04/07/2025
FRIDAY | JULY 4, 2025
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Chasing her dream despite challenges BANGI: “I told myself I couldn’t stop halfway.” That was the voice that kept Aisyah Humaira’ Mohd Aqbal going – through the heartbreak of losing her mother, the trauma of a cancer diagnosis and enduring chemotherapy sessions. Now, five years after she first stepped into the IPGM Darulaman Kampus in Kedah, the 23-year-old graduate has emerged stronger, celebrating both survival and success at the 15th IPGM convocation yesterday. “It’s a mix of emotions. Sad because I’ve completed my studies and will miss the moments with my coursemates, but also happy and proud to have completed five years of study,” said the Malay language major, who began her journey at the institute in 2020. Aisyah’s world changed in 2021 when her mother passed away at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. “She had been unwell for some time. Towards the end, she had a stroke and then contracted Covid-19.” The devastating loss was followed by another blow in 2024, when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. “But Alhamdulillah , I’m still standing strong today.” Her support system became her anchor: her father, siblings and especially stepmother, whom she described as “incredibly supportive and accepting of all our imperfections”. She said friends and lecturers rallied around her, offering encouragement when she needed it most. “Each chemo session took a physical and emotional toll on me. It would take least a week to recover. I was scared every time. But I told myself I had to finish what I had started.” After nine rounds of chemotheraphy, Aisyah continues to take medication as part of her recovery. With graduation behind her, she now looks ahead to the classroom, and is open to being posted anywhere in the country. To others walking similar paths, her advice: “Keep fighting. If we give up too easily, those around us might lose strength too, because they often draw courage from us.” He said notices were also issued to two express bus drivers for driving in the right lane and for non-functioning emergency doors. – Bernama ‘Report faulty seat belts via RTD app’ KUALA LUMPUR: Express and tour bus passengers can file a complaint directly to the Road Transport Department (RTD) via the MyJPJ app if their safety belt is faulty. Kuala Lumpur RTD director Hamidi Adam said the complaint, which has to be accompanied by a photo or video and details of the bus journey to investigate the claim, can also be sent via email. He said it is the responsibility of bus drivers to remind passengers to fasten their seat belts before starting the journey. “This will improve the level of safety and reduce the risk of serious injuries in case of a crash.” Hamidi said this at a press conference during a special seat belt operation for express and tour buses at the Gombak toll plaza on Wednesday night. During the operation, 23 passengers – 20 locals and three foreigners – were issued compounds for not wearing seat belts.
Cabinet to receive report on sinkhole by year-end
Ű BY DEEPALAKSHMI MANICKAM newsdesk@thesundaily.com
o Document to provide details of Jalan Masjid India incident, including probable causes such as burst sewage pipe or underground geological fault
involving 2,008 Year One pupils revealed that 55% had vision related issues. Of these, 88% were diagnosed with myopia, 4% colour blindness and 8% with squint conditions. Encouragingly, 92% of children who received corrective lenses through the programme reported marked improvements in communication, social confidence and learning outcomes. She called for a comprehensive impact study on the programme to be finalised and brought to Cabinet, underscoring her belief in evidence-based policymaking. “Policies cannot be made just from a meeting room. Getting down to the ground, as we are doing today, is the best formula to design policy that reflects the reality of the people.” Zaliha also proposed incorporating vision screening into Year One orientation nationwide, to catch issues early and disrupt the cycle of educational disadvantage. To support the host school, she announced an allocation of RM10,000 for excellence and enrichment programmes at SK Seri Bintang Utara. She also affirmed the Federal Territories’ commitment to ensuring that no child is left behind, regardless of background. government’s deep understanding of the financial needs of our student teachers, particularly those studying at IPGM,” she said during the 15th IPGM convocation ceremony at the Bangi Convention Centre yesterday. The ceremony was held for 5,390 graduates who successfully completed their teaching degree programme. The centralised convocation recognised graduates of the Bachelor of Teaching (June 2021 intake) from 28 IPGM campuses nationwide, including from the English Language Teaching Centre. Fadhlina added that through the Teacher Book Voucher initiative, the ministry seeks to empower educators by encouraging continuous reading and knowledge enhancement. “This year, a total of 430,000 educators will benefit from RM100 book vouchers, with the redemption period running from now until Sept 30. “The initiative represents a meaningful step in fostering lifelong learning among educators and aims to strengthen the culture of reading,” she said. Fadhlina also noted that entry pathways into IPGM have now been expanded to include students with STPM, Sijil Tinggi Agama Malaysia and Tahfiz Ulul Albab backgrounds. “Being a teacher is not easy. Every educator must ignite and sustain a genuine passion for the teaching profession,” she added.
KUALA LUMPUR: The federal government will present a full report to the Cabinet by year-end on the sinkhole incident at Jalan Masjid India in August last year, and will also tighten screening for applicants of the People’s Housing Project (PHP) in the Federal Territories. Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa said her ministry had just received the report, which will clarify how the sinkhole originated, including whether a burst sewage pipe or underground geological fault was to blame. The 8m wide depression appeared at 8.22am on Aug 23 last year, swallowing Indian tourist Vijayalakshmi Gali, whose body was never recovered. She was declared legally dead on Sept 1, 2024. Days later, amid heavy rain, a second sinkhole formed about 50m from the original site, prompting Kuala Lumpur City Hall to cordon off the road. Rescue efforts included high tech ground-penetrating radar and sewer-jetting machinery but were ultimately called off when the area
liveability of low-income housing blocks. Zaliha, a trained doctor, earlier outlined the goals of the Mata Hati Wilayah initiative, which seeks to tackle children’s vision problems as the first step toward reducing inequality in schools. She cited a 2023 Health Ministry study in which 30% of preschoolers screened were found to have vision issues, with most unaware of their condition. “Children with undetected vision problems may struggle academically and suffer from low self-confidence, affecting their long-term development.” Referring to the World Health Organisation world report on vision, she noted that from early childhood through adolescence, vision plays a key role in accessing educational materials and achieving academic success. Zaliha said eye screening conducted in 2024 at five schools
was deemed unsafe. “We are looking into several other factors that may have contributed to the incident,” Zaliha told reporters after launching the Mata Hati Wilayah 2025 programme at SK Seri Bintang Utara yesterday. Zaliha also revealed tighter verification processes for PHP applications in response to surging demand. “We are enforcing stricter vetting to ensure that only those truly in need receive the units.” It was reported that there was a serious mismatch between supply and demand – homes priced under RM200,000 make up less than 20% of recent launches, while housing backlog continues to grow. Beyond allocation challenges, many PHP residents also face persistent issues such as malfunctioning lifts, poor sanitation, vandalism and limited amenities – all of which affect the
Teacher shortage addressed through strategic reforms
Ű BY QIRANA NABILLA MOHD RASHIDI newsdesk@thesundaily.com
seeing a significant increase in applications to the Institut Pendidikan Guru Malaysia (IPGM), reflecting renewed interest and trust in the teaching profession. “I would also like to congratulate our future educators. The teacher trainee allowance has been increased, reflecting the
long-standing issue of teacher shortage in Malaysia. Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said the ministry remains committed to tackling the issue through various mechanisms, particularly by deploying qualified teachers who meet the specific needs of students. “Encouragingly, we are now
BANGI: Strategic reforms introduced through collaboration between the Education Ministry and the Education Service Commission have successfully addressed the
Fadhlina at the IPGM convocation ceremony yesterday in which more than 5,000 graduates received their credentials in the teaching degree programme. – ADAM AMIR HAMZAH/THESUN
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