Sometimes, we need to acknowledge that a smile may not reflect a contented heart. It may be a pretense. Sometimes, we need to acknowledge that a smile may not reflect a contented heart. It may be a pretense. 

This is what the short sharing session Anxiety at a Glance, moderated by our student Muhammad Zhafri Mohamad Hisham and hosted by Unit Kaunseling and Kebajikan Pelajar (UniK) UNIMAS, tries to remind us all. 

The pandemic and the Movement Control Order (MCO) restrictions are high potential factors that can induce the development of anxiety disorder, stemming from continuous worry due to prolonged separation from loved ones and friends, or the panicky feelings of meeting people or going to places in case they will be infected, etc.

Possibly less known to the lay audience, anxiety is a normal reaction that acts as a safety switch to trigger alertness against potential dangers. The anticipation of danger will raise a person’s guard and vigilance, therefore preparing the person to avoid any incoming threat.

Ummikhaira Sofea Ja’afar, the speaker for Anxiety at a Glance, described that the disorder happens when an impending doom persists, and the feeling affects lifestyle or daily routines.

...

“Bersatu kita positif, bercerai kita negative” is the tagline for the HERO KITA 2.0 poster, an online theatre staged by UNIMAStage in collaboration with Semarak Kreatif Sdn. Bhd. This clever and cynical tagline straightforwardly illustrates our current situation. It was suggested by the students who were managing the project, as explained by Azri Ali, a Drama and Theatre lecturer in the Faculty of Applied and Creative Arts UNIMAS.

 “It reflects the current situation where we can’t sit close together with our friends, else, we will potentially create a new cluster.”

The online theatre started as a monologue assignment which was performed by the students in HERO Kita 1.0 to honour our frontliners. Believing in the potential of their work, the students wanted to extend what was an assignment into an online theatre. Using the Theater Management and Theater Production II courses as their kickstart platform, our students put their learned theatre management skills on a test-drive in managing their own show, approaching artists, pitching contents, and bringing credible talents onboard to act on their (online) stage. Their lecturers, Azri Ali and Qawiem Hamizan, were only involved as directors and writers of the play. A great boost ...

“Pengalaman manis...” meskipun kampung halaman hanya sejauh 25 kilometer dari kampus induk UNIMAS, namun salah seorang pelajar tahun tiga program senibina, Fakulti Alam Bina, Siti Zulaikha Ismail, akur dengan keputusan Universiti yang tidak membenarkan pelajar kembali ke kampung halaman sempena perayaan Hari Raya Aidilfitri tahun ini.

Siti Zulaikha yang berasal dari Taman Matang Jaya Kuching percaya keputusan UNIMAS tersebut adalah untuk keselamatan pelajar termasuk dirinya sendiri dalam usaha mengelak penularan risiko jangkitan COVID-19.

“Memanglah sedih kerana tidak dapat bersama keluarga semasa hari raya tetapi untuk keselamatan ramai termasuk diri sendiri, saya  percaya ia adalah keputusan yang wajar diambil oleh UNIMAS terutama pada keadaan yang berisiko seperti sekarang ini,” katanya.

Anak kedua dari lima beradik ini bagaimanapun berkata semasa pagi raya, beliau dan rakan-rakan memasak juadah hari raya dan juadah tradisi negeri masing-masing secara ala kadar.

 “Ia satu pengalaman baru yang menarik dan tidak mungkin saya lupakan. Ia mengajar saya lebih berdikari dan bersabar dengan segala cabaran,” katanya.

Beliau berkata, setiap hari beliau akan berhubung dengan keluarga menerusi panggilan video dan telefon selain keluarga juga telah menghantar kiriman kuih-muih dan biskut raya kepada beliau untuk dikongsi bersama dengan rakan-rakan lain.

The modest in-campus Raya celebration prompted our anak-anak perantauan UNIMAS to also make Kaamatan and Gawai their own. Agik idup agik ngelaban! Holding on to the spirit of “As long as I live, I will keep on fighting”, this Iban saying glues our student together (online) through hard times. We know, our students are happy in campus, safe in our green bubble (This might be the writer’s unpopular opinion…).

One thing is for sure – the COVID-19 experience will be an invaluable experience that will be shared with the future generation. 

“I’ve been there, and I’ve done that.”

This time, we move our lenses towards a particular group of UNIMAS students, our most junior, the first years. Remember that almost all first-year students enrolled in 2020 are yet to experience campus life! These cohort has been staying at home since they become UNIMAS students. Whilst we are glad that they are safe with their families, we cannot deny that they have to face a different type of bitter truth – they are losing their campus life experience due to the war against an unseen nemesis, the coronavirus.

“Honestly speaking, I am not a ...

Associate Professor Dr Jane Labadin and her team have recently provided the current COVID-19 model simulations to various divisions in Sarawak as well as to the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee. In her recent report, she highlighted the importance of self-precautionary measures taken by every individual. Denoting this as “kappa”, κ in her model, she has shown how sensitive this value is to the daily total active cases.
The model has shown that every after festive dates, the number of active cases increases resulting in value drop of κ. Based on the simulations done for Sarawak COVID-19 data, the κ currently found was as low as 0.2 indicating a mere 20% of the exposed population that comply to the SOP and the rest did not. Now that the virus is known to be in the community then this means those individuals that go out for errands and visitations are considered exposed. Therefore, it is important for the population to adhere to the practising of hand-hygiene, use of face masks, and any other forms of individual effective precautionary measures such as avoiding crowded places and so on.

Figure 1: Simulations of the daily total active cases with various value of κ ...

Feng Kasih adalah satu program anjuran Feng Club yang diadakan untuk mengeratkan kasih silaturrahim di kalangan staf Fakulti Kejuruteraan, UNIMAS yang mana ianya mengetengahkan tema “Menyemarakkan Cinta Feng Kasih Melalui Tauladan Islam”. Untuk Ramadhan 1442H, pelbagai aktiviti telahpun dirancang dan dijalankan. Antaranya adalah:

1. Feng Bertadarus
2. Feng Kurma Kasih
3. Feng Khatamal Al-Quran
4. Feng Kasih Pulut Kuning

https://www.feng.unimas.my/feng-sports-recreation-club

I spy with my eyes… I spy biskut raya jars hidden in the chaotic Gallery Excelsa Koompasia last Ramadhan.

The photo above is a behind-the-scenes (BTS) of the UG Ramadhan Sungkey Packs. Throughout Ramadhan, faculties/institutions/divisions/centers in UNIMAS were buzzing around, reaching out to our students and staff. Ramadhan or sungkey packs were the care packs filled with biskut raya as well as dry and wet food supplies to support our anak-anak perantauan UNIMAS.

From our observation, bubur lambuk proved to be the winning menu.

“It is our responsibility to make them feel at home,” our Vice Chancellor, Professor Datuk Dr Mohamad Kadim Suaidi, declared. It may not be the perfect raya, but we are proud that the collegiality of UNIMASians steeled our students through this time of uncertainty with smiles and laughter. Some faculties went the extra mile to give duit raya, which surprised not only our students, but also our supporting staff, making raya at UNIMAS closer to home.

For this, we want to raise our glasses and cheer hip, hip, hurray for our masked heroes and wonder women who made the sadaqa programs possible for our anak-anak perantauan UNIMAS. We are proud to ...

Have you ever wondered how it feels like to celebrate something familiar in an entirely different world? Sate your curiosity and celebrate the Senegalese Korité Mubarak with Mr. Apha Bodian and the dazzling Tanzanian Eidul Fitr with Dr Abdalla Hassan.

Africa is a continent of wonder. As one travels from the British-influenced United Republic of Tanzania (Swahili: Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania) in the west to the far east French-speaking République du Sénégal, one is bound to be dazzled by their diverse culture.

Dr Abdalla currently resides in Kuala Lumpur with his small African family. Adorning their traditional dresses, his family celebrates a very Malaysian Raya – kuih raya, ketupat and rendang are amongst their favorites. The family has adopted the Malaysian culture in their daily life.

But 10 years away from home, Dr Abdall admitted that he still misses the festivities in Tanzania. Festivity towards Syawal starts as early as mid-Syaaban (the month before Ramadhan). Giving alms – or gifts, as they call them, is their second nature. He gets a present, she gets a present, everyone gets a present! They take full advantage of Ramadhan to stretch good deeds and to reach ...

Far from family, stranded on campus, no visiting, no gathering. What are the chances that this Raya will be a memorable one?

Quite high, apparently -- with some determination, a bucketload of enthusiasm, and a sprinkle of creativity!

Prior to Raya, UNIMAS Residential Colleges and UNIMAS Global collaborated to provide an avenue to allow students to experience a bit of the Raya ambience in the safety of their green bubble.

Afiq Firdaus

Shazleen                                                     

Khairul Afiq 

Tharshini

The #UniquelyUNIMAS spirit was immediately apparent with Tharshini a/p Ramasamy as the Programme Director for the Raya initiative. Tharshini does not celebrate Raya personally, and she has never directed such a programme, so she was quite ...

Ya, mereka bersadu. Benar, WhatsApp dan Facetime tidak mampu mengubat rindu.

Namun,

“Raya tetap raya”

Keriangan terpancar di wajah anak-anak perantau UNIMAS. Meski berjauhan dari keluarga dan kampung halaman di Syawal ini, semangat pelajar-pelajar UNIMAS yang masih tinggal di dalam kolej kediaman telah menyemarakkan rasa Aidilfitri di dalam kampus.

“Kami bersyukur kerana dibenarkan untuk beraya di kolej. Kami harap Datuk NC suka sate yang kami sediakan,” kata dua pelajar yang ditugaskan memanggang sate di Kolej Rafflesia. Seorang pelajar kejururawatan sedang merasai kuah kacang yang siap. “Sedap,” ulas beliau disambut hilai tawa rakan-rakan di sekeliling.

Di Kolej Kasturi, laungan takbir raya syahdu berkumandang oleh suara 18 orang pelajar-pelajar perubatan UNIMAS. Lemang tersusun di atas bara di Kolej Allamanda. Bila kami bertanya jumlah menu raya yang dimasak, jawapan diberi dengan ceria, “SEMBILAN!”. Di Bunga Raya, sup tulang sedang menggelegak di atas para. “Memang sedih tak balik tapi kawan-kawan menceriakan saya,” ujar seorang pelajar senibina. Di Kolej Cempaka, kelihatan anak-anak perantauan berkomunikasi dengan ahli keluarga yang jauh menerusi panggilan dalam talian.

Suasana pada malam menjelang Syawal di UNIMAS meriah persis rewang raya di rumah nenek walaupun dengan SOP yang ketat. Anak-anak perantauan kita gembira kerana hasrat ...