aikol press issue 12

AHMAD IBRAHIM KULIYYAH OF LAWS

AIKOL PRESS Louis M. Brown International Client

Consultation Competition in Puerto Rico: Here We Go!

“The Caribbeans! This time would be in the Caribbeans. The international round would be in Puerto Rico!”

That was the first thing running across the minds of the NCC team members when we first knew that we stand a chance to be mesmerized by the beauty of the Caribbean side of Puerto Rico, and that chance will only be realized if we win the National Round of Harun M. Hashim National Client Counseling Competition which was to be held on the 23rd November 2013 at University Malaya. Being part of the NCC team, I would like to share with my dearest AIKOLians their thoughts on this glorious journey to Puerto Rico.

“It was beyond my expectation because this is the first competition where we don’t have to physically face the other competitors and it was completely based on our own skill on how to handle the client. Before the competition, I was really nervous because I was imagining the pressure of actually facing the competitors. But after getting through the first preliminary round, I felt confident and calm enough and did better for the second preliminary round. But the part where I would remember the most was the one-month intensive training with a “peculiar” concept we have; the duck-throwing concept where a fluffy “duck” would be thrown to us whenever we made a mistake while in the training sessions. I am beyond delighted that Amalina, Aina, Fared and all of our trainers especially Madam Suzanna and Madam Sharifah Zubaidah are happy and as for me, their happiness was the highlight of the competition.”

Mardhiyah Siraj 3rd Year LLB

“It started when I received a call from my beloved teammate (Mardhiyah) asking me whether I would like to join this competition and of course I said yes. That was my turning point in life, joining NCC has really changed me. It helped me get used to speaking in front of other people, especially the lecturers. I am now no longer “malu-malu kucing”. I learned a lot especially on Commercial Law, which is not even my elective subject for the time-being! It broadened up my horizon and thoughts. I therefore thank all of the trainers; Madam Suzanna, Sir Raja Badrul, Dr Juriah, Dr. Sharifah Zubaidah, Madam Nik Haizam, Madam Aliza and to those who had contributed their efforts towards our win. Not to mention that I am so grateful for the wonderful friendship with all of these people; Mardhiyah, Aina, Amalina, Nik Alia, Adi, Ella and Hafiz. This whole journey towards winning was simply AWESOME.” Fared Latif, 3rd Year LLB

The NCC team flanked by 2 of their coaches, Madam Suzanna and Sir Raja Badrul.

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“I couldn’t have picked a better bunch of people to go through it with me. Couldn’t have picked more generous and knowledgeable coaches. We realized that professionalism is a skill. We didn’t conquer others, we conquered ourselves. And winning was just the icing on a delicious and fulfilling cake.”

Aina Farzana Ismail, 3rd Year LLB

“I have always wanted to be a client counselor since I learnt about it in Legal Methods and was very determined to bring the winning for IIUM. The victory tasted super sweet, especially when it is unexpected for us, the underdogs, and we only won it by one point! Now I know how it feels like to be able to sleep with a trophy in my hand. Initially I only wanted to win the nationals so that I could go to Puerto Rico (we even have a banner in the training room as a form of inspiration) and now that we have the chance to go, we want to show to the world that “there is no second to us Malaysians”. All this while I have gone through it all with my beloved partner and I couldn’t ask for anyone better. We are so well-gelled and knitted that only fate could be behind this. And also, truly grateful for everything and for every “duck” thrown at my face for it made who I am now.”

Amalina Ariffin, 3rd Year LLB

As for me, the two-years of becoming a part of the NCC team had jump-started my life to a whole new level. The people, the friends, the experiences and the lessons learnt, nothing can ever replace this roller-coaster ride I have experienced. Although I was only a small portion out of a big piece of cake, who could have asked for more when nothing can ever beat all the things I have gained through this whole journey. All praises to Allah and the deepest gratitude to the lecturers and everyone here in AIKOL. This is for AIKOL, this is for IIUM.

“...it was completely based on our own

skill...”

Bring Down The Pails! Ten Days Of Surviving Without Water

A sudden drop of water pressure on 5th November 2013 had left the ladies at Mahallah Nusaibah and Sumaiyyah waterless for ten steaming days. The pressure of the campus internal pipes dropped by 50 percent, forcing residents to travel to different blocks and Mahallahs, looking for tanks which were still full. On the third day of the crisis, the management of Mahallah Nusaibah took the effort to call Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor (SYABAS) to come and supply water through their portable tank.

A source reported that inspections were done by the contractors of Daya Bersih in case there was a serious pipe leakage, air locks or damaged valves, but the problem remained unresolved and dragged on. One of the drastic solutions taken by the administration was to switch off the pipes at all other Kuliyyahs and Mahallahs in order to increase the water pressure at the affected Mahallahs. During that time, most toilets were labelled with various ‘No Water’ signs including at the Rectory Building

On Twitter, #PrayForIIUM flooded the timeline that it drowned out the recent Student Representative Council Syura. One of the undergraduates even tweeted YB Khairy Jamaludin requesting him to look into the matter. Izzati, a law student, said her Bosnian roommate had to buy twenty-seven bottles of mineral water (1.5 litres each) in four days. She was emotionally affected when she had no other options but to bathe at the ablution area of the musolla. Some had to use the male toilets at the Mahallah office.

Thankfully, the administration managed to solve the crisis by 14th November 2013. During the crisis, some students quoted the Malay pantun that goes:

Kalau ada sumur di ladang, Boleh saya menumpang mandi

… Let’s hope we would not have to menumpang mandi again though.

One of the affected residents, Arina Izuddin writes.

AHMAD IBRAHIM KULIYYAH OF LAWS PAGE 2 ISSUE 12

Haq & The Devil’s Alibi: A Non-Comparison By Huzir Bin Shamsul Bahrin

Being a law student, it is a norm to face the daily routine which most of us perceive as dull and not so exciting. We attend lectures, we do case research and readings, we complete assignments and hearings and the list goes on and on. Thus, the average daily routine of being a law student doesn’t seem to look lively at all. Nevertheless, the yearly tradition that we inherit in law schools across the country provides a different shade to the normal perception that students from other faculties have on us, and that is what we law students call as the ‘Mock Trial’. A bright and colourful side of the law is creatively displayed and performed, showing the other side of the legal world, with everything so lively and enjoyable! With a pinch of humour and an unexpected twist, the yearly Mock Trial is truly an event not to be missed.

For year 2013 in Ahmad Ibrahim Kuliyyah of Law, we are honoured to witness the staging of not one, but two different Mock Trials for the very first time in the history of the Kulliyyah. With two very distinct themes, both were executed in their own unique way. The first Mock Trial that was staged was ‘The Devil’s Alibi’, directed by Muhammad Farid Ayshraf bin Yazid and Suhaila Binti Kamaruddin. The story revolved around the murder of one Datuk Rashid, a businessman whose wealth is the envy of everyone. The trial took place in the delightful presence of colourful characters.

The judge who is cocky in his own way, the bailiff, a woman with many emotions, the witnesses portraying various witty characters and not to mention the mysterious security guard who kept showing up in the middle of the play to stir in some humor for the court. With an unexpected twist and an unexpected guest, in the end, the reception of the audiences was energetic and positive. With new concepts, such as the use of live music in the play, embedded in the staging of the Mock Trial, it gave a refreshing feel to the old-fashioned view of a Mock Trial. Some minor flaws with the sound system could have been improved and a brief feeling could have been injected into the play.

The second Mock Trial was entitled ‘Haq: Not My Life’ which was directed by Muiz Bin Abdul Razak. Bringing up a much mature topic of human trafficking, it aimed to deliver the message to the audience of the seriousness of the issue in our current era and the effect that it has on the life of innocent people surrounding it. They started off the play with their very own unique way of presenting their story. It started off with a glittering parade of the casts on the red carpet to the stage and the

introduction of the play by the director himself. An array of talented casts later appeared on the stage, with the main character, Siti Zulaika Zin, being the most memorable. Mesmerizing the audience with her great display of emotions, everyone was in agreement that the actress was the highlight of the show.

The humour was evident when all the audience in the hall was in laughter over the scene of the reporter interviewing the owner of a bakery shop, Puan Nila, near the scene of the crime. There were moments that were mesmerizing and there were those which were dumb-founding. Audiences were quite baffled with the existence of two characters, acting as the interpreters or bailiffs, who displayed acts which were not proper for a legal Mock Trial. Putting that aside, everything else was in a positive swing, with the judge giving away the judgment for the night. The audience was later entertained with two Broadway songs which was sung by Haziq Ishak, an AIKOLian. All in all it was a great play. Perhaps a thing or two which could have been avoided or amended, making it a much better play altogether.

Having to write this review was indeed a challenge, viewing both Mock Trials in the shoes of a normal audience. With no intention of weighing out one with the other, it was viewed on the same platform and all criticisms are for future improvements for our juniors to carry on the tradition of staging brilliant Mock Trials in the future.

The promotional poster for HAQ


Empowering Student Bodies‘ Humanitarian Mission - A Paradigm Shift

In light of the recent natural calamities such as the Haiyan Typhoon in the Philippines and the monsoon flood in the Peninsular’s East Coast, our students have been active in mobilising humanitarian missions for the affected victims. The gesture is worth noting as the awareness can only mean the existence of empathy among our future office-bearers. Everything seems to be possible from the eyes of humanitarian idealists; poverty, disaster mit igat ion, educat ion inequality – there is no stopping them from making the world a better place. Unfortunately, nothing in life is free and this includes acting on noble intentions.

Aside from time and energy, the key to successful social campaigns often rests on financial ability and credibility of the movers. More often than not, students will only then realise that their objectives wouldn’t necessarily match their fundraising crowd, simply because of the limited pool of networking and resources. As more are taking the lead to bring soc ia l changes to the i r own community, it is a bitter pill of truth that only the ones that are well-c o n n e c t e d m a y f u l f i l l t h e i r humanitarian desires, at least while they are still getting endorsed by entities such as the faculty, institution, NGOs or government bodies. Unless the 25,000 students of IIUM are equally passionate to consistently fundraise in solidarity, the students are bound to be shocked when the administration eventually decides to put a halt to funding due to financial restrains. This is when the true character of humanitarian activism among students can be

tested; unlike established NGOs and charity organisations, we do not enjoy their full-fledged operational means to consistently offer help when the time comes.

The nature of humanitarian missions is such that inter-dependence is necessary to ensure financial sustainability. Similar to private corporations, NGOs and charity organisations undergo branding exercise in securing their credibility and competence to convince potential donors. Contrary to popular belief, a large portion of donations are utilised to maintain the continuity of publicity, operational costs and employment of their full-time competent workers. For example, The Breast Cancer Survivors Foundation -- based in New Jersey -- managed to collect $46,557 in donations from Hawaii in the year 2012, however the charity received only $4,655 of that. There is no denial that it is our social responsibility to offer help where it is needed, however the author’s suggestion is for the priorities to be understood in addition for the potential of the masses to be tapped. T h e f o c u s o f t h e n u m e r o u s (sometimes redundant) student bodies should be channeled into exploring the potential in collaborations with established entities, as well as by initiating more self-sustaining means.

Throughout my experiences of volunteering at orphanages, the common concern of the orphanages’ Principals is not that they do not have enough food and clothes for the kids, but rather the manpower to deal with the majority’s inability to read, count or even recite Quran properly. It is also the same case for the flood

victims in Kuantan whereby the necessities are sufficiently provided by the Government, but the actual difficulty lies in the transitionary period in the aftermath of the flood, i.e. reparation and rebuilding of affected houses, cleaning up, et cetera. More importantly, the time is ripe for student bodies to start considering long-term commitment in the power of social entrepreneurship. T h e i d e a l b e h i n d s o c i a l entrepreneurship is that a pre-determined portion of a profitable business venture is allocated into solving social injustice, be it to increase literacy among the orphans, feeding the homeless, or even by supporting single moms to learn a new skill to independently support themselves!

The role of this institution is then to empower the entrepreneurship development among the students through this 3-level approach of; 1) a one-off financial grant which has to be paid upon breaking even, 2) a sustainable student-run business platform, and 3) a continuous management and entrepreneurial guidance to ensure efficiency. Rather than directly allocating budgets for student bodies and societies to organise one-off humanitarian missions, a more financially-wise approach is by this creation of entrepreneurial wealth for them to be self-funded in implementing their ideals. During my recent 5-day visit to Manila, Philippines for ASEAN Youth Summit, I was invited by Gawad Kalinga (a Philippine-based movement that aims to end poverty


by first restoring the dignity of the poor) to visit the first social entrepreneurship village in the world, which is located in Barangay; a province to the north of Manila Metro. Tony Meloto, entrepreneur and founder of Gawad Kalinga, opened up t h e v i l l a g e a s a s o c i a l entrepreneurship platform to solve poverty in Philippines by providing employment, hence guaranteeing education for the poor’s children at once. This idea attracts aspiring young social entrepreneurs from all over the world as not only that Gawad Kalinga has provided a business platform for them to kickstart their ventures, but entrepreneurial guidance and skills through mentorship with Tony Melotto are provided as well. I met Alvie Benitez; who dropped out from Ateneo de Manila University at the age of 21 the moment he realised the potential of his commercialised salted eggs and duck meat venture in his first entrepreneurial experiment. Three years had passed, and a simple business idea as such has not only provided employment to at least 10

“...it is our social responsibility to offer

help where it is needed.”

families of the once slum-dwellers, but also large margin of profits for himself.

Similarly for Shanon; a 24-year old graduate in Applied Chemistry (major) and Management (minor), who experimented with the richness of Philippines’ agricultural products, which are then converted into bottled beverages. All he did was the right application of his academic background in fine-tuning the taste of Filipino’s favorites in fruits and vegetables, and to identify the right materials in creating the bottles to

preserve the beverages’ taste and longevity. Essentially, it is not rocket science for humanitarian missions to be a sustainable venture. The university’s administration has to start re-channeling limited funds into an exercise that is more collective and objective. Ideally, we need to change our mentality in figuring out solutions to social injustice, especially now that we label ourselves as the ‘educated ones’. If our 20-somethings Filipino friends can do it , why can’t Malaysians do the same?

8tracks Playlist For Issue 12

User : iAbby Details : 1 hour 26 minutes (23 tracks) Tags : finals, study, adderall, edm, best of 2013 Genres : electronic, hip hop, indie, pop, alternative Published : December 14, 2013

To recommend your kind of music, email the 8tracks link to [email protected].


Merchants Of Sympathy: How Unscrupulous Beggars Turned Human Emotion

Into Lucrative Businesses

“People who came to him wanted to become beggars and, with his extraordinary craft, the tools of which were piled on the shelf, he would cripple each customer in a manner appropriate to his body. They came to him whole and left blind, rickety, hunchbacked, pigeon-breasted, or with arms or legs cut off short. He gained his skill by working for a long time with a traveling circus. Zaita had, moreover, been connected with beggar circles since his boyhood, when he lived with his parents, who were beggars. He began by learning "makeup," an art taught in the circus, first as a pastime, then as a profession when his personal situation became worse.”

Naquib Mahfouz, Midaq Alley

My mother is one of the most generous people I know. She likes to give away money to charities, beggars, donation boxes and just about any other madrasah projects in Southern Thailand that does not seem to be anywhere near completion after many years has passed. I recalled one sunny day when I was 12 when she took in a woman carrying a small child into our home and fed her lunch. As for me, not one second during that incident that I felt sorry for the woman. The child is a different story altogether, and I contemplated the possibility of her suffering heat stroke under the blazing sun. Nowadays I always relish the opportunity to bring up that story once in a while just to remind her how cunning the begging syndicates can be.

If there is one simple rule on how to make people part with their money without expecting anything in return, it is that you must appeal to their sympathy. Make them feel guilty for living a more privileged life than you are, and always remind them that their contribution will be rewarded many times over in the afterlife. I do not dispute this, for all I know there is a certain possibility that sincere contribution in good faith may get jot down by the angel ‘Atid. On a personal level however, I find it hard to be sincere when I doubt how truly in need are these beggars for my money when they are blessed with a healthy body and a sane mind.

I can’t help but to notice that the children they take with them never seem to grow in age. They always

belong to the 3-6 years old age group. Heck, even the elderly lady (who biologically speaking should have hit menopause at least a decade ago) has toddlers with her. Where do these kids come from? What happened to them once they grow past that age group? Do they go to school or have their limbs twisted by some expert masseuse so they can continue begging on their own? The mind boggles, at least until I walk past them and enter KFC where I could spend my money so that some billionaire fast food mogul could get even richer.

The position occupied by beggars in any society is unique, and they will continue to tread our streets despite our best efforts to eradicate poverty, arrange rehabilitation and provide steady jobs for them. Just when you think that every Malaysian citizen is doing well, a boatload of them coming from some corners of the world will land on our shores to replace the ones who stopped begging. Intimidation and manhandling beggars hardly exhibit the quality of better human beings. What then, should we do to provide for the poor while keeping beggars off the streets?

Donate your money to the mosque. Pay your zakat. Give money to registered charitable organizations. Employ the poor to do part-time jobs where cash payment is handed out at the end of each day. Anything is better than putting your cash into that mug held by a man with a fresh, stainless plaster cast around his arm.


All Work and No Play Makes Ali A Dull Boy.

A wary commentary on why Finnish kids are happy to go to school, whilst Malaysian kids need to be coaxed by the rotan.

Schools are becoming more and more like a workplace for children. They are rushed to Sekolah Rendah Kebangsaan early in the morning, and then shuttled to Sekolah Rendah Agama in the evening, with barely enough time to gobble up their lunch in between. Nights are reserved for homework and tuition classes. Is it any wonder they become fixated with their iPads and laptops, when those electronic devices could very well represent the only fun that they could have in a day?

Finnish schools are doing it right. They must be, for they are consistently at the top of the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) for science, maths, and reading. Malaysia, no shocked exclamations here, isn’t faring very well. Why the Finnish are way up there can be attributed to a variety of reasons; passionate and extremely qualified teachers, high ratio of teachers to students, flexible and b r o a d n a t i o n a l c u r r i c u l u m , prohibition against grouping by ability, absence of standardized tests, but above all – play.

A p r imary schoo l in Kirkkojarven Koulu allows the children to play outdoors for 15 minutes after each lesson. They run back into the classroom happy and rosy-cheeked. While this may not be

feasible for Malaysian kids (rain, predators and whatnot), let them whip out their UNO cards at the start and end of the day. Have a stash of board games ready. Allow them a round of sportsmanship (eraser match or any ‘in’ thing) to motivate them before the start of the lesson. Happy kids are more cooperative, resulting in less stress for teachers. A win-win situation, any way you look at it.

Finnish teachers are given the autonomy to design their own syllabus, which allows for limitless possibilities in terms of learning. In fact, playful learning environments ( P L E s ) a r e d e s i g n e d a n d implemented in schoolyards to aid various forms of fun learning. Malaysian children peg away at their desks, with heavy textbooks and lined notebooks. Why not substitute that with pretend play? Let them be the taxi driver Pak Abu and count change for the passengers, or the doctor Mrs Letchumy and name all the parts of the human body.

It’s funny how we go on and on about the importance of exercise, yet make so little time for it in the curriculum. Putting a name to something so intrinsically natural (Pendidikan Jasmani dan Kesihatan) and limiting it to one or two rigidly controlled hours in a week benefits

no child. Let them run like little Tarzans every single day. These balls of energy need their physical play – and physical play is good for a lot of things. Games like Polis Sentri provide for rule-learning and give t h e i r l i t t l e d e v i o u s m i n d s opportunities to strategize.

M o s t o f t h e t i m e , inquisitiveness and curiosity are ground out of children by the constant shushing and strict order that the teacher imposes. When the teacher asks questions and only the cicak on the wall responds, how can that be their fault? It’s sad how they no longer have the confidence to prattle away their thoughts and opinions, like they did when they were younger. Play will allow the children to speak freely because it’s an activity they are familiar with. When you ask a child how tall the monkey thinks the tree is, how can he resist?

At the risk of sounding obvious, there’s this to say; children are young. We subject them to adult stress and expect them to handle it like adults. Why then would we be horrified when they are no longer innocent? All work and no play makes Ali an unimaginative boy, sponging up negative influences and parroting mass media. We can still change this. Guard their essence. Let them play.


“..If The Arrow Left Not The Bow, It Would Not Hit Its Aim..”

The Death of a Young Da’ie

November 2nd 2013 went by like any other day. Well, there’s no reason it shouldn’t unless one got married or gave birth on that day. But for some, this was a fateful day; a day they lost a son, a brother, and a friend. Most may not be aware of the existence of this young fellow, Ahmad Ammar Ahmad Azam, and frankly neither was I before the aforementioned date. That day however, was his passing and all of a sudden his death piqued our curiosity. Who was he? Why was his life so revered? Why was his death so despaired?

Ahmad Ammar was the son of the former President of ABIM (Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia), Tuan Hj. Ahmad Azam Abdul Rahman. He was only 20 years of age when Allah decided to claim His right upon him. The news of his death became viral on social media when his contemporaries shed light on his short yet meaningful life journey. As of the time this article is written, his memorial video titled Ahmad Ammar dalam Kenangan (1992-2013) has had over 1.5 million views since it was uploaded two weeks after his death. The video was nothing more than a collection of Ahmad Ammar’s photos of him as a child and throughout his studies, but one would have a heart of stone to not be moved by the life of this amazing young man.

His alma mater was the Royal Military College (RMC) where he was awarded the second place for SPM Top Achievers of his school. The door of opportunity opened widely for him to pursue his studies in any discipline but he chose to go to Marmara University in Turkey to read Uthmaniyyah History. Even his peers wondered why he chose to read this course as a degree in history is rarely associated with someone of his intellectual achievement. His reply was, “Turkey was once the centre of Islamic Empire for over 600 years - more than any other kingdom. All other countries venerated Turkey. Why shouldn’t we be proud of our Islamic history? We should be able to reclaim what was once ours. That is why I am taking history.”

We all know life is short, yet Ammar was one of the few who truly lived up to this saying. His brief stint in

this world was filled with participating in humanitarian activities and facilitating da’wah programmes both locally and in other places such as Syria and Cambodia. Ammar’s ambition in life was only one – to die as a Syahid. His life was spared when he was in Syria during the country’s turmoil leaving his ambition yet unfulfilled. But Allah had other plans; one Saturday afternoon, on his way to a da’wah programme in Istanbul, Ammar was hit by an ambulance and died due to internal injuries. He was called a ‘deferred Syahid’.

Tears fell unconditionally for this young man by those who had never crossed paths with him yet knew of his contribution in da’wah. They rushed for the opportunity to pray for his janazah and to accompany his coffin to the grave. Senior political figures such as Turkey’s Foreign Minister, Dr. Ahmet Davutoğlu and the Mayor of Istanbul offered their condolences. Further, the Mayor also gave Ammar and his family a great privilege by offering Ammar to be buried at Eyyub Sultan gravesite overlooking the Golden Horn. This gravesite has only been home to the Prophet’s companions, ‘auliya, and well-known figures. Ammar is the first and only Malaysian to be laid to rest there. Such honour!

Some of us may feel indifferent towards Ammar’s passing. But, there is no reason why we cannot emulate his way of living and his endeavour to be a faithful Muslim. At his young age, he achieved so much and was well-loved by so many that his loss left a void for all those who was acquainted with him. For the rest of us, he touched many hearts even after death. How many of us are able to do the same?

His death was a testament to the fact that our death will be a reflection on how we lived our life. Ammar sur rounded h imsel f wi th p ious and knowledgeable people in life and was rewarded the same upon death. It is not too late for any of us to awaken and realise that our journey is still far although our time is fleeting. We should all look at ourselves and ask ‘What more can I do for my community and my faith?’ And let our actions manifest the answer.


The Boy Who Loved

There used to be this girl who I thought the world of. Being the hard man that I always believed myself to be, it embarrasses me to say that she lightened up my life like sunshine. She was my sunshine. Her grandfather used to call her that and I couldn’t agree more. She was so bright and full of enthusiasm. Bubbly and positive, I found her so attractive that I somehow fell in love. WE fell in love.

Well then, what do I know about love?

The relationship didn’t last long. Everything went from lovely to bad. We planned far into the future. Too far ahead that we lost track of the present. It was mainly my fault. Well, for the most part of it, I believe it was because of the fact that we were too young and naive. I was too young and naive.

The aftermath of the relationship has put me into deep thought. I came to the conclusion that young people shouldn’t be planning to marry. I suppose that young people know nothing about love; they wouldn’t have a clue about something as weighty as marriage. I held on to that belief dearly. That was before I got to know about Jijan.

Well, by then, it was obvious that I knew nothing about love.

Jijan is a friend of mine. Fikri’s his real name but he looks a lot like the famous comedian that we all decided to call him Jijan. The name stuck. Jijan got to know this girl named Faizah. To cut a long story short, they fell in love and decided to marry. Her parents weren’t too keen on the idea. We’re talking about a young boy here. A young boy who’s not even a law student yet, let alone a lawyer (they were in CFS when this happened). Faizah’s parents told them to focus on their studies first. “Let fate decide on your marriage,” they said. Upon hearing this, Jijan decided to take fate into his own hands.

Warriors fight for the cause that they believe in and that’s exactly what Jijan did. He took on a part time job. He bought a car to help him commute to and fro his workplace. He balanced studies and work efficiently that he graduated Foundations in time to enter Gombak. It was not a walk in a park though. He barely had time to sleep as he was on a graveyard shift. But somehow he persevered. He had no time to play around. During

class, he was like a robot; relentlessly jotting down notes. He knew that he couldn’t afford to slip up so he focused hard in class. That helped him a lot study-wise. When they entered Gombak things were a little bit harder. Jijan had to quit his job. So he started a business. He went from room to room selling hot dogs. He sold his beat up Saga too. After a tumultuous period, they finally got married. But the struggle didn’t stop there.

People were still skeptical about his ability to be the man of the family. As a friend, I was guilty of that too. But as time passed by I could see that Jijan by some means managed to prove the doubters wrong. They moved into a house and from that point of time, there was no turning back. They would have to lead two lives – as students and also a married couple. Their responsibility is enormous. Both of them need to be profoundly responsible towards each other. Furthermore, their married life has to also be consistent with their studies. It was a burden that I personally wouldn’t want to carry as it’s too heavy in my opinion. Nevertheless I was amazed to see that they do it with ease. Intrigued, I asked Jijan what his secret was. Wasn’t he burdened by all those dependence?

Jijan smiled and said “If something as lovely as marriage is seen as a burden, then why would God make it permissible? It isn’t rocket science. You just got to have faith. You’re not in this alone. The Big Guy upstairs will get you covered. Love is beautiful. It’ll be prettier if it’s blessed in marriage.”

He patted my back and went off to walk with his wife, hand in hand. Without him realizing it, Jijan gave me a lesson on love. He taught me that in life, to lose something in return of a greater thing is not a loss after all. Most importantly, he taught me that love is not without responsibility. Nothing in the world is. One should be a man and take his chances. But that’s only when he’s ready.

Now thanks to Jijan, I guess I know something about love.

“..I knew nothing about love.”


Monday’s Hue: It’s Blue.

For many of us, Monday blues is a disease we cannot get rid off. Something so inherent within us, that when it hits - it hits hard. Nowhere to free ourselves from the shackles of the wrath of this blue; albeit the existence of myriad articles on the self-help tab (you don’t have to lie to us, we know) that discusses the methods on how to at least, prevent it from happening.

They might tell you to among others; 1. To get enough rest the day before and make sure you finish your chores so you do not have an overwhelming to-do list later. 2. Avoid staying up too late in order to make you feel less miserable (which in my opinion, does not work – at all). 3. Make a list of things you are looking forward to during the weekend. 4. Eating healthy by reducing our consumption of any stimulants (are they trying to infer that we should abandon our coffee?) et cetera.

But let’s face it. It never works does it?

You will still reluctantly wake up in the morning of that treacherous Monday when your alarm(s) go off, hit the snooze button for god knows how many times and close your eyes thinking that a delay of 5 minutes from your day would actually make a huge difference.

You will unwillingly drag yourself out of the comforts of your cocoon of a blanket, curse under your breath on how Monday is such a drag and how it should never exist yet still reach for your towel and hit the shower instantly.

You walk to class half-heartedly feeling as if the air underneath you is made of bricks and to make matters worse, you have yet to prepare for your tutorials - forget about any pre-readings - and your first lecture just so happens to be given by one of the most intense lecturers around. Therefore, any amount of advice in this situation will never appease the state that you are in. I should warn you. If you’re reading this article

in the hopes of getting some form of empowerment, I’ll say it straight up here – I will disappoint you. I will not be speaking to you in Winfrey’s vivacious voice to tell you that “YOU CAN BEAT THIS! YOU SHALL TRY TO ACCENTUATE THE POSITIVE!”, I’ll take the less popular approach by saying - it’s about embracing it. Yes, you heard me right. Embrace it.

I once read that in life it’s not happiness that should be your end-goal as what these self-help articles are focusing on. Fact of the matter is, the media tries their best to propagate and fixate on the idea of the significance of contentment that now people do not understand what “wholesomeness” means, and in my opinion, it is what we should be aiming for.

Which is to say the experience of a variant of emotions; the inexplicable drive you get from extreme euphoria; falling into the deepest pit of melancholia or in this case, the ever dreadful Monday Blues flowing through our veins. Good and bad, these are all emotions that make us what we are now - human.

There is no other way to counter it than to realize that it’s a part of us. Just sit back and think of how many Mondays you have endured and survived in your lifetime? A lot. Now, tell yourself, you can do the same for the many years to come. Despite how miserable your Monday can be, you’ll always have the weekend to look forward to or if that’s too far, Tuesdays are just more or less 16 hours away!

On the flipside, imagine a world sans Monday blues: a world with fewer complaints, less conversational topics, a world shaded entirely by colours so dull it would be a disgrace to the community of navelgazers.

Too much of something is not good - in this case it’s Monday Blues. But none at all? Now that’s unquestionably bad.

“YOU CAN BEAT THIS! YOU SHALL TRY TO ACCENTUATE THE

POSITIVE!”


Life on the Fast Lane: Students’ Involvement in Racing

By Muhammad Azraai bin Mohamed Yunos

M o t o r s p o r t s i s o f t e n associated with skinny rich men driving fast cars and runway-worthy beauties. The whole scene is made up of highly materialistic individuals with a passion for speed. Like most things in life, money talks and racing is no different. It’s the team with the biggest budget, or the driver with the deepest pocket that crosses the line first. Unlike other sports, talent counts for less, I’m not saying you don’t need talent to win, but your machinery contributes more towards your performance.

Seeing as money talks in this expensive sport, you wouldn’t expect to find students being heavily involved in it. Truth is, there are numerous university students, like myself, that participate in the scene. The way racing is portrayed in the media is quite distorted. Only the higher echelons of racing are televised. There are many other forms of racing that are not only affordable, but also extremely competitive.

Having raced in the lower categories I can confirm that the racing is not only professional, but also very fierce. Seeing that not a lot of money is involved, drivers tend to find gaps at places where there shouldn’t be any gaps. An example is if you’ve watched professional kart races such as Rotax Max at Elite Speedway, turns 3 to 4, the downhill section that leads to a hairpin – there’s only one line. Not two or three, but one, because the right-hander is not only downhill but heavily cambered on the inside.

If you watch an intermediate series or a lower series you’ll notice that these guys have the guts to get side by side at a corner where there’s only one line. For those of you that

haven’t raced, a track is like a narrow alley, regardless of how wide it is. The reason behind this is that you want to keep your machinery, be it a kart, car or bike as straight as possible. This is only achievable if you widen your corner entries and exits. The more steering angle you put through a corner the more speed you’ll scrub off, which results in a slower lap time, and you don’t want that. When you’re racing, this theory is a lot harder to execute because, you’ve got other karts, cars or bikes trying to steal your line. Corners like turns 3 to 4 at Elite Speedway where you’re flat out at around 110-120km/h, if you go offline, the rear end of the kart will step out, and that’s game over.

The nerves these guys have t ru ly represent the sp i r i t o f motorsport and racing in general. Courage accompanied with good judgment is what racing is all about. By the end of the day, it doesn’t matter if you’re racing a cheap 4-stroke rental kart or a race prepped Aston Martin DBR9. Racers race not because it’s du jour but because it’s their passion.

Although money is a factor that determines what you can race, it never decides whether you can race or not. There is a prevalent belief that you’re only racing when you’re

driving “proper” racing machineries. This is total sacrilege – racing is not about the price of the machinery you race, it’s about the spirit. Individuals that associate prestige and class to rac ing have no place in the motorsports scene. The mental reward you procure in racing is the same regardless of what you race.

Having raced in amateur leagues such as, KRD and my-kart, obstacle you’d be surprised at the amount of racing knowledge you attain at the events. I still remember during my first 125cc race, I had no idea what I was doing. The feedbacks I gave to my mechanic did not make any sense, but as the season progressed, I not iced a huge difference in my performance. You really do start to comprehend how the machine operates, how camber alterations affect the characteristics of the kart, how to get the most out of the brakes and tires, et cetera.

Although the machines may not be as complex as machines they use at the higher strata of racing, it’s still a racing machine. Karts, depending on your gearing can go as fast as 160km/h! Just imagine taking turns 3 to 4 at Elite Speedway at that speed, you’re literally leaning on an inch of rubber! And all this fun is affordable for a student.

Yes, you’d probably have to make sacrifices to put enough money aside for your racing fees. To some people the sacrifices you make in order to race may seem unreasonable but if you’re passionate about it, rationality will be the last thing that crosses your mind. The bottom line is there’s always a series out there that you can afford to participate in. Money should never be an

“Racers race not because it’s du

jour but because it’s their passion.”


The Balanced Self-Esteem By Muhammad Rafiqree Hamka Bin Ruslan

Self-esteem provides a balanced perception about who you really are, holding on to what you believe about yourself. Self esteem simply means how much you as a person value yourself.

Having low self-esteem would mean that you do not value yourself highly and at times it could lead you to question THE ALMIGHTY - why aren’t you created in such and such way. Everyone was born with different flaws and abilities, just embrace the fact that everybody is created differently. If you keep thinking about what you do not have, negativity may take hold of you. When negativity is in control, you will not be able to discover how precious you are because you will always be haunted with “I cannot do this” without having the courage to try things out first. What you need to do is to change your perception about everything, making it fit what you believe in. Friends and family around you are the most important elements with which you can gain self- confidence.

“Being a person is about discovering who you are, not just changing who you are to fit to some ridiculous mold.”

It is possible to have too much confidence and pride, but too much self-esteem? Probably not. If you do not know your limits and have unrealistic confidence then you may be heading for a big fall. In the same way, pride can result in a large ego and if things do not go according to how you expect them to, you may really get hurt. Confidence should not be a justification for you to feel superior and arrogant, which sometimes can be the case. Indubitably, to feel good about yourself is a manifestation of gratefulness but do not speak or act in a way that could jeopardize your relationship with people around you.

The nature of self-esteem should be honesty, not about being pretentious. When a person possesses true self-esteem, they will be very firm in what they believe in and accept criticism accordingly. It is not mala in se nor mala prohibita to admit that you don’t know, as there is no one in the world who knows everything. Embrace your weaknesses, love yourself and care about everyone.

Advisor Assoc. Prof. Dr. Shamrahayu Abdul Aziz

Head Info, Research & Development (LAWSOC)

Seri Nurfarhana Munawir

Head Editorial of AIKOL PRESS Aina Farzana Binti Ismail Asst. Head Editorial 1

Nur Ameera Syafiqah Binti Shaharudin Asst. Head Editorial 2

Mohammad Yazid Bin Zakaria

Editors for Issue #12 Seri Nurfarhana Munawir

Sarah Naeilah Binti Norizal Shahrina Anis Binti Samsudin

Secretary

Muhammad Farhan Bin Sapian Sauri Asst. Secretary

Munirah Binti Hamdan

Financial Controller Muhammad Rafiqree Hamka Bin Ruslan

Asst. Financial Controller Sarah Naeilah Binti Norizal

Nur Aiman Kautsar Binti Shaharudin Shah

Layout, Photography & Ads Head: Syahira Zakaria

Asst. Head: Siddiq Rafee Bin Ramli Mumtaz Munirah Binti Mian

Nadiah Farhana Binti Zainuddin Muhammad Syaqil Bin Iberahim

Training & Education

Head: Mohd Zharif Bin Abd Hamid Asst. Head: Nadzratun Naim Binti Hammad Azizi

Nur Arina Ahmad Izuddin Huzir Bin Shamsul Bahrin

Media, Promotion & Distribution

Head: Hafidzi Razali Asst. Head: Sharifah Nur Asmaa’ Binti Syed Azman

Nik Nuraisha Alia Binti Hanafi Shahrina Anis Binti Samsudin

Azraai Yunos

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aikol press issue 12

Documents

puerto rico

trainers madam suzanna

madam aliza

madam sharifah zubaidah

madam nik haizam

international round

year llb

people mardhiyah