We arrived at the Malay College Kuala Kangsar (MCKK) about 11.30 am and we were welcomed with open arms by the MCKK students. We were required to register at the registration counters and were then shown to our dormitories, which are usually used by Form 3 students on normal schooling days. Lunch was served at 1pm at the Summit Square. This was when we first met delegates from other countries such as India, Pakistan, Brunei, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand as well as delegates from Malaysia. After having our meal, we were allowed to go back to our respective dorms to freshen up and unpack.
The next program lined up for us was the sepak takraw demonstration by the MCKK sepak takraw players followed by the Kedah state players. We were shown two methods to play sepak takraw, the traditional and modern method. Then, we were divided into groups and were given the opportunity to play this traditional Malay sport. A mini competition was also organized whereby Hassan Ayub, the delegate from Pakistan, emerged as the champion.
At 8.30 pm that night, we had a welcoming dinner near the Hangreaves Hall. During the dinner, representatives from each school were asked to introduce themselves and to say a few words on what they expected to gain from the summit. Farhanah represented our school and spoke on behalf of all of us.
Once the dinner was over, we had an ice breaking session at the Hangreaves Hall. The highlight of the session was the Penguin Feet game, similar to Musical Chair. We also had a game which required us to obtain as much information as we can about any delegate within a period of one minute. The last game was mainly about trust as the delegates had to select a partner and work together to be part of the Dancing Newspaper game.
All in all, the games met the purpose of breaking the ice among the participants and it was the first step for us, delegates to get to know each other better. The program ended at 10.30 pm and we then went back to our respective dorms to have a goodnight rest.
Day 2 - 21th June 2011
We started our morning by having breakfast at the Summit square around 7.00 am that morning. After breakfast, all the delegates were asked to gather at the Hangreaves Hall as the opening ceremony was about to begin. During the opening ceremony, the principal of the MCKK, Mr. Anand bin Baharuddin gave his welcoming speech and wished all of us a pleasant stay at the Malay College. Mr. Anand also explained that the main purpose of organizing the Malay College Youth Development Summit (MCYDS) was to polish the leadership potential and soft skills of youths to produce great leaders of tomorrow. The opening ceremony was rejuvenated by cultural performances from the MCKK students such as the Dikir Barat & 1 Malaysia traditional dance performance.
We then had refreshments and the program of the day proceeded with the first session of the “What Works Well (WWW)” Project Presentation from seven schools, including ours. SMK Raja Perempuan Kelsom started off their presentation by explaining about the eco- friendly detergent, followed by Vajiravudh College, Thailand. They spoke about the Vajiravudh Sufficiency Economic Movement the works well in their school. Students from SMA Negeri 1 Purworejo, Indonesia then explained about their student exchange program continued by SMS Sains Selangor. Finally, it was our turn to present about what works well in SMK (P) Sri Aman. As we are part of the environmental project of Sri Aman, we presented on the various eco efforts taken by us, in order to preserve and conserve the environment. It was an 8 minute presentation and a 2 minute Q & A session. During the Q & A session, Daanish Ibrahim Izhar, a delegate from Pakistan, asked us a few questions about the green initiatives that we had taken. Our presentation was indeed a success as we received and overwhelming response from the audience. The presentation session ended with the MCKK delegates talking about the “One (1) Decision” software that was designed by an ex- MCKK boy.
We later got ready for the Royal Banquet Dinner rehearsal which took place at the official Iskandariah palace. Upon our arrival at the palace, we were lead to the royal dining hall and were educated on the etiquettes of English fine dining. We headed back to the Malay College Kuala Kangsar after the rehearsal as there was a dialogue session on the “Role of Youth in the Society” planned for us. The speaker of the event was Dato’ Saifuddin Abdullah, the Deputy Minister of Higher Education, also an MCKK old boy. This session was very interesting as the delegates shared thoughts and perspectives on what they truly understand about the role of youth as leaders in today’s world. We also had the privilege to listen to Dato’ Saifuddin’s view on this topic. The program for the day ended at 11 pm.
Day 3 - 22th June 2011
Day 4 - 23th June 2011
Day 5 - 24th June 2011
Day 6 - 25th June 2011
After breakfast that morning, we gathered at the Hangreaves Hall for the 2nd session of the WWW Project Presentation. SMA Negeri 7 Purworenjo, Indonesia started their presentation by talking about their school’s co-curricular activities and the Bonsai Program that had been organized in their school. Next, Olongopo City National High School talked about the special programs offered, such as the Journalism, Sports and Science programs. SM Sains Machang talked about their project to produce well-balanced students before the Aitchisonian College, Pakistan surprised all of us with the amazing project they have done to treat cancer patients in Lahore, Pakistan, by setting up the Shaukat Khanum Hospital in collaboration with various parties. SMK Raja Perempuan Bainun, Ipoh then spoke about the Living in Fine English (LIFE) program organized in their school, followed by Sekolah Tuanku Abdul Rahman (STAR), which highlighted about the International Inspiration program, a sports program organized in collaboration with colleges in London. The next presentation was by SM Sayyidina Othman, Brunei Darussalam whereby they explained about how ICT is a major substance in their school education system. SMK Sultanah Asma, Kedah addressed on the environmental efforts that are being taken by their school and SBP Gopeng ended the second and last session of the presentation by explaining on the ISIS and WINJAWS System that is used in their school administration system. The session ended at about 1pm, just in time for lunch!
Then, we were given a short- briefing about the Pangkor Trip that was supposed to take place that evening before having our lunch. We left for Pangkor at 2 pm and and it took us about 3 hours to reach the beautiful and exotic Pangkor Island. Upon our arrival, we were served with some refreshments before checking in to our respective rooms at the Coral Bay Resort. Around 5.45 that evening, a community beach clean-up activity was planned for us. We were divided into groups and to make the activity more challenging, a mini competition was organized whereby the group with the most rubbish would win a token. Delegates from all around the globe, the MCKK teachers and even the principal worked hand in hand to clean up the beach. The judging session to determine the winner of the clean-up session was conducted by the MCKK boys and we were informed that results would only be announced during dinner later at night.
Dinner commenced at 8.30 pm followed by a speech from the guest of honour, who was brought up in Pangkor Island and by the organizing chairperson of MCYDS ’11. They both spoke mainly about the beauty of the island, also highlighting on the importance of carrying out community service. The winner of the cleaning up session was announced and they received hampers. After dinner, we went to the souvenir shop nearby to purchase a few items as memories of visiting the island. We then headed off to bed about 11 pm.
Day 4 - 23th June 2011
The main activity planned for the day was to take place at SMK Pangkor. We made our way to their school at about 8.00 am and we were welcomed with open hands by the students and teachers. The main objective of our visit to SMK Pangkor was to carry out team building activities with the students, in order to boost their confidence and help them to socialize. Before the activities started, we joined in their usual morning assembly. Via the speech from the student representative of SMK Pangkor, we learned that they were very honoured to have us to visit their humble school. We sang our national anthem for the assembly was formal and continued on with the Perak state anthem and SMK Pangkor song.
Since the aforementioned school was located just beside the beach, the organizers had planned the team building activities to take part by the beach. The games that were held were indeed challenging as we learnt the true meaning of teamwork and leadership skills. It was truly such and amazing experience not only because the games were fun, but we also managed to make new friends along the way. Light refreshments were served at SMK Pangkor’s school canteen before we headed back to the resort to pack up our things and leave for MCKK.
We headed back to MCKK after lunch as the Royal Banquet at the Iskandariah Palace was planned for the night and we were required to be at the palace by 6.00 pm for a final rehearsal before the royal banquet. Dressed in our traditional clothes, we left for the palace at 5.30 pm. It was the first time for almost all of us to be having dinner at a royal palace. We were all excited and full of enthusiasm. Once we entered the palace grounds, we were awed by the aesthetic features of the palace, not to mention the fine architecture of the royal dining hall. The rehearsal began about 6.30 pm and we were reminded about how we were supposed to behave throughout the royal banquet.
We had to wait for about 2 hours before the actual dinner. Excitement slowly arouse in each and everyone of us. The royal dinner began at 8.30 pm as soon as Raja Nazrin Shah, the crown prince of Perak arrived. There were a few protocols that needed to be done and therefore, dinner was served around 9.00 pm. We were served a 5 coursed western cuisine and were entertained by the MCKK Wind Orchestra throughout the dinner. After the royal banquet, we took the opportunity to snap loads of pictures at the palace as we might never obtain the chance to visit the palace again. The royal banquet was indeed a lifetime experience for all of us.
Day 5 - 24th June 2011
We woke up full of excitement as we were supposed to go for a tour around Kuala Kangsar that morning. Though we are Malaysians, we have not been to Kuala Kangsar, Perak which is also known for its royalty. Three buses were used as the mean of transportation and we were randomnly seated in the bus to allow us to get to know other delegates. We made our first stop at the Enggor handicraft centre which specialized in the production of Labu Sayong. Demonstrations were made on the process of making the famous Labu Sayong. Some of the delegates were also given the opportunity to make the Labu Sayong hands-on which carved smiles on the faces of the delegates, especially those from other countries.After two hours at Enggor, we then made a move to the Sultan Azlan Shah Gallery. The items displayed at the gallery were mainly royalty items such as their royal wear and royal cars. We also learnt a bit of Perak royalty history during the visit to the gallery.
We went back to MCKK at noon for lunch. At 2.30 pm, we were given time to practice for the cultural night that was to take place the following day. The Malaysian delegates including us, decided to have two different performances which were the Sumazau Dance and the traditional song, Aladom. The practice for the performance prolonged up to 6 pm. Dinner was served at 8.00 pm and we were given about 2 hours after dinner to prepare for our WWW Project Exhibition. We slept around 11 pm after completing our WWW Project Booth which displayed the green initiatives taken in Sri Aman.
Day 6 - 25th June 2011
After a week-long stay at MCKK, it was finally time for the Closing Ceremony & MCKK Speech Day to take place. The guest of honour for the ceremony was Raja Nazrin Shah, the crown prince of Perak. A short performance by the MCKK Wind Orchestra with a number of instrumental pieces such as the “Ross Roy” pieces marked the beginning of the event. There were also speeches by the guest of honour and the principal of MCKK, Mr. Anand bin Baharuddin. The crown prince of Perak was brought for a tour around the WWW Project Exhibition Booths, including ours. Raja Nazrin Shah was indeed very impressed by the green efforts that we, Sri Amanians had taken. We felt very honoured to be given the opportunity to present our project to the royalty of Perak.
As noon approached, we had our final cultural performance practice and we got ready for the cultural night. Before the cultural performance began, we were presented with our certificates for attending the event and souvenirs as a token of appreciation. The cultural performances that were put up that night by all the delegates were very entertaining. The performances that stood out among the rest were the martial arts demonstration by the delegates from Thailand, the energetic Bhangra dance by the Pakistanis and the melodious voice of an Indian delegate who sang whole-heartedly and captivated the hearts of the audience. Overall, the performances were mind-blowing and received a great response from the audience.
Be that as it may, we were all feeling melancholic soon after the cultural night as that was our last day at the Malay College Youth Development Summit (MCYDS). We took pictures and exchanged our personal details so that we will be able to keep in touch with each other even after returning to our respective schools and countries. That night, we slept with a mixture of feelings owing to the fantastic experience we had attain as well as the naked truth that we had to utter words of farewells and goodbyes the next day.
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