I-CATS students attend Be$MART programme
Fifty- four students from the International College of Advanced Technology Sarawak (i- CATS) participated in CIMB Foundation’s Be$ MART Financial Literacy programme at i- CATS West Campus in Jalan Stampin Timur, here from March 29 to 30.
Held for the first time in East Malaysia, the programme is fully financed by CIMB Foundation. It is a comprehensive financial education programme with the overarching aim of improving the financial literacy of youths across the nation as they embark on becoming fi nancially independent.
The facilitators for the Be$ MART programme comprised fi nancial experts from CIMB Bank together with trainers from CIMB’s training partner, Gem Systems Sdn Bhd.
During the two-day programme, a wide range of money management topics are covered such as Delayed Gratification, Goal Setting with Financial IQ, Risk Assessment and Profiling, Property Investment, Debt Management, Financial and Lifestyle Changes, Unit Trust Investments, Wealth Multiplier Lifestyle, Budgeting and Tracking, Share Investments, Financial and Investment Planning and Identifying Scams.
Commenting on the programme, Mohamad Isham Fauzi, CEO of i- CATS highlighted they are honoured that their students have been selected for the inaugural session of the Be$ MART programme in East Malaysia.
“Our students found the programme engaging and entertaining due to the interactive sessions coupled with simulation games. This is a shining example of industry and academia working as one to advance the noble cause of Human Capital Development.”
Headded:“ImustcommendCIMB Foundation for spearheading the programme and its ongoing effort to address the increasing number of youth bankruptcy cases. The Be$ MART programme is an important initiative to equip the nation’s youth with the necessary knowledge and skills in the area of prudent fi nancial management.”
With the success of the Be$ MART programme at i- CATS, another session has been scheduled for the students of Pusat Pembangunan Kemahiran Sarawak (PPKS) from April 5 to 6.
Three non-governmental organisations ( NGOs) working on animal welfare here are co-organising a celebration to honour stray animals, in connection with this year’s World Stray Animal Day.
The Sarawak Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA), Save Our Strays Kuching (SOS) and Kuching Stray Cats Club are joining forces to run the adoption campaign, petition signing and also registration of community feeders.
The event is set to take place at the ChinaHouse @ Old CourtHouse here this Saturday from 11am to 4pm.
World Stray Animal Day, which falls on April 4, serves to give special attention to the 600 million – and counting – stray animals in the world.
“Dogs and cats should have a home. But stray dogs and stray cats don’t. They lead poor and miserable lives on the streets. They are often ill-fed, suffer from extreme heat or cold, and also from diseases. Often, they are chased away or abused by hostile and violent people.
“We, as people who care about animals, can and should do something to stop this. World Stray Animal Day aims to educate people about the plight of stray animals and to urge people to take action against animal cruelty.
“It is the one day of the year that embraces all animals in every country. It’s a special opportunity to commemorate our love and respect for animals by doing something special to highlight their importance in the world. It also unites the animal welfare movements, mobilising them into a global force for change,” said SSPCA president Datin Dona Wee.
She believed that through increased awareness and education, people could help develop a compassionate culture that would feed into legal reform and social progress in making this world a fairer place for all living creatures.
According to SSPCA chairperson Rebecca D’Cruz, there are over 200 animals at the shelter.
These animals include stray animals, pets abandoned by their owners, and unwanted litters of puppies and kittens including those dumped at markets and food centres across the city.
“If the situation remains unchanged, we are very likely to see an increase in the stray animal population in Kuching. This could lead to more incidents of human-animal conflicts and potentially, the transmission of animal-related diseases to humans,” she said.
The SSPCA would like to remind the people of Kuching that the SSPCA Shelter is not a ‘dumping ground’ for their unwanted pets, puppies and kittens.
Should you choose to keep a pet, you are responsible for its care for as long as it is alive. If you do not intend to keep any puppy or kitten, get your pet spayed or neutered.
The SSPCA promotes responsible pet ownership. They would like to remind dog owners to get an annual licence tag for each pet dog that they own; this can be obtained at the local councils.