WEDNESDAY, 24 APRIL – The Vice-Chancellor of UMS, Capt. (H) Prof. Datuk Dr. Mohd. Harun Abdullah and the Chief of Army Training, Maj. Gen. Datuk Mazelan Kasap  paid a courtesy call to the Head of State, His Excellency Tun Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Juhar Haji Mahiruddin at the latter’s official residence.

The courtesy call was to inform the Head of State of the forthcoming 32^nd Public Universities Cadet Reserve Officers Commissioning Ceremony which will be held from the 6^th to 7^th July 2013 at the Parade Field and Chancellor Hall UMS.  His Majesty the King, Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Badlishah had given his consent to be the guest of honour at the function.

This annual affair is conducted on a rotation basis with 15 public universities and will be held for the first time in Sabah, in particular UMS.  A total of 1,344 cadet reserve officers will be commissioned during this event which comprise 658 male cadets and 686 female cadets.

According to Maj. Gen. Datuk Mazelan, all cadet officers who are commissioned will be absorbed to the Territorial Reserve Team as Junior Lieutenant.

“They can also apply to be fulltime army personnel under the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM),” he said. 

Also present was UMS Registrar, Left. Col. (H) Datuk Abdullah Hj. Mohd. Said and other UMS officers including ATM staff. - FL

Source: Chancellory Department

                                                                                                            Information and Media Section, Corporate Relations Division 

TUESDAY, 23 APRIL – The Islamic Arts Festival Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) will be held from 27 April.  The Festival organised by the Exco of Spiritual and Harmony Committee of the Anugerah Bestari (AB) Student Welfare Committee (JAKMAS) will be held for three days and will highlight exciting features.

According to the Head of Programme, Mohd. Haziq Murshidi, the festival among others will include A Fraternity Concert, Dialogue On Love Forum and Islami Talent Search.  Also incorporated in the event are friendly match through futsal and Muslimat Power jogathon.

Haziq added that the festival which will be held at certain locations in UMS will feature personalities such as Nazrie Johani of the group Raihan and Munif Ahmad of the group Hijjaz.  Imam Muda Asyyraf and Imam Muda Nazrul including other personalities were expected to be at the festival.

All are welcome to help make this festival a success which will end on 28 April 2013.

By Salbinous Saribun/Feria Lee

                                                                                                                       Information and Media Section, Corporate Relations Division

MONDAY, 22 APRIL – Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) received a group of 16 visitors from Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Shah Alam.  The group comprised staff from the Melati College of Management UiTM Shah Alam and on hand to receive them was Customer Service Officer, Corporate Relations Division, Fazharia April at the lobby of Chancellory building before being brought to UMS Museum and the Research Gallery of UMS.

According to the Hostel Manager of Melati College UiTM, Zakiah Baharudin, the visit is aimed at exposing its staff on students’ development and to improve their present facilities.  The group also made a visit to the residential colleges of UMS, besides the Aquarium and Marine Museum of UMS including the campus surroundings.  The committee members were satisfied with the results of this visit and hope to benefit from what they had learned and to apply the same to UiTM Shah Alam campus.

By Musaab Umair/Feria Lee

THURSDAY, 18 APRIL – World Forestry Day is celebrated worldwide every year on 21 March.  In Malaysia, it was celebrated in Pahang at national level with the theme ‘Forestry for Prosperity’.  Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) also celebrated the day with the School of Tropical Forestry (SPTA) as the organiser and had adopted the green concept.

With the theme ‘Our Forest, Our Future’, SPTA had chosen Dryobalanops Lanceolata or ‘Kapur Paji’ tree as the school’s official tree and was planted as a symbolic move towards environment conservation efforts.

Speaking at the official opening ceremony, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research & Innovation) Prof. Dr. Shahril Yusof representing the Vice-Chancellor of UMS, Prof. Datuk Dr. Mohd. Harun Abdullah, said that the World Forestry Day celebration should not be seen as a mere symbolic celebration but an awareness on the importance of appreciating the value of forests and sustaining it for each generation.

He said the chosen theme this year was appropriate towards realising the idea of EcoCampus where almost 60% of the land used in UMS were consisted of green area made up of landscape and natural forest.

“With the green area, carbon absorption process would be done naturally thus making UMS a municipality known as the 'Low Carbon City'.  This was because UMS will be surrounded by trees,” he added.

The World Forestry Day celebration also included an exhibition on tropical forests by the students of SPTA and colouring competition for primary school students within the vicinity of UMS. 

Also present at the function was the Dean of SPTA, Dr. Normah Awang Besar @ Raffie.

By Faezah Mohd. Dun
Photo: Musaab Umair

                                                                                                     Information and Media Section, Corporate Relations Division