By Danial Yusof
GOMBAK, 10 October 2020: The Office of the Deputy Rector Student Development and Community Engagement (ODRSDCE), IIUM Endowment Fund (IEF) and IIUM Student Union (IIUMSU) soft-launched the fundraising campaign for data plan package to IIUM students.
The ceremony took place at Royal Room, IIUM Cultural Centre (ICC) and attended by the Rector of IIUM, Prof. Emeritus Tan Sri Dato Dzulkifli Abdul Razak, accompanied by Deputy Rector (Student Development and Community Engagement), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zulkifli Hasan, Director IEF, Mr. Mohd. Razif Mamat, and a representative from IIUM Student Union, Amir Nadzim.
The soft-launch marks the continuity of initiative made by ODRSDCE, IEF and IIUMSU in helping students from B40 group by providing them with the data plan package to ease their studies.
Previously, around 40 students have received laptops in which the university has managed to collect RM60,000 in total.
A total amount of RM159,000.00 will be allocated accordingly to 1,000 students in terms of data plan packages which IIUM, through IIUMSU, will buy them from the telco company.
According to the Rector, the current situation has changed in which most of the time students will have their classes online and IIUM Student Union has done their best to empower the data plan project for students who are not fortunate enough by collaborating with IEF and ODRSDCE.
œWe want the students who are not fortunate enough to be on campus and participate like any other students and of course the situation might not be the same but we anticipated in the next couple of months, things will go back to normal and students will come back to campus, the Rector said.
Meanwhile, according to Dr. Zulkifli, the data plan that will be provided to the students is applicable for one semester or five months in total.
œWith this initiative, we can help and assist the students in their studies, including teaching and learning activities, and hopefully we can address all the issues of Internet connection among students, he said.
According to Mr. Razif, the IIUM COVID-19 Relief Fund (ICRF) has been established in April in which the university has predicted that the COVID-19 pandemic will affect the students on campus financially.
œTodays agenda is to sponsor around 1,000 data plan packages for our needy students, and IEF through the University Management Committee has been requested to come out with this relief fund so that we can help the needy students and the community, œ he said.***