1,440 UniMAP InoS1M Participants Aids Post-Flood Mission

Pauh Putra, 18 January – 1,400 Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP) students were deployed as post-flood volunteers through the Inovasi Sosial 1 Malaysia (InoS1M) programme in four states recently afflicted by floods.

A large number of those involved are freshmen students including international students who had just completed their first semester final examinations for academic session 2014/2015 yesterday and will help render assistance to flood victims in Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang dan Perak.
UniMAP Vice Chancellor Brig. Jen. Datuk Prof. Dr. Kamarudin Hussin said that InoS1M programme, originally a service-learning and fostering programme that was a requirement for freshmen, had been converted into Post-Flood Disaster Operation in an effort to help clean flooded areas in those four states.

“It is also an extension of the volunteer relief mission that had been deployed earlier in four phases beginning 1 January focusing on Kelantan following the adopted zone that had been set by the Ministry of Education Malaysia (KPM).
“However this time because of the increased number of students, the volunteer relief mission has been expanded to other flood-stricken states without abandoning our original adopted zone in Kelantan.

“Even prouder to me is that besides freshmen, this time UniMAP received applications from students from second, third and fourth years who desired to join our mission,” he said.

He said this after the InoS1M flagging off ceremony which was officiated by the Raja Muda of Perlis, Tuanku Syed Faizuddin Putra Jamalullail and the Raja Puan Muda of Perlis, Tuanku Hajah Lailatul Shahreen Akashah Khalil.
Also present was the UniMAP Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic and International Dato’ Prof. Dr. Zul Azhar Zahid Jamal and the UniMAP Dean of the Student Affairs and Alumni Department Prof Madya Razli Ahmad.

This phase involves 1,440 participants with 400 students deployed to Kelantan, 203 student to Pahang, 179 students to Terengganu, 422 to Perak, with 80 international students, 100 PALAPES cadet officers and Police Undergraduate Voluntary Corps (SUKSIS), 31 representative from the Student Council (MPP) and 25 Green Earth volunteers.

Earlier, the first phase of the East Coast Post-Flood Disaster Operation involved 107 diploma students from the Reserve Officer Training Unit (PALAPES) uniformed body ran for 6 days from 1 January before being replaced by the second phase that consisted of UniMAP staff members which ended 9 January.
The third phase consisted of UniMAP alumni and Residential College Council members which ended 11 January and was continued with the deployment of the fourth phase, also cosisting of staff members, which ended 15 January 2015.

According to Dr. Kamarudin, besides building a relationship network between the state government and students, the InoS1M programme also indirectly gives UniMAP students an opportunity to return and volunteeer their services to their respective home states.
“This indirectly encourages students to be play a role as socialisation agents in the development of local, state and National communities, and simultaneously reinforcing the spirit of volunteerism among UniMAP students,” he said.

Participant Nur Fariidah Zakaria, 19, from the School of Human Development & Technocommunication (IKOM) was pleased to be part of the volunteers deployed to Kelantan.

“Since the occurrence of the disaster and mobilisation of volunteers from a multitude of groups, I had wished to be a part of them but I needed to focus on my final examinations which began 29 December.

“Alhamdulliah, now I have the opportunity to lend aid to flood victims in Kelantan with my comrades,” said the UniMAP PALAPES cadet officer.
For Shehabbadin Ghelal Hail, a senior year student from Yemen, the involvement of international students in this mission has been part of their social responsibility to help flood victims in Malaysia.

The UniMAP MPP Exco viewed the programme as also being able to indirectly open students' eyes and mind to the woes of flood victims.
“We have been residing here to seek knowledge in Malaysia and now it's time to serve and aid the people of this country who have been recently hit by a flood catastrophe,” he said.