The handover ceremony of Student Representative Council (SRC) from 2019/20 batch to the new SRC 2020/21 batch of both Sungai Long and Kampar Campuses were held at Sungai Long Campus on 7 September 2020.

The ceremony was organised by the Department of Student Affairs (DSA). It aimed to officially welcome the SRC members of session 2020/21 and accord recognition for the work of 2019/20 SRC members. In conjunction with the ceremony, there was also a student award presentation.

Expressing his sincere appreciation to all the outgoing SRC members, UTAR President Ir Prof Ewe Hong Tat said, “To the outgoing SRC members, you have stood to be exemplary role models for the UTAR student community throughout the year. I have seen you constantly engaging with students to gain their feedback and bring them forward to the board, for that you should be applauded. Therefore, on behalf of the University, I express my utmost appreciation and gratitude to the outgoing SRC members for your effort, teamwork and leadership. Thank you for coming forward and taking up this journey of becoming the voice for students.”

He added, “I would also like to congratulate and welcome the newly-elected SRC members. I am glad to see that you are already displaying readiness, determination and commitment to supporting the University’s initiatives. Even though the COVID-19 pandemic has yet to end and is impacting everyone, I believe you will be able to uphold your duties and work together as a team to serve UTAR students.”

Prof Ewe also emphasised the importance of the SRC members to abide by UTAR rules and regulations, “Remember to act in accordance with UTAR’s student code of conduct and abide by UTAR’s rules and regulations. Keep abreast of the Council’s objective and perform your duty with responsibility. It is your obligation to encourage and promote intellectual, spiritual and emotional as well as personal development.”

Prof Ewe also expressed his gratitude towards the effort and support from the SRC, “Also, allow me to take this opportunity to express my sincere appreciation to the 2019/20 SRC of Sungai Long Campus for donating RM18,000 to the UTAR Hospital Project. I got to know that these funds were raised from several events such as KLESF, UTAR Ball 2020 and Se7en 2020. Thanks again for the effort, generosity and support towards UTAR Hospital and for helping us in making a positive difference.”

Thanking UTAR for listening to the voice of SRC, Kampar Campus 2019/20 SRC Chairperson Lam Jeen Yee said, “First and foremost, I would like to thank UTAR’s management, specifically, to those whom I had worked with, for constantly listening to our feedback and supporting SRC throughout the year.”

“I would also like to thank all my members for accompanying me throughout this arduous journey. I know we have already thanked each other last night, but one thing I never said is that I love you all so much. Thank you all for helping me. I have learned so much from each and every one of you,” said Lam, while holding back her tears.

Sharing some tips on becoming a successful leader, Sungai Long Campus 2019/20 SRC Chairperson Leo Cheong Zhe shared, “The tip to become a successful leader is to practice the art of listening. Disagreements are bound to happen among team members, but what we can do to solve it is to “listen-engage-discuss”. Instead of forcing someone to follow your ideas, we must always listen to their feedback and from there hit a common ground. That is what leadership entails.”

He also reminisced his fun and exciting experience in SRC, “I can still remember the very first issue that we handled; it involved two students who were splashed with red paint. My team and I tried our best to be Sherlock Holmes to solve this case. Also, we worked with the local police to find an international student’s missing iPhone. I can still remember the days when we met police officers more than our lecturers. It was really a fun and exciting experience in SRC.”

In conjunction with the ceremony, there was also a student award presentation. Among the awards presented were Best Student Leader Award, The Most Talented UTARian Award, Sportsperson of the Year Award, SDG Merit Award, SDG Mention Award (three recipients), Best Club & Society Award (Course Based Society) and Best Club & Society Award (Non-course Based Society).

The recipients of the awards are as follows:

The outgoing SRC members were then awarded certificates of appreciation, followed by the handover ceremony and a group photograph session.

Also present were UTAR Registrar Yim Lin Heng, Faculty of Accountancy and Management Dean Dr Sia Bee Chua, Faculty of Creative Industries Dean Dr David Tneh Cheng Eng, Lee Kong Chian Faculty of Engineering and Science Student Development and Industrial Training Deputy Dean Ts Assoc Prof Dr Lee Kim Yee, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences Student Development and Industrial Training Deputy Dean Prof Dr Alan Ong Han Kiat, Department of Student Affairs (DSA) of Sungai Long Campus Head Loh Nyuk Leung, DSA of Kampar Campus Head Chiang Jeng Fong and Director of Centre for Foundation Studies of Sungai Long Campus Melissa Stefanie Netto.