Words of The Wise

An engaging interview with the 2019 SRC Committee!

Read on to reflect on the wise words of our student leaders from the SRC (2019/2020)

Psst! Don’t forget to look for Part I of this article, where we spoke to the President, Secretary and more: http://zoomin.imu.edu.my/words-of-the-wise/

Interviewee: Shehzeen Alnoor Abdulmalik Lalani (Shez), Public Relations Rep – SRC 19/20

Interviewed by: Yaeesh(ME219) and Samanthal (FS120)

Starting off her public speaking journey with debates at school and East African Model United Nations, Shez is a passionate speaker who has been keen on public speaking from a very young age. The go-getter from Kenya has proved to us during the interview what it really takes to be a public relations rep!

Read on ahead to find out exactly what it takes!

Q1: Why did you join the SRC?

Ans: I realized I actually wanted to play a part in helping the students by listening to what they had to say, while collaborating with the staff. On why I chose to be the public relations representative was because it identified with me the most and represented the changes I wanted to make for the school. Aside from that, I also believe that I have the skills needed to be the public relations representative such as interaction and information relaying skills. Back in my high school days I used to join debates and engage in public speaking. I also recounted an experience as the senior chairperson of the East African Model United Nations and through this experience I’ve facilitated conferences and debates.

Q2: What are the major challenges you faced and how did you overcome them?

Ans: One of the roles of being a public relations representative is relaying information on social media regarding club activities, events and any internal announcement that needs to be made. Very often, I found the amount of content that needs to be put out is overwhelming to a level that it might crowd the Facebook page. So, when club presidents reached out to me, I prioritized which ones to post first based on their dates and urgency, and deliver some of them through emails and WhatsApp groups.

Q3: What is the greatest quality of someone who is in the role of a PR representative?

Ans: Communications skills! A lot of my work involved listening to different ideas from students and relaying information to other members of the SRC and the senior management. Also, some notions suggested by students may not be feasible and you will need to explain it to them why it might not happen. So, a good set of communication skills are vital. I have always been passionate about public speaking and I participated in a lot of debates held internally and outside the school when I was young. I just find it very interesting to get on a stage and speak about a topic I find appealing.

Q4: What is your one takeaway (learning / beneficial skill) from being part of the SRC, and what was your fondest memory? Any advice for the future SRC members?

Ans: I suppose being a part of the SRC has improved my team working skill, and ability to take on roles that were assigned. My fondest memory of my SRC days was the SRC retreat, nobody really knew each other at that point but while we were there we were able to learn how to rely on each other. To the future members of the SRC public relations representative, my advice to you is to never be afraid to ask questions to clarify if you don’t understand! There’s always someone there to hel[p you out.

Q5: What are your plans now that your time as SRC rep is over?

Ans: Actually My journey in SRC is not quite over as the rest of the old SRC committee and I will still be guiding the new committee through their transition and helping them understand their roles as an SRC rep. But when it’s all over, my journey as a medical school student will need to be continued of course but meanwhile I’ll be exploring new clubs and society. Although now with the MCO going on less social interactions are around I do plan to make the best of it.

PS for the current PR REP: “I wish all the best to Denise, our new Public Relations rep and i am impressed by how you’re taking control over so many tasks in such a short time! I am very proud of you!” – Shez

VP of Dentistry

What is your one takeaway (learning / beneficial skill) from being part of the SRC?

Ans: Being a part of the src makes me gain insights that I would not have experienced as just a student in IMU. For the past one year, I have come to understand how the institution works behind the scene and how SRC plays a role in it- especially the interaction between us and the higher management team. I have learnt so much and met new faces throughout the year, as well as got closer to my fellow colleagues in the team and this is the experience that I can’t get anywhere else. Also I feel, being in a team is not just about how the individuals can be independent and competent when it comes to work but it requires effort and dedication from the whole team to make something happen and you know you will have their support no matter what happens because after all Src is not just a student body but we are like a family

What are your plans now that your time as SRC rep is over?

Ans: I will continue my studies and will be transferring to Adelaide at the end of the year. With online classes going on, I’m applying for jobs currently as a dental assistant in hopes of gaining some practical clinical experience that I will be able to relate and make use of,along with the online lectures that are happening simultaneously. That’s roughly the plan for the rest of the year before I transfer.

Interviewee: Muhammad Aniq -IT representative – SRC 19/20

Interviewed by: Wei Ni and Rou Win (ME120)

Aniq from ME119 was inspired to join the SRC committee after being motivated and supported by many of his peers and family. Regardless of the fact that Aniq was fully aware of all the challenges he would face during his time in the SRC with his limited IT knowledge, he was still willing to pick up the responsibility of this position with courage! Read on to know more about the wonderful journey of the SRC IT representative, Aniq!

Q1: What inspires you to join the SRC committee?

Ans: For me, students and spirit of love to the university were my major motivation. I felt so grateful to have friends that always supported me when I was in the position, especially the SSH staff, IT staff and my family in SRC 19/20.

Q2: What did your parents/ friends think when you joined SRC?
Ans: My parents were really concerned with my balance between my academic and personal life as a student, since I would need to juggle a lot when it comes to management of time. However, I understand that being a part of SRC, time management is really crucial and needs to be my first priority. Ultimately, my parents will always support me till the end of my career.

Q3: There are a lot of positions in SRC, why did you choose IT representative?

Ans: I chose the position of IT representative for his future’s sake. However, as an IT Representative, I learnt a lot of different perspectives in the IT system especially the system that is used in IMU. Apart from that, I saw that as our nation (Malaysia) is really putting effort into developing IR 4.0, so being an IT Representative really gets me to be exposed to different aspects of technology and IT, especially when it comes to higher education.

Q4: What were your greatest successes or accomplishments when being part of the SRC?

Ans: One of my greatest successes is having the ability to lend a hand to help the university whenever there are ransomware attacks to the IT system and causing hectic problems to all IMU departments. As a proud member of SRC, I am able to prevent students and staff from panicking along with the help of my fellow SRC members. Apart from that, I was elected as Vice President 2 in Majlis Perundingan Pelajar Kebangsaan, in which I was responsible for all IPTS students in Malaysia and was even given the chance to work closely with the Ministry of Higher Education!

Q5: Did you face any challenges when being a SRC rep? Are there any regrets while being in this position?

Ans: The most difficult challenge that I faced was engagement with students. They are IMU’s biggest client and I believed that it is SRC’s responsibility to adhere to their needs. However, the feedbacks that were given from the students were not sufficient enough to further improve IMU’s services and systems. I hope that the next IT Representative along with his/her council member can come with fresh and great ideas on how to gather efficient feedbacks to improve IMU services. It is important for SRC members to build strong relationships with the other students to ensure that the SRC are able to provide the students with the most comfortable and fun experiences while studying at IMU. I had no regrets while working in this position as I had put in a lot of effort to help make the university a better place for everyone while also building strong relationships with the other SRC members. Finally, I believe that everything has its flaws which could be corrected to make better improvements.

Q6: What is your best memory about being part of the SRC?

Ans: My best memory while being in the SRC was being able to grow together as well as going through ups and downs with my SRC family members. Whenever I felt sad or was crying, there was always someone that he could lean on to share his frustrations.

Q7: What is your one takeaway (learning / beneficial skill) from being part of the SRC?

Ans: I learnt a lot from my family members of the SRC. I learnt to become more diplomatic when it comes to engagement with students and the higher management. Additionally, I learnt how to communicate better with representatives from corporate bodies as well as government institutions.

Q8: What are your plans now that your time as SRC rep is over?

Ans: I will always be happy and will further be working on to be a better student to build up his legacy. After all, Rome was not built in a day and I need to work a lot to achieve my dream in helping my university to become one of the greatest.