notes and the conditions which allow access to
online materials and sources would enable them to plagiarise or “cheat”. This is
supported by Arkorful and Abaidoo (2014) in which they stated that the conducting of
examinations in e-learning may lead students to breach an ethical conduct in answering
examinations such as piracy and plagiarism. For example, students may easily copy and
paste information from available online resources or even pirate an idea and infringe
copyrights. Subsequently, due to the possibility of piracy and plagiarism, it is difficult
to measure the degree or amount of knowledge acquired by the students from e-
learning. This is also supported by Spurlock-Johnson et al. (2004), in which their study
proved that the majority of the students claimed that they were not able to grasp a clear
understanding of topics, which led them to not do well in assignments and tests.
Therefore, the abovementioned problems and difficulties then bring us to the realisation
of the effectiveness of conventional face-to-face teaching and learning where students
may experience authentic learning processes, as instructors are physically available for
further and clearer explanations and guidance.

Other than problems with piracy and plagiarism, the conducting of tests and
quizzes also appears problematic as the tests or quizzes are disseminated with the use
of proxies, which may be interrupted any time and lead to server issues or errors. This
circumstance will then impede the proper conducting of examinations on e-platforms.
Besides, this issue may also be due to the lack of a strong internet server or even the

37