Leadership Camp 2009.

Participants from KMS.

This programme was specifically organized for all leaders especially MPP or any organization from all MARA colleges in peninsular Malaysia.

Mara colleges that participates in this programmed are:

i. MARA College of Kuala Nerang

ii. MARA Professional College of Seri Iskandar

iii. MARA College of Bantin

iv. MARA Professional College of Beranang

v. MARA Professional College of Indera Mahkota

vi. MARA Professional College of Bandar Melaka

vii. MARA Professional College of Ayer Molek Melaka

viii. MARA Professional College of Bandar Penawar

Every MARA college should send 20 contestants and the programme was held in MARA College in Kulim, Kedah. This programme had lasted for three days which started on 11^th of December and ended on 13^th of December. This programme is the yearly activity organized by the Higher Education Department of MARA. The programme is designed with specified modules for students who are the committee in any organization from MARA Colleges such as the Student Representative Council, clubs, or society. Students from various MARA College were given certain modules and these students can show their talents and creativity through these modules. This programme is believed can help the students to get ready to become leaders in higher education centre.

The aims of the programme:

i. To give opportunity for every students or participants to show their leadership talent

ii. It is a training session for student to become more mature in handling activities and organizing any student body

iii. Students from various MARA colleges will meet around and exchange ideas through the programme. Students are inquired to share ideas for better development of their student body.

iv. It is a platform to create highly motivated leaders who are committed with their responsibilities toward the college community.

MARA COLLEGE OF SEREMBAN

11 DIS 2009, FRIDAY:

Participants from our college comprises leaders from Student Representative Council, IB Student Body and A-Level Student Body. There should be 20 contestant represented our college for that camp but our leaders representing IB student body were absent. We boarded the bus at 8.30 am and started moving at 8.30 o’clock in the morning. Then the bus was heading to Mara College Banting as students from Banting will be on board with us to Kulim, Kedah. The journey took us more than five hours. We reached MARA college Kulim around 7 pm. We did not managed to be in the opening ceremony which started at 5 pm and officially opened by Director of BPT MARA.

FORMING GROUPS

We received our official t-shirt for the camp and everyone was given a file. After isyak, we all gathered in melati’s hall which take 5 minutes to walk from the hostel. The ceremony started at 9.00 pm. All of us were lined up according to our colleges. The teachers in charged introduced themselves to us as for introduction. The teachers also told us that we are bound to the college rules from the moment we step our feet in that college until we went out. Then, the activity of that night began. President and vice president of every college were called upon to stand in front. After that, we were told to be in the group and every group formed should consist of only two representatives from every college and that representatives should be of different sexes (male and female). It was quite easy for our college as we were already partners in our task except for Yunus and Ridhwan, there were not enough female partners for them…But the problem aroused as there were groups which did not have any president from any college, therefore members of the group were forced to search and be in the group which has president of any college. Well, some of them failed to find their groups therefore, they were forced to face the crowd at the front and say how the feel ended being left out and did not find any group. What attracted me during this session when a student from Mara College Banting, said he did not feel anything at all instead of other students who were very excited expressing their thoughts and feelings toward the crowd. Well, later, they were told to find any group and be the member of that group without having any partner at all. Why this kind of thing happen, that was because some colleges including our college did not manage to send enough number of representatives which is 20..supposed every group formed should have two representatives from every college.

ICE BREAKING SESSION.

After that, Ice breaking session between group members occurred . We were given 10 minutes (like that was enough) to know each other names. Every group received different colour ribbon and every members should wear these beautiful ribbons. Every group has created their own style of wearing those ribbons. After a little discussion we ended the session at 12 midnight.

12th DEC, 2009; SATURDAY

TALK GIVEN BY MR. ZAIDI

· THE 1^st SLOT : INTRODUCTION TO LEADERSHIP

The first slot in the morning was started at half past eight. The slot entitled ‘ Introduction to Leadership’ and was given by Mr. Zaidi bin Haji Fadzil, a registered counselor in Ministry Of Higher Education Malaysia. All contestants were ought to recite the asma’ul Husna before the session begin. After that, all contestant sit within group formed the day before and every leader of the group need to come to the front to show their creatively designed ribbon representing their group. Later, we watched the documentary about how penguins kept their eggs safe through icy cold weather. There was a lot of thing we learnt from this video .

· THE 2^ND SLOT: CHARACTERISTICS OF A GREAT LEADER

The second slot was about ‘The characters of a Great Leader’. Every one of us were given an A4 paper and Mr. Zaidi instructed us to fold the white blank paper until it produce four equal sections on the paper. On the other hand, there was one girl folded her paper differently from the other thus there were two pattern to fold the paper. Therefore, Mr. Zaidi said that leaders should realized this kind of problem. When the particular leader is given an order and need to deliver it to the students, they need to know the particulars of the order given by the administration or teachers in order to avoid the misunderstand among students. After that, we tear every section carefully resulting to four equal small rectangular paper in our hands now. Then, Mr. Zaidi wanted us to write our name called at home by family on the first paper. Second paper, we wrote our mother’s name. Then, we wrote our favourite food and the place we really want to go in the future on the third and fourth paper respectively.

All of us sit in a big circle in the hall. At the center of the hall, Mr. Zaidi has arranged four chairs linearly and every chair represented our first until fourth numbered papers which we wrote our particulars just now. Boys started first to put their written tear papers according to the number on the paper and followed by girls. Then, he asked one student to jumble the mound of papers on every chairs. Then, every one of us were instructed to take one tear paper from every chair until we have total of four paper in our hands. Well , the activity begun when all of us were ought to find the correct owners of all the written paper s in our hand (that was tough)and get their signatures on the paper . Eventu ally, only five person managed to get them all right. Lesson from this activity was every leader need to strategise in order to solve problems or finding a solution for any circumstances happened.

· THE 3^RD SLOT: SKILLS TO SOLVE PROBLEMS ARISE IN AN ORGANIZATION

This slot was done after we took our lunch, performed the zuhr prayer and changed our attire to more sporty attire. There were some activities took part in this slot. Again all of us need to move our sitting position. We site at every side of the hall creating some space in the center. Some girls and some boys were called upon to the centre by Mr. Zaidi. They were given to play a game called XOXO (I forget the name of the game, it was like tick tack toe??). They arranged the nine chairs and every three chairs were arrange linearly . Well the arrangement is somehow like this:

So, every leader of the group need to direct their members to the respective seat. In order to win, they must create a line (horizontal, vertical or diagonal) representing their members.

What has made this game harder, the members of the group were blind- folded so the leader play the biggest role to direct them to the correct places.

The next activity was every one is given a flat balloon and Mr.Zaidi wanted us to blow the balloon until it expanded to the size of a small ball. The medium sized balloon is then tied to our legs. Then all the boys were called to gather at the centre of the hall and every one of them were instructed to smash the balloon of the other boy. Same happen to girls . So the lesson of this activity, when you are given the trust (the balloon) you have to be responsible unto it (avoid the balloon from being smashed by the others evils intuitive)

· THE 4^TH SLOT: GREAT SKILLS ON DECISION MAKING

There was about 20 people in each group. Every group is divided into two small group which resulted to 10 people every group. Every group were given an envelope consisting of four geometric patterns. We were instructed to form some letters such as I, L and T from the geometric patterns. Later we need to form some particulars shape shown on the screen.

Mr. Zaid said this activity created competitiveness between group members and stimulate the mind to resolved the pattern creatively. Overall, this activity was a bit tricky and fun as It cracks our right brain to solve the geometric patterns.

First session ended at half past five and we went to the surau to perform Asr' prayer and at seven o’clock at midday we have our dinner .

‘KEMBARA PEMIMPIN’ OR JUNGLE TRACKING AT LATA ARUS DERAS SEDIM BRIEFING SESSION.

Final session of the day, we were brief by the coordinator (teachers) for the next day activity. We need to bring our official t-shirt dark-blue colour of the camp tomorrow as all of us need to wear that shirt during the end ceremony. Plus, through out the journey every group will be given chance to experience the tree top walk which the longest canopy walk in the world, After that every group need to complete every task given by the facilitator in order to win tomorrow game.

During the night, every group were given a white plain clothe which we need to put some art on it. Everygroup were told to draw their own logo, write their motto on that plain clothe. We were given 10 minute to complete the task. Well, after that every group need to pose with their flag for ‘taking picture session’. At eleven o’clock all were sent back to their hostel.

13^TH DEC, 2009; SUNDAY; LAST DAY OF LEADERSHIP CAMP; KEMBARA PEMIMPIN DAY

We woke up as early as 5 o’clock in the morning as to make sure everything is prepared before we went for the last activity of the camp. We walk down from our hostel to the canteen as early as 7 o’clock in the morning to have our breakfast. We walk to the field of Mara College Kulim at 7.25 and managed to be the first college to be on the field. We took some pictures together before everyone of us need to walk back to our respective group. There were several busses prepared for the journey to Sedim. Every two groups boarded on the bus. Our journey took about 45 to 50 minutes to reach Sedim. It was a pretty long journey actually from Kulim to Sedim. Most of us were asleep during the journey to Sedim although it was already morning. When we reached there it was already nine o’clock. We need to move a bit faster to the Tree Top Walk. A little food and a bottle of water was given to us during the journey. When we reached the entrance of the Tree Top Walk, the person in charge there allowed only nine person to take the walk and followed with the other nine. At the end of the walk, every group need to wait for their group members to start the new group activity. I would say the view during the tree top walk was magnificent. All the trees were green and the river flowing water was clear blue in colour and sound of the flowing water was really soothing to the ears of the listener and created a very tranquil moment in life.

Our task started at the moment we pass through the big gate on the entrance of the Tree Top Walk. Every group met the facilitator incharge for the first task. The first task was to complete the some sort of crossword puzzle. Then, after completed this task , we were given a passport for the next task. The second task was a bit deep in the jungle. The task was every group should have three girls and three boys wearing the native (orang asli) attire during the marriage ceremony. This task was quite fun as members of the group dressed up likeorang asli as there were a lot green leaves attached to the head, waist , hands and other parts of their body. They need remain with there attire until the last checkpoint.

Next task was to prepare a booby trap, not really actually, but we need to create an animal trap. We were given the manual to make the trap and the things used to make that trap was from twigs around the compound. The facilitator did not give us anything to complete task except for the manual. First when we reads the manual is was a bit confusing but when we tried to make the trap it was not that difficult and I could say this was the best experience of all.

The next checkpoint was located next to a river. Thus, everyone of us need to cross the river in order to reach the last checkpoint. There was a rope tight to the tree of both side of the river. We held the rope tightly within our hand to avoid ourselves fall and flowed with the water stream. The rock in the river was sloppy enough to make someone slip.

The last checkpoint was the best of all. We need to perform some kind of native dance in order to complete the last task. Such group performed some kind of kadazan dance and they also had some kadazan music with them.

Lastly, some of us walk with our bare legs to the point where we need to deliver all our passports. Then, we changed our dirty and wet clothes. We wore the official blue shirt given to us on before. After waiting for about half an hour for other team to reach the final checkpoint, we all went to a small hut for the end ceremony to launch.

Every group dressed in blue shirt sit according to groups in the hut. The ceremony started with the recitation of Asma’ul Husna and initial doa . Then, the Director Of Mara College of Kulim delivered a very meaningful speeches to every leaders present in that ceremony. His meaningful point on the end of the was every leader should have a deep feeling of patriotism which is a will to sacrifice anything for the country. After that, the ceremony is continued with the speech given by our new elected Leader of the camp. Then the ceremony is ended with doa.

Finally, we have our final lunch at Sedim and we boarded the bus and headed back to Mara College Kulim around three o’clock in the evening. After all, a lot of things we have learnt through out this camp and hope that with this experience we can use it to lead our college better.