hot january & february 2013

January & February 2013Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS

Elections, SRC, & Rakan

Masjid: Perspective at Last?

Heart of Tronoh seeks for clarifications from Datuk Ir (Dr) Abdul Rahim Hashim on the recent rumour.

Find out on pg. 6

Are We Moving to Putrajaya?

HOT speaks to the people who matter.

By Liyana Rosely, PG and Marc Raphael, PE

January & February 2013

In this exciting new issue, we dissect and discuss the hottest topic on campus: the SRC. Among the Events featuring in this issue are Blossom of Japan and MMK ’13! For more stories and columns, check out our blog at heartoftronoh.blogspot.com

By the way, sorry we’re late!

Editor’s Foreword

4–6 Feb 2013

2 Feb 2013

3 Feb 2013

Kem Penghayatan Islam

Event Highlights

SG Explorace

Early last February, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP) witnessed one of thebleakest Nomination Days in the history of its campus elections. With six High Committee (HiCom) positions for local students on the Students Representative Council (SRC) up for contest, a mere eight nominations were made, and only sixqualified to stand as candidates (a minimum CGPA of 2.80 is required). All sixcandidates attained their places on the HiCom uncontested.

Here at UTP elections are held only to select the group of people to be part of theHiCom, with the university’s administration having the advising on who does what.

The method of selection may seem odd or even questionable to some, but it is in no way unique to UTP, as other universities (both local and foreign) employ similar methods. The history of campus elections at our university has never been that eventful anyway.

24 Feb 2013

Minggu Mesra Kampus

Continues on page 3

1 Feb 2013 The Classroom (GEP

Blossom of Japan)

Pre-employment Program

25 Jan 2013 MyLDS

Heart of Tronoh January & February 2013

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Like the Good Ol’ Days

Tronoh, 1st February – Candies from the 90’s lined up on one side with participants dolled up in school uniforms. The Classroom brings out the kid in them as they giggle and enjoy all the silly games most of us played as carefree children back in school. The emcee began proceedings at The Classroom, held in Seminar Room 7, by commenting on how it was so reminiscent of our past back in school. Committee member and participant Kiruphakaran a/l Nadesen, (CV, Foundation 3rd) supported the statement with an enthusiastic cry from the crowd: “It’s awesome! Very, very nice. Really brings back memories.” There was also an award for best costume among participants. Hariz Ridzuan, (PE, Foudnation 3rd) grabbed the spotlight as

Reminiscing childhood in Blossom of Japan’s The Classroom

he won the Best Dressed Male award with his smart looking navy uniform. His interest in cosplay had cost him RM 250. Nevertheless, he found the event amusing and worth the money. As for the Best Dressed Female, Nurfarhana Aisya Binti Anuar, (PE, 1st/1st) walked up the hall to claim the prize in her Aikido beauty, the hakama.

Organisers also invited cosplayers from other states to fully showcase this unique and interesting bit of Japanese culture. Among the famous anime characters spotted at Seminar Room 7 that evening

were Monkey D. Luffy (One Piece), Giant (Doraemon), Ren Suzugamori (Vanguard), Blacksmith (Ragnarok), Saber (Fate/Stay Night), and the vocaloid family: Miku, Kaito and Rin. They all strutted on the stage as the opening theme of Digimon was played.

Throughout the night participants flocked to the cosplayers, posing for pictures with their favourite characters. Most guests also lined up to have their portrait drawn in anime style, while some enjoyed the karaoke, the dances, and the beloved eraser game. Perhaps the greatest attraction that day was the food. Organisers prepared a spread of old time favourites for guests, including an assortment of candy most visitors could associate to fond memories of their childhood.

HOT was fortunate enough to interview all three vocaloid (a distinct cosplay style) characters, Miku (Afiqah from UTM, Melaka), Rin (Zhi Hui from USM, Ipoh) and Kaito (Khairina from KPTM, Cheras). They enjoyed the event, happy that so many enjoyed their little performance. All three of them decided to take on vocaloid characters because they have variation to the costumes and are easy to pose as. They thanked the committee profusely, hoping to be invited again for such events.

All participants and invitees showcased their talents admirably. This was in line with

one of the targeted objectives indicated by Project Manager Eleena Aqmal binti Ab Rahim, (ME), i.e. to organize a cultural event where students could express themselves, their talent and passion in a healthy way and to make UTP a more interesting and attractive educational place to learn more about other countries than the typical engineering universities.

“On behalf of Road to Japan GEP members, I would like to thank anyone and everyone who came to support Blossom of Japan, whether a passer-by or a participant in our activities.” commented Eleena after the event.

Cosplayers Leave Them Gaping

By Adhwa Anuar, ICT


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In its 15 years of establishment, perhaps the only memorable one is the infamous October Revolution of ‘09, where there was great furore online preceding and proceeding the elections over the stranglehold a certain society seemed to have over the SRC. When we first heard of it, we immediately rummaged through the blog archives of a few senior students who were around at the time, looking for material we could use for this article. What we found was a riveting tale of drama and controversy surrounding the elections, a far cry from the dull show this time around. Frankly speaking, the fact that there will be no elections this year, though slightly unexpected, is far from shocking to us. When we asked the Deputy Vice Chancellor (DVC) of Student Affairs and Alumni, Tuan Haji Mohamed Noor Rosli Baharom about it, he seemed to share the sentiment, “Universities which have students who actively engage in campus politics are those with social science faculties, law faculties and so on. We are an engineering university- it is not surprising that we see students here being far less involved.” For this issue, Heart of Tronoh (HOT) has decided to investigate, among other things, the reasons why campus politics and the SRC itself are seemingly the least of UTP students’ priorities and concerns. Datuk Ir. (Dr) Abdul Rahim Hj. Hashim, Vice Chancellor of UTP, feels that the term ‘campus politics’ is itself a little

inappropriate in the first place. “Unfortunately, whenever we say ‘politics’, it conjures a lot of negative things- dirty, dishonest and a fight for personal interests rather than those of a society. Whatever you call it, campus politics shouldn’t be equated to the mainstream national politics. Campus politics is straightforward and should be about your (students’) own bread-and-butter issues, not about the political parties that you support.” Later on, Datuk Rahim further elaborated on what he meant by straightforward, “The purpose of campus ‘politics’ should be to champion things that can improve the situation of the student community here at UTP. Then it will be devoid of these ideological issues, and people will not get emotional about it. If they get emotional about campus politics, they forget about the real issues- the cafe problems, lack of parking spots, etc.” We are in complete agreement with Datuk Rahim, but why do such few of us seem to care about ‘campus politics’? Hang out on the SRC Facebook Group long enough, and you’ll start to notice that only a handful of students actually pay attention to matters pertaining to the student council or elections. On the lack of student involvement (and interest) in campus elections and the SRC, the DVC suggested that it could be because “students here are already satisfied with the current situation on campus”.

So What’s Up With The SRC?

“Perhaps they are also more interested in joining societies and clubs, where the rewards are more immediate and they only commit to it for one semester, whereas one would have to dedicate themselves to the SRC for a full year.” Wan Ibrahim Wan Mamat (Baem), SRC President during the 2012 session, feels that management should learn from other local higher learning institutions, especially well-established public universities, by stressing the importance of student

councils throughout the year, rather than just a short-lived frenzy during the electoral period. Yet, maybe the real reason behind the general disinterest lies within the accusation of hegemony over the SRC by Rakan Masjid (RM), as so often cited in social media? If you are a UTP student, you would have to have been

Continued from cover page

DVC: “Change must come from within”


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Continued

Smart Group Explorace

Oval Park, UTP, 3 February 2013 – An Explorace was held on this beautiful day by Rakan Masjid. Many students participated in the event, with the majority of them being students in their first semester of Foundation. Overall there

living under a rock to not have heard of all the accusations made against RM. Many believe the SRC (prior to the newly-elected HiCom) had evolved into a sort of an exclusive club, consisting almost completely of RM-endorsed representatives.

Some say that RM are always allowed to take charge of Minggu Aluan Siswa (MAS), allowing them to start their campaigning a lot earlier, by reaching out to unsuspecting freshmen through mediums including Smart Groups and such. For many others, the situation is easily explained: They’re simply the only ones who take it seriously. Rakan Masjid is widely regarded as the most cohesive and closely bonded society on campus. When their candidates stand, they do their best to get these guys elected. Nearly all their members come out to vote, and nearly all their candidates are successful.

Adonis Singh (graduated in 2010), who once stood for election against several RM-associated candidates, told HOT of how difficult it was to campaign against them, “Certain bodies like RM have very good support and they are quite structured in terms of gaining votes, which I honestly respect. This makes them very strong. The problem is that their strength easily overpowers the 'opposition', if you will, because in general, the rest of the students don't really realize the importance of voting. And so this imbalance in strength and experience is what makes SRC elections in UTP most of the time, not even a competition.”

The VC had this to say of RM’s teamwork: “The thing about Rakan Masjid that you have to respect is their determination and cohesion.”

The DVC however, was quick to brush aside the claims, including the one about RM’s domination in the selection of facilitators for MAS, “RM is a student body to aid the Mosque’s administration. We have never given them the status of a club or society. It has developed good leaders and propagated good values- we must recognize that. And don’t ever say that all facilitators are from RM. MAS facilitators are being selected by the Students Counseling Unit under Tuan Haji Jalil, and I always tell

them to make sure there are colours among our facilitators. We have also never allowed MPP to manage MAS.” Responding to all this, Baem asks students to see things in a different light, and focus on what is actually important in becoming a good member of the SRC, “According to my experiences and observations, those who committed themselves as part of SRCUTP have almost always had a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences in other organizations or societies before SRC. One’s background shouldn’t even matter, rather, how he/she foresees the future of SRCUTP.”

RM has been under heavy public scrutiny recently, initiated primarily by a Facebook page ‘Free the Student Representative Council -MPP from Rakan Masjid’ which went viral early this year. It brought longstanding concerns regarding RM, hitherto discussed in hushed tones on private blogs, to the masses through Facebook. It openly charged RM with puppeteering the SRC by taking control of decision-making through its chosen candidates, effectively running the SRC by proxy. No official affiliation, but one that was apparent nonetheless. The page also claimed that RM itself is a puppet organization of a bigger, international Islamist movement, one that is far too controversial for us to name in this article. Commenting on these accusations of exploiting the SRC platform to propagate external politics, Datuk Rahim asked the members of SRC to reevaluate themselves, “You should ask yourself; are you standing on behalf of your constituents or your own personal agenda?” It should be noted here that despite the best efforts of the page’s anonymous administrator to prove his claims, HOT could not find any concrete evidence to back up the accusations made by the page. As many have remarked on the page’s wall, the allegations, tantalizing as they are, are ostensibly baseless. So then why the hate? Maybe it’s the way they do things. We

were 6 checkpoints and each checkpoint had different tasks to be completed by participants. Among the tasks were to test participants’ general knowledge in Prophet Muhammad’s history. Each group received a prize for participating, with the top 3 groups receiving special achievement gifts.


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public observation and commentary. To put it simply, you’re famous. Just not in the celebrity sort of way, but rather unfortunately, it’s the politician kind of famous. We’re sure you understand the difference between the two. And for all that trouble, few among the people you represent express their gratitude at your contributions. Unless you accomplish something extraordinary in your time at the top, it’s often only your mistakes that stay in the memories of those you serve. Sadly, nobody remembers the good stuff. Just ask Baem. *When asked if there is anything he would change during his tenure if he could go back and do it again, Baem responded, “Nothing much really, since we’ve achieved most of what we set out to achieve.” And when we sought his thoughts on a non-Muslim president for SRC, we must say that he was slightly vague in his reply, “People have asked me if SRC president can be a lady? I would say women are good enough to lead this organisation. Ladies are part of our leading society and we must at least try to trust them, but with guidance. As for non-Muslim president for SRCUTP, I will refer to what is outlined in our current country’s administration, that non-Muslims are allowed to hold certain designated positions. But honestly, in our context as student council, we must respect any notable non-Muslim candidates who could win the position with revision and advice by the university. I notice that more non-Muslim or non-Malay students are now looking forward to make serious contribution towards the betterment of this student council, so we can adjust the direction of SRC to not be too exclusive for certain races only.” Even Datuk Rahim admits that being a member of the SRC is a thankless job, filled with high expectations - you can never please everyone and people will always find fault in everything that you do. “You do one thing, and a blog comes out. You do another, and another blog comes out. Nothing is ever right. That is why it has to come from your heart,” he added. “SRC contributions are difficult to measure- they are non-substantive, unlike clubs and societies, where it is about winning competitions or the amount of successful events organized.” Datuk Rahim, who told us he never missed voting for a single national election, encouraged members of SRC to have checks and balances, “It is common to have a ‘silent majority’ and a

will not elaborate on the kind of things they’ve been said to do during election season (again, no credible sources unfortunately, only personal accounts), but what about things like demonstrating in front of events they don’t agree with? Their antics at an older edition of Euphonious was even remarked upon by the Datuk Zainal (ex-VC) in his farewell address. “RM has a certain set of ideas on how the campus should be and how people should behave. Their intentions are good, da’wah is not a problem -after all, I have always believed that at the end of the day, your spiritual development is just as essential- but the question is always how you go about doing it,” commented Datuk Rahim on students’ displeasure at RM’s approach. Datuk Rahim also advised RM on their approach in advocating people ‘to do good, and to avoid evil (amal makruf, nahi mungkar)’, “Remember that this is an integrated multi-faith, multi-racial community- treat students like adults. You can always encourage people, but you cannot force them.” Our new VC, who was the secretary of University of Birmingham’s Malaysian Society during his time at university, urged students to participate in student representative bodies, “In the context of a country, why are citizens encouraged to get involved in elections? We want citizens to get involved in who they elect in the interest of society- that is the basic principle everybody has to be aware of...If you don’t decide for yourself, then somebody else will decide for you. Then you can’t complain.” Baem recommended a wiser approach by RM, “Many provocative and sensitive issues could be resolved by nurturing mutual understanding between us. To achieve this, a bilateral discussion is a good avenue that can serve that purpose. Rakan Masjid must be wise in most of the approaches they might have and we as students, should play our role to provide a better environment for this university.” But enough about RM. Let’s get back to the SRC. Holding a position on the SRC may seem glamorous or enviable from afar, but suddenly finding oneself in the public eye isn’t something everyone can handle. Think about it. Your CGPA is never a secret. Your dressing is always commented on. Your grammar mistakes never go unnoticed. The friends you keep, the language you use, the tweets you tweet, everything is subjected to

‘loud minority’. You must be able to satisfy the majority, withstand these ‘noises’ and balance it out. Sometimes the issues raised by the ‘loud minority’ are relevant, but they may have their own agenda.” Tuan Haji on the other hand, was extremely critical of the unceasing rants against the SRC and management on social media, “Students complain a lot online, but when given an opportunity to come on board, nobody steps up. Management has done its part. We give ample opportunity to participate. When I came on board, I lowered the CGPA requirement from 3.0 to 2.8, as I personally feel that a 2.8 is good enough if you can demonstrate well-rounded attributes. You guys make a lot of noise elsewhere but nobody wants to come forward. So, who is to be blamed? You guys don’t participate, then how do you intend to change anything? You can complain about it on your blogs and such, but you can’t change anything from there. Change needs to come from within.” In all honesty, it would’ve been a pretty open contest this year if more than 6 people challenged for the seats available. RM, in what many see as responding to criticism, did not send an entire field of candidates to compete this time. The build-up to the elections was engrossing enough as well, with controversy and criticism all about, flooding our news feeds and timelines. Central to all this of course was a certain Facebook page that we’re sure needs no introduction at this point. When UTPCnR burst onto the scene somewhere mid-December 2012, it started to provide -intended or otherwise- an “alternative” medium of expression for our students, albeit one that’s both irresponsible and undependable. Scathing attacks on RM, the SRC, the management, and the situation of our university in general began to surface anonymously, and there was nobody who could put a lid on it (except perhaps the page’s administrator, who remains at large to this day). The page emboldened those who had once never dared to speak out, and even the comment threads (where one must surrender all anonymity) were alive with arguments and accusations. It was shaping up to be an election season so exciting that even those on break (May intake) were willing to come back to vote and be part of it. An election season so congested with drama that even the great October Revolution of ‘09 would look pale in comparison. Alas, it was not to be. If we were to sum it up in a single phrase,


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By Marc Raphael, PE

VC: “No new campus on the way,

trimester system being evaluated.”

we’d have to go with, “All talk, no action.”UTPCnR, Jiwa Berimplementasi, and the rest ofthem, all reduced to being online heroes, and nothing more. In a disappointing anti-climax, we were left without the thrilling campaigning andelection drama we were all looking forward to.Only six brave young men and women steppedup to take on the responsibility of leading thestudent body - kudos to them for taking theinitiative. From all of us at HOT, well done. And good luck.

*Efforts to interview Rakan Masjid president, Arif Aizuddin Mohd Sa’ad online were in vain as he did not respond to our interview questions after previously agreeing to do so.

with some sources claiming that thesystem would be repealed in the near future in favour of its predecessor.

“The trimester system is still under review. One of our professors is evaluating its pros and cons after 3years of implementation. We will wait for his evaluation before proceeding with any changes. For now, nothing is confirmed.” UTP currently has three semesters a year, each with its own intake of new students. A semester starts in January, May or September, with 14 weeks of studies per semester.

Tronoh, 13th February – Amidst growing talk of a new campus in the works atPutrajaya, Heart of Tronoh felt it would be best to correct any misinformation byseeking clarification on the matter fromthe Vice Chancellor himself. Speaking tous in his office at Chancellor Complex,the Datuk Ir (Dr) Abdul Rahim Hashimwas quick to shoot down the rumour.Shaking his head, Datuk replied: “It was under consideration at one point, butwe’ve set it aside for the moment.There is no new campus underconstruction.”

According to recent whispers flourishingonline, particularly through social media,a new campus is being built in Putrajayato house the Petroleum Engineering andPetroleum Geoscience departments, andupon completion both faculties would

migrate there, taking a sizeable amountof students along with them. Speculationsomewhat reached a climax when it wasposted to a popular Facebook page frequented by UTP students, further exciting the grapevine.

Datuk Dr Abdul Rahim also expressed his personal opinion on the matter,saying that it wouldn’t be a good idea tosplit the undergraduate programs intoseparate campuses. “We don’t want two different cultures to form; Putrajaya isvery different from Tronoh,” said the VC, who then added that if at all they were toset up a new facility elsewhere it wouldlikely be for postgraduate research.

We also sought a statement from DatukDr Abdul Rahim on the trimester system, which was also subject to recent gossip,

After our interview with the Vice Chancellor.


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variety of booths and cultural performances.

All in all, it was a memorable week for many as they were inspired and motivated to reach for the skies. MyLDS was a perfect platform to develop leadership skills, teamwork and confidence besides improving one’s networking. For those who missed it this year, look out for it next year!

Universiti Malaya, January 25 : With “Impact Now!” as its theme, Malaysian Leadership Development Seminar (MyLDS) saw almost 60 delegates from Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP) consisting of both members and nonmembers of the International Association of Students in Economic and Commercial Sciences (AIESEC) participating actively in the Malaysian annual national conference in Universiti Malaya. The seminar gathers youth from local and abroad to allow them to discover and rediscover the leadership qualities they had in them besides urging them to create a positive impact to the society. Among the highlights of the seminar was Malaysia Youth to Business forum (Y2B). It brought together top-notch businessmen from successful corporate companies such as MSC Malaysia, Microsoft Malaysia, Ernst & Young, Accenture, Danone Dumex, Standard Chartered and Proctor and Gamble (P&G) to engage with the participants in exploring topics such as

MyLDS – A Platform For Future Leaders By Charlene Fernandes, CE

innovation, entrepreneurship, leadership and corporate responsibility.

The Global Village on the other hand, was an event where one could ‘travel’ around various countries in a night. There were a lot of cultural interactions and showcasing of customs and traditions of other nations. Breaking the barriers of geographic boundaries, the assortment and multiplicity of numerous places were demonstrated through a

AIESEC UTP’s performance.

Ladies of AIESEC.

Confident before their perfromance.

The crowd getting into one of the perfromances.


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approach made sure that the students gave full attention to everything he was sharing. “Be comfortable with yourself, find your strength and grab the opportunity,” was one of the many memorable lines from Mr Yazid on being interviewed successfully. Also, he gave some useful tips on grooming for an interview.

Grooming for men:

Solid colour, conservative suit White, long-sleeved T-shirt Conservative tie Dark socks, professional shoes Very limited jewellery Neat and professional hairstyle Go easy on the aftershave Neatly trimmed nails Portfolio or briefcase

Grooming for women:

Suit/ baju kurung Shoes Limited jewellery (non-

distracting) Simple make-up (non-

distracting) Neat hairstyle/scarf Portfolio or briefcase

It was an interesting and beneficial day indeed for the students that attended the event, especially those in their final semesters, who will be joining the ranks of alumni soon.

‘Abe’ A Hit at Pre-employment Program 2013

By Munir Juman, PE

Mr Yazid giving his tips.

Discouraging participation at the event.

Tronoh, 24th February: “Do not be shy to ask and maximize your network”, were among the wise words shared at the Pre-Employment Program (PEP) held in D1 recently. Among the things shared with the lucky participants that day were a quick view on career world, how to impress the boss and ways to win over an interviewer.

The event kicked-off at 9.30 a.m. with a talk by Mr Nor Idham (Manager, Career Advisory and Alumni), or fondly known as Abe among the students. Students were fed information on finding and keeping a job, writing an impressive curricular vitae (CV) and the importance of attitude over academic results in one’s career. Students were also taught on how to write a proper and precise e-mails requesting for internship placements.

Later at noon, ending his session with a wish of luck to the students, Mr Idham invited his friend, Mr Yazid Misnan (Senior HR Manager, Motorola Solutions) to proceed him. Mr Yazid’s humorous


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Pahlawan Ilmu.” He explained that all of us must have a target in our life. He asked the participants to write their goals within 5 years.

The peak of the programme was a forum on the topic of da’wah which featured former vice president of Rakan Masjid, Sister Maziah Bt Abu Mukhtar, Brother Arif and Alhamdulillah, with the special appearance by Chanice who had just join Rakan Masjid’s big family recently. First, Brother Arif mentioned the purposes of preaching in Islam. Next, Chanice shared her personal experience when embracing Islam. She said, “Muslim also has to search the hidayah, just like the non-Muslim.” It the other words, “don’t take Islam for granted.” The point under the keyword of the importance of da’wah was further elaborated by Sister Maziah. They also shared the challenges in da’wah especially at university level and also, how to balance between academic pursuits and preaching.

The programme sought to bring benefit to the participants by way of displaying the need to understand the role of not just being a student, but also as a Muslim student, and more importantly, on how to apply the deen in every aspect of life.

seen to grasp the actual meaning of Qudwah Hasanah.

The participants had a slot with Tuan Haji Abdul Jalil Bin Abdullah entitled “Sang

Kem Penghayatan Islam By Basyirah binti Hibatur Rahman,CE & Adhwa Anuar, ICT

Tronoh, 2nd February - Over 74 foundation students had participated in the Kem Penghayatan Islam recently, on the 1st and 2nd of February 2013. This event was organized by Rakan Masjid University Teknologi Petronas (RMUTP) with the cooperation of the mosque administration unit.

The main objective of the program was to strengthen bonds and provide an understanding of how Islam can be applied through every angle in our lives, because Islam is the holistic deen. It was an opportunity to raise awareness of their responsibility as Muslim students and their compulsory duty to da’wah. In this event, it was explained that preaching is not only on giving tazkirah, but also to be the qudwah hasanah (a good role model).

The event started on the evening of 1st February with a briefing on how the event will be conducted. The next morning, they attended Qiamulail together at Masjid An-Nur. The Saturday morning was welcomed by the Dhuha Session which gave the students exposure to one of the encouraged sunnah prayer, as mentioned in the Sahih Bukhari.

Then, the program continued with a peer talk given by Hazeem Mahayadin with the topic entitled, “Islam is the way of life.” He mentioned the beautiful ruling in Islam, and what makes the akhlak of Prophet Muhammad S.A.W admirable. According to Hazeem, from the very small

matters, to the very huge matters CVsuch as ruling a country, Islam has already shown its know-how over the centuries. Next, in conjunction with the theme, the Qudwah Hasanah Module was inserted which gives further exposure on how the ‘da’wah’ is applicable to every single action in our lives. Participants were given the mission of capturing 3 three pictures that show the deeds of what is meant by Qudwah Hasanah. Each group was given half an hour to complete the mission. After performing zuhur prayer and lunch hour, each group had to present the pictures that they took earlier. The participants were

Participants listening intently. Speakers and VIPs.


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Photographs by Lyana Husni, BIS

Height measurement.

Other pictures: Strutting their stuff.


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By Hariz Roslan, CE

Minggu Mesra Kampus Jan ‘13

Tronoh, 2nd February – Minggu Mesra Kampus finally arrived for the January 2013semester with beautified booths lined up toattract potential new recruits. With Pocket Ddecorated with colourful tents, arrowsleading to booths, loud mixed music and the spirited clubs’ recruitment teams, the airwas festive and lively, a far cry from theusual drab atmosphere of the academiccomplex. Recruitment teams could be seenhard at work attempting to draw theattentions of passers-by. A few of the biggernames like MEDTECH, Rakan Masjid (RM),Institute of Engineers Malaysia (IEM), SIFEwere situated in the middle of pocket D whilethe other clubs like the Chess club, theEnglish club, the ICheMe, the IChe, and

Alive and buzzing.

HOT’s modest booth at MMK.

Petrobots are situated all around stretchingfrom block 19 to block 18. Heart of Tronoh’s (HOT) very own talent scouts were there as well(below), actively recruiting new members forthe exciting semester ahead. HOT released its recruitment statistics two daysago, citing an addition of 30 members to itsgrowing team of reporters and photographers.Senior Editor at HOT Marc Raphael Parrikal(PE, 1st/2nd) believes the significant increase in manpower will allow HOT to accomplish a lotmore this semester: "With all this fresh blood,there's no holding us back. We can implementall the exciting changes we've planned for HOT.It's been a highly encouraging recruitment."

Another society that enjoyed a very successful recruitment drive was the Institute of Engineers Malaysia (IEM), with more than 200 sign-ups at their booth, according to theirHuman Resource Executive member, Muhammad Khairulsyamim bin Kamaruddin (EE, 1st/2nd). HOT wishes the best of luck to all clubs and societies in carrying out their activities for the semester.


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“Employers Look for CGPAs and CVs” – Career Talk 2013

UTP, 20th February 2013 – “Your curriculum vitae (CV) or résumé is your employer’s first impression of you,” said Dr. Suriati Sufian, Acting HOD of Chemical Engineering Department of Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP). “There is no second chance in making first impressions,” said AP Dr Ku Zilati Ku Shaari Advisor of American Institute of Chemical Engineers UTP Student Chapter.

Making a great first impression on your employee is important to secure a job during an interview session. Appropriate dress code, self-confidence and punctuality are essential for a successful interview. Apart from your Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA), your

By Chiam Chiah Jun, PG

extra co-curricular activity can help you stand out amongst tons of other candidates.

Mr. Nor Idham who works for the Counseling & Career Guidance unit in UTP says that he had successfully helped a student with a CGPA of 1.67 to acquire a job placement at a company in the Oil & Gas industry- one that is known for its selectivity when it comes to fresh graduates or interns. Mr. Idham says that CVs and cover letters play a huge role in helping you to land a job.

Project Manager Ahmed Kamal Saad Fathallah Abulinain (EE, 3rd year 1st semester) tells us that the purpose of the event was to inform UTP's students about the

importance of planning their career before graduation in terms of how to find a job or internship placement, how to write a good CV and how to pass an interview successfully. Ahmad Kamal also attributed the disappointing number of participants to ongoing tests.

It is unclear whether or not the event will return next year.

Editorial Board Advisors:

Tuan Haji Mohamed Noor Rosli B Baharom

Tuan Haji Talhah B Hassan

Tuan Haji Abdul Jalil B Abdullah

Pn Azelin Bt Mohamed Noor

Mostafa Mohamed, EE

Editors-in-Chief:

Marc Raphael, PE

Liyana Rosely, PG

Chief Reporters:

Adhwa Anuar, ICT

Syazana Lyana, CE

Head of Photography & Design:

Cheng Mun Mun, ICT

hot january & february 2013

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