By Muhammad Najmi bin Sabri
GOMBAK, 24 March 2021: The IIUM Student Union (IIUMSU) should act as an implementing body capable of raising the voice of IIUM students to the university’s management and must be a rational body in developing its policy.
This is because the founding principle of IIUMSU is student empowerment which means that students have the right to express themselves through the student body.
These were among the views expressed during the discussions of “Sidang Meja Bulat 4.0: Road to IIUM Election 2021 on the topic œHow IIUM Student Union is your dream? held on Tuesday (23 March).
The forum was told that there are significant differences between IIUMSU and the defunct IIUM Student Representative Council in terms of organisational structure and autonomy for IIUMSU has more authority than the previous set-up.
The formation of IIUMSU is modelled on a student body in the west, but with modification to suit the needs of the local cultural situation in Malaysia.
IIUMSU must therefore understand its vision and mission to ensure that the desired direction is realised. The forum was told that the student union will be more mature in handling its responsibilities as an executive body focused on student welfare once it understands the university’s mission.
Because of this maturity, IIUMSU should avoid party politics, instead focus on developing a political spirit of citizenship that can contribute to the country’s progress.
The panelists hope that IIUMSU will be able to move forward and open the eyes of all levels of society in the country and abroad to find the best solution to raise the name of IIUMSU itself.
They also expressed the hope that the new student body will serve as a model for future generations.
It is the responsibility of all IIUM students to ensure that IIUMSU is established in a way that benefit the university students themselves.
The forum of Meja Bulat or Round Table was held in conjunction with the coming election of IIUMSU 2021.
Sidang Meja Bulat brought together four panelists from various leadership backgrounds to discuss how the IIUM student union can be a source of hope for the students in resolving issues that exist around the university.
The four panelists were Afif Zaim (Exco SPO of IIUM Gombak Wawasan club), Umar Syakirin (President of PEMBINA IIUM Gombak), Anwar (Representative of IIUM Kuantan Student Union), and Muaz (President of PERKIM IIUM Gombak). ***