More volunteers needed
AS Malaysia receives more vaccines, the country is in need of more volunteers at higher education institution (HEI) vaccination centres (PPV).
Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad, who stepped down as Higher Education Minister on Aug 6, said the ministry (MOHE) is encouraging more people within the higher education sector and the public to register as volunteers to help curb the Covid-19 pandemic.
She said this will be done through the ministry’s “Mesti Menang” campaign, following National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme coordinating minister Khairy Jamaluddin’s recent announcement that Malaysia would be receiving 12 million doses of vaccines starting last month.
“Mesti Menang” focuses on four main pillars, namely, the role of university teaching hospitals, the provision of HEI PPV, volunteerism and food bank initiatives, she said during a virtual launch of the campaign on Aug 3.
Through the campaign, Noraini said university teaching hospitals will play a role in increasing awareness of the virus among members of society and educating them on preventive measures to tackle the pandemic.
“Another important focus is providing support for students and frontliners in the higher education sector.
“We have taken proactive steps by collaborating with the Food Bank Secretariat for the branding and restructuring of the Student Food Bank Initiative in HEIS,” she added.
The initiative, she said, targets B40 students and the poor, while addressing the issue of the rising cost of living faced by students, and enabling them to remain focused on their education.
Yayasan Sukarelawan Siswa will be involved in coordinating the distribution of the aid.
Separately, she said 120 students have been selected to participate in the 2021 MOHE and Intel Elite Internship programme.
“They are currently pursuing their studies in electronic and microelectronic engineering at 12 public universities.
“The 10-week internship programme is specifically tailored to equip undergraduates with knowledge of industry-standard electronic-design-automation (EDA) software of synopsis.
“Students will also learn about integrated circuit (IC) design flow,” she said during the launch of the internship programme on July 26.
She said a 2020 report by the Malaysian Investment Development Authority stated that Malaysia’s electrical and electronic industry is the nation’s largest export earner.
Last year, there were close to 2,300 vacancies in the semiconductor sub-sector related to IC design engineering.
“The extensive use of electronic gadgets has caused high demand for IC design engineers in the industry.
“With programmes such as the Elite Internship, graduates from the electronic and microelectronic fields can be directly absorbed into the industries without the need for additional training,” she said.