School uniforms a must Rapid Penang: No discount for students in school T-shirts

By LOOI SUE-CHERN

Rapid Penang chief executive officer Azhar Ahmad said that those wearing school club or sports T-shirts would not be given the discount, even though they had student cards to show their student status.

“We want the students to be in full formal uniforms. School T-shirts are not considered formal uniforms.

“If we give those wearing school T-shirts discounts, some may try to take advantage of the students’ reduced bus fare,” he said.

However, Azhar said that students wearing Scout, Girl Guide, Cadet and other uniformed unit attire would still be eligible for the reduced student rate.

Azhar was responding to a complaint letter published in StarMetro last Saturday about a student being told to pay the full RM2 bus fare as he was not wearing his full school uniform, even after he had shown the driver his student card.

He also advised the public to take down Rapid Penang drivers’ particulars and bus numbers if they had complaints.

“The public can e-mail us at careline@rapidpg.com.my,” he said in an interview.

On last month's incident in which a Rapid Penang bus emergency exit door suddenly flung open,causing the death of a passenger, Azhar said that investigations were still underway.

“We wrote to Puspakom and the police three weeks ago to enquire about developments. Puspakom has checked the bus and found no problems with it

“According to the George Town police headquarters, they are still looking into the incident and we will know the results by end of this month,” he said.

Azhar added that the investigation report would be sent to the Deputy Public Prosecutor.

Take part in healthy events, teens urged

TEENAGERS should get involved in activities, which will help deve-lop their mental and physical capabilities while promoting a healthy lifestyle, an assemblyman said.

Air Itam assemblyman Cheang Chee Gooi said activities which involved strenuous physical and mental exertion would develop a person’s character and help to build positive traits such as comradeship, integrity and team spirit.

He said Jamboree on the Air (JOTA) and Jamboree On the Internet (JOTI) were among such activities as participants were given various tasks to com- plete.

Cheang, who represented Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon, said this to newsmen after launching the Scouts Asso-ciation of Malaysia, Penang’s 50th JOTA and 11th (JOTI) re- cently.

Also present were organising chairman Rozhan Yahaya and state Scouts Commissioner Zul-kapli Kamarudin.

More than 250 Scouts, Girl Guides and cub Scouts from seven schools in Penang participated in the three-day event held at the SK St Xaviers’ grounds in Jalan La Salle.

JOTI is an international scout meeting on the Internet and is an official event of the World Organisation of the Scout Move-ment.

It is held in October and thousands of Scouts from all over the world meet and com- municate with each other over the Internet.

JOTI is combined with the JOTA, an event where Scouts can communicate with each other over amateur radio (ham radio) frequencies.

Cheang said the event pro- vided the opportunity for Scouts to become friends with their counterparts in other countries.

A RM2mil jamboree in the works

THE Scout Association of Malaysia has announced plans to organise a National Jamboree next year to celebrate the centenary of the movement in Malaysia.

The jamboree at Universiti Putra Malaysia, is estimated to cost RM2mil and would cater to about 6,000 participants.

The plan was presented to Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said during her official visit to the association's headquarters for a dialogue with the commissioners.

“The jamboree is a step towards many new things in the scouting movement. We will see the role of the movement growing and playing a bigger role in the community,” national chief scout commissioner Datuk Dr Kamarudin Kachar said.

Greetings: Chief Scout of Malaysia Datuk Seri Shafie Mohd Salleh (left) accompanies Azalina as she greets some young scouts before the dialogue.

“We will help the scouting movement organise the jamboree and we will discuss the funding of the project further,” Azalina said.

The event is expected to take place from May 12 to 18, 2008, and would see the participation of scouts from Malaysia as well as Asia Pacific countries.

At the jamboree, the movement will also launch the 100 Year Book of Scouting History, stamps, and shillings. The event will also mark the founding of the International Scouts Camp and International Scouts Academy.

“There are a lot of issues that the scouts will play a big role in including environmental conser-vation, patriotism, and peace,” Kamarudin explained.

The association also announced plans to introduce the Rover Scout movement in all public and private tertiary education institutions as well as in countries where a high percentage of Malaysian students are present.

“We are targeting countries like the UK, the US, Egypt, Australia and Russia to set up branches of Malaysian Rover Scouts,” he explained.

The King of Sweden, King Carl XVI Gustav, the honorary president of the World Scout Foundation, also visited the Malaysian scouts on October 3.

Source : TheStar.com.my

A test of Scouting skills

By DERRICK VINESH

Some 500 Boy and Girl Scouts took part in a skills challenge and a Scout exhibition held at The Summit shopping complex in Bukit Mertajam recently in conjunction with the 100th anniversary of the World Scout Movement.

The Scouts, from seven schools in Seberang Prai, pitted their skills in various competitions such as knotting and morse code, and put up exhibition booths during the three-day programme.

The event, which was jointly organised by the Illustrious Rover Crew and The Scouts Association of Malaysia (Bukit Mertajam district), was opened by Padang Lalang assemblyman Tan Teik Cheng.

The Summit’s promotion area was filled with Scout essentials ranging from badges, scarves and uniforms to a mock campfire site.

The exhibition booths displayed Scout paraphernalia and highlighted several common scouting activities.

There were also articles on the movement’s founder, Lord Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell.

Scout uniforms from other countries including Indonesia, Japan, Thailand and South Korea were also on display.

The participating schools - Jit Sin Independent School, SMK Berapit, SMK Jalan Damai, SMJK(C) Jit Sin, SMJK(C) Chung Ling Butterworth, SMK Bukit Mertajam and SMK Simpang Ampat - also displayed their trophies and plaques won in previous competitions.

Penang Scout commissioner Zulkafli Kamaruddin commended the organisers for a highly informative programme, noting that it was an ideal event for the youths to so-cialise and share their experiences.

SMK Berapit emerged champion in the knotting and morse code competition. Jit Sin Independent School won the pioneering project competition while SMJK(C) Jit Sin won the best booth exhibition contest.

Ng Wei Chien from SMJK(C) Chung Ling Butterworth won the bamboo sawing competition while Ong Soon Ta from SMK Simpang Ampat was the champion in the bushman’s thong contest.

Girl Scout Ooi Pei Ran, 17, from Jit Sin Independent School, said it was a great opportunity to participate in the skills challenge.

“They required lots of co-operation and teamwork among participants,” she said.

Celebrating a centenary of scouting

SCOUTS representing various generations gathered in Penang to celebrate 100 years of scouting, 50 years of Merdeka and 75 years of scouting with the St Xavier’s Institution.

The World Scout Centenary Dinner at Bayview Hotel was organised by the Xaverian B.P. Guild.

Among those present was national Chief Scout Commissioner Colonel Prof Datuk Dr Kamaruddin Kachar who had just returned from celebrating World Scout Day in Chelmsford, England.

Scouting started in Malaysia when the Young Men’s Christian Association formed the first Scout troop in Penang in 1909. The movement started in England in 1907.

”In Malaysia, our main aim now is to increase our membership of scouts to one million by 2010,” Kamaruddin said.

The Malaysian Scout Association currently has about 250,000 members.

Eric Khoo, the chairman of the Asia-Pacific Region Scout Council that has members from 23 countries, reminded scouts present that they were part of a revolutionary movement.

“We belong to a organisation which has 28 million members who help billions worldwide,” he said.

Also present was Finance Ministry parliamentary secretary Datuk Seri Dr Hilmi Yahaya who represented Second Finance Minister Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcob.

Source : TheStar.com.my

Adnan: Rally young and old with scout activities

KUANTAN: Scout associations are among the means that will rally youngsters with the older generation in a group or gathering where close ties will be fostered and good values instilled, said Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob.

He added that scout activities such as jamborees see a mix of young and old.

“Good values are gradually losing their hold in society and activities by scouts can help revive the qualities.

“It can help curb social ills among youths as well,” Adnan said after accepting an appointment letter as Pahang chief scout at a hotel here recently.

The mentri besar was also awarded the scout’s highest title, Semangat Padi (The Spirit of Padi).

Among those present were national chief scout Datuk Seri Dr Shafie Mohd Salleh, national chief scout commissioner of Malaysia Kol Prof Datuk Dr Kamarudin Kachar and Pahang Scout Council chairman Datuk Seri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman.

Adnan also advised the secretariat to come up with commendable programmes that would really benefit scout members.

Dr Shafie, in his speech, said Scout associations would promote a sense of love and loyalty for the country.

Being the National chief scout, Dr Shafie said it was a trust empowered to him and he would ensure that the members would be given guidance to stay on the right track.

They should start young and becoming a scout member was one of the ways, he added.

Source : TheStar.com.my

Independent spirit

By DEBBIE CHAN

BEING disabled has not dampened Mohd Bukhori Ali’s spirits one bit. He works just as hard as the next guy to achieve his dreams. A sixth former at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Hosba, Kedah, the 19-year-old believes that determination is his biggest asset.

“I have always put in 100% of effort and determination to achieve good results in school.

“I do not want to use my disability as an excuse so I strive extra hard to prove that I can do it,” Bukhori said.

Inspired: Mohd Bukhori Ali working on a painting as school guardian and Scoutmaster Hajah Normah Mohd Yusuf looks on.

His willpower, enthusiasm and high spirits earned him the Bintang Semangat Jerai award from the Sultan of Kedah.

Although born with deformed hands and legs, Bukhori has learnt to write and paint using his cheek and shoulder.

Bukhori, who is talented in painting, took the opportunity to show off the beauty of Malaysia to the world through his art at the World Village of the World Scout Jamboree 2007 in England, which he attended.

“Joining the Scout movement has helped build my confidence and self-esteem. Attending the jamboree was a dream come true for me. I’m grateful to the sponsors who believed in me and help send me to the event.”

Bukhori’s parents have been very supportive of his involvement in school activities.

Inspired by his siblings, his aspires to further his studies in university.

“All my siblings are currently studying in university, and I want to achieve the same goal, so I am working hard for my STPM examinations.

“I hope to study arts or business because they are among my favourite subjects,” he said.

“I’m really glad I have been given equal treatment and access to opportunities like education and co-curricular activities.

“I have not been discriminated against or singled out because of my disability except for tasks that require physical fitness like sports.”

As Malaysia’s 50th independence day approaches, Bukhori feels that he will not only be celebrating the freedom of his country but also his own independence – being able to do things without having to rely too much on others.

“I can be independent just like everyone else. I can to do whatever I want as long as I put my heart into it. I’m very proud to be born here because Malaysia is a safe and secure country.

“The country has advanced so much and we must continue contributing to its well-being,” Bukhori said.

Tower of bamboo, firewood and rope

IMAGINE a tower five storeys high built out of nothing but bamboo, firewood and rope. Forty members of the 219th Kinta Scout Shiang Yang Open Troop took five days to create the 21.3-metre high structure at SMK Bercham in Ipoh. Its scoutmaster Leong Siew Chuan, 25, said they used 300 pieces of wood, 100 bamboo poles and 50kg of rope. With nine platforms and 13 sets of stairs, the structure is solid enough to hold up to 70 Scouts at one time. Two people could squeeze onto the top of the tower, he said. Troop creation:The scouts posing in front of their tower. The structure was built in conjunction with the troop’s first nationwide campfire gathering attended by over 500 scouts and girl guides from 25 schools recently. The tower, to be dismantled soon, was meant to be a test of their skills in line with their campfire theme of ‘breaking through their limits’, said Leong. MCA secretary-general Datuk Ong Ka Chuan launched the event on Saturday night by lighting a bonfire at the school with Bercham assemblyman Gooi Seng Teik. In his speech, he lauded the troop for organising the gather- ing that also challenged the 500 scouts in various contests of skill. The SMJK Kwong Hua Scout troop was named overall cham-pion, SMK Poi Lam’s was the best disciplined while the SMK Chan Wa scouts from Seremban were the most supportive. The contest winners were Kuen Cheng Girl’s School (backwoods cooking), SMJK Chung Hwa, Se-remban (mini gadgets), SM Sam Min 60th girl’s group (semaphore and marching), SMJK Kwong Hua’s 13th Unit Ranger Group 1 (modern cooking), SMJK Shing Chung, Sun- gai Siput, (highlight and drama) and SMK Sentosa, Kuala Lumpur (dance). Source : TheStar.com.my

1,400 scouts gather for jamboree in Malacca

By PERCY D’CRUZ MALACCA: Renewing friendships and forging new ones, strong bonding and camaraderie – these characteristics stood out foremost among some 1,400 scouts at the 6th edition of the Malacca Historical City Scout Jamboree recently. Apart from Malaysia, the scouts came from Maldives, Sri Lanka, Brunei, Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia for the five-day meet opened by Malacca Governor Tun Mohd Khalil Yaakob at Tan Chay Yam Camp in Bukit Katil. The scouts and their respective troop leaders had an enjoyable time catching up with one and all. Joyous moment: Scouts celebrating after receiving their certificates of merit at the jamboree in Malacca recently. The majority also discovered scopes beyond campsites and campfires as they tapped each other's innovative techniques, expertise and knowledge related to pioneering and the outdoors during daily in-house activities and skills-sharing sessions. Jamboree participants, especially the overseas ones, visited many historic and landmark sites in downtown Malacca via bus. They also savoured traditional and local cuisine at local food courts and hawker stalls. Asia Pacific Region Scouts chairman Eric Khoo said besides friendship and solidarity, the jamboree provided a platform for scouts to exhibit numerous gadgets, props and kits tailor-made to make scouting more versatile and in line with self-reliance. In conjunction with the jamboree, 27 local scout leaders received the Anugerah Gemilang Presiden while another 25 from Indonesia were awarded the Anugerah Presiden by Malacca Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Mohd Rustam at a dinner in Seri Negeri, Ayer Keroh. Following the opening ceremony, Khalil bestowed King Scout awards to 59 recipients from various secondary schools in the state for Year 2006 while another 78 garnered similar awards for Year 2007.

World Scouting Jamboree