FRIDAY, 07 MARCH – The agarwood industry in recent years has received overwhelming response from local entrepreneurs to develop the field.

Thus, as a continuation to the Sabah Agarwood Seminar in 2011, the School of International Tropical Forestry (SPTA) Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) in collaboration with G&G Management Consultant Sdn Bhd will be organising a National Agarwood Innoculation Workshop 2014 this coming April.

The two-day seminar was aimed at providing the latest information on agarwood innoculation techniques in order to increase the revenue of operators who have seen high demand over the last five years.

Through this workshop, entrepreneurs would be able to find out the existing technology on the processing of agarwood innoculation from other experts besides networking to market the product.

In addition, workshops would be held on 16^th and 17^th April which would see paper presentations from a lecturer attached to Mulawarman Universiti Indonesia, Prof. Ir. Dr. Abu Bakar and a representative from the Malaysian Nuclear Agency, Dr. Muhamad Lebai Juri.

A special briefing on the direction of the Agarwood industry in Sabah will be held and presented by Datuk George A. Ginibun from the G&G Management Consultant Sdn Bhd.

As such, registrations are open to those interested to join the workshop with a fee of RM400 per participant. However, early birds have until 31 March to register and enjoy a discounted fee of RM350. Please contact Awang Ahmad Mohd Yunus at 016 8124883 for further information. – ZMD (fl)

 

Source : School of International Tropical Forestry (SPTA)

THURSDAY, 06 MARCH – The Student Mobility programme between Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) and Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) which involved the exchange of students in the standardised clusters or study programmes created a new dimension for students who indirectly became ambassadors for both universities.

According to the Dean of the School of Education and Social Development (SPPS),UMS, Prof. Dr. Ismail Ibrahim, students who were involved were from the Social Science Education Programme whilst from UUM, the School of Education and Modern Language; which comprised six students, four from UUM and the rest from UMS made up of second year students.

“Apart from being transferred to another university for a semester, the students involved would also be experiencing a new learning environment, gaining a different experience of another university and expanding their horizon through pre-designed soft-skill activities,” explained Prof. Ismail in a simple ceremony attended by students involved in the programme and representatives from UUM.

 “This programme will begin in the second semester of the 2013/2014 Academic Session and among the aims are to foster cooperation in terms of the exchange of ideas and learning scenarios between the two education centres so as to produce educators who have a strong character and personality well suited with the demands of being an educator of the nation one day,” he added.

Besides classroom learning, SPPS had also planned a number of soft-skill activities which were suited with the courses offered such as tours around Kota Kinabalu city, State Museum, Kadazandusun Cultural Centre, Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park, exploration using old train, programmes coordinated by the student union as well as field work and Geography courses.

Four students from UUM involved were Fatin Nabilah Mohd Nasir, Norfairuz Arifin, Nur Farieha Che Rashid and Priscilla Hilda a/k Tanis while two UMS students who would be going to UUM were Haslisa Hariono and Nur Safinah Osman. – CD (fl)

 
Source: Angie Tseu, SPPS

 
Media & Citra Division
Chancellery Department

THURSDAY, 06 MARCH – Non-performing of daily tasks entrusted to us not only brings harm to the organisation but is also doing injustice to our colleagues and ourself.

Taking the head of department as an example, he or she should be monitor staff who are not committed, like to hang around not doing any work or prefer to direct others in doing work because failure to do so would make the said staff to be negative and have an adverse impact on other employees.

Head of Mosque and Islamic Affairs Unit (UHEIM) Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) Dr. Muhamad Suhaimi Taat said, every task given no matter your ranks, were tasks given by Allah s.w.t and all efforts and ways of finding them were the beginning of a good sustenance.

“We must adopt the act of working in sincerity which is to realise that every task is monitored by Allah s.w.t. and if we are honest and accept all what we have gained willingly, Insya-Allah we will be rewarded in this world and the hereafter,” he said when presenting a talk in the UMS Mosque Weekly Talk Programme.

Talking about the concept of integrity, Dr. Suhaimi said it was our responsibility to speak up or make a report if there was any wrong committed relating to integrity such as corruption, laziness and so on.

“The practice of accepting bribes would hinder us from getting any blessings as the consequences would be detrimental to us including our family and children as they are haram,” he said.

He added that integrity would be present if there was cooperation within the group, jealousies and questioning each other’s work would only separate us thus making the whole system defective.

“We must remember that all the work we do will be questioned again in the afterlife. It is uncertain if all our work and prayers were sufficient to repay the blessings that Allah s.w.t bestows on us,” he stressed.

The talk organised by UHEIM touched on trust and integrity in our work and daily life in conjunction with UMS level Integrity Month celebrated in March. More than 30 participants comprising staff and students of UMS attended the talk. – SM & MA (fl)

 
Media and Citra Division
Chancellery Department

WEDNESDAY, 05 MARCH – The young generation plays an important role in fostering and heighten cultural activities among the community which is progressing into modernisation.