Johoreans flock to education fair
JOHOR BARU: Johoreans are embracing the opportunity to explore top-notch education courses as the Star Education Fair reaches the state for the first time this weekend.
Held at the Persada International Convention Centre, the two-day fair has drawn a steady stream of students, parents and working adults keen on exploring academic opportunities.
UniKL marketing, student recruitment and administration division assistant manager Mohamad Nor Haida Abd Rahman said the response at the fair has been encouraging, with most visitors enquiring about scholarship opportunities and minimum entry requirements.
'With Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) gaining more national attention in recent years, UniKL has seen a steady increase in applications for such courses.
'This has had a positive impact on our student numbers and reflects growing awareness of the value of hands-on, skills-based education,' he said.
He said the university currently offers 146 programmes, covering both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
Early birds: Eager visitors standing in line to enter the Star Education Fair held at the Persada Johor International Convention Centre here.— THOMAS YONG/The Star
'We have a lot of programmes related to mechanical and electrical engineering, as well as IT and business.
'For diploma programmes, the minimum requirement is three credits, while foundation programmes require five credits.
'We also offer scholarships for students applying to our foundation programmes,' he said.
Southern University College student recruitment office executive Melissa Ng said most of the enquiries from visitors centred around scholarship opportunities.
'Most of the questions we've received today are about scholarships, course highlights and our campus location.
'We offer up to 100% scholarships, along with financial aid and free accommodation for eligible students,' she said.
She added that one of the most popular courses is traditional Chinese medicine.
'What's unique about this course is that students from non-science streams are also eligible to enrol,' she said, adding that the university college will also be having an open day on Sept 13 and 14.
Manipal University College Malaysia marketing, sales and enrolment executive Anusia Sammugam said the education fair was a great platform to introduce students to the university's wide range of programmes.
'We offer six courses, including our new programmes in occupational therapy, physiotherapy, and psychology.
'Other programmes are Foundation in Science, Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS), and Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS),' she said.
Anusia said the response at the fair has been positive, with most enquiries coming from Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia, matriculation, A-Level and O-Level students.
She added that the university is offering various scholarships, including full and partial tuition fee waivers.
'Some students can receive up to 100% in tuition fee waivers, while others may qualify for 50%, depending on their academic results.
'We encourage students to visit our open day on July 12, and bring their academic results for further assessment,' she added.
Come meet us: (from left) Gan, Nur Batriesyia and Mohamad Nor.
EduCity International College business development and marketing head Layla Mustaffa said the college offers five diploma programmes and one foundation course, including a diploma in Internet of Things.
'The fair has been a good platform for us to raise awareness about our programmes.
'Most visitors asked about financial aid and course details,' she said, adding that the college is currently offering sponsorships worth up to RM5,000.
University of Southampton Malaysia student recruitment manager Allan Gan Chee Haur said interest in computer science-related courses has grown significantly, especially in areas such as AI, cybersecurity, programming and software engineering.
'We've received many enquiries about these programmes at the fair, along with engineering fields like aerospace and mechanical engineering,' he said.
He added that the university also attracts students from across the Causeway.
At-Sunrice GlobalChef Academy assistant director Yong Reei Pyn said the Singapore-based institution offers an 'abundance education' model, which includes career and specialist diplomas, a degree, and two paid internships.
'Our core tracks are culinary arts, pastry and bakery, and food and beverage management, with an option in food entrepreneurship and culinary wellness,' she said.
She added that the programme allows students to complete a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Entrepreneurship within two and a half years.
'Among questions that visitors were curious about are their future career prospects, including salaries,' she said, adding that the academy also has a large number of students from Johor.
Asia Aeronautical Training Academy sales and marketing assistant manager Nur Batriesyia Azli said the academy offers commercial and private pilot licences, as well as a Qualified Military Pilot (QMP) conversion course.
'We're the first flying school to introduce an Airline Preparation Programme (APP), and we also have a 737 simulator available for training and public bookings,' she said.
She said the academy, located at Senai Airport, has drawn strong interest at the fair, especially with its simulator on display.
Among the visitors at the fair yesterday were sisters Belinda Goh, 21, and Regina Goh, 19, who came to know about it while having breakfast near the convention centre.
'We saw the banners and signage for the fair and decided to drop by to check things out.
'I've been to other education fairs before, but this is the first time for my sister, and I hope we can learn a thing or two here,' said Belinda.
Regina, who is taking the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE), said she hopes to find out more about culinary programmes available at the fair.
'I am interested in culinary arts, and I'm looking forward to discovering the local options available here,' she said.
Also taking the opportunity to look out for education opportunities was 40-year-old lecturer Assoc Prof Hairul Azmi Mohamed.
'I believe it is important for us to know about the latest technology, including artificial intelligence (AI), so that we can keep up with the fast-changing world.
'I'm here to look out for courses related to technology, which may be helpful for the future of the maritime industry,' said the maritime management and operations lecturer.
Organised by Star Media Group, the two-day fair features 40 institutions occupying over 55 booths, offering a wide range of programmes and consultations.
The fair offers various tertiary study options along with financial assistance, such as study loans and scholarships.
The two-day fair, which ends today, is open from 11am to 6pm.
Among the exhibitors are UniKL, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM), University of Southampton Malaysia, Asia Aeronautical Training Academy, Singapore's At-Sunrice GlobalChef Academy, Southern University College, Netherlands Maritime University College (NMUC), Educity International College and Newcastle University Medicine Malaysia (NUMed).
The Star Education Fair, now in its 38th year, is one of the country's pioneer education exhibitions.
It has consistently provided visitors with information on educational programmes ranging from pre-university, diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate courses to professional and vocational training offered by various local and international institutions.
For more details on the Star Education Fair, visit facebook.com/stareducationfair or email edufair@thestar.com.my.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sinar Daily
an hour ago
- Sinar Daily
BRICS nations slam Trump tariffs, condemn strikes on Iran
The 11 emerging nations -- including Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa -- account for about half the world's population and 40 per cent of global economic output. 07 Jul 2025 09:27am US President Donald Trump stops to gesture at the US flag as he walks on the South Lawn from Marine One to the White House in Washington, DC on July 6, 2025, after spending the weekend at his residence in Bedminster, New Jersey. - (Photo by ALEX WROBLEWSKI / AFP) RIO DE JANEIRO - BRICS leaders at a summit on Sunday took aim at US President Donald Trump's "indiscriminate" import tariffs and recent Israeli-US strikes on Iran. The 11 emerging nations -- including Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa -- account for about half the world's population and 40 per cent of global economic output. The bloc is divided about much, but found common cause when it comes to the mercurial US leader and his stop-start tariff wars -- even if they avoided naming him directly. Voicing "serious concerns about the rise of unilateral tariff" measures, BRICS members said the tariffs risked hurting the global economy, according to a summit joint statement. They also offered symbolic backing to fellow member Iran, condemning a series of military strikes on nuclear and other targets carried out by Israel and the United States. In April, Trump threatened allies and rivals alike with a slew of punitive duties, before offering a months-long reprieve in the face of a fierce market sell-off. Trump has now warned he will impose unilateral levies on partners unless they reach "deals" by Aug 1. In an apparent concession to US allies such as Brazil, India and Saudi Arabia, the summit declaration did not criticise the United States or its president by name at any point. BRICS leaders meeting in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday are expected to decry US President Donald Trump's "indiscriminate" trade tariffs, saying they are illegal and risk hurting the global economy. - (Photo by MAURO PIMENTEL / AFP) - No show - Conceived two decades ago as a forum for fast-growing economies, the BRICS have come to be seen as a Chinese-driven counterbalance to US and western European power. But as the group has expanded to include Iran, Saudi Arabia and others, it has struggled to reach meaningful consensus on issues from the Gaza war to challenging US global dominance. BRICS nations, for example, collectively called for a peaceful two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict -- despite Tehran's long-standing position that Israel should be destroyed. An Iranian diplomatic source said his government's "reservations" had been conveyed to Brazilian hosts. Still, Iran stopped short of rejecting the statement outright. In perhaps a further sign of the diplomatic sensitivities, Saudi Arabia's foreign minister skipped Sunday's discussions entirely, according to a Brazilian government source. Saudi Arabia is among the world's leading beneficiaries of high-tech US military exports and is a long-standing US partner. The political punch of this year's summit has been depleted by the absence of China's Xi Jinping, who skipped the meeting for the first time in his 12 years as president. The Chinese leader is not the only notable absentee. Russian President Vladimir Putin, charged with war crimes in Ukraine, also opted to stay away, participating via video link. He told counterparts that BRICS had become a key player in global governance. The summit also called for regulation governing artificial intelligence and said the technology could not be the preserve of only rich nations. The commercial AI sector is currently dominated by US tech giants, although China and other nations have rapidly developing capacity. - Facundo Fernández Barrio, Andrew Beatty / AFP More Like This
The Star
4 hours ago
- The Star
Unpacking the legacy in plantation names
IN Malaysia's early plantation days, life was tough, but creativity flourished. While latex and fresh fruit bunch flowed, so did amusing stories behind estate names. More than a formality, naming was an art, full of humour and quirky charm. These tales remain a delightful part of the plantation heritage. Let's take a stroll down memory lane and discover how inventive those names truly were. Tennamaram Estate It's been 108 years since Malaysia's first commercial oil palms were planted at Tennamaram in Batang Berjuntai (now Bestari Jaya), Selangor. In 1911, inspired by oil palm development in Sumatra, Frenchman Henri Fauconnier brought seeds to his coffee estate, and by 1917, Tennamaram became the nation's pioneering oil palm estate. Now here's the twist: 'Tennamaram' comes from the Tamil words 'tennam maram', meaning coconut tree. Why name an oil palm estate after coconuts? Apparently, Tamil workers mistook the young palms for coconut trees, giving the estate its 'coconutty' name. The actual Tamil for oil palm is 'sempanai maram' or 'enney panai', so the estate's name was based on a botanical blunder. And so, Malaysia's oil palm legacy – serious business with global impact – was born from a linguistic mix-up. Bangsar In 1906, the London-based Kuala Lumpur Rubber Co Ltd (KLR) was founded to plant rubber around Kuala Lumpur, driven by rising demand for tyres as motorcars replaced horse – drawn carriages. Veteran planter M R Chandran, who once worked with Socfin, fondly recalled KLR's Belgian and French founders – Edouard Bunge and Alfred Grisar – who left a lasting mark on the region's agricultural landscape. Back then, naming the estate was a no-brainer for Bunge and Grisar: they simply merged their surnames. Thus, Bunge-Grisar was born. But 'Bunge-Grisar' didn't roll off the tongue for local workers under the Malayan sun. Over time, it was shortened to 'Bungsar'. As the plantation made way for city life, the name got a final polish – becoming 'Bangsar'. Thankfully for today's branding, B came before G – otherwise we would be living in Sarbang. What began as a humble rubber estate under Socfin eventually morphed into the buzzing suburb. Yam Seng Estate Here's a cheerful tale from The Planter by D B Gardner about how a rubber estate in Larut, Perak came to be named Yam Seng – the Cantonese toast meaning 'Cheers!' At the turn of the century, an Irishman – rare among the mostly English and Scots planters – was managing the only Irish-registered rubber company operating in Malaya. When his company acquired land from a local Chinese towkay, tradition called for a handover celebration. The chairman threw a party, complete with rounds of brandy. As spirits soared, so did the shouts of 'Yam Seng!' from the Chinese guests. When the time came to name the estate, the official turned to the Irishman, who, perhaps buoyed by both cultural warmth and brandy, simply raised his glass and declared, 'Yam Seng!' Applause followed. And just like that, Yam Seng Estate was born. Fittingly, 'Yam Seng' also means 'Drink to Victory', a perfect tribute to the estate's hopes for prosperity, success and unity. Today, the name celebrates more than a good cheer – it honours a unique blend of Irish wit, Chinese tradition and the shared toast to progress. MOBE Estate Here's another classic from The Planter about MOBE – a rubber estate named after a frustrated Englishman's sarcastic outburst. Estate rules required a giant signboard listing the estate name. After refusing to register a name and facing repossession, he gave in with that cheeky acronym for his outburst 'My Own Bloody Estate' – and it stuck. MOBE remains a legendary blend of British sarcasm and colonial red tape – with a wink. Nordanal and Lanadron Estates In Panchor, Johor, a clever plantation owner made waves not just with rubber but with naming flair. His estate, Nordanal, sounded grand and mysterious. When he bought a neighbouring plot, He kept it simple – just reversed the original name. And so, Lanadron was born. Workers laughed, 'Did Tuan just flip the name?' But the strategy caught on. Today, both estate names remain as cheeky reminders that sometimes, the smartest move is just flipping the script. Jeroco and Trushidup Let's head to Sabah, where plantation names blend branding genius with local flair. First, Jeroco – a name that sounds like a masked superhero but is actually a clever acronym coined by Hap Seng Plantations in Lahad Datu. No, it's not biblical Jericho with crumbling walls and trumpets. This is Jeroco –practical and all about tropical crops. The name fuses four key ones: JE for Jelutong, R for Rattan, O for Oil Palm and CO for Cocoa. A compact showcase of agro-diversity! Of course, not all crops are created equal. Over time, only oil palm proved unstoppable – efficient, productive and needing fewer resources than its plant cousins. It's the last crop standing. Then there's Trushidup of Genting Plantations Bhd . Sounds like a mythical forest where nothing dies – and in a way, it is. A poetic spin on Terus Hidup (Malay for 'live on'), it evokes images of ever-flourishing palms swaying with eternal purpose. Immortality, estate-style. Excellent Challenger 1 and 2 Back when I was in IJM Plantations Bhd, now KLK, there were two estates in Sugut named Excellent Challenger 1 and 2 – grand names that stuck from day one. Naturally, we shortened them to EC1 and EC2, which, in true Malaysian fashion, became 'Easy-one' and 'Easy-two'. But don't be fooled by the breezy nicknames. These estates sat near the Sugut River, and during the early days, heavy rains regularly turned them into giant ponds. Plantation life was anything but 'Easy', though 'Challenger' felt very accurate. And if battling floods wasn't enough, the rising waters brought more than fish. Yes, there were crocodiles too. So along with tending to the crops, we had to watch the riverbanks. A true test of nerves – and definitely not so 'easy too' after all. As plantation ownership changed over time, many colonial-era names were replaced – taking with them small pieces of our past. But were those changes necessary? Rather than erasing history, we might learn from it and move forward. Shakespeare asked, 'What's in a name?' But on plantations, names were more than labels. They carried wit, sentiment and history – whether as acronyms, tributes or clever wordplay. Some planters also named estates after places or people from home, turning distant memories into emotional anchors in unfamiliar lands. Joseph Tek Choon Yee is the past president of the Malaysian Estate Owners Association and former chief executive of the Malaysian Palm Oil Association. The views expressed here are the writer's own.
The Star
4 hours ago
- The Star
Robust exports buoy second-quarter growth
Solid showing: Workers in a garment factory in Vietnam. The country's exports rose 18% in the second quarter to US$116.93bil. — AFP HANOI: Vietnam's economy grew at a faster pace in the second quarter of this year led by strong exports, in an encouraging sign just days after US President Donald Trump said he would place lower-than-threatened 20% tariffs on many Vietnamese products. Concerns over the South-East Asian manufacturing hub's outlook had been growing in the run up to the trade deal announced last Wednesday, particularly as the United States is Vietnam's biggest export market. Gross domestic product growth in the April-June quarter accelerated to 7.96% year-on-year, from the 6.93% in the first quarter, government data showed last Saturday. It was just short of Hanoi's full-year growth target of at least 8%. 'Economic performance in the first half of this year was positive and close to our target amid global and regional economic uncertainty,' the National Statistics Office said. Exports were a bright spot in the last quarter, rising 18% to US$116.93bil from a year earlier, while imports were up 18.8% at US$112.52bil, translating into a trade surplus of US$4.41bil, the data showed. Industrial production in the period rose 10.3%, while June consumer prices rose 3.57%. Trump announced last Wednesday the United States and Vietnam reached a trade deal, under which Vietnamese goods would face a 20% tariff, with trans-shipments from third countries through Vietnam also facing a 40% levy. Vietnam could import US products with a 0% tariff. The tariff rates were lower than an initial 46% rate threatened by Trump in April. Vietnam hailed the deal as a boost for business and said negotiators were working to finalise details, as business groups awaited clarity on the finer points to assess the impact of the new tariffs. The United States is the largest export market for Vietnam, a regional manufacturing hub housing several multinational companies such as Samsung Electronics and Foxconn. The United States recorded a trade deficit of US$123bil with Vietnam last year, one of its highest globally. Vietnam is also home to several Chinese companies, which analysts said are likely the main targets for the 40% tariff on trans-shipments. China is Vietnam's largest two-way trading partner on which it relies heavily for components and materials for its manufacturing industries. Fitch Solutions said in a note last Friday that Vietnam's exports and investment will remain strong for the rest of the year and signalled upside risks for its gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecast of 6.4% this year. 'With the new 20% tariff, we think the government will speed up industrial upgrading and shift exports from low-margin goods to higher value-added products such as semiconductors,' it said in a note. Dominic Scriven, founder and chairman of investment firm Dragon Capital, said the trade deal is 'net-positive' and the potential GDP hit is less severe than feared. 'With external trade risk now moderating, attention can return to the country's core growth engine, the domestic and private-sector economy,' he said. — Reuters
