From Rural to Urban with (ICT) Education

By Melati Mohd Ariff

BALIK PULAU (Pulau Pinang), Jan 9 (Bernama) -- For the 'average' academic achievers, failure to get a place in universities is not the end of the world as the Island College of Technology (ICT) here provides the opportunity for them to pursue degree, diploma and certificate-level studies.

"When the college (ICT) was established (in 1998), there were only a few Bumiputera private colleges in the Peninsula's north. At that time, Malay students with average academic performance did not have ample opportunities to pursue further education.

"In Pulau Pinang, many of the Malay girls chose to work in factories as the easy way out to look for money to assist their families. We do not wish to see the Malays particularly the girls end up as factory workers," ICT President/Chief Executive Datuk Siti Mazenah Saat told Bernama here recently.

"Such a scenario is rather poignant, as even though the academic achievement is good, they have to give way to poverty," said Siti Mazenah who has 21 years experience serving Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) before retiring in September 1998. She had also served the Education Ministry and Public Service Department.

ICT'S COMMITMENT

Since ICT's inception in 1998, the college's vision is to be a premier tertiary-level education institution with its commitment for excellence via exemplary work quality and culture.

According to Siti Mazenah, who had served as the USM Registrar, the college is unwavering in implementing its social obligations towards human capital development.

"From my years in the academic field, I have witnessed the gap between the brilliant and average performers. For those who have good results, usually there would be no problems in getting a place in the universities but what about students who have average results?

"They (average performers) appeared lost. Hence, we need to show them a way to pursue higher education," she said.

Siti Mazenah said ICT's academic staff would go to the field regularly to attract school leavers to attend English language classes at the college for three months.

"While attending the English Language class, we would fire their spirit to learn as high as possible as academic excellence would change their life and that of their family as well," she said.

CHILDREN OF FARMERS, LABOURERS

Siti Mazenah said 80 per cent of ICT students are Malays who were from the rural areas of Pulau Pinang, Kedah, Perlis and south Perak, most of them being the children of farmers and labourers.

According to the 65-year-old Siti Mazenah, she always reminded the ICT students on the sacrifice made by their parents and the occasion they spend at the college is the time to 'reimburse' the sacrifices made.

"This is the time to repay their parents' sacrifices by studying very hard for them to have better future," she said, adding that apart from having students from the Peninsula's north, ICT also admits students from other states including Sabah and Sarawak.

COURSES OFFERED

Each year, ICT admits between 600 and 700 new students and among the courses that the college offers are those in the business management, information technology, accounting, human resources management and entrepreneurship.

ICT also collaborates with Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) for its diploma programmes like that in science as well as business and communication studies. The college also has a tie-up with Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) for its bachelor's degree courses in management and pharmacy.

For short-term programmes, ICT offers various courses like English Language, Executive Development, Marketing, Computer Application and Information Technology.

According to Siti Mazenah almost all of the ICT's students receive funding from either MARA or National High Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) while for those who are unable to get the funding, they could negotiate with the MARA Education Foundation.

"Hence, there is no problem studying here. The students need only to come and study," she said with a smile.

10-YEAR PLAN

Siti Mazenah said ICT has laid out various programmes to boost the college's academic fineness over the next 10 years.

"Our previous focus was on management and health science including pharmacy. The next focus on health sciences is nursing and dietetic.

"Within the next 10 years, we hope to offer more degree programmes. I am in the midst of negotiations with Asia-e University (Kuala Lumpur) for e-learning programmes like the Master's in Business Administration (MBA)," she said.

With the e-learning programmes, expected to commence either this February or June, Siti Mazenah hopes more ICT students would go for the degree programmes.

"For the time being, only half of the diploma-level students pursue the degree programmes. The main reason is that they wish to work early to help their family.

"With the Asia-e University programmes, they could both work and study through the e-learning," she said.

MORE PLANS

Siti Mazenah said ICT plans to expand its English Language course.

"At this college, the focus is on the English Language and every Monday and Wednesday all students are required to speak in that language. It appears effective.

"We need to have more avenues to improve the students' command of English for their own good particularly upon moving into the job sector," she said, adding that ICT plans to have collaboration with universities in Australia and United Kingdom either by sending students there or having twinning programmes.

The ICT has signed a memorandum of understanding with Kuala Lumpur University for the university to send 100 students from Africa including Botswana to attend the one-year basic course at the college.

"They would be our first batch of foreign students," she said.

UNIVERSITY STATUS

Siti Mazenah said ICT hopes to be upgraded into a university college within the next 10 years.

"With the upgrading, we would have our own degree programmes as compared to that franchised by other universities," she said.

The college also plans to boost its student population by taking up to 4,000 to 5,000 students.

"For now, the ICT campus is able to accommodate only 1,500 students. To have more students, the college administrators need to provide more lecture rooms, hostels and other facilities," said Siti Mazenah, adding that high-rise buildings would have to be constructed to replace some of the existing chalet-like premises.

At the moment the college has an academic staff of 45 where 44 of them are full-time lecturers. More than half of these lecturers have the Master's qualification while three are PhD holders.

She said the college has achieved its first 10-year objective and is striving towards having a curriculum that meets the industry and nation's needs.

PERSONAL SATISFACTION

For Siti Mazenah, nothing satisfied her more other than seeing the ICT graduates queueing up proudly to receive their respective scrolls on convocation day.

She was also touched when parents of the graduates came to thank her personally.

Siti Mazenah said she also received 'Thank You' cards from the ICT graduates who found employment.

"That was very touching. At least we have managed to extricate these children from the poverty cocoon and their success proved that those from the rural areas could succeed if given the chance.

"ICT would continue to implement its social obligations for the benefit of the society and Malays," she added.

-- BERNAMA: Higher Education Chance For Rural Children

Air Tenang Jangan Disangka Tak Ada Buaya (Ular Sawa)...

By ANN TAN

BALIK PULAU: Four men armed with two pistols held eight people hostage for more than five hours after a deal to trade python skins and mineral stones went sour in Pulau Betong here.

The buyer and his seven workers met the four men inside a hut at 2am yesterday but could not come to an agreement on price.

Illegal business: DCP Ayub (right) looking at th sheets of python skin recovered from the hut in Pulau Betong.

It is also believed that the buyer also owed the four men a large sum of money from an earlier transaction.

Tempers flared which led to the eight being forced into a room at gunpoint following an argument.

State police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Wira Ayub Yaakob said the police received a tip-off about the matter at 2.50am and monitored the situation for a few hours before surrounding the hut at 9am.

“We managed to persuade the four men, in their 20s and 30s, from the Klang Valley to surrender and release their hostages after a 50-minute negotiation. Nobody was injured during the tense situation.

“Two Sig Sauer pistols with two magazines, a shotgun, a BMW, a Perodua Myvi, 164 python skins and over ten buckets of mineral stones were seized, together with the arrest of the 12 people,” he told a press conference yesterday.

In custody: The suspects being led away from the crime scene in Pulau Betong yesterday.

DCP Ayub said the stones, containing traces of gold were smuggled here from a neighbouring country, adding that the python skins would be sent to the state Wildlife department to see if they were from protected species.

“Our investigations showed that the hut had been a centre for smuggling for quite some time. We are now looking for the other accomplices.

“We are investigating the case as wrongful confinement under Section 342 of the Penal Code and firearms possession under Section 8 of the Firearms Act (Increased Penalties),” he added.

State Wildlife operations enforcement unit chief Khairul Nizam Yahaya said the python skins could be sold for between RM200 and RM300 each to be made into handbags and shoes.

From The Star: Deal to trade python skins goes sour

Komplot Emas Acheh di Pulau Betong

INILAH rumah kayu milik bekas anggota polis yang disewa kepada penjenayah dan dijadikan markas oleh Geng Batu Emas sejak setahun lalu.

BALIK PULAU - Siapa sangka sebuah rumah kayu di Jalan Datuk Bashar, Pulau Betong di sini menyimpan rahsia besar aktiviti satu sindiket menjual batu mineral emas yang diseludup dari Aceh, Indonesia.

Kegiatan itu terbongkar berikutan polis menerima satu maklumat daripada seorang penduduk kampung pukul 2.50 pagi semalam yang memaklumkan ada sekumpulan lelaki India yang menaiki dua buah kereta iaitu BMW dan Perodua MyVi membuat kecoh di rumah tersebut.
Sepasukan polis yang tiba di rumah tersebut kemudian mendapati kumpulan lelaki India itu sedang mengugut dan mengurung lapan lelaki di dalam rumah kayu itu.

Pasukan polis cuba menyelesaikan perbalahan tersebut tetapi ia bertambah kusut apabila empat lelaki tersebut mempunyai senjata.

AYUB (kanan) menunjukkan sebahagian barang yang dirampas ekoran penahanan 12 lelaki di
Pulau Betong, Balik Pulau semalam.

Pasukan polis yang gagal memujuk kumpulan lelaki bersenjata itu menyerah diri terpaksa meminta tambahan anggota bagi memastikan semua yang ada di dalam rumah tersebut selamat.
Ketua Polis Pulau Pinang, Datuk Ayub Yaakob berkata, polis kemudian mengepung seluruh kawasan rumah tersebut sebelum mengarahkan empat lelaki India yang berusia 19 dan 33 tahun dari Lembah Klang itu menyerah diri.

"Hanya pada pukul 9.30 pagi kesemua lelaki India itu menyerah diri sementara lapan mangsa turut dilepaskan oleh mereka," kata beliau.

Petikan dari Kosmo, 9 Januari 2009

Wajah Baru di Tahun Baru?

Setahun lagi agaknya Balik Pulau akan betul-betul berubah wajah dengan lebih kencang...

Gambar di atas diambil pada New Year's Eve, 31 Disember 2008 menunjukkan pembangunan padat di pekan Kongsi/Balik Pulau.

Dan taman-taman perniagaan baru kini menghunikan kafe-kafe Internet sebagai bisnes-bisnes keperluan terawal untuk penduduk seperti taman di Simpang Empat/Genting ini yang baru saja dibuka pada bulan Disember 2008, menunjukkan betapa pekan Balik Pulau pun mengharungi arus k-economy, ataupun ekonomi keilmuan. Kini sudah ada hampir sepuluh pusat-pusat Internet seperti ini termasuk di Taman Seri Indah, Pekan Kongsi, Taman Bukit Penara (dekat Terminal Bas Rapid Penang yang mana kafe Internet menjadi antara perniagaan terawal dibuka di situ sebelum KFC, 7-11 dll tiba) dan Taman Manggis. Atau mungkinkah kafe-kafe Internet ini hanya satu generasi permainan interaktif elektronik (video game) menggantikan zaman arked yang popular di dekad 80-an?

Begitupun bangunan-bangunan seklasik di atas dan rumah-rumah kampung tradisional seharapnya terus terpelihara.


Biarpun tak salah dengan ketibaan bangunan-bangunan mega seperti mahkamah syariah di atas yang bakal siap dalam beberapa bulan lagi (terlajak penyiapan pembinaan melepasi lebih setahun kini)

Sementara itu, janganlah hendaknya pihak MPPP dan kerajaan negeri terus tidur membiarkan taman-taman perumahan kos rendah seperti di Taman Seri Indah ini jadi langsung tak indah dengan sampah bertaburan kerana tak cukup tong dan tak cukup kerap pengutipannya - diperhatikan sebegini dari 27 Disember hingga 31 Disember, dan penduduk di situ terpaksa lalu lalang sambil menghidu bau busuk satu hari lagi memandangkan 1hb Januari pula hari cuti umum! Apa dah jadi? Orang ramai kempen buang sampah sambut tahun baru atau pihak kerajaan negeri mogok sebab dengarnya ura-ura kerja pengurusan sampah akan diambil alih oleh kerajaan pusat kah? Mungkin masanya juga untuk usaha mengecat flat-flat usang ni dengan cat lebih berkualiti kali ini... Janganlah dibiarkan daerah yang menghoskan program Homestay untuk pelancong-pelancong punya "sight for sore eyes" atau "smell for itchy noses"...

Mana YB-YB tersayang kita? Tuan Yusmadi (AP) dan Tuan Farid (ADUN)? Selalunya berebut nak tunjuk muka BN vs. PR... apa salahnya menjenguk Taman Seri Indah sekali lagi? Lagipun, dua-dua pejabat Gerakan (BN) dan PKR (PR) ada di taman ini... ;)

Salam Ma'al Hijrah dan Tahun Baru Era Umum semoga pembaca sihat sejahtera dan terpelihara senantiasa hendaknya!

Kompleks Mahal & Baru, Tapi Gersang...

FAKTA & NOMBOR Kompleks Pasar Awam MPPP Balik Pulau:

• Tarikh dibuka: 1 Disember 2007
• Tempoh pembinaan: 18 bulan ~ 1.5 tahun (Feb 2006 - Sep 2007)
  
• Kos pembinaan: RM 17 juta ~ hampir RM sejuta sebulan
  
• Jumlah ruang perniagaan: 287 (106 untuk peniaga pasar lama, 123 untuk peniaga baru) {Jumlah tapak pasar tani hari minggu: 150}
  
• Jenis ruang perniagaan: 4 (astaka, bazar, pasar basah, pasar kering)
• Kos sewa (bulanan dalam RM): 95-160 (pasar basah), 100 (pasar kering), RM120 (astaka), RM160 (bazar)
• Kos lesen MPPP: RM30 sebulan = RM360 setahun
  
• Cagaran/bayaran awal penyerahan gerai: 3 + 1 bulan (misalnya, RM190x3 = RM570 + RM190 = RM780)
• Kos pemasangan eletrik (TNB/kontraktor): RM500
• Anggaran untung bulanan setiap gerai: RM500 => Jumlah keuntungan semua peniaga selama setahun: RM1.7M ~ akan mengambil masa lebih 10 tahun untuk mendapatkan pulangan kos pembinaan kompleks (dengan syarat semua gerai beroperasi).
  
• Anggaran kutipan sewa gerai oleh MPPP: RM500,000 setahun (tidak termasuk sewa dewan, pejabat MPPP dsbnya) => 36 tahun untuk pulangan kos pembinaan kompleks (tidak mengambilkira kos operasi).
  
• Peratus kutipan sewa gerai oleh MPPP berbanding pendapatan tahunan: 2.5% (berdasarkan purata pendapatan sebanyak RM200 juta setahun).
  
  
• Kos tahun pertama berniaga di bazar: RM780 (cagaran + sewa bulan pertama) + RM500 (TNB) + RM190x11 (sewa)+ ~RM30x12 (eletrik) = RM 3,730 setiap gerai (tidak termasuk stok atau kos operasi lain). Taklah murah/mudah sangat, kan?
  

Berdasarkan rujukan dengan MPPP dan artikel-artikel akhbar termasuk artikel Sinar Harian seperti di bawah (9 NOV 2008) - Desak kurang sewa, hebatkan promosi:

BALIK PULAU - Kira-kira 180 peniaga di Kompleks Pasar Awam Balik Pulau mendesak Majlis Perbandaran Pulau Pinang (MPPP) mengurangkan kadar sewa bulanan yang dikenakan ke atas mereka.

Kompleks yang mempunyai hampir 270 ruang perniagaan pelbagai jualan iaitu astaka, bazar, pasar basah dan kering difahamkan dikenakan kadar sewa bulanan yang tinggi berdasarkan jenis perniagaan dan berbeza dengan pasar awam di kawasan lain.

Tinjauan Sinar Harian ke kompleks berkenaan yang telah beroperasi hampir setahun itu, dapat melihat kekecewaan peniaga di situ disebabkan kurangnya promosi daripada pihak berkenaan.

Suasana meriah dan keriuhan antara pelanggan dengan pembeli apabila menawar sesuatu barangan jualan hanya dapat dirasai apabila cuti hujung minggu dan cuti umum.

Yang Dipertuan Persatuan Peniaga-Peniaga Melayu Kompleks Pasar Awam Balik Pulau, Saleh Hassan berkata, kadar sewa bulanan yang dikenakan MPSP amat tinggi berbanding tempat lain.

“Bagi peniaga yang menjual barangan pakaian serta aksesori wanita, mereka dikenakan bayaran sewa tapak RM160.

“Peniaga astaka yang menjual makanan dan minuman pula dikenakan sewa bulanan RM120, peniaga pasar kering RM100 dan peniaga pasar basah pula minimum RM95 sehingga RM160 berdasarkan keluasan ruang perniagaan”, katanya.

Menurutnya, jika dicampur dengan sewa lesen tahunan dan kos elektrik, peniaga hanya mampu meraih pendapatan sekitar RM550 sebulan.

“Keuntungan yang diperoleh kami sekadar cukup untuk dibuat pusingan modal dan meneruskan perniagaan walaupun ramai rakan-rakan yang terpaksa berhenti memandangkan kurangnya sambutan.

“Beberapa kawan saya telah berhenti berniaga di sini dan tidak hairan kami yang masih mampu bertahan ini akan menjejaki langkah mereka," katanya ketika ditemui oleh Sinar Harian.

Tambahnya, aduan telah dikemukakan kepada pihak berkenaan untuk menyelesaikan masalah itu, namun sehingga kini tiada sebarang tindakan diambil.

“Perjumpaan kali pertama dengan pihak MPPP telah diadakan pada Februari lalu dan menurut mereka, tindakan akan diambil tetapi tidak dilaksanakan. Kami juga telah membuat aduan serta perjumpaan susulan tetapi sehingga kini tiada tindak balas," ujarnya.

Seorang peniaga bazar, Jamilah Abu Bakar menggesa majlis mengkaji semula kadar sewa bulanan yang dikenakan kerana ia amat tinggi.

“Keuntungan yang diperoleh sebulan jika ditolak sewa bulanan, kos elektrik dan pusingan modal, kami hanya mendapat RM500 sebulan.

“Mereka sepatutnya peka mengenai masalah ini dan bukan hanya sekadar mengutip sewa sahaja tetapi perlulah sama membantu meningkatkan pendapatan peniaga," katanya.


p/s: Malah, karnival mesra pelanggan yang diadakan pada 13 Disember lalu pun agak malap dan murung tanpa lampu-lampu yang sesuai atau mencukupi, mungkin tanpa sokongan padu pihak MPPP/kerajaan sendiri: