15,000 ATTEND SL1M EVENT IN SABAH
THE fifth instalment of Skim Latihan 1Malaysia’s (SL1M) Open Interview Programme attracted a crowd of 15,000 people to Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) in Sepanggar over the weekend, making it a huge success.
Some 6,000 jobs and training opportunities were up for grabs at the two-day event, participated by 40 companies, including government-linked companies (GLCs) and private corporations from various industries.
Artistes such as Stacy, Marsha Milan, Faizal Tahir, Kumpulan Zero, Ara Johari, Andi Bernadee, Farish Aziz and Samantha Miles entertained the crowd.
Reversing the brain drain
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Dahlan heaped praises on SL1M, saying that the programme had contributed to the drop in unemployment among graduates, including Sabahans.
Abdul Rahman, who is in charge of the Economic Planning Unit, said poverty in the state has lessened in tandem with the decrease in unemployment.
“SL1M is doing a wonderful job in helping youngsters, who would otherwise fall through the cracks, to find jobs and enter the workforce,” he said.
Abdul Rahman brought up the success story of former SL1M trainee Noradriana Jeman, who came all the way from Sandakan to the peninsula to work for property developer Malaysian Resources Corp Bhd under the programme.
“In less than a month, she was hired as permanent staff.
“With strong efforts and passion, it is not impossible for us to get what we want,” Abdul Rahman said to youths attending the launch of the programme at UMS.
The Kota Belud MP said initia- tives such as SL1M helped reverse the brain drain in the country – a sentiment echoed by head of SL1M secretariat Norashikin Ismail.
“We want to encourage young Malaysians working overseas to come back and contribute to their country and home state,” said Norashikin.
According to Norashikin, initiatives such as SL1M have been effective in convincing young Malaysians to work in the country.
“Since its inception in 2011, the programme has benefited 144,440 trainees. This year, we are targeting to enrich the lives of 25,000 trainees,” she said.
Norashikin called on young Sabahans to capitalise on SL1M to help build their career.
“The programme is open to degree, masters and PhD holders.
“The monthly allowance has also been increased from RM1,5000 to RM2,000, effective this month.
“This is a good incentive for youths to participate in SL1M,” she said.
Stepping out of your comfort zone
It is difficult to imagine a time when singer Ummu Shaikhah Stacy Anam – popularly known as Stacy – was struggling to make ends meet.
Stacy, 27, said she would have greatly benefited from programmes such as SL1M in the arduous search for a job.
“It was hard for me to look for a job and make a living back then.
“If I were you, I would go for this programme,” said Stacy to her audience at UMS in between songs.
Motivated by her desire for success and transforming her family’s lives for the better, Stacy moved to Kuala Lumpur from Penampang to pursue a career in the entertainment industry.
She won the sixth season of the reality TV show Akademi Fantasia (AF) in 2008, and is now a household name.
Fellow Sabahan performer and former AF contestant Marsha Milan Londoh said SL1M provided good opportunities to youths seeking a job.
“If I had not been in AF, this programme would have helped me a lot,” said the Tamparuli native, who currently resides in the peninsula.
Marsha, 32, advised young Sabahans to challenge themselves and to step out of their comfort zones.
“You’ll never know what you could become if you don’t come out of your cocoon,” she said.
Opportunity for upward mobility
Engineering graduate Francisca Romana Keterim has a lot to be happy about after scoring a job at her open interview.
To her, the offer was a culmination of years of hard work and overcoming obstacles in search of better opportunities.
Keterim, 25, was helping her parents at the farm before moving to Kuching, Sarawak, to pursue a diploma in electrical engineering three years ago.
She returned home to Kampung Madang, Tamparuli, upon graduating from the polytechnic a few months ago.
Along with many SL1M hopefuls, Keterim was at UMS over the weekend to scour for career opportunities in the two-day programme.
She was offered a job on the spot after excelling in her interview with an engineering firm based in Shah Alam, Selangor.
“I was just looking around for companies offering jobs in my field of studies. I saw an opening with this firm, and I took it,” Keterim said.
With the job offer in hand, Keterim was determined to repay her family for putting her through school.
“I want to help ease my family’s burden in any way I can,” she said.
Having missed out on last year’s programme, UMS student Cyleari Yangun made it a point to clear his schedule for the open interviews this year.
With only a few months left in his degree programme, the Financial Economics student hoped to land either an internship or a job in his field of studies.
“For me, SL1M is a very good programme because it brings many companies together under one roof. This allows students to apply for many jobs at one time,” he said.
Yangun, 22, said he was open to the idea of working for participating SL1M companies based in Peninsular Malaysia.
“If I have to relocate for work, it wouldn’t be a problem at all. It’ll give me a good chance to explore the peninsula,” said the Dusun native from Tambunan.