By Syafiah Sakirin
GOMBAK, 26 May 2022: Focusing on welfare of students and thriving the student union are the ultimate goals of Muhamad Aliff Naif Bin Mohd Fizam, the candidate for the seat of President in the IIUM Student Union (IIUMSU) 2022 election.
Aliff, a fourth-year Political Science student from the AbdulHamid AbuSulayman Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciencess (AHAS KIRKHS), shared his past experience of being Treasurer II of IRKHS Students’ Society and currently as head of an intellectual movement, Virtue IIUM, as well as the editor for Social Democratic Organisation ( DEMUDA).
In an interview with IIUMToday, Aliff expressed his vision in believing that his ‘Union Building Agenda’ can bring two functioning items for the higher interest of the union which are the sense of belonging, and the involvement of the student body in national politics.
Unfolding his manifestos today, he explained the three community approaches that incorporated three elements: Holistic and Integrated Welfare, Financial Independence, and Employability Roadmap.
- Holistic and integrated welfare for the whole IIUM community
The integral part of the union should include the whole community of local and international IIUM students of the three campuses – Gombak, Kuantan, and Pagoh. The candidate aims to bring these separated campuses into one by implementing the specific solution to any particular problems that they may face. In terms of the welfare holistic part, it must not only be focusing on material welfare but also include the physical well-being of the students. For example, the Pagoh campus lacks recreational facility for sports and exercise and could not access the accommodation as much as students on Gombak campus. For Aliff, every single concerning part of students is considered as welfare that a president should care for.
- Financial independence
He believes that the union should be independent in making its own movement and authority. He also plans for the union to become more financially sustainable to generate its own revenue and empower students’ societies and clubs at the same time. Thus, with independent sustainable generated income, the union can help in funding the organisations as well as help the financially needy students.
- Employability roadmap
In his discussion with Counselling and Career Services Centre (CCSS), Aliff aspires to build an effective, data-driven, and student-skill-oriented employability roadmap that can ensure a better career prospect for the students. He believes that students in all kulliyyah have their own specialisation as a strength to be promoted when they graduate soon. He wants to help them empower their own specialty so that their hard work is not merely a hobby, instead, it can contribute towards generating income and community service. He plans to bring the holistically developed students to have them contribute to the larger society according to their own ability and specialisation.
Asked about being a good leader, he agreed that he or she must be a skilled negotiator as there are many different interests even in the same organisation where each of the students has own political, social, and economic differences.
“To be a good leader is to be a good middle man and a negotiator of these groups since we can’t satisfy everyone but at least we can assist the differences within the group to come together under the same union. The leader should bring people to appreciate the diversity in the group.”
He added, “The driving force of a great leader is also the one who can think of ideas since the action and speeches are mostly guided by ideas. It may be conventional or reformist ideas as long as it must be the utmost attribute of the leader which in the end will mould his or her characteristics into leadership skills.”
Aliff expressed his hope that students should see the election both as their rights and duties. It is not only the candidates’ rights and the students as a person but also for the whole IIUM community.
“Your vote doesn’t just help you as a person but you also can help your friends indirectly. Go out and vote for any best leader of your choice. Your choices are important for the union’s next tenure,” Aliff concluded. ***