Category: Personal

Thank you, Dr Muhd Kamil Ibrahim

I met him in a conference in Glasgow in 2010 when I was a PhD student at Durham University. He came to the conference to accompany his wife who presented a paper based on her Masters research. One of the vivid memories of him during the conference was he was carrying their sleeping daughter on a way back to their hotel. Our eyes met for a while and he smiled with his tired eyes. Coming all the way from Malaysia was not easy especially with a small child. At that time, I already knew him. He already published his famous book “Travelog Haji: Mengubah sempadan iman” and I have read his book which I borrowed from a friend. Reading his book consoles me, as I was unable to perform hajj in 2010, despite having received a letter from Tabung Haji.

I met him the second time when he came to UTM in 2019 to deliver a talk. I remember him saying that when writing a book, it is challenging if we do not give it a try. When some attendees remarked on how time-consuming writing could be, he replied, “Think about how others might benefit from what we write.” His words resonated deeply, reminding us that writing is not just about self-expression but also about contributing to the lives of others. It was a perspective that transformed how I viewed the purpose of writing, not simply fulfilling KPIs.

After the talk, I bought one of his books and asked him to autograph it for a student of mine who was unwell and had wished to meet him. When I mentioned that the autograph was for someone else, he looked at me with a twinkle in his eyes and asked, “Don’t you want my autograph too?” I smiled and told him that meeting him in person was a far greater privilege and honor than having his signature while giving another book for him to sign. His books are deeply inspiring and humbling, serving as powerful tools for his dakwah (spiritual outreach). That encounter left me pondering: What is my tool for dakwah?

He is a special person. A unique individual blessed by Allah with the ability to write and touch the hearts of others through his works. Some of my friends who know him and his family personally, particularly Kak Roza (his wife), have posted on Facebook that they have inspired and made a difference in the lives of so many people in a variety of ways. Getting the news about the passing of a unique person like him is not easy to fathom.

Last Friday, I came across a post from his wife, requesting anyone who read it to recite Surah Ar-Ra’d. Her words conveyed the gravity of his condition. I prayed fervently that Allah would bless him with the honor of passing away on the best of days—Friday. Yet, Allah’s plans are always better. He passed away on Tuesday 14 January 2025. Al fatihah.

The 2nd International Action Research Competition (i-ARC) 2022/2023: Should I?

I was devastated when the article that I sent to a highly recognized journal in August was rejected. So, I changed the article a bit and sent it to another local journal publisher. But I have not hear anything from them yet until now. I got a response from the former journal within two weeks but it is nearly two months since I heard anything from the latter. *sigh*

One of my friends suggested that perhaps I should consider i-ARC 2023 and get some feedbacks that I can use to improve my research. Perhaps the problems lie in the way I conducted the action research. Reading action research textbooks makes me realize that there are many models. Some are highly theoretical and others are more practical. May be there are things that I overlook while conducting action research in my class. If this is the case, I need to get feedbacks. One of the ways that I can think of getting feedback is through sending my article about the action research that I conducted in my class to be evaluated by others.

It took me a few hours to shorten the article which I originally had planned to submit to a refutable Action Research journal. Well, I admit that I recycled some ideas from the rejected article. It is a normal process to edit, adjust and recycle ideas from different article. Is it plagiarism? It is from me as the author. It is my work and the data was collected by me over more than 4 semesters (until Session 2021/2022). But, for i-ARC2023, I only used data that I collected last semester (Semester 2, Session 2022/2023). Why? The data that I collected from Session 2019/2020 until 2021/2022 has already been used for another article. Also, I think I need to make sure that I would not overpublish my data. I have seen some had done it before but personally, I try to avoid this practice.

How to check the books that you have borrowed from the UTM library? (as in Sept 2023)

There are updates about the log in system.

These are the current steps that I use to check the books that I borrowed from the library.

  1. Go to https://library.utm.my/
  2. Then Click the icon My library account.
  3. You will be directed to this page https://opac.utm.my/
  4. On your right side corner (on the top corner), you will see Log in to your account
  5. Log in using your ACID ID and password.

Note: The old version method to log in to your account is by using the ID number at the back of your matric card and the password that you have set before. If you forget about the password, you can come to the circulation counter at the library (depending on which campus either Skudai, Pagoh or KL), and reset the password with the assistance of the PIC.

TEACHING FROM THE HEART AND SOUL (12 September 2023, Tuesday)

This talk was by Prof Dr Abdul Karim Alias.

These are some of the questions that he posed at the beginning of his talk: “Are you passionate about research but finding teaching to be just another box to check? Do you wonder if there is more to being an educator than just delivering lectures and grading papers?”

The emphasis is on inspiring students who would carry the torch in the future to be “inspired, curious, and passion-driven scholars”. How can we not only embrace our roles as researchers but also “be change-marks, nurturing a new generation of brilliant minds and solidifying out institution’s legacy of academic excellence”?.

UNESCO’s four pillars of education: 1) Learning to know, 2) Learning to do, 3) Learning to be, and 4) Learning to live together.

Tips:

  • Project positive vibes to students regardless of what we experience at the moment.
    • “You are rainbow in clouds”. We can bring meaningful experience to our students’ lives. We can make difference in their lives. Refer to Maya Angelou’s poem “Rainbow in the clouds”. The analogy of rainbow symbolizes hope and renewal. Rainbow also symbolizes inclusivity, diversity and all embracing image of love and friendship.
    • Concern about the well-being of students beyond the compliance to OBE.
    • Falsafah Pendidikan Kebangsaan is the beacon. It should be the guiding principle as it also includes the spiritual parts especially about the belief in God. Based on the Falsafah Pendidikan Kebangsaan, the key message is “Learning is about being – not having”. It is not about having good results (CGPA) etc., but being human beings in its truest essence. “The quality of life is invariably related to the spiritual being first rather than the material being” – Tan Sri Dzulkifli Abdul Razak.
    • The focus should be about building character and values, not just focus on intellectual capacity and competency.
  • VUCA world (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity). It presents so many challenges that make us as the academics to feel overwhelmed, distracted and extremely busy.
  • Know your own self-worth as an individual who hold so many positions and responsibilities. Do not let yourself to be defined by figures and numbers of KPI etc. What matters most? Finding balance is not about 50-50 of things that we do but knowing our priorities without jeopardising our health (physical etc.)
  • Do personal SWOT analysis from time to time.

Pit-stop questions (Take a moment to think about these crucial soul-searching questions):

  • What is the purpose of education?
  • What does it mean to be a “good teacher”?
  • Who is your model? Can you recall a teacher who made a lasting impact on you? What made them special?
  • What does professionalism in teaching mean, and what does it entail?
  • What does it mean to teach from heart and soul?
  • How can I assist my students to find their own passion for learning?
  • Does the culture of academia influence your teaching style?
  • What is your best investment so far for your personal and professional growth?
  • How can I avoid burnout?
  • How do I achieve work-life balance?

Three qualities: Integrity, Intelligence and Energy. Without the first, the other two are meaningless.

Teaching is hard work because it is “heart” work.

When u make time for Allah, Allah will give you time that you need. When you practice calmness and peace in solah, Allah will give you calmness and peace that you need. – Hussain Yee –

List of books to read

  • Unraveling Faculty Burnout: Pathways to Reckoning and Renewal
  • The courage to teach

Note: For more details, you may refer to the notes by Prof Abdul Karim.