File 38 : Pro - Aspirasi & Pro - Mahasiswa...

[Photo courtesy of: aniswahab.blogspot.com and pro-am-unitar.blogspot.com]

These two groups are famous in UM, UPM, UIAM, and some other IPTAs [public universities] in Malaysia. Studying in UiTM, these two groups are rarely being heard of. From my readings, what I know is that Pro-Aspirasi is a group linked or associated with the university administrators thus they are said to be pro-government. On the other hand, Pro-Mahasiswa, albeit always associated with the opposition, is said to be the group fighting for the students.

It does not matter whether the perception is true or not. In my opinion, the existance of these two groups as well as other groups [such as the PPIM in UIAM] during campus election is something healthy. Yes, you heard it. H-E-A-L-T-H-Y...

Maybe some will disagree and they will claim that the existence of such groups will divide the unity among the students. But to have all these groups will let the students know that this is the reality that they will face in real politics.

Universities are preparation centres, to prepare the graduates before they storm into the real world full of challenges. And in the real world, there is the government and the opposition. That is the ideology of democracy. A government without an opposition will not and never be a democratic country as powers are concentrated to a party per se. The concept of a government with an opposition is to ensure that there is check and balance in the administration. This check and balance doctrine is to prevent concentration of power as to establish a CAT government [as in Penang's Clean, Accountable, and Transparent]. - [[ I borrow your tagline Mr. Lim Guan Eng... =) ]]

In UiTM, campus election is just a mere competition of certain individuals to win two chairs allocated to each faculties. There is no thrill in the election. No ideology to be promulgated, no teams, no Pro-Aspirasi, no Pro-Mahasiswa, no public speaking, no speakers' corner. Even the face of the candidates were hard to be seen during campaign period. It's the individual for himself [and with the help of certain close friends from that particular batch whose candidates are from]. Nothing more.

Maybe this situation need to be changed. Will Pro-Mahasiswa exist in UiTM one day? Will UiTM students brave enough to say that the university belongs to the students, not the Vice-Chancellor's? Only time can change this. Let us just wait and see...

File 29 : Common Bar Exam?

Those who follow my writings would know that I am a law student. Having been spending my 2 years of life in my lovely law faculty in UiTM Malaysia, Shah Alam had taught me many things on the legal aspect as well as the human aspect. Not to forget, political aspect as well.

First and foremost, for those who do not know the procedure before you are admitted to the Bar [the professional body that govern the lawyers], I am going to write here a VERY brief concept on how thing goes.

For overseas graduates and those who pursue law degree in twinning programs at private colleges, they had to sit for an exam which is called as the Certificate for Legal Practice [CLP] before they could practice as an advocate and solicitor in Malaysia.

As for local graduates [UiTM, UM, UKM, UIAM and UUM – but there’s a problem with UUM currently…], after they had finished their LL.B (Hons.) program, they need not take the CLP exam as they could be admitted as an advocate and solicitor right after they had done their chambering for the period of 9 months.

The reason for having the CLP exam was to ensure that overseas graduates would be familiarized with local laws. This is due to the fact that when they read law, for example, in the UK, they would read the Common Law. However, due to the rate of failure that is so high among CLP students, they [the overseas graduates] had started to voice out their dissatisfaction claiming that it is unfair for them to take the CLP when the local graduates need not. Plus, there are some claiming that the quality of reading law in Malaysia is not on par with the way of reading it overseas.

So, the government had now proposed to create a new examination to cater both local and overseas graduate. This is known as the Common Bar Exam. Its purpose, as can be seen by looking at its name, is to ensure that both local and overseas graduate would sit for a common exam to enable them to be admitted to the Bar. So, upon graduating, all graduates had to sit for this very exam.

Nevertheless, as a law student my self, I object to such exam. For me, CLP is needed for overseas graduates as they need to know at least a little on our own Malaysian law. They had spent their 4 years reading law overseas but when they intend to practice here, did they learn Malaysian law? No! So, that is why they need to take the exam.

As for us, local graduates, we spent 4 years in the law faculty, learning the ins and outs of our law. When we want to practice later, it’s the law that we had learned that we are going to use. So, what’s the purpose of having another exam when we had learned the laws of Malaysia for 4 years?

Furthermore, the way the law faculties in Malaysia conduct their law programs differ from one institution to another. For example, in UiTM, the course is done by using a 3+1 system. For three years, we will do Bachelor of Legal Studies (Hons.) Upon graduating, the graduates could choose either to work [as legal executives, legal advisers etc but cannot practice] or to pursue for another year doing the professional course. The professional course is needed if one wants to practice. The professional course is the LL.B (Hons.) and it is a simulation course where students will have their own firms, arguing cases as to prepare them for practicing in real world.

As an insider, I do think that the LL.B (Hons.) conducted in UiTM is the best as practicality is always better than theory. So, why should the student spend another year studying for the Common Bar Exam when they are ready to face the real world of practicing as lawyers? Besides, isn’t LL.B (Hons.) is sufficient to be the common qualifier for local graduates to practice?

File 24 : 10% UiTM quota to be opened to non-Bumiputeras...

10% UiTM quota to be opened to non-Bumiputeras...

I am a Universiti Teknologi Mara [UiTM] student. A law student to be exact. But I don't agree with the over reaction of my fellow UiTM students.

Personally, I do think that it is a great SUGGESTION to open up 10% of the quota. Besides integration, it will definitely give UiTM a new way of work and study culture as well as a very good competition among students.

It is just 10% and there is nothing to shout about... Or maybe, is it because [like a friend of mine said] these students [who thought they are heroes championing UiTM] are afraid that if the quota is to be opened, then 10% of top places in exam results will be monopolized by non-Bumiputeras? If that's the reason, then it is good. It will make Bumiputera students study harder to gain good grades.

I was thinking after reading the newspaper, will the reaction be the same if UMNO leaders are the one who made such statement? I don't think so... Even there was not as much fuss as this time when Dr. Mahathir first made such statement in 2003 [as reported in today's Star].

Maybe the real reason the students gathered at the SUK that morning was to skip their class.. Lectures in UiTM start at 8.30 a.m until 10.30 a.m for the first session and 10.30 a.m to 12.30 p.m for the second session.

As the 'Perhimpunan' was held from 7.00 am to 10.30 am, well, maybe the crowd who went there were those who had classes at 8.30 - 10.30... Haha.. Just a wild assumption. It might not be true.. ;p

Anyway, not all students actually disagree with the suggestion by the MB. Some of us really think that we need to mingle. I asked my friends and most of them supported the idea. After all, the students had been pampered and spoon fed for so long and a new culture need to be inculcate so that the students will be ready to face the globalisation world that await them [including me, of course..].

And I can't help but to say, how paranoid the 5000 students who demonstrated and the VC was... I mean, it was just a mere suggestion and they know that the MB can't do anything more than just, well,... talk. So, what's the fuss all about?

But to be honest, not all UiTM students are that racists and second class. I could read law at other institutions with my grades, but as UiTM law faculty is among the most established law faculty in Malaysia, I read law here. Even when people asked me many times why I chose UiTM, when I told them I read law here, they understand me. And that is why, I love the university.

But to my fellow friends, please don't over react... Act wisely... If you can demonstrated for UiTM, where were you when students from other institutions demonstrated in front of the Parliament regarding AUKU?.... -_-

p/s: After all, it was just a MERE SUGGESTION...