Latest news with #EmpoweringEducationSummit2025
The Star
24-04-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Multiracial school activities vital
(From right) Mohamed Iqbal presenting a memento to Aaron as Yeoh looks on during the Empowering Education Summit 2025 at a hotel in Penang. — CHAN BOON KAI/The Star STEPS have been taken to strengthen national unity at the grassroots level, says National Unity Minister Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang. He said the implementation of the School Unity Index (Indeks Perpaduan Sekolah) and the steady increase it had recorded reflected the growing impact of efforts to promote unity among students and teachers. 'In 2021, the index recorded a score of 6.27 (out of 10),' said Aaron. 'This figure rose to 7.10 in 2022, and further improved to 7.51 in 2023. 'This study, which is a key initiative in strengthening national unity at the grassroots level, was made possible through a collaboration between Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. 'It marks a significant step in grounding our unity-building efforts in evidencebased insights. 'This allows us to better understand where we are and what more needs to be done,' he said. Aaron was speaking during the Empowering Education Summit 2025 held at a hotel in George Town, Penang. He stressed the need for opportunities that allowed students from various backgrounds to work together outside academic settings. 'By enhancing these cross-ethnic activities, we can create stronger bonds between students from diverse communities and regions,' he said. 'It is commendable that this summit has created a platform to discuss fostering national unity through education. 'Malaysia is home to a tapestry of cultures, religions and languages. 'For this diversity to remain a source of strength, it must be nurtured with understanding, respect and acceptance,' he said. Aaron said seeds of unity were first planted in school classrooms, where young minds begin to learn about each other and the world around them. 'When children sit side by side in the same classroom, sharing knowledge, laughter and dreams, they also begin to share understanding. 'They learn to look beyond skin colour, religion or language. They learn to see the human being in each other. 'This is where unity begins,' he said. The one-day summit featuring six sessions was organised by KSI Strategic Institute for Asia Pacific. It was themed 'Shaping Asean's Future Through Skills and Innovation'. It brought together over 150 participants comprising policymakers, educators, leaders and industry professionals. Institute president Tan Sri Michael Yeoh said the summit was a way to look at how Asean could enhance regional collaboration. 'It aims to promote the sharing of views on how education can be future-proofed and to prepare future-ready graduates. 'It focuses on the Asean Work Plan on Education, and preparing Asean for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0) and artificial intelligence. 'We want to enhance educational competitiveness here,' he said. Yeoh added that the summit also aimed to stimulate discussions on how Penang could be a regional education hub. Event attendees tackled different aspects of the regional education and skills development agenda. Panel sessions included Asean Work Plan on Education (2021 to 2025) and preparing Asean for Industry 4.0. The summit also touched on English proficiency and connectivity as well as early childhood education across the region. Additionally, it was a platform for fostering cross-border education policies and innovation, and advancing skills development under the Asean Year of Skills 2025 banner. This underscored the urgent need for harmonised regional efforts to prepare Asean's youth and workforce for the realities of Industry 4.0, while promoting equitable access to quality education. In presenting the Empowering Education Excellence Awards 2025, the summit also honoured outstanding institutions and individuals for their contributions to regional education, innovation and communitybuilding. Other guests included Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek, Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow and KSI deputy chairman Datuk Seri Mohamed Iqbal Rawther.
Barnama
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Barnama
Displaying Jalur Gemilang Without Crescent Must Never Happen Again
GENERAL GEORGE TOWN, April 21 (Bernama) -- The recent display of the Jalur Gemilang without the crescent moon should never have happened, and all parties must take steps to ensure such incidents are not repeated, said National Unity Minister Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang. He stressed that such errors can cause public unease and undermine the spirit of unity and harmony that Malaysians have long upheld. 'It's deeply regrettable – this should not happen in a country that has proudly flown the same flag for decades. I believe many were shocked to see the crescent missing from the flag. I, too, was surprised. 'Please, don't let this happen again. It can create confusion and disharmony. At the Ministry, we are committed to fostering unity, peace, and togetherness — because unity brings prosperity and drives national progress. We must preserve the peace we enjoy,' he said after attending the Empowering Education Summit 2025 here today. Aaron urged all agencies, media outlets, and private organisations to verify the accuracy of the Jalur Gemilang before displaying or publishing it, especially on public platforms or at official events. When asked whether the apologies issued by the parties involved were sufficient, Aaron said it was the right first step, but any further action would be at the discretion of the relevant authorities. 'Mistakes must be acknowledged, and an apology is the least that can be done. However, if the agency involved feels further action is necessary, that's their prerogative,' he said. Last Tuesday, Sin Chew Daily published an incomplete image of the Jalur Gemilang on its front page while covering Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to Malaysia. The flag shown was missing the crescent moon - a key symbol representing Islam, the country's official religion. The newspaper later issued a public apology, attributing the incident to an unintentional technical error. In a separate case, Singapore-based baby food company Singapore Lactation Bakes (SLB) also apologised after a promotional video at a baby product exhibition in Kuala Lumpur featured the Malaysian flag without the crescent.
The Star
21-04-2025
- General
- The Star
Award is recognition of UTeM's efforts to drive education excellence, says VC
MELAKA: Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM) will continue to affirm its excellence as a leading technical higher education institution, says its vice-chancellor. Prof Datuk Dr Massila Kamalrudin said UTeM remains committed to empowering students' potential through high-innovation learning methods, strengthening its impactful research ecosystem, and broadening access to future technologies and skills. She said that these initiatives are ultimately aimed at producing holistic, highly competent graduates capable of competing on a global stage. Massila made this comment in a statement to The Star after UTeM was named the recipient of the National Education Innovation Award at the Empowering Education Summit 2025, held at a prominent hotel in Penang. The prestigious award was presented by the Chief Minister of Penang, Chow Kon Yeow and was witnessed by the Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek on Monday (April 21). Accepting the award on behalf of UTeM was Prof Dr Zulkifilie Ibrahim, deputy vice-chancellor (academic and international) who represented Massila. Massila said that the award signifies high recognition of UTeM's outstanding efforts in driving education innovation grounded in technology, human values and future-oriented thinking. "This recognition is in line with the core focus of the Higher Education Transformation 2025, particularly in the area of 'Developing the Nation's Finest Talent'. "It also stems from the framework of UTeM's Strategic Plan 2023–2025, which centres on five key pillars that directly support the culture of innovation within UTeM's educational approach,' she added. The one-day Empowering Education Summit 2025 brought together educational leaders, institutional heads, and collaborative partners from across the country, united in their mission to shape a more inclusive and progressive Malaysian education landscape.
The Sun
21-04-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Displaying Jalur Gemilang without crescent must never happen again
GEORGE TOWN: The recent display of the Jalur Gemilang without the crescent moon should never have happened, and all parties must take steps to ensure such incidents are not repeated, said National Unity Minister Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang. He stressed that such errors can cause public unease and undermine the spirit of unity and harmony that Malaysians have long upheld. 'It's deeply regrettable – this should not happen in a country that has proudly flown the same flag for decades. I believe many were shocked to see the crescent missing from the flag. I, too, was surprised. 'Please, don't let this happen again. It can create confusion and disharmony. At the Ministry, we are committed to fostering unity, peace, and togetherness — because unity brings prosperity and drives national progress. We must preserve the peace we enjoy,' he said after attending the Empowering Education Summit 2025 here today. Aaron urged all agencies, media outlets, and private organisations to verify the accuracy of the Jalur Gemilang before displaying or publishing it, especially on public platforms or at official events. When asked whether the apologies issued by the parties involved were sufficient, Aaron said it was the right first step, but any further action would be at the discretion of the relevant authorities. 'Mistakes must be acknowledged, and an apology is the least that can be done. However, if the agency involved feels further action is necessary, that's their prerogative,' he said. Last Tuesday, Sin Chew Daily published an incomplete image of the Jalur Gemilang on its front page while covering Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to Malaysia. The flag shown was missing the crescent moon - a key symbol representing Islam, the country's official religion. The newspaper later issued a public apology, attributing the incident to an unintentional technical error. In a separate case, Singapore-based baby food company Singapore Lactation Bakes (SLB) also apologised after a promotional video at a baby product exhibition in Kuala Lumpur featured the Malaysian flag without the crescent. In its statement, SLB acknowledged the importance of the Jalur Gemilang as a national symbol representing Malaysia's identity, heritage, and unity, and expressed regret over the oversight. In a separate development, Aaron said the ministry is currently conducting its third National Unity Index (IPNas) to assess the current level of social cohesion in the country. This is the third time we are conducting the survey. The current score stands at a moderate level - around 0.6. We are targeting 0.7, which indicates a stable and healthy level of unity. The survey is being carried out by a team of local university professors through a nationwide poll,' he said. Earlier in his keynote address, Aaron proposed that the Rukun Negara Education Module be expanded to all kindergartens nationwide, including those under the Ministry of Education, KEMAS preschools, and private early childhood centres. At present, 1,781 Unity Preschools, or Tabika Perpaduan, have implemented the module, which incorporates teachings on patriotism, unity, and moral values, while also encouraging independence in young children. He added that the ministry also aims to increase the number of Rukun Negara Clubs and Rukun Negara Secretariats in schools and institutions of higher learning across the country to instil national values and unity among the younger generation. 'These initiatives reflect our commitment to nurturing unity from early childhood through to adulthood, in line with our vision of building a harmonious, inclusive, and united Malaysia,' he said.
Barnama
21-04-2025
- Business
- Barnama
Penang Poised To Become ASEAN's Education Hub
GEORGE TOWN, April 21 (Bernama) -- Penang has both the potential and the responsibility to emerge as a regional education hub, said Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow. He said the ambition was anchored by the state's educational institutions such as Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Penang Skills Development Centre (PSDC) and Penang Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) ecosystem. This foundation is further strengthened by decades of close industry-academia collaboration with global industrial giants such as Intel, AMD, Bosch and others. 'Let us make Penang a testbed for cross-border skill certification, especially in green technology, robotics and chip design-areas where our industries are actively growing. 'Stronger academia-industry alignment will be key to curriculum relevance and graduate employability. I encourage more regional firms to co-invest in training academies, internships and innovation labs,' he said in his opening address at the Empowering Education Summit 2025: Shaping ASEAN's Future Through Skills and Innovation here today. Also present was Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek. At the same time, Chow called for the scaling up of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered learning, digital platforms, and blockchain credentialing. 'Penang welcomes partnerships under Malaysia's EduTech Accelerator Programme to pilot and co-develop such tools,' he said. He further called for collaboration on student exchange programmes, dual degrees as well as digital access for underserved communities.
