NILAI, June 08, 2018 – Professor Tan Sri Dato’ Dzulkifli Abdul Razak, Founding Converner of Sejahtera Leadership Initiative (SLI) who is Chairperson of Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM) and concurrently sits on Yayasan Hasanah (YH) Board of Trustees has given the go ahead for SLI Team to step forward collaborations with YH management team in the area of facilitating workshops and seminars on Sejahtera Leadership. This collaboration would also include providing constitutional education for primary and secondary schools under Yayasan AMIR Trust School Programme. This SLI-YH desire to share expertise and experience is in tandem with the needs of New Malaysia and in realizing the fundamentals of National Education Philosophy (NEP).

Our new dawn was due to the colosal effort of the new government that merged MOE and MOHE under one ministry. Thus people hopes and expectations for the success of education has become even greater. It has been said that the “heart of education is education of the heart” nurtured through dedication, fondness, and a realm of love, for learning and knowledge from womb to tomb. SLI-YH could be the linchpin to espouse the new values of ‘happiness, love and mutual respect’ as expounded by the new Education Minister. The added value focus for students is to understand NEP & constitutional education as the nation’s basic charter which include to learn about elected government, constitutional monarchy and parliametary democracy of federal & state levels.

The way to fast forward SLI-YH collaboration was cemented at a meeting between Professor Tan Sri Dzul with YH Senior Vice Presidents Team comprised of Puan Ivy Wong Abdullah, Head, Environment; Dr. Nur Anuar Abdul Muthalib, Head, Education and Puan Anita Ahmad, Head, Community Development. Whereas SLI Team represented by Associate Prof Dr. Azeem Fazwan Farouk, Director of Centre for Policy Research and International (CENPRIS) at the Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) and CEO Dr. Haji Zulkifly Baharom. They agreed for follow-up meetings to iron out impementation details after Aidil Fitri.

SLI-YH recognized the common aspirations, namely five system aspirations to enhance access, equity, quality, unity and efficiency; balancing it with six student aspirations on expanding knowledge, thinking skills, leadership, language literacy, ethics, spirituality and national identity.

Professor Tan Sri Dzul said, “These aspirations are entwined with each other where the different ‘shifts’ act as levers in ensuring that the relationships are not only complete but wholesome. This will be the measure of how successful the blending of Sejahtera, and how spot-on is the implementation of NEP planned 30 years ago. ”

YH is the impact – based foundation of Khazanah Nasional Berhad (Khazanah), the strategic investment fund of the Government of Malaysia. It was established on July 01, 2015 as a grant-giving foundation that promotes Malaysia’s global sustainability through solutions that empower communities, encourage social inclusivity and improve the environment. Where Khazanah oversees creation of true value for Malaysia through financial and strategic initiatives; YH focuses on the country’s pressing community and social issues, the upscaling of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), working in a win-win collaboration through a social ecosystem. YH’s annual funding (RM120 million in 2017) is derived out of the returns of its RM3 billion endowment fund.

In conclusion, SLI-YH meeting revisited the 10As of Education that was crafted by Professor Tan Sri Dzul in 2015. Specifically, 1st A: Accessibility; 2nd A: Affordability; 3rd A: Appropriateness; 4th A: Autonomy; 5th A: Academic Freedom; 6th A: Accountability; 7th A: Availability; 8th A: Anticipation; 9th A: Affirmation; and 10th A: Affection. This criteria serves to ignite a deeper affection driving education across humanity founded on global understanding and bridging cultural norms and diversity. This is indeed the higher purpose of education in reforming education for a sustainable future. The 10As underpins what education is all about culminating in a holistically balanced way of life as embedded in Sejahtera 3 Tiers Catalogue of SPICES for essential skills.

 

Prepared by :
Dr. Zulkifly Baharom
CEO Sejahtera Leadership Initiative