ASEAN LOGICS KL 2010 (Closing)

Posted by rabiatul adawiyah on May 08, 2010 in My Field,

Salam Alaik!

On 29th April 2010, IIUM (International Islamic University Malaysia) under WAWASAN Club had invited us (UiTM's SRC) to participate in the Closing Ceremony of Asean Logics(Student Engaging Action for Local & Regional Contribution to Society) 2010 (in one of the forums held). The invitation letter was sent to our President, Muhammad Ridhwan but due to the time-constraint, and there were many academic matters to be handled, (as UiTM was in the midst of final examination)our President had managed to assign only two of us from the SRC to join the conference. He had to excuse himself from the program, therefore, eventually I was given the honor to become as one of the speakers on the conference, precisely in the first session of forums held.

The conference was one great event that emphasizing on the unity of ASEAN people towards the realisation of Asean Community 2015. For my session, I was the second speaker and was invited to talk on "Asean Community from Youth Perspectives". The first speaker was Eng. Hj Norzafry Norhalim, the vice president of PEMBINA, one of the growing motivating-focused NGO.

I was delighted to have the opportunity to talk on the university students role in promoting international unity. As unity is an almost impossible thing to achieve, I rather said that we must do whatever thing that we can do, and do not just ignore it. Whoever you are, even if you are just an ordinary student, there are still plenty of things to do to enhance unity. Purity at heart, one of it. Simply greeting other ethnics or races for a start, is not a harming way to perform.

In other universities than IIUM, there are also programmes and activities held to gain students' awareness or interest in engaging with Asean or International-based activities. For instance, UiTM has INSPAG, the Institute of Asean Studies and Global Affairs (formerly known as Center for Asean Studies) for research and development on issues pertaining Asean countries and relationship of those with Malaysia. In 2008, Malaysia, where the internal venue chosen was UiTM, had been given the honor to become the host for the prestige Asean University Games which involving all ten countries of Asean (majority of the public universities throughout the regions sent their participants). Whereby in December last year, again, UiTM had been throwing the best of the cooperative faces of Aseans by organising the UiTM Sports Fiesta. On the meantime, UPM had begun the collaborative research with Asean Secretariat in economical and social aspects in conjunction with the Asean Community 2015.

These are just bit pieces of evidences that we (Malaysian students) and also Asean students has developed the unity by showing our support on the programmes held. However, there are plenty of other abstract things to be considered when we talk about unity. Why I said abstract? Because, although we infer unity as a joyful faces gather hand by hand in our mind, challenges to date are even bigger since we are in the 21st century, the generation where e-pal, e-book, e-community exist that people are only care of oneself and tend to ignore others to achieve their own success, because almost everything can be done just by your fingertips. I said this because most are just sitting on the couch, typing on the keyboards, thinking of what to eat or what to wear today, and that's it.

That is why, one way to achieve awareness is forever the antique but effective way--the media. Whether it is in new media or not, it counts. Media such as newspapers, tv, and websites are just few to state. We can manipulate this method to promote unity among us.

I learn multicultural counselling, where it gives me a better understanding on others' views of life. This somehow can be put into consideration when we discuss about the unity of Asean. With different socioeconomic and beliefs, even skin colours, it is hard to achieve unity. (Me myself if it is possible, I want all of the regions to be in peaceful and harmony.) Alas, we have so many diverse culture to appreciate or adapt, that make most of us who are not aware of this thing ignore it. Having different education, parenting, language and lifestyle or adat of society, more and more of us missing the consideration towards others.

More to the point, I remember one thing that the Prophet (Peace be Upon Him) in his hadith (saying) narrated by Amir bin Said said that,

"..I beg Allah for three things. However amongst the three, two was granted, but the other one was rejected."

1. I beg Allah to not destroy my followers with a long hard season. It was approved.

2.I beg Allah to keep my followers away from the disaster such as floods that have struck the people of Noah. This was also approved.

3.I beg to Allah so that my Ummah would not be destroyed because of the fights between them (war between fellow Muslims), but this one was rejected."

Hence, it is not a new issue on the disputable of the unity throughout the regions since in some countries, political views create furious atmosphere and trigger 'heat' among the citizens. Among others, issues such as educational system must also be taken into account. As a saying said, 'Melentur buluh biarlah dari rebungnya' (to bend a bamboo, you must start when it's still a shoot). (Credit to bro Muhammad for his view in this matter), that Malaysia Educational system should be revised to inculcate unity from the age of youngsters. This go along with the importance to create a well-rounded Muslim that can give out the best to himself, his family, his country and the world as a whole. So, to achieve unity across Asean, it is a must that the individual must be educated on unity as early as in child ages. Otherwise, it takes a great toll to educate 'old' children about the important to unite.

Useful Links:

Youth Says

About Asean Logics

Asean Youth Connect

Sincerely,

Rabiatul Adawiyah Rayah

Exco in Religious and Counselling Affairs

Student's Representative Council,

UiTM Shah Alam.