By Mohamad Amirul Hafiz Roslan
GOMBAK, 23 September 2016 – It was really an honour for the International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM) to welcome yesterday one of Angkatan Pertahanan Awam’s (APM) officer, Tuan Mohd Nor Ali, who is also from Civil Defence Malaysia (Jabatan Pertahanan Awam Malaysia or JAPAM).
Among the issues raised in the meeting between JPAM and IIUM was regarding the application for international students specifically for joining JPAM.
It is a complicated case for IIUM as it is one public university with a substantial number of international students, but JPAM only accepts application from Malaysians only.
This is the first time for IIUM to cooperate with JPAM, where it brings the result that uniformed bodies in IIUM has increased in number along with SUKSIS and PALAPES.
Senior Assistant Director Recruitment and Student Activity, Noraini binti Md Ghazali said, “JPAM is a bit unique because it is not just an ordinary uniformed body, but it also conducts classes on skills like archery, swimming, automotive and even adventurous activities from all these classes.”
The combination of uniformed body and skills classes is proved by the activities and training programmes provided by the Centre for Credited Leadership and Virtues (CLAV) throughout two semesters.
JPAM has also approved all these skill classes and activities to ensure students get an all-rounded knowledge. “This is different from other classes where students learn survivor skills,” she added.
She also said that students who finished the two semester classes will have a big privilege such as a chance to be absorbed into JPAM to hold important post based on their performance and achievement in this class. To be precise, she added, the training is not that difficult compared to other uniformed bodies where physical and strength are their main requirement.
The only problem is that CLAV does not have much time in their promotion because they are late in getting endorsement from university’s Senate, which turns out that they only receive few students to get involved.
Noraini claimed that “it is not an excuse for CLAV to postpone or cancel this programme for IIUM students because we have already started this semester”. ***