MCKL Alumnus amongst Most Innovative Engineers in Australia

MCKL Alumnus amongst Most Innovative Engineers in Australia

For many young Malaysians, simply gaining entry into a university overseas is enough of an ambition. For the hardworking few, receiving awards in prestigious universities overseas may be more of a reality than most dare to dream.

Damien Balachandran completed his A Level studies in Methodist College Kuala Lumpur (MCKL) in 2008, and proceeded with a Bachelor of Engineering at Australian National University (ANU) with the International Undergraduate Scholarship Award. Upon graduating from there, Damien began working as a Hardware Engineer at Seeing Machines and was recently named one of Australia’s most innovative engineers for his role in developing ‘Guardian’, a product that can manage driver fatigue through computer vision.

In recognition of MCKL’s contribution to Damien’s personal and academic growth, his father wrote to MCKL to express his endorsement and gratitude:

“…This was his stepping stone which took him to complete his Hons in Engineering at Australian National University in Canberra. He graduated in 2012 and was chosen as the graduated speaker. From here he was offered employment as an undergraduate in Seeing Machines based in Canberra.

“We as parents of Damien made the right choice in choosing MCKL for his foundation studies. Thanks to all lecturers in nurturing him for achievements.”

Students who have similar aspirations may consider enrolling for MCKL’s courses such as the Cambridge A Level, Western Australian Matriculation, American Degree Transfer Programme, Diploma in Early Childhood Education, Diploma in Social Work or Accounting Studies (ACCA). Scholarships are available for deserving students. For further information on MCKL and its programmes: call 03-22746711 (Marketing) or 03-22741851 (General), email [email protected] or visit our website www.mckl.edu.my.

Increase the starting salary for graduates ASAP!

Increase the starting salary for graduates ASAP!

EDUCATION

Increase the starting salary for graduates ASAP!

Zan Azlee, Writer, Malaysia

20 December 2016

I started working as a journalist 16 years ago. It was my first ever job and it was at The Sun newspaper. I remember my starting salary. It was RM2,100 per month and naturally, it wasn’t enough. It never is enough, right? But it was okay for me as a fresh graduate.

I was able to pay my bills. Of course, there weren’t many since I was only 22 years old and I was still single and living with my parents. I could even save up to buy a car and also a medium-cost apartment slightly outside of the city.

During those days, the issue of low starting salaries for fresh graduates entering the workforce wasn’t something that was a problem. 16 years later today, it is a problem. Fresh graduates now are complaining that their starting salaries are not enough.

Today, the starting salary for most jobs in Malaysia is approximately around RM2,000, depending on the industry.

This means that after 16 years since I started working, the starting salary has not increased. In fact, in some industries, it seems to have even decreased.

So many people I talk to have said that the expectations by graduates these days are unrealistic and that all they want is a high salary to feed their spoilt lifestyle. Some of them even say that if they could survive on their starting salary, then these new graduates should, too.

But I have to disagree. I would not expect a graduate starting to work today to survive on the starting salary that I received almost two decades ago. Economically speaking, wouldn’t it be natural for us to actually equate inflation into it?

My parents, who are both university graduates, used to tell me that their starting salary when they first started working in a bank in the 1970s was around RM800 per month. This was more than 40 years ago.

If according to the logic of these people who say that the graduates are being unreasonable, then everyone today should be able to survive on a starting salary that my parents received more than four decades ago.

When I started working, an affordable car (in my case, it was a Proton Satria) cost me roughly RM40,000. I needed to save up 10 percent of that (RM4,000) for a downpayment and the monthly installment was about RM200.

A medium-cost apartment (I found an affordable one in Sunway) cost RM90,000. Again, I just needed to save up 10 percent for the down payment and legal fees, which came up to about RM12,000. The monthly installment worked out to around RM450.

On a starting salary of RM2,100, these two initial but essential commitments were affordable. I managed to save up and also pay off the installments (which didn’t come to more than 30 percent of my monthly income).

Making a comparison

Now, let’s take a look at the cost of living today. To keep things simple, let’s just take the two costs that I have mentioned, a vehicle and residential property, to make a comparison with what I had to go through years ago.

What is a cheap car these days? A Perodua Axia would be one of the cheapest and currently, it is running at an on-the-road price of roughly RM40,000. It is almost the same price as my Proton Satria way back then.

But an Axia is not equivalent to a Proton Satria. A current equivalent to a Satria would probably be a Proton Persona and that is currently selling for close to RM50,000. So clearly, there has been an increase in cost, if not slightly.

Now we take a look at residential property. Now here is where the significant increase in cost can clearly be seen. A medium-cost apartment like mine (which cost me RM90,000) would now cost about RM400,000 to purchase.

Saving up for the downpayment would take forever for someone who has just started working.

And then there are the monthly installments to worry about. A 90 percent loan over a 30-year tenure would roughly be RM1,300. A little too high for a monthly salary of RM2,100.

Realistically, there are so much more increases in costs in our lives these days than just property and vehicles. How many of us have mentioned to others or ourselves that a packet of nasi lemak used to cost only RM0.50 whereas it now costs RM2?

It is impacting everyone and I think to improve this situation, employers need to think really hard to provide proper wages for their employees. Of course, the authorities also play a very key role because they have the responsibility of forming policies.

If cost is really the problem, then employers probably need to make sure that their revenue stream is stronger. And if the economy is the problem, then those in the government need to ensure that is stronger. Those are their responsibilities.

And those who are already in the workforce should stop sabotaging the younger generation by saying that they are spoilt and have delusional expectations.

We need to make sure that our society develops and progresses into a high-income nation.

When my parents entered the workforce in the 1970s, they could buy a terrace house for RM30,000 and the loan tenure in those days were rarely even over 10 years. A decent car cost RM10,000. So their starting salary of RM800 to RM1,000 was adequate.

It’s simple logic, really.

ZAN AZLEE is a writer, documentary filmmaker, journalist and academic. He continues to work hard to provide for his family and realises that nothing comes easy in life. Luckily, he really enjoys his job. Visit FATBIDIN.COM to view his work.

I graduated. What now?

I graduated. What now?

Millennials vs. Gen X

So… what now?

Zameen Datta, Intern, Malaysiakini

2 December 2016

Congratulations, you’ve finally gotten your degree.

Finishing your final year involves a great deal of stress, with exams and assignments and internships that all suddenly need to be completed and handed in yesterday. It requires many late nights pouring over textbooks and frantic study sessions in the library. At the end of it all, being handed your degree can feel like a sweet, sweet victory.

But once you’ve taken the pictures and tossed the hats in the air, things suddenly become complicated. The real world is very different from the structured, organized life you got used to in university, and it can be confusing or disheartening to many recent graduates taking their first steps alone.

So what do you do once the party’s over and the realities of adult life begin hammering on your door?

For a recent graduate, there are three basic paths available:

1. Continue studying

The most straightforward option: more university!

Many graduates choose to continue studying in order to receive a Masters or even PhD qualification. While this can increase your work value and allow you to learn more about a subject you love, it is important to consider whether or not this is the right path for you.

Going for a Masters means sacrificing short term profits in the hopes of a long term pay off. While having more qualifications can be good, the path of research and academia may not be suited for everyone. In addition to the highly competitive nature of the field, getting a higher qualification can actually lower your job prospects by making you too specialized in a certain subject.

2. Get a job

The “sensible” choice: start working, earn a salary and pay off your debts as soon as possible.

A lot of people decide to go straight into the working world once they graduate. This gives them the chance to immediately start earning money as well as learn new skills and make valuable contacts that will serve them well in the future.

However, while getting a job was once considered the ‘safe and stable’ option, the economic problems of the past few years has led to many companies downsizing and made it harder for new graduates to find work. While the economy is recovering in many places, the idea of staying in one job until you retire is considered outdated and inflexible. Be prepared to switch jobs or even careers several times throughout your lifetime.

3. Do something else

The third and final option represents a lot of things, including: building a business, taking a gap year, becoming a housewife, volunteering to work for an NGO, and many, many more.

This option is available to you because right now you are at what is possibly the most free period of your life. You have all the freedoms and responsibilities of an adult without needing to worry about having to take care of a house or children. In short, this is possibly the best time for you to take a risk because you can afford to make a big gamble.

Whichever path you want to take, make sure you think carefully before deciding. These next few years will possibly be the most important in your lifetime. You should plan your next steps ahead of time in order to ensure that the path you pick is the right one for you.

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Enjoy Tax Relief as SSPN-i Plus Depositior

Enjoy Tax Relief as SSPN-i Plus Depositior

What is SSPN-i Plus?

SSPN-i Plus is a higher education savings plan or scheme specifically introduced by Perbadanan Tabung Pendidikan Tinggi Nasional (PTPTN) or National Higher Education Fund Corporation to promote smart saving and investment for the future. SSPN-i Plus combines education savings and takaful protection in inexpensive and comprehensive plan, which is fine-tuned from the existing SSPN-i plan. In other words, what you save today will come in handy to support the higher education of your child or yourself in the future.

The concept of SSPN-i Plus

SSPN-i Plus adopts the concept of disciplined savings on a monthly basis based on the package you choose. It is a syariah compliant savings plan with a total of six packages to be chosen from, depending on your needs. In addition to the existing five packages, PTPTN had also introduced the Intan package on 6 May 2016 for added affordability with just RM1 per day or RM30 per month.

Savings Package

SSPN-i Plus has six packages to suit your different needs. They are Intan, Delima, Topas, Zamrud, Nilam and Berlian.

Benefit of income tax relief

SSPN-i Plus is guaranteed by the government and you are privileged to enjoy multiple benefits, including income tax relief up to RM12,000 per year, based on your nett deposit.

Who is eligible for tax relief benefit?

The income tax relief benefit applies to depositors of SSPN-i Plus who can be the parents/ adoptive parents/ legal guardians/ other valid depositors by law. The tax reduction up to RM12,000 per year is derived from the nett deposit (savings minus withdrawals) of the current assessment year, meaning up to RM6,000 for nett deposit (savings) and another RM6,000 for takaful contribution under the life insurance and KWSP (EPF) category. For parents (husband and wife) who open their respective SSPN-i Plus accounts and file for separate tax assessments, they are entitled to the same tax relief of up to RM12,000 each. The last date to enjoy such income tax relief is 31 December 2016 for this year. Please refer to Section D (Relief) on the LHDN form when you file for this income tax relief.

Example of nett deposit calculation:

Let say you have a balance of RM4,500 in your SSPN-i Plus deposit last year and you made a RM3,000 deposit and a RM1,000 withdrawal this year, your nett deposit of the current assessment year is RM2,000. The nett deposit (savings) will be used to derive the income tax relief subsequently.

  • Last year’s SSPN-i Plus balance = RM4,500
  • This year’s deposits (savings) = RM3,000
  • This year’s withdrawals = RM1,000
  • Nett deposits of the current assessment year = RM3,000 (deposits or savings) – RM1,000 (withdrawals) = RM2,000 (nett deposits or savings)

Dividend is also part of the tax exemption!

Another exciting advantage of SSPN-i Plus, offered competitive dividends, which are eligible for tax exemption too.

Who can open an SSPN-i Plus account?

The depositors must be Malaysians belonging to the 18 – 64 age group. The beneficiaries must also be Malaysians aged between 1 day and 29 years old, who can be yourself/ your child/ child under your care, which is valid by law. For individuals who are unmarried, you are also eligible for participating in the SSPN-i Plus for yourselves on condition you belong to the 18 – 64 age group, but you are not eligible for tax relief in this situation. Each depositor is only allowed to open one SSPN-i Plus account by nominating one beneficiary only. However, different depositors are allowed to open their respective SSPN-i Plus accounts for the same beneficiary.

For further enquiries

Please visit the official portal of PTPTN

or contact PTPTN Careline at

03 – 2193 3000

for further information.

Top Student Awarded Scholarship to study Early Childhood Education in Ireland

Top Student Awarded Scholarship to study Early Childhood Education in Ireland

Top Student Awarded Scholarship to study Early Childhood Education in Ireland

MCKL diploma graduates will find plenty of opportunities overseas through the generosity of their partnered universities.

Methodist College Kuala Lumpur (MCKL) wishes to congratulate Nadia Iman Binti Abdul Jalil, who has won an exclusive MCKL-IT Tralee Scholarship for her excellent academic achievements in the College to pursue a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Early Childhood Care & Education in Institute of Technology Tralee, Ireland. This special scholarship will cover most of Nadia’s academic fees, accompanied with free accommodations. To regular MCKL diploma graduates, IT Tralee also offers the 2016-17 Special Citizen Scholarship, which includes a fee waiver of €1000.00 and free accommodations for the duration of their course. MCKL students therefore only have to pay roughly €12,000.00 per year, which includes tuition fees and cost of living.

Such exceptional concessions represent a close collaboration between MCKL and IT Tralee, resulting from years of producing passionate, knowledgeable and hardworking students from MCKL’s Diploma in ECE programme. Many of them have advanced to further studies overseas and excelled in their respective courses, such as Esther Lim, Hong Xiao Yi, Tan Evon, Ng Xu Xuan and Michelle How Xin Yi, who all graduated last year from IT Tralee, and the latter three did so with First Class Honours.

In recognition of the quality of MCKL diploma graduates, IT Tralee and the University of Gloucestershire, UK have given them the opportunity to enter directly into the third year of their degree programmes, which means that students only have to study for one additional year to turn their diploma qualification into a Bachelor’s Degree. Other institutions such as New Zealand Tertiary College, NZ, University College Birmingham, UK, University of Hertfordshire, UK and University of West England, UK have also acknowledged MCKL graduates by offering advanced standing for entry into the second year of their degree programmes.

Students who have a passion for teaching and nurturing young children may consider enrolling for MCKL’s Diploma in Early Childhood Education. For further information on MCKL and its programmes: call 03-22746711 (Marketing) or 03-22741851 (General), Email [email protected] or visit our website www.mckl.edu.my