KUANTAN, Jan 20 — The Regent of Pahang, Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah Al-Sultan Abdullah wants to see more parties involved in programmes to help less fortunate students achieve academic excellence.
The prince said this could be done through efforts such as the Program Akademi Menara Gading (AMG) or Ivory Tower Academic Programme to enable poor students, orphans and Orang Asli children further their studies at the higher learning institutions.
The AMG is a programme organised by Yayasan Al-Sultan Abdullah (YASA) or previously known as Yayasan Istana Abdulaziz which was established in September 1996, with Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah and Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah as its patrons.
“The AMG programme has received the full cooperation of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) to assist in raising academic excellence among the less fortunate students. Alhamdulillah (praise be to God), this programme has produced thousands of graduates in various fields and thus, help their parents and families have a more comfortable life.
“However. academic excellence should also be in tandem with the inculcation of noble values. These values should begin from the home, with the parents needed to play a bigger role and not leaving the responsibility wholly to the teachers and schools.”
Tengku Hassanal said this when launching the ‘Aspirasi Menara Gading’ book here today and simultaneously closing the Access Leadership Programme (ALP), which was aimed at improving mastery of the English language. Involving 80 Form Five students, it was organised by YASA and the United States Embassy in Kuala Lumpur.
The 384-page ‘Aspirasi Menara Gading’ book was published in conjunction with over 20 years of AMG’s existence and containing 19 articles contributed by academicians and professionals involved in the running of AMG as well as its alumni, besides recording various activities, excellent achievements and their experiences.
At the event, Tengku Hassanal also witnessed the exchange of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between YASA and Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP) to increase academic activities in the state.
On the ALP, Tengku Hassanal thanked the US Embassy in Kuala Lumpur for giving the AMG participants an opportunity to upscale their English language proficiency and other soft skills such as communication and leadership through the well-structured programme.
“With this great opportunity, I hope all the students will do their utmost best and commit themselves to achieving excellence holistically. I was also told that the students would have the opportunity to sit for a special examination conducted by the US Embassy.
“Once they have passed, the students will get the opportunity to obtain a scholarship which allows them to join a related programme in the US for six months, with all the expenses borne by the US government,” he said.
Meanwhile, the embassy’s Counsellor for Public Affairs, Melinda Masonis in her speech said the ALP, a two-year programme, was not only aimed at boosting the confidence of students to speak English, but also to challenge them to adopt critical thinking skills and a civic mindset to serve their local communities.
“Throughout these two years, I understand that in addition to attending regular English classes, the ALP students have conducted a variety of activities such as participating in a teleconference with former US ambassador Kamala Lakhdhir and a resume writing workshop with our American English Fellow,” she said.
Source: BERNAMA News Agency