TUESDAY, 23 AUGUST – The Four Wheel Drive Volunteer Club Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS 4WDVC) successfully held their corporate social responsibility (CSR) through their Community Exploration Programme at Kg. Magandai, Kota Marudu, recently.

The three-day programme aimed at helping the rural community in developing sustainable ecological practices, led by Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Research and Innovation UMS and the current President of UMS 4WDVC, Professor Dr. Shahril Yusof.

According to Prof. Shahril, UMS 4WDVC was often involved in CSR mission involving the use of 4-wheel drive vehicles and had chosen Kg. Magandai as the route to get to the village was very difficult and challenging.

“Volunteers comprising 27 staff of UMS planted durian trees around the school area as part of their CSR efforts.

“School children were also taught on the importance of planting fruit trees and responsible for maintaining the trees planted,” he said.

Prof.  Shahril said, besides planting fruit trees, the volunteers also had the chance to jungle trek to Kg. Minisulang located some eight kilometres from Kg. Magandai to appreciate and feel for themselves the experience of the villagers who had to use the jungle trail as their routine track.

A motivational programme with the students of SK Magandai was held in the evening, which was presented by Dr. Abd. Hakim Mohad, a senior lecturer at the Centre for the Promotion of Knowledge and Language UMS, who stressed on the importance of achieving success and continued efforts to attain a higher level of education up to university level.

UMS 4WDVC also distributed rice to help the elderly of Kg. Magandai before returning to Kota Kinabalu. – (fl)

 MONDAY, 22 AUGUST – ‘Selangkah ke Menara  Gading’ or ‘A Step to  the Ivory Tower’ programme organised by the Student Representatives Council (MPP) Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) was meant to educate students on the actual life in university, besides motivating them to strive in getting a place at the ivory tower.

Assistant Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment Sabah, Datuk Kamarlin Ombi said, such programme was academic-like, motivational in nature with a touch of leadership quality that would be beneficial to participants and a motivation to them.

“I hope such programme would be an encouragement especially to students of secondary schools to develop and prepare themselves.

“It is hoped that this programme would be an inspiration to the students to strive for excellence for themselves, the university and the country in general,” he said when closing the programme at the Main Lecture Hall 2, UMS, yesterday.

His speech was read by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment, Datu Rosmadi Datu Sulai.

He also hoped that the participants of SEMEGA would continue in their struggle to gain knowledge  to achieve their dreams of stepping into university.

The three-day SEMEGA programme saw a total of 177 students from 15 schools throughout the state converged at UMS to participate in the various activities planned, which included motivational camp, group trainings and so on.

Also present at the closing ceremony of the SEMEGA programme were the Assistant Director of the State Education Department, Datuk Dr. Mohd Kassim Mohd Ibrahim, and Head of Student Affairs Department, Azmi Jumat. – MA (fl)

MONDAY, 22 AUGUST – The Sustainable Minds Centre (PML) Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) held a ‘gotong-royong’ activity in an effort to clean and beautify its surroundings.

According to Director of PML, Aidah Noordin, these activities could directly foster mutual cooperation and closer relationship among the staff.

“This gotong-royong is also supported by the company that manages the landscaping, FADA Enterprise and cleaning services, DES Dynamics at PML as part of their social responsibility in giving back to the community,” she said.

Meanwhile, Assistant Registrar of PML, Faddili Kasin said, child safety becomes the top priority for PML and cleanliness is one of the key factors in ensuring that they are always surrounded in a clean and healthy environment.

“Besides, physical security is also taken into account and PML must take the necessary precautions to ensure that PML is not exposed to physical danger.

“Therefore, this programme will become an annual activity to ensure that the areas surrounding PML is always well-maintained, fostering good values such as teamwork, tolerance and  harmony to produce responsible employees and to instill a sense of belonging to their place of work,” he concluded.

Source: Faddili Kasin, PML

FRIDAY, 19 AUGUST – A total of 20 participants from 11 countries will take part in the third round of the Third Country Training Programme (TCTP) 2016 in Sabah starting 8 September.

The 21-day programme organised by the Institute of Tropical Biology and Conservation (IBTP), Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) in collaboration with the State Government, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

UMS IBTP Director, Professor Dr. Charles S. Vairappan disclosed that the participants were from India, Uganda, Botswana, South Africa, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Cambodia, the Philippines and Thailand.

“The programme includes formal classroom activities, video presentations, field trips to a variety of protected forest areas, interaction with the local communities in the rural and suburban protected areas and meeting with those involved with conservation efforts at grass root level.

“The training programme incorporates knowledge acquisition and skills related to integration, planning and financing, the implementation of research and education, park management and public awareness,” he said in a press conference held at IBTP Seminar Room, yesterday.

Dr. Charles hoped that through this programme participants would be able to enhance their knowledge and skills related to conservation management (planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation) and achieving the same for conservation purposes.

According to him, through the programme themed, “Biodiversity Integrated Course and Ecosystem Conservation Training”, participants would also be able to learn the experience from Sabah rangers in various aspects of wildlife and forest conservation.

Also present at the press conference were Senior Geologist of Natural Resources Office Sabah, Gerald Jetony and Chief Advisor of JICA, Hiroyuki Hatori. – SS (fl)