Petition of Art and Social Science Faculty undergraduates to the Dean
of Art and Social Science Faculty
Hereby, we request for an annulment for the assignment "Bengkel Pendedahan dan Penilaian Keusahawan" and reassessment for the "soft skill" program as endorsed by the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia.
Background and Raison d'etre
The final year undergraduates of Art and Social Science Faculty a.k.a. FSSS received an order from the vice dean through a notice, dated of 8th March 2007, which is pasted at the faculty notice board, obliging the students of FSSS to attend a workshop titled "Bengkel Pendedahan dan Penilaian Keusahawan" on 17th March 2007 in DK F, FSSS from 8.00 am to 6.30 pm.
593 final year undergraduates had attended this workshop on 17th March (according to a staff from the workshop on that day), and we found out that this workshop is endorsing the insurance field by the Syarikat Aznita Mgt (M) Sdn. Bhd. to the students. Also, in the afternoon session, students were segregated into 53 groups to discuss an upcoming `project'. Each of the groups is
requested to find a location to hold a seminar that is intended to introduce "Am Cash" to the other undergraduates in the campus. In addition, the seminar will be given by members of the said company. All the expenses for this seminar and the printing of the pamphlets and flyers will be beared by the students themselves. Finally, the students are requested to hand in the project report to the dean office before 2nd April 2007.
After attending the workshop, a majority of students felt something was amiss as to the reason why such workshop which is intended to train the undergraduates' `soft skill', metamorphosed into a seminar that call out to the undergraduates to profit from insurance sales. The most peculiar part is that the students have to bear all the unnecessary expenses for the said project, which is directed to introduce "Am Cash", but nothing to do in training the `soft skill' of university students.
Therefore, we, the final year undergraduates from FSSS of UM feel that "Bengkel Pendedahan dan Penilaian Keusahawan" did not achieve its aim in training students' `soft skill'. Moreover, we did not have any obligation to publicise a product or service of a company. Thus, we would like to provide few rational suggestions to the Dean of FSSS.
Our Petitions
1. Abrogate the assignment as demanded by the speakers of Syarikat Azmita Mgt (M) Sdn. Bhd. i.e. to run a project holding a seminar in publicizing an "Am Cash" product or service to the other
undergraduates in the campus. We do not have the obligation to perform activity for any products and/or services of an outside company.
2. Reassess the `soft skill' program which is ordered by the Ministry of Higher Education of Malaysia recently. We collectively felt that this `soft skill' program is prepared hastily and without a proper planning so as to fail to bring any positive effects to the undergraduates of Malaysia. An in-depth discussion between the authority of the University with the Ministry of Higher Education of Malaysia has to be held.
3. Evaluate the undergraduates' `soft skill' through participation and presentation while attending lessons or tutorials, and also through the co-curricular activities which are held in the
campus. We felt such assessment of an undergraduate' s `soft skill' through a project after attending a workshop is superficial and could not evaluate the undergraduate holistically.
4. The Dean office of FSSS should not oblige the undergraduates to attend any workshops and seminars in the time to come. We should be allowed the liberty to attend any workshops and seminars as it is not our responsibility as undergraduates.
5. The Dean office of FSSS should not state that "whoever did not attend this workshop will be barred from graduating this session." According to the <> printed on the year 2004, to graduate
in FSSS of UM, undergraduates only have to complete the credit hours as assigned by the departments in the faculty. Workshop or seminar attendance is not one of the prerequisites to graduate in UM.
We that support this PETITION attached our signatures and persuade the Dean to give appropriate response or explanation as soon as possible.
Thank you.
written by Cash Chow (Malay version)
of Art and Social Science Faculty
Hereby, we request for an annulment for the assignment "Bengkel Pendedahan dan Penilaian Keusahawan" and reassessment for the "soft skill" program as endorsed by the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia.
Background and Raison d'etre
The final year undergraduates of Art and Social Science Faculty a.k.a. FSSS received an order from the vice dean through a notice, dated of 8th March 2007, which is pasted at the faculty notice board, obliging the students of FSSS to attend a workshop titled "Bengkel Pendedahan dan Penilaian Keusahawan" on 17th March 2007 in DK F, FSSS from 8.00 am to 6.30 pm.
593 final year undergraduates had attended this workshop on 17th March (according to a staff from the workshop on that day), and we found out that this workshop is endorsing the insurance field by the Syarikat Aznita Mgt (M) Sdn. Bhd. to the students. Also, in the afternoon session, students were segregated into 53 groups to discuss an upcoming `project'. Each of the groups is
requested to find a location to hold a seminar that is intended to introduce "Am Cash" to the other undergraduates in the campus. In addition, the seminar will be given by members of the said company. All the expenses for this seminar and the printing of the pamphlets and flyers will be beared by the students themselves. Finally, the students are requested to hand in the project report to the dean office before 2nd April 2007.
After attending the workshop, a majority of students felt something was amiss as to the reason why such workshop which is intended to train the undergraduates' `soft skill', metamorphosed into a seminar that call out to the undergraduates to profit from insurance sales. The most peculiar part is that the students have to bear all the unnecessary expenses for the said project, which is directed to introduce "Am Cash", but nothing to do in training the `soft skill' of university students.
Therefore, we, the final year undergraduates from FSSS of UM feel that "Bengkel Pendedahan dan Penilaian Keusahawan" did not achieve its aim in training students' `soft skill'. Moreover, we did not have any obligation to publicise a product or service of a company. Thus, we would like to provide few rational suggestions to the Dean of FSSS.
Our Petitions
1. Abrogate the assignment as demanded by the speakers of Syarikat Azmita Mgt (M) Sdn. Bhd. i.e. to run a project holding a seminar in publicizing an "Am Cash" product or service to the other
undergraduates in the campus. We do not have the obligation to perform activity for any products and/or services of an outside company.
2. Reassess the `soft skill' program which is ordered by the Ministry of Higher Education of Malaysia recently. We collectively felt that this `soft skill' program is prepared hastily and without a proper planning so as to fail to bring any positive effects to the undergraduates of Malaysia. An in-depth discussion between the authority of the University with the Ministry of Higher Education of Malaysia has to be held.
3. Evaluate the undergraduates' `soft skill' through participation and presentation while attending lessons or tutorials, and also through the co-curricular activities which are held in the
campus. We felt such assessment of an undergraduate' s `soft skill' through a project after attending a workshop is superficial and could not evaluate the undergraduate holistically.
4. The Dean office of FSSS should not oblige the undergraduates to attend any workshops and seminars in the time to come. We should be allowed the liberty to attend any workshops and seminars as it is not our responsibility as undergraduates.
5. The Dean office of FSSS should not state that "whoever did not attend this workshop will be barred from graduating this session." According to the <> printed on the year 2004, to graduate
in FSSS of UM, undergraduates only have to complete the credit hours as assigned by the departments in the faculty. Workshop or seminar attendance is not one of the prerequisites to graduate in UM.
We that support this PETITION attached our signatures and persuade the Dean to give appropriate response or explanation as soon as possible.
Thank you.
written by Cash Chow (Malay version)
I am the person who in charged the translation work but whole text was translated by my friend who is a part-time translator........
Although I am not the victim of above incident, but I feel extremely unbearable and disappointed to UM!! Sigh~~~ Where is the liberty and the righteousness????
