Creating leaders for tomorrow

The Star, Sunday August 18, 2013 

A SEAMLESS transition from pre-school to high school — this is what Eaton International School hopes to achieve.

It hopes to create a similar environment at Eaton as found at its Brighton School House where children enjoy schooling and complain to their parents when they don’t get to attend classes during the holidays.

Eaton International School chief executive officer Felician Teo says students are engaged at the school.

“We talk to them even though they are very young. Small children can express their own ideas and opinions if we take the time to engage with them,” he says.

This, he adds, is how one can nurture creativity and lateral thinking from young.

“Our success model is based on our school ethos or culture, and this is founded on the principle that the children are at the centre of everything we do. This ethos will be replicated at Eaton International School.”

Teo says the school will be adopting the Cambridge curriculum from pre-school level to the IGCSE level at Year 11.

All students will have access to an iPad which will be a tool for effective learning as part of their literacy, numeracy or science lessons.

The school hopes to create a new generation of young individuals who will be forward thinkers, innovators and leaders in their chosen fields.

“The school will bring in qualified and experienced expatriate teachers. We want teachers who are trained in delivering the British curriculum. They must have a minimal of five years teaching experience in a school in the United Kingdom or an international school overseas,” he says.

This is an important benchmark for the school because without staff members who are themselves schooled and trained in the Cambridge curriculum, the school’s standards and ethos will be compromised.

The school leadership is different as its management team comprises the owners, principal and senior management who are pre-tertiary educators first and foremost.

Eaton is located in the Gamuda township of Jade Hills within the Kajang corridor in greater Kuala Lumpur.

According to Teo, the school has received a lot of interest since its soft launch on April 27.

“We are opening only one class per level at pre-school and primary levels for our first intake starting September. Only a handful of places are available for Years One, Two and Six,” he says.

Uncle kills teen and tries to take his own life

The Star, Friday August 16, 2013 

KAJANG: A 16-year-old girl was killed by her uncle who later tried to take his own life.

K. Yogiswary was washing dishes with her uncle’s wife at his house in Taman Sri Reko before the horrifying incident happened at 11.30am.

According to initial reports from the police, her uncle A. Arndy, 59, stormed in and held a knife to Yogis­wary’s neck. He then dragged the girl out by her hair and led her to a Hindu temple located opposite the house before slitting her throat there. He then entered one of the rooms in the temple and slit his own throat. 

His 30-year-old son, A. Gunasegaran, who witnessed the entire scene, immediately called the police and ambulance.

Arndy was rushed to the Serdang Hospital and is reported to be in a critical condition.

Bandar Mahkota Cheras residents mark temple's anniversary

The Star, Tuesday August 6, 2013

By CHOO WOON LIM
woonlim@thestar.com.my Photos by SAMUEL ONG

Taoist monks in a trance had their body parts pierced to honour the deity Kuan Tei at the temple.

Hundreds of devotees turned up for the Kuan Tei temple procession at Bandar Mahkota Cheras, Kuala Lumpur recently.

The crowd of about 500 people took part in the 3km procession that started at 7pm and lasted two hours.

The procession snaked through major routes in the area such as Jalan Permaisuri and Jalan Temenggung and was held to commemorate the temple’s 22nd anniversary and to celebrate the birthday of its patron deity, Kuan Tei.

Also known as Kuan Kung (Lord Guan) or Guan Yu, the deity is worshipped as a prominent figure in Buddhism and Taoism; representing righteousness, justice and loyalty,

The procession was also held to celebrate the completion of the temple’s arch.

“An arch is as important as a temple in Chinese culture, as it represents the entryway into a holy place,” said Pertubuhan Penganut Dewa Kuan Kung Kuala Lumpur secretary-general Pang Kon Loong.

He said the arch was completed on July 25 this year.

 

Temple committee members cutting a ribbon to mark the official completion of the Kuan Tei temple's arch.

 

“We have a procession once every three years to honour Kuan Tei. The previous one was in 2012 but we are having it again this year as the completion of the arch makes it a special occasion,” he added.

The procession included colourful lion dances, Taoist monks chanting prayers and devotees dressed as deities and giving out candy and blessings to the crowd.

An eye-catching part of the procession was the dragon dance, carried by 88 members of a local performing troupe. The 688ft-long dragon was imported from China and took two months to complete.

Another interesting display was a giant lion head mounted on a lorry, which measured 35 feet by six feet.

Covered palanquins, housing statues of deities, were carried around by devotees throughout the procession, as they chanted prayers at each crossroad to ward off evil and bless the area.

Devotees also had parts of their body pierced and took on the mannerisms of various deities while in a trance.

The procession ended with a fireworks display to usher in good luck.

The crowd then burned joss sticks and offered prayers to the deities in the temple.

For devotee How Haw Kee, it was his first time taking part in the procession.

“I pray that Kuan Tei will bless my family and me with a peaceful life and prosperity,” said the 50-year-old small business owner, who frequently prays at the temple.

Schoolchildren exposed to snakes and falling trees

The Star, Monday August 5, 2013

By BEH YUEN HUI
newsdesk@thestar.com.my

PUPILS of SK (2) Jalan Bukit in Kajang, which is located next to a hillslope dense with vegetation, are exposed to the danger of snake bites and falling trees thus causing their parents to worry about their safety.

Just last month, a big tree fell onto a school block and damaged the roof of a classroom.

Thankfully, no one was using the room at that time, said the school’s Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) vice-chairman Dr Murtedza Mohamed.

He said this was the third incident to occur at the 32-year-old primary school.

He added that snakes were also found in the hillslope nearby.

Aidy Ajmer (right) and Dr Murtedza looking at the damaged roof
after a tree fell onto the block at SK (2) Jalan Bukit in Kajang.

 

“The pupils and teachers have seen snakes in the toilets, in the drains and near the activity areas regularly,” said Dr Murtedza.

During a visit to the school following complaints from a parent, it was found that the single-storey block comprising five classrooms, was in a shabby condition.

Some of the nails have come out and the fuse boxes are broken with electricity wires exposed and hanging out.

The rooms are used for co-curricular activities, living skills and Islamic studies.

There are other classrooms located in a separate three-storey building.

“We hope that the big trees on the hillslope would be cleared to prevent any untoward incidents,” said PTA chairman Aidy Ajmer Abdul Mutalib, adding that the school had 125 pupils.

It is learnt that the school authorities had highlighted the matter to the district Education Department but nothing has been done yet.

Worried about the safety of the pupils, headmistress Chek Norlia Hassan and the PTA tried to hire their own contractor to cut the trees but found it too expensive.

“The contractor is charging RM5,000 for one tree and we cannot afford it,” said Aidy Ajmer, adding that he hoped the relevant authorities would take action fast for the sake of the children’s safety.

Ex-convict gunned down inside his house

The Star, Sunday August 4, 2013

By JASTIN AHMAD TARMIZI and SHAUN HO

Intense situation: Relatives and neighbours of Balamurali (inset) carrying his body out of the house in Batu 9 Cheras.

KAJANG: A gunman walked into the living room of a house and opened fire, killing a 36-year-old man who was just released from prison last month.

It is learnt that Balamurali Balakrishnan was sleeping on a sofa when the gunman walked into the house in Batu 9 Cheras here at 1.30pm yesterday and fired four shots at his chest. The gunman later fled with an accomplice in a black car.

Balamurali’s aunt, K. Anjalai, 56, said she was in the bedroom when she heard the shots.

“I rushed out and Balamurali was already on the floor,” she said, adding that she saw the black car speeding off.

The victim’s wife, S. Puvaneswari, 28, said she had been living with her four-year-old son Kishalan in Seremban, adding that her husband visited them every fortnight.

“The last time we saw him was on Thursday night,” she said, adding that her husband had been in and out of prison several times.

It was learnt that Balamurali had been changing jobs regularly, his last being as a security guard. He lasted only two weeks in that job.

Kajang OCPD Asst Comm Abdul Rashid Abdul Wahab confirmed the case. It was the seventh shooting in seven days in the country.

Meanwhile, in Gombak, the body of a 44-year-old woman was found in her home. She was believed to have been stabbed to death.

Hotel housekeeper Badariah Hussin, who lived alone in a three-room shophouse in Sunway Batu Caves, was found in a pool of blood on the floor of her room by a colleague.

The colleague, who came looking for Badariah, had to ask a worker at a nearby shop to help break the lock on the door.

She had last seen Badariah on Friday.

Police officers at the scene said the body was found with both hands and feet bound.

Workshop on children's behaviour (PKIK)

The Star, Thursday August 1, 2013

Malaysian Care and Persatuan Kanak-Kanak Istimewa Kajang Selangor (PKIK) are organising a workshop entitled “Understanding and Responding to Children’s Behaviour: A Workshop for Parents”.

It is targeted at parents or caregivers of children aged five to 12 years old with learning disabilities.

It will be conducted by Tan Cheng Yi, a chartered educational psychologist. The workshop will cover:

• What is behaviour?;
• Causes of challenging behaviour;
• What is needed to understand a child’s behaviour;
• Behaviour development in children with learning disabilities;
• How to reduce problem behaviour, and increase positive behaviour; and
• Positive action for children.

The workshop will be held on Saturday, Sept 21, from 9.30am-4.30pm, at Malaysian Care, No 15, Jalan Tasik Selatan 3, Metro Centre, Bandar Tasik Selatan, Kuala Lumpur.

The fee is RM50 per participant (inclusive of notes and two tea breaks).

The closing date of registration is Sept 12, 2013.

To register and for enquiries, call the Malaysian Care Toy Library and Parent Resource Centre (ask for Dharshini) at 03-9058 2102 or email toyrd@malaysiancare.org.

Traders at 10 MPKj stalls to be temporarily relocated

The Star, Thursday August 1, 2013

By CHOO WOON LIM

Making way: Traders at the row of stalls along Lorong Mendaling, Kajang will be relocated to a parking lot nearby due to works on the MRT Sungai Buloh-Kajang line.

TRADERS renting 10 stalls belonging to the Kajang Municipal Council (MPKj) along Lorong Mendaling, Kajang, will have to relocate their businesses temporarily to a parking lot further down the road on Sept 1. 

Speaking at the council’s full board meeting yesterday, MPKj president Datuk Hasan Nawawi Abd Rahman said the relocation was to make way for works on the MRT Sungai Buloh-Kajang line. 

The row of stalls, he said, will be demolished this month, along with the Hulu Langat MCA building located nearby. 

Syarikat Prasarana Negara Bhd (Prasarana), which is carrying out the MRT project, will commission contractors to build temporary premises for the traders at the parking lot about 200m away. 

“The traders will have to operate at the temporary premises for at least six months,” said Hasan. 

He added that they would be able to move back to the original site after the MRT works in the area were completed and that Prasarana would build new lots to replace the demolished ones. 

Hasan said there would be no compensation for the traders as they were only leasing the stalls from MPKj. 

“The traders have been leasing the premises since 1995. Their tender ends in 2015.” 

Hasan also said MPKj was planning to build the new council town hall in Saujana Impian following the demolition of the original town hall in Jalan Besar in February to make way for the MRT line. 

“We are looking into cost, building design and other aspects now and will announce details once finalised,” he said.