The Legacy of Tun Abdul Razak (SEMINAR LEGASI TUN ABDUL RAZAK)
Organised by Kelab Umno Dublin in collaboration with MUSST

Kelab UMNO Dublin believes that the younger generation has a monumental role to play in nation-building. As members of privileged youth in Ireland, Malaysian students share with Tun Abdul Razak a similar passion for national development. In that sense, the legacy of Tun lives on in the hearts and minds of Malaysia’s youth.

These students in Dublin will one day return to lead the country through its next phase of nationhood. Nonetheless, there is a need for them to appreciate history through understanding the challenges faced and sacrifices made by past leaders like Tun Abdul Razak. This same appreciation will influence the steering of Malaysia’s future. This is the principal motivation for the organisers in holding such an event in Dublin.

We also believe that much of Tun’s visionary endeavours remain unfinished. With the passing of time, many of his policies have evolved to take on different shapes and forms. Thus, it is important to discuss the impact of these visionary policies on Malaysia’s development, as well as how they might be tweaked to suit the prevailing context.

By bringing together current and future leaders of the country together in sincere dialogue, we hope to promote an exchange of ideas and knowledge in the same spirit of nation-building that characterised Tun Abdul Razak’s life in public service.

What is the programme about?

Ever since the Malaysian Students Department has been established in February 1954, it is estimated that probably 200,000 Malaysian students have studied in the United Kingdom and Eire. However are we seeing any visible positive impact on the nation? Has the investment in human capital delivered unprecedented returns? This programme will reflect on the past and present situation of the Malaysian youth abroad’s contribution and what will be needed in the future to conduct a paradigm shift.

This seminar will be a platform for intellectual and scholastic discourse between the experienced figures and also the selected Malaysian student in Dublin. One of the key missions of this programme is to expose the participants on the various topics, pushing them into understanding the Malaysian issues and problems, global issues and problems and the challenges that they will face in the future from the eyes and inputs of the invited speakers and peers.

This seminar involves a short forum and small group discussions revolving around 5 main issues:

• Language and communication barrier
• Comfort zone and inferiority complex
• Malaysian Student Society in Ireland
• Responsibilities
• Leadership and confidence building

The 5 main issues will be reflected in the small group discussions with titles as below:

1. Experience in a western country as an active civilian
• Identify things that we learn as a civilian in western countries in terms of education, economy, infrastructure, politics, healthcare
• Putting things that we learn into perspective of applying it towards the development of Malaysia.
• What are our roles? What contribution have Malaysian students from Ireland made? Has being exposed to foreign lands and societies made us better in adapting, tolerating and even embracing differences in religion, ethnicity and economic backgrounds?

2. Malaysian community integration abroad

• Justify the purpose and responsibilities of Malaysian student societies abroad. How can students benefit from the student societies.
• Junior – senior relationship and how can it benefit students in terms of maximizing study performance and results.
• Student – working community relationship

3. Inferiority complex and 'katak bawah tempurung'

• Identify the extent of relationships between Malaysian students with their foreigner peers. Define the action of ‘mixing with the locals’
• Identify ways of how can Malaysian student ‘mix’ with the locals and what and how to gain or benefit out of this relationship
• Identify the reasons why majority Malaysian students are not involve in University societies.

4. Justifying Malaysian citizens investment on Malaysian students abroad

• Identify the spending behaviour of Malaysian scholars
• Justify the things spend using scholarship money

5. Reflecting Tun Abdul Razak’s legacy upon the roles of Malaysian student abroad.

Tentative

Registration

Mini-Forum (1 hour)

• Ruzaimi Ramza Ramli “Memperingati dan meneladani ketokohan Tun Abdul Razak” Presiden Kelab UMNO Dublin
• En Wan Saiful Wan Jan “Penglibatan rakyat Malaysia di dalam system Politik di UK” Pengarah Urusan Malaysia Think Tank London
• En Suhaib Shafii “Dilemma Melayu di Arena Global; Antara impian dan realiti” Presiden Melayu UK Students Support Team

Small Group Discussions (1 hour 20 minutes)

• Participants will be divided into 5 groups
• Each group will have a facilitator which will rotate every 15 minutes.
• Each facilitator specializes in each 5 main issue mentioned above.
• Each group will receive a study case on which they will discuss. Facilitator will guide through the discussion based on the list of questions need to be answered.
• The case study will be a scenario (scenario which is realistic and can be reflected upon the target audience) or statements.

Presentations

• The group will present their cases to the audience on a piece of Mahjong paper.
• 10 minutes will be allocated for presentation and 10 minutes for Question and Answers.
• Each group will send three representative to present and answer the questions raised and if representative fail to answer the questions, members are allowed to help.
• Facilitator will throw skeptical questions to initiate discussion.
• After each presentation and Q&A, the facilitator will make a short conclusion before the next group starts their presentation.
• The presentation and the quality of answers from the Q&A session will be assessed by the facilitator. The best will receive prizes.

Conclusion and Wrap-Up Session

• Facilitator will conclude the issue raised in the discussion.
• Participants are invited to give opinions and feedback on the seminar.
• Certificates and prizes will be given out.

Conclusion

We believe that the legacy of Tun Abdul Razak will be reflected on the improvement of behaviour and attitude of Malaysian dearly scholars. By targeting on the issues mention above, we hope that our objectives can be achieve successfully.

Case Studies >>