Faculty of Business and Management (FBM), Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM),
Malaysia recently collaborated with the Malaysian Women's Graduate Association
(PSWM), on a special Webinar program, You Are The Source of My Inspiration
(KSIK). The motivation program anchored on three PSWM inspirational icons,
Rashidi Abdullah (Shidi), Khairil Azreen Mohd Jasni (Khai) and Dinie Rashid
(Dinie). The inspiring fact is that all three of the icons were not born blind
but one day in their teens found themselves blind.
Assoc. Prof. Dr Geetha Subramaniam, a FBM lecturer and also
an exco-member of PSWM, together with two lecturers from FBM, Mrs. Ainie
Hairianie Aluwi and Mr. Muhammad Abd Hadi Abd Rahman organised the three-hour
programme, assisted by students from the Human Resource Society UiTM, Puncak
Alam (HURES). The President of PWSM, Datin Fauziah Mohd Ramly, moderated the
session with Mohammad Danish Durrani (HURES representative) as the emcee.
Considering all the challenges faced by students, with
the shift of campus experience to online classes, this program was designed as
a motivational session with a difference for the UiTM students.
Despite the loss of their sight, the three young men
shared how they used their enhanced senses to develop other talents, like
singing, playing instruments, creating and reciting poems. This talent
management would not have happened if not for the President of PSWM Datin Fauziah
Mohd Ramly, who recognised their hidden talent, nurtured them with love and
brought them out as role models who could motivate the younger generation of
students at schools and universities.
Throughout the Webinar, the PSWM icons touched the hearts
of the UiTM academics and students by inspiring them with their experiences in
overcoming adversity. The underlying theme throughout the webinar expressed by
Shidi, Khai and Dinie i.e “To have an attitude of gratitude for everything you
have” kept the 650 attendees spell-bound for a good three hours.
The participants listened to the experiences of these
icons who are in their 20s who highlighted that “There’s no point of having
Sight without Vision”. Some of the feedback from students include, ‘Very
Touching”, “We feel so small in front of these three Blind youngsters”, “Such a
peaceful and calm presence”, etc.
They further showcased their talents and mesmerised everybody
with their guitar, poem and songs. In fact one of the icons –Dinie beat
hundreds of youngsters in a highly competitive talent show called BIG STAGE and
successfully made it to the top five finalists, coming out fourth placing. Despite
his sight impairment every week he put up a very impressive performance in terms
of singing and dancing too.
This type of university – Non-Governmental Organisation
(NGO) partnership should definitely be conducted more for the betterment of
students and society. As Fauziah says,
“Go,
Go, Go – Sky is the Limit”.
