Yayasan Strategik Sosial has taken initiatives to visit Indian students at MARA Junior Science Colleges throughout the country. In our visit, we found that the colleges are located in healthy environment. MARA makes sure that the students find a peaceful place to really concentrate in studies and that’s the secret of success for their 100% passing rate among the colleges.
YSS follows up the Indian students in MRSM in order to enable them to achieve their goals and missions. This makes sense when YSS personnel visit them personally, have dialogue sessions with them, and try to identify their problems. There is not only encourage provided but also an initiative to create a support system for these students.
On April 2nd, we visited the MRSM at Kuala Klawang in Negeri Sembilan, which is 137 km from Kuala Lumpur. There at first, we met a form two student Koghilan Vadivallu. He is a smart and obedient boy. He shared some of his experience with Mr. Manikam who had interviewed him earlier. It seems that he had enjoyed his life in this MRSM and since he is a local person, homesick is something he never felt before. His Malay friends are close and their relationship is more than friendship. When we asked him about food, one very major concern in every MRSM he said that he managed to adjust himself and smiled confidently.
Here there are two Form Two students, one boy and one girl and the rest are Form One students. Seven of them were from Tamil Schools. There are only three Chinese students in this MRSM. Most of the Indian students are from low-income families and three of them are from single parent families. But finance did not seem to be a major issue as they are very highly motivated towards achieving their ambitions. One thing that we realised is all these kids have different ambitions from other kids. They are keen to do something related to their field and specifically mentioned their dreams to be an astronaut, forensic specialists, cosmetic product designers and scientists. In future, we can hope to see an emerging a “Junior Abdul Kalam” from our Indian society in Malaysia.
9th of April 2004 we visited two other MRSM colleges. Mr. Manikam and I went to MRSM Kuala Lipis and Mr. Barmasevam went to MRSM Batu Pahat. The pupils here together with the warden were waiting for us patiently. The situation at Kuala Lipis was different since the students have seniors to guide them and there are five Form Five and one Form Two students. The seniors here are playing a major role as the unofficial guardians of the ‘freshies'. We were relieved to hear from the seniors that they took initiative to meet the juniors weekly to discuss issues concerning them and from our observation these kids are very close to their seniors and they are like one family. After listening to the good news we felt very energetic to conduct the dialogue sessions although being tired of the 173 km long journey. We were very proud of these young children who are still practising the social values.
A form five student Esther Sujeethra Murugan told YSS personnel in her interview that her friends and herself are very close to their juniors and the kids seek their advice first on their problems before referring it anybody else. She also mentioned that Indian students in this MRSM are very appreciated by the teachers and also their fellow Malay friends. Thus far Indian students have good record in this college in every field either academic or co-curriculum activities.
Durgkashinee, a good friend of Sujeethra, very proudly said that MRSM Kuala Lipis is the best MRSM. She told that the teachers, friends and also their beloved juniors are very supportive, helpful and friendly. She thanked god to have a bunch of Indian students this year and joyfully said this can make her college life overflow with sweet memories. The ‘freshies’ behind her were happily flashing a big smile along the interviews.
A former student of Benta Tamil School, Navanethan Kuppusamy also expressed his joy meeting more Indian students this year. Since he is the only Indian student in Form Two he feels that his responsibility is to make sure that nobody will quit from this college. He and the other seniors felt very sad when four of the freshies did not listen to them and packed their things and left the college. But this does not discourage them from motivating the balance and they are highly dedicated to their responsibilities.
We came back with an encouragement that these students in MRSM Kuala Lipis have already created their own support system and of course YSS will make sure that there are somebody to monitor their activities weekly.
Address:
Tingkat 5, Menara Manickavasagam No 1, Jalan Rahmat, 50350 Kuala Lumpur,Malaysia
Phone:
6-03-4041 5958
Fax: 6-03-4041 5681
Email:
enquiries@yss98.com
