Dr Yap returns to alma mater
DEPUTY Higher Education Minister Datuk Dr Mary Yap took time off her schedule to visit her alma mater, the English Department at Universiti Malaya (UM) in Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
There, she had an informal meeting session with UM staff, faculty members and current and former students, sharing stories of her time at UM, elaborating on the ministry’s efforts to improve the language and discussing various issues the department is facing.
Dr Yap remembers her days at UM well, especially reading Macbeth, her favourite Shakespeare novel and performing in plays. She did English Literature from 1971 to 1973.
“It is good to be back and see how much the university has changed and developed. During my time, we took pride in studying English Literature. It was one of the top faculties at UM, with a Speakers’ corner and many social activities,” she said.
But not everything was smooth sailing and Dr Yap endured her fair share of challenges. The Sabahan had to be away from home and did not know much Bahasa Melayu.
“My time in university developed my personality and ability to cope with life. I came here knowing not more than five words of Bahasa Melayu and had to write three papers in Malay (comprehension, composition and classical Malay),” she recalled.
After failing the papers in the first two years of her course, she got a tutor and learnt the language by reading and listening to Malay news as often as she could. Eventually, she passed the subject and graduated with an Honours Degree in English Literature.
Students need to be personally responsible when it comes to learning because they cannot just depend on the five tutorials a week that the university offers, Dr Yap said. She added that students should not blame their lecturers or the university and say they have not been taught well because how well they do depends a lot on themselves.
And don’t stop after your first degree, she told the students.
“Go get your masters and PhD. Education is life-long so it is never too late — I got my PhD when I was 65!” she said.
Dr Yap obtained her PhD from Asia e-University, a collaborative multinational university initiated by the Asia Cooperation Dialogue.
Her thesis centred on a case study investigating the leadership practices of a head teacher in a remote primary school in Sarawak.
Dr Yap’s achievement is certainly in line with the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2015-2025 to promote life-long education.