RAFFLES EDUCATION GROUP GRADUATION CEREMONY 2009 500 GRADUANDS AWARDED
5 December 2009 at The Palace of the Golden Horses Hotel.
It was a joyous celebration for over 500 graduands of Olympia College, Raffles Education Group as they were bestowed their awards in various disciplines including the Bachelors and Masters awards by Guest of Honour, Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Dr Haji Yahaya Ibrahim, Pro Chancellor Sultan Idris University of Education at the Palace of the Golden Horses Hotel on 5 December 2009.
Twelve graduates of various disciplines also received their prestigious awards named in honour of Malaysia’s founding fathers and distinguished political figures for their accomplishments in their studies.
Guest of Honour, Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Dr Yahaya Ibrahim, in his speech said, “Today, I feel privileged and honoured to be able to stand before a distinguished gathering to celebrate the 14th Graduation Ceremony of Raffles Education Group of Colleges (REGC). I am delighted to offer you my congratulations. You all deserve to be immensely proud of your success.”
“We at Raffles Education Group of Colleges (REGC) ensure that our students not only receive their money’s worth but also their human worth. When this happens, then, and only then can we claim that we give you a good education for you to advance to higher levels of studies or to enter the work world, i.e. the real world, confident, competent, articulate, marketable and employable.” Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Dr Yahaya Ibrahim continued.
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| The graduands posing with their awards |
"The struggle for a more hopeful future for generations to come ultimately will be won or lost in our classrooms today. In Malaysia, we view Education as a very important agenda and priority, a platform to optimize the potential of every citizen and put within reach the promise of the Malaysian dream. Towards this end, more than 1/5 of our annual national budget geared towards education and the development of human capital. In the 2009 budget for instance, RM47.4 billion or 23% is put aside for this purpose (RM31 billion for Ministry of Education + RM14.1 billion for Ministry of Higher Education).”
“The institution has been a beacon of hope for Malaysian and foreign students alike, seeking tertiary qualification. This is in keeping with the spirit and intent of our government’s underlying commitment to provide equal access to quality educational opportunities for all Malaysians notwithstanding their geographical locations or income levels. Like many other educational systems worldwide, Malaysia currently is in the process of transforming its national education system.” Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Dr Yahaya Ibrahim stressed.
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| Guest of Honour, Tan Sri Dato' Seri Dr Haji Yahaya Ibrahim presenting an award to a graduand |
Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Dr Yahaya Ibrahim also emphasized on the three key purposes of Higher Education:
- The first purpose is to inspire and enable individuals to develop their capabilities throughout life to contribute to society and achieve personal fulfillment.
- A second key purpose of higher education is to increase knowledge and understanding for their own sake and to foster their application to the benefit of the economy and the society at local and national levels.
- The third and final purpose of higher education is to play a major role in shaping a democratic, civilized and inclusive society. Many of our university students, perhaps you, would not have been able to contemplate higher education without the flexibility of the courses on offer.
In his conclusion, Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Dr Yahaya Ibrahim said “My final word to share with you is to encourage you to celebrate and enjoy your graduation and the celebration to follow. The occasion marks the completion of a particular success and the start of the next chapter in your personal lives. I wish each of you and indeed Raffles Education Group every success in the years ahead.”
Ledshumanan Gajanath, 25 received the The Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj’s Award for Higher National Diploma in Business (Majored in Business & Marketing) on full-time basis,
“I’m very happy to receive this prestigious award. I had a wonderful time studying at Olympia College and I was guided well by my lecturers and had good college mates.
“My ambition is to become a businessman”.
The recipient of The Yang Amat Berbahagia Tun Abdul Ghafar bin Baba’s Award 2009 was Chong Chin Yee (Best Student Award for Diploma in Business Studies). Chong Chin Yee, 23 years old had pursued the Diploma in Business Studies and Degree in Marketing.
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| Y. Bhg. Dato' Mahadev Shankar, Co-Chairman of REG giving a welcome address |
“I was totally surprised when my Principal informed me this good news as I did not expect to receive this award. Without the help and support of God, friends and family, I would not have gone this far. I just want to extend my deepest gratitude to those who have helped me along the way to success.”
“The Business studies gave me room to develop and hone problem-solving skills. I’ve had my moments of joy through the events organized by Olympia’s Executive Business Club. Olympia’s students and lecturers show me that community of love could be real even in college.”
Tan Chee Ann, 21 received The Tun Dr Mohamed Suffian bin Hashim’s Award – Best Student Award for Diploma in Information Technology (majored in software). Tan, who had pursued the DIT programme on full-time basis said, “I’m very surprised and humbled by the recognition.”
“You reap what you sow”. In other words, hard works always reap good benefits. I had enjoyed my studies at Olympia College under close supervision from my lecturers. I plan to continue my Degree in I.T at Olympia and I want to be a successful I.T Manager.”said Tan enthusiastically.
The recipient of The Nottingham Trent University Vice-Chancellor’s Award was Donald Wong Kin San (Best Student Award for MBA). Donald Wong, 39, had pursued the Master of Business Administration on a part-time basis.
“I’m delighted to know that all the hard work and sacrifices have been worth it. I wish to thank
the Academic Board for bestowing me this award.The MBA programme had the distinct
advantage of consultancy projects (and dissertation) not normally found in other MBAs. The
learning experience from the consultancy projects was the most meaningful and memorable experience for me.” he added.
