| BACKGROUND |
| Student Leaders Board (SLB) in Johore schools were formed on the basis of producing student leaders who will be potential exemplary leaders in school. The Johor Education Department feels that the time has come to develop a systematic plan to generate a generation of outstanding leaders in Johor. This is to prepare competitive human capital for the needs of the Iskandar Development Region. SLB also aspires to boost the performance of Johore schools and the excellence of its students. This is consistent with the selection criteria for high-performing schools in the country that clearly emphasizes these two essential elements. |
| OBJECTIVES |
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| MEMBERSHIP |
| 1.Membership is opened to all students who possess excellent leadership potential. 2.Priority should be given to the following students:
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| TEACHER ADVISOR |
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| COMMITTE |
-Have full responsibilities of managing the Student Leaders Board. (ii) Vice President -Assisting the President in managing the Student Leaders Board. -Acting as chairman in the absence of the President. (iii) Secretary -Issue the letter of appointment signed by the committee members and certified by the Principal of school. -Issue calling letters for board meeting and prepare minutes of the meeting. -Prepare activity reports for SLB. -Prepare membership list and record the attendance. (iv) Deputy Secretary -Assist the secretary in administering the Board. (v) Treasurer -Manage financial matters and prepare annual financial reports for Student Leaders Board. (vi) Assistant Treasurer -Help treasurer in managing the financial affairs of the body. (vii) Public Relations Officer -Disseminate information and promote the activities of the Body through various media. -Initiate relationship with neighbouring countries via internationalisation activities. (viii) The members of the Committee -Co-operate with key members in ensuring the success of the international activities in school. -Those who wish to resign must send a resignation letter with valid reason to the Teacher Advisor. |
| Meeting/Attendance Meetings need to be held at least once every fortnight or when the need arises. Members are required to accumulate 85% or more attendance. The role & responsibility of Student Leaders Board (SLB) • Coordinate international activities in school, inclusive of following tasks i. prepare list of committee (among students); ii. give talk on school; iii. prepare programme booklet for domestic and international excursions; iv. entertain foreign guests;
• Be a role model to other students in school. • Develop creative and innovative thinking that will benefit the school community, especially fellow students. Scoring/Evaluation • Student Leaders Board members are eligible for bonus points (seven marks). • Scores will be based on student’s co-curricular involvement in activities that are managed by the body. • Scores of involvement at the international level (maximum 20 marks) will be given to each member who is involved in the activities undertaken by the body, for international activities conducted locally or internationally. • Points will be awarded on the involvement of co-curricular activities of their respective uniformed bodies. |
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Student Leaders Board- Constitution
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Jenesys Program, Tokyo, Japan~Ee Nin
On the 15-24 November 2010, 6 teachers and 62 students from Malaysia went to a student exchange programme in Japan organized by JICE .We were divided into three groups-ISHIKAWA,HYOGO and FUKUOKA .Ishaq Raqeen and I, Ee Nin ,as student representives frm SMK Sultan Ismail,Johor Bahru were in ISHIKAWA group.
1st day (14 November 2010)
At 12.10 noon ,both of us and 3 students from other schools from Johor departed and after 45 minutes, we reached KLIA .After having our lunch in Mcdonald in KLIA ,we went to Concorde inn by shuttle bus .It took us 5 minutes to reach there and we went to get our room number and measured our body temperature .After getting all settled ,we went to the ballroom to have our orientation .Later on, at 6.30 pm, we had our delicious dinner in the Melting Pot Café in the hotel .At night, again we gathered in the ballroom and had some preparation before departing .We did practice our “Endang Dance” again and again diligently .About 11 pm ,we stayed overnight in the hotel. It was pretty comfortable!!
2nd Day (15 November 2010)
After staying a night at Concorde inn KLIA and having our sumptious breakfast ,we had our orientation. The coordinators briefed us our schedule in Japan and what should we do in Japan .They just gave a brief description on our trip to Japan .It made us feeling much excited and looking forward to the fascinating trip .At 12.30 noon , we had our departure ceremony in a ballroom .We all wore our formal school uniform with the vest which teachers gave us ,waiting for the arrival of the ambassador of Japan in Malaysia .Later on ,after the speech ,we had our buffet-style lunch in the ballroom. Having the rare opportunity to eat with the ambassador , we were delighted and proud. We rested after the party ended .At 6.00pm,we were asked to checked out and dinned in the same place as the previous day .About 7.30pm,we left and went to KLIA ,checking in and waiting for our flight .No doubt that we all were super duple excited and looked forward for the trip so much .Our flight departed at 11.30pm.We bidded farewell with the people- in- charge and went off to Japan. Here are the pictures in KLIA before we checked in.
3rd Day(16 November)
After 7 hours flight , finally we reached at Narita Airport , Tokyo .We all were so tired and exhausted .We were ushered to a waiting tour bus and headed to Hotel East 21 in Tokyo .This hotel is four- star- rated and is magnificent than expected.
After taking sufficient rest, we went to KSBC to have orientation. When we reached the centre, orientation started from the welcoming speech by the president of JICE .The first word which he spoke was Yokoso Japan(Welcome to Japan) and I found it was the warmest greeting .At 3.00pm,we had our group orientation to discuss the schedule in Ishikawa. Knowing we were all tired , our good-hearted coordinators just briefed us our schedule and yet jested with us.
It was almost dark when the time was just 3.30pm.Compared to Malaysia ,it was absolutely different .We had a sight-seeing in Tokyo street .Wow!I was so surprised with the gorgeous view of the bustling street at night .After taking a few photos, we went to the Restoran Jom Makan in a shopping mall to enjoy our own country’s food .However ,it tasted differently in Japan and of course was tasty!
4th day (17 November 2010)
The jarring noise of the telephone of the hotel made me awake! It was the morning call and I was surprised that even the morning call in Japan was slightly different with Malaysia .At 6.00am, we went down to the third floor to enjoy our breakfast .Before going into the “Eitai” ,our coordinator helped us to measure our body temperature . After finishing our breakfast ,we straight away headed to the same centre again as yesterday .Well ,the purpose of going to the same place was different this time !We were here to know Japanese’s culture and Japan and were given speech by Mr .Murai Takeshi. It was enlightening ,making us to gain avalanche of knowledge about Japan .About 11.30pm,we went back to the hotel again to get ready to go to the institute animation Yoyogi which was quite famous there .Having a plate of mouth-watering spaghetti and a piece of chocolate cake as our dessert ,we were full up .Then ,after 30 minutes ,we reached there .The first sight which I saw was the cute animation-One Piece holding a Malaysia flag .Their drawing was really impressing .I listened carefully to what the principal here said and realized that this institute was not only founded in Tokyo, but also in Osaka ,Fukuoka ,Yokohama and in Kanazawa .After that, we were divided into two groups which were animation group and comics group .As one of the member of the comics group ,we learned a lot of tips to draw inspiring comics to attract readers and fans from all around the world .The comics teacher told us we could only color the comics nicely by using a special pen which was called as COPIC .To my amazement ,I was interviewed by the reporter in Japan .We left when it was 4.00pm.It was freezing cold and the sky become darker .We headed to Lalaport Toyosu Shopping Centre in Tokyo to enjoy our dinner which was Indonesia food .Besides enjoying tasty food ,we had the chance to shop there even though the things there costed a bomb for us .After staying there about 1 hour ,we went back to hotel by bus to have some rest.
5th day (18 November 2010)
As usual at 6.15am , the morning call from the hotel again made me waking up. I was so reluctant to wake up as today was the day which we were leaving Tokyo .Going to have our tasty breakfast ,we left our suitcase in the third floor .At 8.15am,we all gathered and it was time to say goodbye to Tokyo and our other group friends .It took us 45 minutes to reach Haneda airport. Our flight to Komatsu departed at 10.15am.On the airplane ,we were served well by the stewardess even though we were just teens .At 11.15am,the flight landed and we claimed our luggage .It was pretty heavy to me, as I had brought 6 days clothes.When I stepped out from the airport in Komatsu ,I felt the cool breeze whipping my face ,making me to shiver. It was really colder as expected !Our bus arrived and we all boarded the bus .On the way to KIA(Komatsu International Association),I saw the beautiful autumn scenary .Mostly the leaves turned brownish and there were lots of paddy fields.
We had our simple lunch at KIA and to my surprise ,people there who were friendly taught us how to make shapes for balloon as perhaps they wanted to get closer with us.How thoughtful they were!
After having wonderful time there ,we headed to JAIST(Japan Advanced Institute of Science&Technology). We visited the enormous library and their laboratories which were well- facilitated with the high technology apparatus. About 5.00pm,we left JAIST and now it was the time that we were all excited and looked forward to our homestay programme.
At 6.30pm,we met our parents and introduced ourselves to them .My face turned red as I felt extremely shy when I was asked to introduce myself in Japanese.”Watashi no namae wa Teo Ee Nin des.”My two friends and I were delighted to meet our mother who was pretty and young .She brought us back to her home and kept talking to us to break the ice between her and us .At night ,after settling down and putting our luggages to our new room ,we had our sumptuous dinner at home .This was the first time I tried “omiyaki” which was like a pancake and delicious .After having dinner ,we visited their house thoroughly and it was pretty big .We chatted for nearly 2 hours and I gave them some souvenirs from Malaysia .They appreciated so much ,making me feel the warmth from my foster family.
6th day (19 November 2010)
This was the nicest sleep since I came to Japan.Probably because I was used to live at home, not hotel .As we had programme later on ,we woke up early at 7.15am and came down to have our home-made breakfast .Opening the slide of the living room ,I could smell of tasty food. Of course I ate it with relishly .I love my okasan(mum)’s cooking!We had to wear our formal school uniform ,as we were going to meet a famous celebrity-the mayor of Komatsu.
We headed to restoran to enjoy the British cuisine .Then ,we headed to Komatsu high school .Before going into the school ,we were asked to take off our shoes and wear the slippers that was given .This was the difference between Malaysia and Japan .Walking around the school by wearing the slippers ,I felt weird but it was a nice experience.The floor was clean ,windows were not dusty at all, apparatus in both in gymnasium and laboratories were arranged orderly .In the conference hall, principal of the school gave us a brief speech about Komatsu High School .Besides that ,high school students’ performance intrigued us .Even though their performance only lasted for a few minutes ,we really enjoyed ourselves in the melody .After all ,we were divided into 5 groups to go into their classes to teach them Malaysia language and also to communicate with Japanese teens. Teaching the students here wasn’t a tough job as they were all fast learners .However, to me ,it was not an easy-peazy task to learn Japanese .I shared my interests and introduced Malaysia to them. They seemed to be attracted by the beauty of Malaysia .After 30 minutes communicating with students who were all friendly ,we went back to the hall again and now we were divided into two groups to participate in their cocuricular activities .Firstly, I went to watch the tea ceremony which was performed by the tea ceremony club members. I was so surprised that there was a tea ceremony club .How a fascinating tea ceremony I had ever had !Later,we went to learn how to make Ikebana .It was not that easy! Creativity and skills were used to make a good Ikebana-flower arranging .We visited their baseball, volleyball and basketball court. At 5.15pm, we went back to KIA ,waiting for my parents .My mum drove us back home and we had our dinner .But the dinner was kind of special as my mum taught us how to do TEMPURA .It was tasty!
7th day (20 November2010)
We woke up at 9.30.Perhaps this was the latest I woke up as there were no activities going on in the morning .After having our breakfast ,we were all excited, waiting for our coordinators and teachers to come .When they arrived ,we opened our arms to welcome them and greeted them .My mum was busy to show them her big house .Haha !She was so happy when they came to visit her mansion .At 10.30,after they had some tea ,they went back and yet it was the time for us to get ready to go to KIA .My family and I headed to Kia and when we reached there ,what we saw was the crowd busying preparing food .They had already started to make “takoyaki” which was the food I liked the most .We all added the ingredients that had already been prepared and I took many pictures with my family blissfully .I got the rare opportunity to make “temaki sushi” on my own .Of course it tasted delicious and palatable .After fulling up our stomach ,I wore on the Kimono which was the traditional costume .A kind woman helped me to wear on and it was heavy and tight. But it was all worth it! One of the Japanese told me that I looked like a Japanese .I was almost in the seventh heaven!I took a lot of pictures with my friends and teachers .Boys wore on Yukata which made them look more like Samurais. After that, my mum brought me and my friends to shop in the nearby shopping mall. Compared to Tokyo ,things here were cheaper .We went home and had our dinner .We took a rest early as we were exhausted for being fun in the KIA.
8th Day (21 November 2010)
Yeah !There was no activities today .I was free and what really made me got excited was my family was going to bring me for outing .I woke up early unexpectedly .It seemed that “Outing” this word really brought many good consequences to me .After having my lovely breakfast which was Yakisoba and a piece of bread, I changed and waited for my family to get prepared .My heart sank into deep seas when the thought of the last day staying at their home came across my mind. Time fled rapidly as I had not realized today was Sunday .After getting ready, I sat on the car. We all were heading to Kanazawa , the capital city of Komatsu .On the way to Kanazawa, we passed by the sea of Japan .It was pretty nice. About 9.30 am ,we had reached the busy city. After my dad parked his car ,we walked to the first destination-Ninja temple .When I first heard the word ”Ninja” ,I was so shocked and thought there were many real ninjas in the ancient time .How wrong I was!The temple was called as Ninja Temple because there were many pitfalls and tricks to defend the Kanazawa castle in the ancient time .We visited the temple for nearly 1 and half hours and later on we headed to have lunch .We ate” Udon” as our lunch in a big shopping mall and then we shopped also. I bought a lot of souvenirs for my friends and teachers even though they costed me arms and legs .Having a great time in the shopping mall, my parents also gave us a treat-Ice cream which was kind of special and we couldn’t find in Malaysia. About 3.00pm, we went back home. As we all were so tired ,we slept in the car during the journey back to home .After packing everything, we headed to the nearby hotel-Hotel Komatsu Green. It was the time for us to get ready for the farewell party with our foster parents .I changed into my ‘Baju Kurung’ .Well! At 5.00pm, we all gathered in te ballroom, including our foster parents. Sitting besides my mother, I felt grieved. Perhaps this was the last time I saw them .Everything in the party went on smoothly and they were delighted when we performed “Endang dance” in front of them .After dancing ,I, as a student representive, I gave speech and my speech had touched many kind souls. All ended at 7.00pm.It was time to say goodbye to our parents .Everyone shed tears , including me. I hugged all my family members and cried bitterly to say goodbye to them .I was so touched as they still gave us presents even though they had prepared everything well for us .I really love the homestay programme very much and enjoyed it to the fullest . We took a rest and at 8.30pm, teacher gave us an introduction about the workshop tomorrow .At 9.30pm,we went back to sleep.
9th Day (22 November 2010)
We woke up at 7.15 morning and had our breakfast as usual in the café in the lobby .We all gathered in the lobby ,waiting for the arrival of the bus .We headed to elementary school Araya in Komatsu .When we arrived there ,we were welcomed by the principal and teachers .After the principal and my teacher gave speech ,we were given a hot green tea by children who were all wearing Kimono .To avoid over congestion in the room ,we were divided into two groups to see the beauty of the ceramics .About 10.30am,we went to the gymnasium .The interaction started with the speech which was given by a student representive from the elementary school in English .The students here taught us to play traditional games such as “take-tombo” ,”ayatori” ,”kami-hikoki” and “origami” then. They were all interesting and the game I loved it much was “ayatori “.I only needed a long thread to play this game. After that ,Fadli as the student representive gave speech too .The students from the sports club performed and then some of the cherubic children performed ”yosakai” dance .What made me impressed was they were willing to teach us their dance .Even though we danced idioitically, we enjoyed dancing to the fullest .It was our turn to perform and we also asked the students to dance along with us .At 12.00 noon ,we had to change our clothes .We had our lunch with the young children here .Besides having lunch ,we communicated with them in a nice and caring way .Of course, they were so friendly and soft-spoken .I felt pleased and contented when I looked the way they ate and talked .After having lunch, we were asked to clean the school .Syukri and I were in the same group and we helped out in cleaning the gymnasium .I felt guilty and ashamed on myself with their efficiency of doing chores .In Malaysia,there were many children and youths did not how to do chores.The training in Japan was really good .At 1.30pm,we left the school and headed to zoo in Ishikawa .It was slightly different with the zoo in Malaysia ,as we could see capybara and toki bird .These two creatures were only found in Japan. We really had a fabulous time here. My stomach started to growl as it was not enough for me to have the same amount of food with the young children .We took off and went to KIA to have our workshop .We were divided into three groups .Each group had to share their perspectives on their Japan trip. After doing presentation in pointing out our opinions about the trip, teachers praised us and we were so delighted .We had our dinner in a restoran .The day ended and yet tomorrow was the last day in Ishikawa.
Day 9(23 November 2010)
As we all were complaining that we hadn’t purchased enough souvenirs ,we had to wake up early and had our breakfast in the usual place .Two hours before the flight,we reached there and after all were settled ,we shopped in the Komatsu Airport .At 10.20am,our flight took off and after an hour, we safely reached Haneda Airport. As my coordinators knew our stomach was almost empty, we were brought to have our lunch in a shopping mall in Tokyo .The indian food was tasty and palatable even though it was a bit different with the Indian food in Malaysia .The shopping mall was crowded as it was located in the centre of Tokyo. After we were all fulled, we checked in .At 3.00pm,we gathered in the third floor, preparing to head to KSBC to have our important workshop in Tokyo .During the two hours ,I really gained a lot about Japan.Their presentation was all about their observations and differences with our country .They aired their opinions well. Mostly, they talked about the diversity of cultures and education. We were all worn out after the presentation and later on we headed to restoran ”It’s Vegetable” .As we were hungry like hell, we ate a lot of the food.At7.15pm,we left and were back to hotel .Packing and shopping in the Summit, I felt sorrowful as this was the last day in Japan.
Day 10(24 November 2010)
As usual, morning call made us awake. We sent our big luggage to third floor. We had our last breakfast in Japan and felt reluctant to leave the gorgeous hotel and lovely Japan .At 7.45 am ,we headed to Narita Airport .It took us one and half hours to reach there. We checked in and our flight departed at 11.30 am .Goodbye ,Japan !When I was aboard ,stewardess welcomed us with open arms .After having a delicious lunch in the airplane ,I fell asleep .After 7- hours journey ,finally I reached Malaysia. When I first stepped in Kl,it was hot in Malaysia. We had our dinner in Concorde inn KLIA and then it was our free time.
PS :Thanks to my school and all the teachers who gave me the chance to participate in this exchange programme in Japan .I really had a great time there and this was really a nice experience for me to know other country’s culture.
Prepared by Teo Ee Nin,4 Cerdik(2010)
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Brunei! Mus!!!
It was the much-anticipated trip of the year, which was the immersion program to Brunei organized by our district education ministry of Johor Bahru. Well, most of us in the group were waiting for that green light by PPD ever since the Raya holiday started. Initially, when I knew I had to learn how to dance and attend all the courses, which was tailor-made for us in order to participate in this program, I had second thoughts about it. But after thinking it over, I was glad that I had made the right choice! During those multiple courses, our general knowledge was widened, our speaking skill was improved and not forgetting, our dancing skill was sharpened. As the saying goes, practice makes perfect, all of us were armed to the teeth when we were there. All in all, I would say it’s a one in a lifetime experience and something that I would find hard to forget throughout the journey of my life.
Here’s an overview on the program in a nutshell. On the 4th of October 2010, a group of 60 students comprises of 28 secondary school students and 32 primary schools students were taken abroad to Brunei for an immersion and internationalization program. Well without further ado, here is a recount of my trip there.
Day 1: 04/10/10, Monday (Departure)
The fact that my brother and I were chosen to attend this trip just couldn’t avoid me from getting up any later than 4.30am! Oh gosh. He was way more excited than I was and as expected, he woke up on time and dragged me out of bed. So, we got ready in a jiffy and left for PPD at about 6.30am. On the way there, I find it weird cause I suddenly had this feeling of not going. Anyway, we reached PPD office at about 7.00am and there was a short briefing made by En Taufiq.
As expected, we were all behind schedule but all of us got used to it as it has always been this way ever since the first day this program started and it’s quite saddening to hear that we, the students, are warned to be on time. Well anyway sharp 7.30, we were all ready and made a beeline for KLIA in two separate busses. Half-way through the journey, we stop at Pagoh for those who need to use the lavatory and have some refreshments. We reached KLIA at about 12.30pm and had our lunch by the road. Why by the road? Well, our bus driver conveniently missed the stop before KLIA for us to have our lunch and in the end, we had our wonderful lunch by the road at the airport! To a certain extent, we do look a little weird with our blazer on, eating with a Styrofoam by the road! Well, after our lunch, which was about 1pm we went into the airport to check- in our luggages. It was no joke. All of us took jumbo size luggage as if we were going to stay there for months. Later on, we went through the custom checks and boarded the Aero-train to the satellite terminal as our departure gate was C13! At 2.25pm, we gathered at gate C13 and filled up our white card while waiting for the plane to get ready. At 3pm, we boarded the plane and at 3.30pm we were off in the skies! The journey to Brunei by plane took us about an hour and a half.
So, we reached Brunei International Airport at about 5.30pm. After grabbing our luggages and exiting the airport, we headed off to our respective busses. The first thing that shocked all of us was at 6.15pm the sun sets already and it was getting darker by the minute. So, we got into out bus and headed to our hotel, The Holiday Lodge in Jerudong. We arrive at our hotel at 6.20pm, got our rooms and freshen up ourselves as we were going to attend a reception dinner organized by the Ministry of Education of Brunei. The dinner started at 7.45pm and ended at 10pm. One thing for sure was, the food was great! At 10.30pm, it was bedtime, so all of us went back to our room, prepared our stuffs to school for the next day, get our luggage packed as we ain’t staying anymore in the hotel the next day but our foster parent’s house and hit the sack. Pretty much everyone was dead tired from the long continuous journey!
Day 2: 05/10/10, Tuesday (1st Day in School)
Schedule today was going to be really tight. So all of us woke up at the wee hours of the morning and got ourselves prepared. At 6.30am, we had our breakfast at the hotel cafeteria. I could see everyone was pretty excited to go to their respective school. At 7.30am, we left the hotel and to our own school. Traffic that morning was quite heavy but since my school was the first school to be sent off, so we arrived school on time. Six of us in the group including me were placed at Maktab SOAS and since it was a boy school, all of us were boys.
We reached our school at 8.10 and were welcomed by the Principal of Maktab SOAS and a few prefects. We were immediately brought to their closed hall to listen to their principal’s welcome speech. At about 9am, we had some refreshments and a visit to the Vocational Education Students before heading off to the history centre. We were escorted to the History Centre and arrive there at 10am. It was nice to be escorted there and back as we got to experience how does it feels like to beat every traffic light available round town. Since it was that case, we arrive there in no time. As soon as we arrive, we were being briefed by the employee there and we learned how to trace historical artifact onto a tracing paper. After tracing those artifacts, we went to Raja Ayang Gravesite by foot. Though that day was hot, it was worthwhile. We were told about the story of Raja Ayang’s son and daughter. In a nutshell, both of them did something that was highly prohibited by the royal family and so they were buried alive in the same grave. Right beside their grave was Raja Ayang’s grave. We didn’t really spend quite long there since it was really hot, so then we went back to our school and wait for our bus to bring us to Maktab Sains Paduka Seri Begawan Sultan for the Foster Child Giving Ceremony.
We left Maktab SOAS around 1pm and the journey there took us an hour. When we arrived at Maktab Sains, we had a short conference with the Head Girl there regarding their school. The school, to me looks more like a college than an ordinary school. The compound was really large and it was one of the top performing schools in Brunei! The facilities provided at that school, well for sure it’s nothing like in Malaysia but way better than what we have here. Frankly speaking, I was in awe when I first step into that school! It was just amazing. Well, before the handing over of adopted child ceremony commences which was about 3pm, I had a tour of the school with my old friend from that school and had a little chat with them. It has been a while since I last met them which was during my previous trip to Bangkok for the APEC 2nd Future Scientist Conference.
Sharp 3pm, the ceremony started. My friend, Syafiq and I had the same foster parents. My dad was the Vice Principal of Maktab SOAS, the school I am and my mum was working as an accountant in a government firm. So then, our foster parents came to pick us up, sign some documents and then we went back home. When we reached home, it was already 4.30pm. Their house was huge. Well, am I not surprised? It’s Brunei! Well, we did not straight go into our room. We were brought to their living hall and had some tea and I would guess that’s their culture. While waiting for my mum to prepare the room for us, we had some chit chat with our dad about their family background. One thing I noticed from my visit to Brunei was, the way they welcome guests were different than in Malaysia. Every house will have a special living hall, nicely decorated with chandeliers just for the purpose to welcome guests. There were lots of photos round the hall and they even have photo albums about their past events on their coffee table for guests to browse through. It was a nice experience though. After chatting for about an hour, we went to our room to have our bath and have some rest. At, 7pm which was after our Maghrib prayers, we went down to have dinner with them. The food was great! Later on, around 8pm, my family relatives drop by to visit us. All I can say about them was they were really friendly and nice, not to mention their hospitality was fabulous. We had so much fun talking, exchanging thoughts and we even had a family photo together. I got to admit, that uncle was really good at taking those shots! Well, the night did not just end there. We had Nasi Katok for our supper. My foster dad brought us out to buy them. Typically, it was just white rice with hot fried chicken, which was fried on the spot and some spicy gravy which just cost a dollar. With our stomach filled to the brim, we had our good night sleep at 12am!
Day 3: 06/10/10, Wednesday (Performance Day)
One piece of advice, never fill up your stomach to full tank before sleeping. And yes. My friend and I had problem waking up today. Thank god for our multiple annoying alarms, I manage to drag myself up. In fact, I was shocked to get up and see that it was already bright outside. Since sun sets there early, so do the sunrise. Without wasting much time, I got myself ready for school and quickly woke Syafiq up who was still in deep slumber. Surprisingly, both of us were ready at 6.10! We had our breakfast prepared by our mum with our dad and brother. Gosh! My little brother was just so cute! Our sister was already in school as she had something on. After our breakfast, my dad brought us to school after dropping my mum at work.
We arrived in school at 7.20 and had a short assembly at the hall. Then, we were brought to our respective classes and followed their usual lesson. Two things about Brunei schools. First was, one class has only 25 students at maximum. This means that the teacher have enough time to concentrate on individual students and get to know their benchmark. The other thing was every classroom available there was air conditioned! How nice if that was the case here in Malaysia. Well, I would guess if air condition is installed in our classroom, it wouldn’t be called classroom anymore but bedroom! We had our add maths lesson at 8 till 9am. Add maths there was quite similar with us here only that instead of them learning our form 4 syllabus, they are already learning form 5’s. After our add math class, the six of us who were placed in that school were told to practice our dance move as we need to perform a short performance for them during their Mini Raya Party organized by the Vocational Education Teachers in Maktab SOAS. So then, we got our steps ready and then had some fun with the special needs students. They were really nice only that they weren’t normal like all of us. And so the teachers who are teaching them must also be extra patient. In the end, the party went well and again we ate. At 11am, it was already time to go back as we need to get prepared for our afternoon event which was the cultural exchange ceremony. Since it was our last day in school, we exchange gifts and souvenirs and gave our email addresses so that we can keep in touch in future. Soon then, we had to bid farewell and everyone went back to our foster parent’s house to have their forty winks.
We reached home at about 11.45am. Syafiq and I had our bath and then our lunch. Did not really eat much during lunch because I was just so full. Oh man! At 1.30pm, we were on the way to SM PAP Hajah Masnah for our cultural show. We arrive about 1.50pm and immediately got ourselves changed to our costumes. Looking at how the girls face was brushed to put on the makeup, thank god I was a boy! It’s like practically having no cheeks anymore to spare after the event. Everyone was really tensed at that moment and nobody really communicate. Perhaps the teachers were the people who were the most stressed out at that moment. With my face unharmed, my friends and I were brought to the hall to watch the performance brought up by the Brunei students from other schools. The event started sharp 2.30pm. They really did put up a good show there and that even made all of felt like butterflies in our stomach. The tension was starting to build up and soon then it was our turn to perform. We started off with our Zapin dance by the secondary school students, followed by the Joget dance by the primary school students and the last dance was a combined of primary and secondary. All of us breathe a sigh of relieve after hearing the loud applause and a standing ovation given by the spectators noting that we have done a great job. Our dance choreographers wouldn’t be any happier than that looking at their billionaire smile. Everything ended about 4pm and all of us had our group photos taken. We were all over the news the next day! During the photo taking session, time move so quick that we didn’t even realize that it was already 5pm and some of us had to go already which included me and my fellow friend.
We quickly bid goodbye, got ourselves changed back in a jiffy and followed my parents back home. My parents wanted to bring us out that night to get our souvenirs, to the mosque, the royal palace and their relatives’ house. Sounds like a jam packed night and yes it was. That night we got home at 2am and not forgetting, food, food and more food! I guess I gained a few kilos after that trip. They were forever feeding us. We reached home about 5.30pm and had our bath. Then, before we had our dinner downstairs, we did our Maghrib prayers and then went down. After dinner, we straight went to Masjid Jame’ Asr’ Hassanal Bolkiah to perform our Isyak prayers. Gosh! The mosque was superb. The lighting at night was really beautiful. Being a typical photographer, I took whatever pictures I can take in and out the mosque, savoring every minute I have with it. The interior of the mosque was really big and they had really big chandeliers right in the middle of the dome. The feeling to be in it was just indescribable and I just find it hard to get out from there. Never seen a mosque that big and beautiful before. After that, we went to get our souvenirs and then to the Royal Palace. And again at the Royal Palace, we took some photographs, but sadly only from the outside. After that, my parents brought us to their relative’s house. If I am not mistaken we went to 2 houses and got back home, like I said earlier at 2am! We did not actually immediately sleep that night because we need to pack our bags as that was our last night at our foster parent’s house. The next day till the end of the trip, we will be staying at the hotel again. So, in the end we slept at 3am after packing all our souvenirs into our bags. I would say today was the most tiring day throughout the whole trip but oh well, it was so much fun! Good nite!:)
Day 4: 07/10/10, Thursday (Tour Round Brunei)
Since our first program in The Holiday Lodge started at 8am, we didn’t bother to wake up any earlier than 6am! Well, 6.30am to be exact! As usual, we did our mundane wake up routine and we were up and ready at 6.40am downstairs with all our luggages packed. At 6.45am, we had our last breakfast with our foster family and by 7.15, we left for The Holiday Lodge for the Returning of Adopted Child Ceremony. It was quite saddening, when we had to part away from our parents after establishing such a strong bond between them. This may seem exaggerating but feelings do say a thousand words. After bidding goodbye and had our group photo taken and our tour round Brunei started.
Our first destination was the Floating Village Museum. We left the hotel at 8.30am and arrive at the port at 9.30am. To go to the floating village museum, we have to take a boat to reach there. We arrive at the Floating Village Museum at 10am and we were brought to tour round the museum by the tour guide. It was just primarily about the history of the Floating Village. Then at 11.20, we departed by boat to Awang Semaun Secondary School. It was just a typical everyday school and the teachers there brought us round the school. By 1.40pm, we were out from that school and back to the jetty. Our next destination was to have our Zohor prayers in Sultan Omar Ali Safiudin Mosque. The most distinctive feature of the mosque was the gold plated dome. The interior was a little smaller than the previous mosque I went to, which was the Masjid Jame’. After our prayer which was about 2.30pm, we left the mosque and headed off to the Malaysian Embassador’s Embassy for a short tea party. We had a few Q and A sessions there and some refreshments prepared for us before we head back to the hotel. The trip to Jerudong Park was canceled that evening due to heavy downpour. So in the end, we went back to the hotel and took our bath after a long sticky day. Since the officers allowed us to go out with our foster parents that night, so, my foster dad brought us back home to have dinner and out we go visiting again to their other relatives’ house. And as you know it, even more eating and more eating. After visiting a few houses, it was time to go back to the hotel as it was already 12.00am. Any later than that, I doubt I would be able to wake up in time for the next day trip to Miri. So, we reached back at the hotel at 12.30am and my parents planned to take us out again the next night to The Mall. Well, after that bid goodbye and good night and that ends Day 4!
Day 5: 08/10/10, Friday (Trip to Miri)
Woke up quite early today, as I needed to use the internet badly at the lobby. Instead of sleep deprived, I was internet deprived. So, I got up and ready around 5am and waited downstairs for the rest to slowly appear. We were told to have breakfast around 6am. After having our breakfast which was about 6.45am, we had a short meeting with the officers in charge about today itinerary. After that, we left for Miri at 7.10am by bus. I slept throughout the whole journey and only woke up when we arrive at Sungai Tauh and Miri Checkpoint as they wanted to check our passports. The journey there took us approximately 3 hours. In the end, we arrive at SMK Lopeng Tengah, Miri at 10.30am and were welcomed by the school principal, teachers and students together with some short performance performed by the students in that school. Later on, we were brought to the conference room to listen to a short briefing given by the principal about their school. Then, we had a tour round the school, to their school library and their prefect room. One thing that impressed me was the way they manage their prefectorial board. It was quite different than how we usually do it here. But, it was also manageable as the quantity of students in that school was not as many as what we have here in SSI. After spending a few hours in that school, we left for the shopping mall. There was nothing much to do at the mall though. I just got a few donuts and we left the mall at 3.20pm. Journey back was a little longer as we were stuck in a bumper to bumper crawl at Brunei Checkpoint. In the end, we arrived at our hotel at 7.15. We quickly had our bath as our foster parents were going to pick us up again from the hotel at 8pm. We went to the largest shopping mall available in Brunei which was The Mall. Still, compared to Malaysia, that shopping mall ain’t that big after all. Well, beggars cannot be choosers, so I just did some window shopping while my mum bought some clothes for herself. At 10pm, we went back to our foster parent’s house as they got us something to eat. Since it was our last night together as the next day we were scheduled to go home, we stayed with them till 11.45pm, talking and eating! It was so much fun and I savored every last minute I had with them knew that it would be the last. We got back to the hotel around 12am and did our packing since it was our last night in Brunei. Phew! Packing that night wasn’t easy as there was so much stuff fit into my luggage. Well, thank god it all ended at 2am.
Day 6: 09/10/10, Saturday (Trip Back Homeland!)
I got up at 4.45am and got myself ready. Did some last minute packing and then we brought down our entire luggage to the lobby. After having our breakfast, we left for University of Brunei Darussalam for a short visit. The facilities there were great! We had a short tour round the university and before we left for the airport, there was a closing ceremony of the program. We left for the airport at 12pm and all our foster parents met us there to bid us farewell. We departed Brunei at 3pm and reached Malaysia about 5.30pm. From there on, my parents picked me up and everyone else head down to JB by bus. That pretty much ended our immersion and internationalization program to Brunei! Well, before I end my recount on my wonderful trip to Brunei, I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who have made this trip a memorable one for me. I can no other answer make, but, thanks, and thanks.
Muhammad Mustaqiim Bin Muhar~2010.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Brunei Darussalam ♥ ♥ Yantong
★ The immersion and internationalisation programme to Brunei Darussalam is tailor-made for the future young ambassadors of Malaysia. 60 of us, consists of 28 secondary school students and 32 primary school boys and girls, had been given green lights to be a part of this immersion and internationalisation programme. This objective of the programme is not only to fulfil the Key Performing Indicators which is introduced by Kementerian Pelajaran Malaysia through the High Performing School Concept. It is also meant to groom future leaders of Johor and highlight our leadership qualities. Before we set foot on Brunei, all of us attended courses, which was specially prepared by PPD for us, to widen our knowledge of our country, improve our English communicating skills and polish our dancing skills for the culture show.
★ On the 4th of October 2010, 60 students from Johor Bahru Students Leaders Council have departed from KLIA to Brunei Darussalam for our 6 days immersion and internationalisation programme. That was where the sweet memories begin and the starting of my report. A picture is worth a thousand words - therefore, I'll tell the story of the one week Brunei trip in pictures :)
►Day 1: 4th October 2010, Monday
Departing from Pejabat Pelajaran Daerah, we reached Kuala Lumpur International Airport at about 12:00pm. We went through the exit formalities and boarded in the plane after lunch. Bidding goodbye to Malaysia, we left for Brunei Darussalam at 3:30pm and reached Brunei International Airport at about 6:00pm. We were welcomed by the Ministry of Education of Brunei Darussalam and were ushered to the tour bus which then sent us to our hotel, The Holiday Lodge Hotel in Jerudung. At 7:30 pm, the Ministry of Education of Brunei organized a reception dinner for us at The Holiday Lodge Hotel. We enjoyed the dinner and the musical performances. The food in Brunei is delicious and has not much difference with ours. Everyone sleep early after the dinner as we’ve a tiring day. GOOD NIGHT :)
★ Kuala Lumpur International Airport
★ Khai, Shafiq, JianKe & me
★ S M I L E:)
★ Jiongsheng & me
★ Afiqah,Amirah,Nabilah,Tommy & me
★ ★
►Day 2: 5th October 2010 (Tuesday)
The schedule was tight. We were told to be early to avoid getting stuck in the heavy traffic. We woke up at 5:00am to get ourselves ready. After having breakfast in the hotel, we set off immediately to respective schools by bus at 6:50am. 6 girls, including me, and two teachers were placed in Pengiran Anak Puteri Hajah Masna Secondary School, a high performing girl school in Brunei Darussalam, abbreviated as SM PAP Hajah Masna. We reached there at 8:30am. We were filled in with the ins and outs of the school from the briefing of the principal of SM PAP Hajah Masna. Then, we were leaded by our new friends, visiting every corner of SM PAP Hajah Masna. My buddy is Farhanah, a 14-year-old girl in Year 9, which is form 4 in Malaysia. The school compound is much bigger than schools in Johor Bahru but not every part of the school is well maintained. In the afternoon, all of us were sent to Maktab Sains, the best school in Brunei with integrated facilities, for the handing over of adopted child. My mummy is Dayang Hajah Mariah Binti Haji Ahmad, a school teacher of SM PAP Hajah Masnah. She is a pretty young lady who husband is a consul in Sarawak and they have no child. After the ceremony finished, I went back home with my mama and get myself ready to visit the grandparents in Seria. The one and a half hour journey from Bandar Seri Begawan to Seria was quite tiring. We reached there at night, about 7:30pm, and were welcomed warmly by the family. I tried a few types of hand-made traditional kuih and found it delicious. The four-year-old little cousin of mine, mixed of Chinese and Malay, is cute but shy. We played with the mirrors and he did salam to me before we went back home. I fall asleep almost immediately I touched my pillow in my very own air-conditioned room with a bathroom.
★ Roommates- Elicia, Lisa, Shima and me
★ the conference room of SM PAP Masnah
★ My new friend, Farhanah & me
★ Computer Lab
★ Air-conditioned Chemistry Lab
★ Farhanah & me again :)
★ Reading room
★ My foster family ♥♥♥
►Day 3: 6th October 2010
This was the day I enjoyed the most. Following the timetable to school in Brunei was a bit weird but interesting. Since I’m staying with my foster mummy, she sent me to the school in the morning. It takes only 5 minutes for us to reach school. I was nervous as I was requested to give a talk about our immersion and internationalisation programme during the assembly. Thanks to the English courses I attended which brought my confidence to another level, I didn’t get my tongue tied although giving a speech in front the crowds really did make me feel butterflies in my stomach. I was relieved that everything went on smoothly and nicely.
After the assembly, the six of us were arranged to different classes with our new friends. My first lesson in Brunei was Physics, followed by Islamic Religious Knowledge (IRK), Physical Education, English and Chemistry. Physics was quite easy and had not much difference with Malaysia’s syllabus. I love the old but spacious and air-conditioned laboratory. Frankly speaking, IRK was terrible for me as I can’t understand the Jawi Script and could barely understand the different accent of Bahasa Melayu. The weather was hot and I almost fall asleep in the class. That was when I found out the less population of Chinese students in government schools have to wear tudung and study IRK , the core subject for their public exams. My oh-my-god reaction had surely surprised my buddy, Farhanah. Physical Education in the air-conditioned hall was fun. I spent my one hour playing the piano at the backstage and playing netball with the girls. Proud to say, my team won. The group activity in the English lesson was great. We wrote story about eyes before the teacher told us a touching story of a blind mother and her son. Almost very one shed a tear for the poor mother. Chemistry was taught by a Chinese teacher from Malaysia. His humorous teaching methods really impressed me. The class ended and that was the time I have to say goodbye to my new friends. We exchanged our e-mail address and promised each other to keep in contact. Why does it take a minute to say hello and forever to say goodbye? Bidding goodbye is always sad. Girls, I am going to miss you all.
The culture show started at 2:30pm. We put on our costumes and makeup before performing. I looked ugly with the makeup. Beside our performance, the students from Brunei brought us lots of wonderful performances. The culture show ended at about 4:30pm and I went home with my mama to have some rest. At night, we went shopping at the mall which is the students’ hangout. Then, we have a sightseeing trip around the town area and some interesting places. I was surprised that the town was quiet and dark as almost all the shops in Brunei closed at 9:30pm. We decided to go home as I kept yawning in the car. It was a tiring but great day and I really enjoyed it very much.
★ Blue team won!!!! Hurayyy☆☆
★ Physical Education in the hall
★ Bruneians & Johoreans
★ Mama & me
★ ★
★ the front gate of the 24K gold plated Brunei mosque
★ mama and me ♥
►Day 4: 7th October 2010 (Thursday)
Thursday was the fourth day of our trip. This was the day we bid goodbye to our home in Brunei and move back to the hotel. Bidding farewell to our foster family, hugged mama goodbye made me feel a bit sad. Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for a little while, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never, ever the same. A big, heartfelt thank you to my mama:) Love you ♥
After waving goodbye to our foster parents, 60 of us departed from the hotel to the floating city, Kampong Ayer. We visited the Kampong Ayer Cultural and Tourism Gallery and went for a rumah terbuka. We were served with various types of yummy traditional kuih and tea. Then, we visited a school, Sekolah Menengah Awang Semaun. No offence, but I didn’t have great times there. I spent almost an hour crying. Well, I shouldn’t have cry. One of the teachers in the school offered to help me taking a group photo and dropped my camera on the floor causing the lens to dent. Instead of explaining what had happened, the teacher passed the spoilt camera to our facilitators and left. Forget about the unpleasant incident, the school was nice and special as half of the school compound was built over the river and another half is on the land. The trip to Jerudung Park was cancelled so we have a short visit to the Embassy of Malaysia in Brunei Darussalam. The programme planned ended earlier that we expected so we were allowed to go out with our foster family. Yeah! My mama fetched me from the hotel and we went shopping. She sent me back quite early as it was raining heavily and we can’t go anywhere.
Back to the hotel, a few girls who haven’t slept gathered in my room and we shared lots of juicy gossips. We talked about our schools and our foster family. At about 12:00am, everyone went back to their rooms and that’s all for Thursday. Merry meet and merry part:)
★ mama, mustaqiim and me
★ mama & me
★ jianke & me
★ Rumah Terbuka Hari Raya
★ Aisyah & me
★ Sekolah Menengah Awang Semaun
►Day 5: 7th October 2010 (Friday)
The second last day was spent mainly travelling on a bus and sleeping. We woke up early and get ourselves ready to Miri, Sarawak. It takes almost 3 hours travelling from Jerudung to Miri. We reached our destination, SMK Lopeng Tengah. We were welcomed by the teachers and students with performances and warm wide smile. A briefing about the school was given by the school principal and a short video is played. The prefects showed us around the school and told us about their duty in different departments. I like the way they manage their prefects’ board and the way they fulfil their duties. Not much to comment about the school. It’s nice and the students are friendly.
After a few hours in the school, we left for the shopping mall. Then, we went back to Brunei and were allowed to spend time with the foster family at night. My foster family brought me to a river-view satay stall. We enjoyed the delicious satay and ketupat with the thick peanut satay sauce. Thinking of the yummy satay with the thick sauce makes my mouth waters. I was sent back to the hotel after eating as my mama had another plan that night. Again, we gossiped and slept late =)
★ the conference room of SMK Lopeng Tengah, Miri, Sarawak, MALAYSIA
★ dancing performance by the students
★ Lion Dance !!
★ ★
★ ★
►Day 6: 9th October 2010 (Saturday)
This was the last day of our immersion and internationalisation programme in Brunei Darussalam. Before we went back to Malaysia, we have a short visit to the University of Brunei Darussalam. After the closing the closing ceremony of the programme, we went to the airport. Most of the foster family came to bid us farewell. We hugged goodbye and exchanged presents. Farewell! God knows when we shall meet again =)
Departing from Brunei International Airport at 3:00pm, we reached Malaysia at about 5:30pm. We took bus from KLIA back and reached PPD at 11:30pm. HOME SWEET HOME ♥
★ the secondary school students won the game:)
★ University Brunei Darussalam
★ my curly hair~hee:D
★ me
★ G O O D B Y E:)
(◕‿◕✿)
Prepared by,
YEAN YAN TONG
4 Cerdik 2010
4 Cerdik 2010
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