By Siti Nor Hidayah Sahrunizam
GOMBAK, 14 April 2023: The IIUM Alumni Relations Division (ARD) in collaboration with International Unity IIUM (InUnityIIUM) have organised a programme on Alumni Iftar with ALSAFA fund beneficiaries, on 12th April at Wadi Budi in IIUM Gombak.
ALSAFA, also known as IIUM Alumni Scholarship and Financial Assistance Fund, was established to assist needy students of the IIUM. The fund is a generous contribution by IIUM alumni and the general public for outstanding underprivileged youths to study in the IIUM.
The alumni Iftar with IIUM students is part of a month-long Ramadhan Festival organized by ARD, and the Iftar on 12th April was sponsored by the Association of the IIUM Graduate School of Management Alumni (AIGA).
During the occasion, the IIUM Rector, Professor Emeritus Tan Sri Dzulkifli Abdul Razak witnessed the handing over of contributions amounting to RM6,000 from an alumnus of the IIUM, the Director of KAB Goldynamics Sdn. Bhd., Ustaz Khairul Anuar Basri, to the Director of ARD, Tuan Hj. Mir Azrul Shaharudin.
The contribution was said to be part of profit sharing from the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), the IIUM signed with the company six months ago (September 2022).
The IIUM Rector, who graced the Iftar, noted in his speech that the occasion should be cherished since it was organised by the alumni, hence bringing a sense of belonging between the alumni and students.
He also shared a story that he learned from one of the universities in India that has been doing something impressive, where every alumni member that has successfully graduated from the university will agree to adopt another alumni member.
“I don’t know whether this sounds ridiculous but they have done it very well. So if there are about 10 thousand students graduating, we already have 10 thousand people who have already been taken care of by the alumni member him or herself,” said the Rector.
He continued telling the audience that the IIUM could be the trendsetter in Malaysia that starts this kind of activity, thus other people will jump on the bandwagon, so that we can truly live up to the tagline “Leading the Way”.
The Iftar program was also followed by a tazkirah session from Ustaz Khairul Anuar Basri.
The last ten days of Ramadan are crucial for Muslims because it is when the night of Laylatul Qadr happens, hence, ustaz Khairul stressed to the audience that they should do good deeds by attending congregational prayers and sadaqah because the special night may occur at any time during the last ten nights of Ramadan.
Attended by around 50 students who are among the first batch of recipients of ALSAFA in 2023, ARD is also targeting to disburse ALSAFA fund to 150 students throughout 2023.
It is hoped that the Iftar could foster the ukhuwah and instill the sense of mahabbah between students, staff and alumni of IIUM,
The Iftar was also attended by the Deputy Rector of Student Development and Community Engagement, Prof. Dr. Akmal Khuzairy Abd. Rahman, the President of AIGA, Br. Redza Imran Datuk Haji Abdul Rahim and the Director of IIUM Endowment Fund (IEF), Br. Mohd Razif Mamat.***