By Nursyazwani Ibrahim
GOMBAK, 12 December 2016: ROTU (Reserve Officer Training Unit) Airforce conducted an event called ‘Majlis Penutupan Latihan Tempatan’ to end the training that is being held every weekend. ROTU Airforce ended the training on 6 November 2016 (Sunday). They started the ceremony at 4.00 p.m. and finished at 6.00 p.m.
The event held at the headquarters of ROTU Airforce was attended by ROTU Airforce members and fellow instructors. The ceremony started with speeches by Senior Under Officer (S.U.O), Muhammad Zaharie Zamani, a student of IIUM, followed by Leftenan ‘Aizat Razzaq who is the Adjutant for IIUM ROTU Airforce.
The purpose of this event is to celebrate the cadets achievements from hardships they went through. ROTU’s activities were encouraging developments in aspect of leadership, mental toughness, self-confidence and a spirit of cooperation that can be applied in the future. It took three years to be commissioned as a young officer.
At the outset, all cadets have to face the challenges and prepare food, both mentally and physically during the training that was held. Meanwhile, cadets have to keep up with their studies and to maintain their grades. Through activities of a uniformed body it is also capable of showing mastery of soft skills among the students as they apply to the real working world.
“I learned a lot of things as a senior cadet, our syllabus for annual camp next year is survival, so we learn how to survive without foods by eating in a coconut and drinks from bamboo. Also we learn how to make ‘bubur’, animal traps, many kinds of ‘pondok’ such as ‘pondok seminggu’, ‘pondok pisang sesikat’ ‘pondok angin’ and so many things, if you would like to see it, you can come to our headquarters, we build it there,” said Muhammad Rusydan Ashaari Soria, as a senior cadet and IIUM student.
He added, “There is a huge difference before and after I joined ROTU Airforce. I have got nothing to do when I have done my studies and it is boring looking at my life with nothing being productive every weekend. Now, it is good to join these activities that are out of what people do, like holding a real weapon or experiencing new things rather than the common things that everyone else does.
It is good to celebrate the end of our training for this semester. ROTU is indeed a very challenging curriculum that requires patience, commitment, and integrity. Without these personalities, you would not have survived and juggled with your studies. This can be a preparation to our lives and to be ready in the future.”***