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Science Fair for Young Children Selangor and KL State 2010

May 7th, 2010
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NOTE: Photos are at Picasa.

For last two years, I missed out on the Science Fair program organised by Tamil Foundation. This year, I was in danger of missing out again due to lack of time. So, I decided to help out as volunteer on the event day itself. It felt weird being a volunteer after being in organizing  capacity in recent years for various events. Anyway, being a volunteer is about following orders, so hopefully I did OK. I was handed an awkward task of monitoring booths 11 to 20 on that day. Awkward in the sense that booths 11 to 16 were on one end, while booths 17 to 20 were on the opposite end of adjacent rows. In the end, it turned out OK because the participants handled most of the problems themselves, barring the odd requests for extra tables, problem with power supply, and problem with exhibit materials falling down 🙂  Oh yeah, I also took the liberty to go around snapping pictures (more than 200 shots!) 🙂

OK, enough of me talking about me. let’s move to the event.

From Science Fair for Young Children Selangor and KL 2010

Science Fair started in 2007 on a smaller scale. It is now in its fourth year, and is organised at both state and national levels. The one I attended is Selangor and KL state (combined). It was held at TNB Hall in Bangsar (Jalan Bukit Pantai). The event is open to all Tamil schools in Selangor and KL. I think there are about 97 schools in Selangor and 15 in KL. But a total of 72 schools confirmed to take part this, and eventually 70 turned up. The schools were given topics to choose and they were then expected to come out with experiments that showcase the particular topic. There were few recurring topics during the event. Actually, Tamil Foundation sends facilitators to each school to guide and monitor the progress of the participating teams. The students have to prepare a log book of their activities as well. So, its quite an elaborate and time consuming program (hats off to the organizers and  facilitators!)

From Science Fair for Young Children Selangor and KL 2010

The event began around 7.30am (but I was uncharacteristically late!). I arrived around 8.10am at the hall, and most of participants were busy setting up their booths. A team consists of 5 students and two teachers, but I saw many booths having more than two teacher, while some even imported “help” from outsider (advice, setting up etc.). Talked to two of my friends who were there in the capacity as free “consultants” for their respective schools. I was simply amazed at the effort put in by teachers and students in most of the booths. Some really looked expensive and professionally done. Even the students were smartly dressed in some instances.

From Science Fair for Young Children Selangor and KL 2010
From Science Fair for Young Children Selangor and KL 2010

After about 1.5 hours (9.10am) ,the judging began. At this point, only students were allowed to be present at the booths. The rest of the “supporters” were seated around the hall. Judges, in teams of three, went around evaluating between 5 to 6 booths each. I noticed some familiar faces like Ponnusamy, Logeswaran, Kamalendran, Kannan, Karthe, and Velavan among the panel of judges. It was interesting to watch the students trying their best to do their presentation and also answer questions from the judges. Their command of English was quite good as well! Maybe the chosen students were among the best students in their respective schools.

From Science Fair for Young Children Selangor and KL 2010
From Science Fair for Young Children Selangor and KL 2010
From Science Fair for Young Children Selangor and KL 2010
From Science Fair for Young Children Selangor and KL 2010
From Science Fair for Young Children Selangor and KL 2010
From Science Fair for Young Children Selangor and KL 2010
From Science Fair for Young Children Selangor and KL 2010
From Science Fair for Young Children Selangor and KL 2010

The evaluation ended around 12pm, after which the judges retired to their judges room to reconcile marks. The hall was now open to public, and boy, the public just swarmed the place! Teachers, parents, students..all flocked to view their booths. Proud parents stood beaming as they watched their kids explain to visitors about their experiments. Teachers were busy adjusting things and exchanging notes among themselves. It was hectic, and yet at the same time, there was an air of accomplishment. I just felt proud seeing these kids.

From Science Fair for Young Children Selangor and KL 2010
From Science Fair for Young Children Selangor and KL 2010
From Science Fair for Young Children Selangor and KL 2010
From Science Fair for Young Children Selangor and KL 2010
From Science Fair for Young Children Selangor and KL 2010
From Science Fair for Young Children Selangor and KL 2010

The fair ended around 3pm, and it was time for closing ceremony. At this point there were some confusing on seating arrangements, which I think should have not occurred in the first place. After some sorting out, and apologies to the audience, the closing ceremony started. There were 6 speeches – program coordinator, program director, Tamil Foundation president, chief judge (I was  amazed to see my ex-school teacher, Mr VKS Shanmugam up on stage!) , VIP – director of National Science Center Associate Professor Dr Irmawati, and VIP Selangor State EXCO Dr Xavier Jayakumar. Maybe should reduce the speeches to just 3 in future. But I appreciate the speakers who kept their speech to minimal.

From Science Fair for Young Children Selangor and KL 2010

After the speeches, it was prize giving time. Even though the event is a expo, but there’s an element of competition to spur the students. Thus various awards were given out. Unfortunately, the description or purpose of the awards were not mentioned, and this kind of defeats the purpose of giving awards in the first place. The movement of students on stage and also arrangement for photography on stage was also not planned properly, resulting in impromptu arrangements. Something to be improved in the next edition, I guess.  Perhaps the organisers need to do a simple rehearsal next year to avoid such hiccups.

Finally, the proper winners were announced. The initial prize included cash amount of RM500, RM300, and RM200 respectively for top three winners. But EWRF president agreed to top up RM500 for each of the top three winners for both states. (So, its RM1000, RM800 and RM700 respectively). For KL state, top three schools were chosen while five schools were chosen in Selangor. I didn’t have time to jot down all the winners since was controlling students on one end of the stage. Among the winners which I remember are:

Selangor:

1st: SJKT Methodist Kapar

2nd: SJKT Taman Permata

3rd: SJKT Teluk Merbau

4th: SJKT Kajang

5th: SJKT Batu Ampat

KL:

1st: SJKT San Peng

2nd: SJKT Segambut

3rd: SJKT Edinburgh

From Science Fair for Young Children Selangor and KL 2010

I was touched to see tears of joy from some of the students and even teachers. It goes to show how much they appreciate getting some award or recognition from others. This kind of program can spur students and teachers alike to perform better, not only in education, but in their daily life.

The program ended around 5.30pm. We helped to clean the hall, but I had to leave by 8pm due to other commitments. Not sure what time the rest of them went home.

In summary, it was a good program, an eye-opener for some sections of the community. Its an event that should be given more prominence and support. As for improvements, I think it needs more publicity and funding. Secondly, schools and parents should be encouraged to send their students to attend the fair, apart from just sending few students to take part. As for the organising part, a rehearsal or two will tie up the loose ends.

I take this opportunity to congratulate the organisers, facilitators, judges, volunteers, schools, teachers, parents and students for a job well done.

I hope to contribute again in the National level event later this year.

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Posted in Events, I Was Here, Indian, Tamil-Schools

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SJKT Ladang Escot gets piped water after 50 years!

May 4th, 2010
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This is happening in the most developed state in the country.

Interesting to note how the executive chairman of a utilities company says that its to reciprocate support given by people during the by-election. So, in other words, the utilities company works not based on public need, but on whim and fancies?

Anyway, good to see the project successful within a month, and at such big cost of RM600,000.

With just 60 students, won’t be long before this school faces extinction or relocation to better populated areas.

HULU SELANGOR, May 3 — After more than 50 years depending on spring water, Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Tamil (SJK) Ladang Escot here finally received piped water today.

SJK Tamil Ladang Escot has an enrolment of 60 pupils, who are mainly children of oil palm estate workers, and 11 teaching staff.

Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor (Syabas) executive chairman Tan Sri Rozali Ismail said the utility swung into action on learning of the predicament the school was facing during the just-concluded Hulu Selangor by-election.

“This is to reciprocate the support given by the people in Barisan Nasional’s win in the by-election. As a government-linked company, we will support the government’s aspirations,” he told reporters after checking on the pipe-laying work to supply water to the school today.

He added that the job entailed a 1.5km pipeline with the overall cost of the water supply project to the school totalling RM600,000.

Also present was the newly-elected MP for the constituency, P. Kamalanathan. — Bernama

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new newspaper Uthaya Surian hits the streets

May 4th, 2010
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Well, I try look on the bright side and have this to say: at least we have more pages to read, if we want to.

KUALA LUMPUR, May 2 – A new Tamil daily, started purportedly with the blessing of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, hit the streets yesterday, making the small Tamil readership field crowded with four dailies, each having its own distinctive political interest, with the exception of the middle-of-the-road Malaysian Nanban daily.

The Uthaya Surian (Rising Sun), despite its name, is an afternoon paper and available in the central region on the same day of publication and nationally on the next day.

The publishing licence is believed to be held by Indian Muslim businessman A. Tajuddin and was obtained during the time of former Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Its editor is Tamilmani @ P. Veerasamy, a controversial editor who went to jail in his decade-long crusade against MIC president Datuk S. Samy Vellu and the alleged hijacking of the nine million Telekom Malaysia shares.

After gaining notoriety as an anti-Samy Vellu editor, Tamilmani worked with various weeklies, none of which succeeded.

He also flirted with the Pakatan Rakyat (PR), publishing various anti-Barisan Nasional (BN) monthlies, none of which took off in a big way.

More recently Tamilmani joined forces with his former nemesis Samy Vellu who continues to cling on to power although the MIC fared disastrously under his stewardship in the 2008 general elections.

Tamilmani is also executive editor of Samy Vellu’s Tamil Nesan daily, the oldest in the country and first published in 1924.

He is wearing two hats as editor of Uthaya Surian and his provocative writing style and argumentative politics is reflected in both dailies, readers and observers said.

“In fact Uthaya Surian is really Tamil Nesan 2,” said a hardcore support of Datuk S Subramaniam, whose inner circle controls the Makkal Osai daily which is rabidly anti-Samy Vellu.

The circulation of the Tamil Nesan plunged to about 5,000 from a high of 9,000 in the 1980s, MIC insiders said, suggesting that the drop was due to it being used as a unvarnished mouth piece of the Samy Vellu family and his interests.

“A great newspaper that was helmed by giants of Tamil journalism has gone down the drain because of cheap politics,” said a Tamil lawyer who follows local Indian politics keenly.

“Tamil Nesan had great editors like Murugu Subramaniam,” he said, referring to the member of the famed Chettiar family which owned and managed the daily before Samy Vellu bought it over on becoming MIC president in 1979.

Uthaya Surian is closely linked to Samy Vellu and his faction in the MIC. Not only does it have the same editors but also the same staff and premises.

The Tamil Nesan (M) Sdn Bhd prints the Uthaya Surian daily and both operate from the same premises. They even have the same telephone and fax numbers.

Tamilmani introduced himself in the inaugural May 1 edition as the Uthaya Surian editor with a page two editorial under the title “Uthaya Surian will shine new light in people’s hearts”.

It had a front page story with a photo montage of Samy Vellu and MIC deputy president Datuk G. Palanivel face to face and nearly embracing under the headline “MIC leadership transition only in 2012”.

Tamil Nesan and other mainstream national dailies and Internet news websites might have written off Samy Vellu but in the MIC, the new mantra is 2012.

Samy Vellu and his coterie, Palanivel included, are pushing the idea that “newspapers have no business” to tell Samy Vellu to quit.

“Samy should complete his term right up to 2012. I will surely support it,” Palanivel is quoted as saying in the inaugural edition.

The MIC was roiled after the Utusan Malaysia quoted Palanivel as saying, in the aftermath of the Hulu Selangor by-election victory, that he was ready to take over but that Samy Vellu had to make way.

The story sparked speculation that Palanivel was about to unseat Samy Vellu by mobilising grassroots support, something that Subramaniam’s supporters are hoping for so that they can wade in and pick up the pieces after the battle.

In fact the Makkal Osai daily under their control has been publishing provocative stories which, allegedly, attempt to pit Palanivel and Samy Vellu against each other.

Palanivel quickly moved to dampen the strategy and assure Samy Vellu’s supporters by giving nearly identical exclusive interviews to both Tamil Nesan and the new Uthaya Surian dailies pledging “undying” loyalty to Samy Vellu.

“We are together… we cannot be separated. Our relationship will continue,” the dailies quoted Palanivel as saying.

The talk among the reading public is that the new paper seeks to exploit the journalistic skills of Tamilmani to win a readership and then gradually eclipse, and possibly replace, the Tamil Nesan daily.

In a front page foreword Najib wrote that he was confident the new daily would reflect the aspirations of the Indian community with skill and responsibility and give voice to the desire of all citizens to come under his 1 Malaysia umbrella.

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Which RM130 million is it for Tamil schools?

May 3rd, 2010
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This is an interesting news release by Bernama. There’s no mention of when the allocation was approved or whether its an repeat news. As we know, the previous allocation were insufficient due to increase in construction material costs.  Its this kind of half-baked news that cause people to question or look down on the authorities.  I guess we are expected to be thankful/grateful/be-a-fool for this allocation (average of RM1.625 million per school) . Maybe should sing praises and kowtow as well, is it?

KUALA LUMPUR, May 1 — The government has allocated RM130 million to repair and upgrade 80 Tamil schools nationwide, Deputy Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing Minister Datuk M. Saravanan said.

He said the projects were in various stages of implementation and expected to be completed within two years.

“I believe that with the allocation, infrastructure problems faced by Tamil schools can be overcome,” he told reporters after opening the SRJK (T) Jalan Fletcher’s sports carnival here today.

Saravanan, a former student of the school, said there were 15 Tamil schools in Kuala Lumpur and except for one, which is under a church management in Sentul, there was no problem channelling assistance to the other schools.

He said Tamil schools needed the government’s assistance especially in providing the infrastructure to ensure a conducive teaching and learning atmosphere in line with the vision to create quality human capital.

Saravanan said he was confident that under the leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, there would be changes to 523 Tamil schools in the country. — Bernama

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Posted in BornInMalaysia, Indian, Tamil-Schools

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What next, Dato Palanivel?

May 3rd, 2010
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So, as expected, Dato’ G Palanivel, the MIC deputy president and president-in-waiting became a senator today. I wonder what post he will be given: minister or deputy minister. I think deputy ministership since he had served a short while as deputy minister before this. If there’s a cabinet reshuffle, it should be after June when ministerial KPIs are evaluated by PM Najib and Idris Jala. Wonder if MIC can get two minister position, maybe give one to Devamany?

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