Raziff: 2nd of 3

Dear Readers,

It is not an easy job to speak to throngs of people. Being elected to speak on behalf of more than 600 graduates will give it worse "nightmare" to whomever chosen for that job. But Raziff did it...wonderfully. Art of public speaking do not come overnight. There are specific subjects for such and normally it will take a torturous 6 months to really master the skills. My measurement was very simple. Throughout the whole speech, VVIPs on the stage never divide their attention to his speech. He NAILED their attention.

The 2nd part of the speech:

Sometimes there are unexpected obstacles, no matter how prepared we think we are. The only way to overcome such situations is through improvisation. According to the Oxford Dictionary, improvisation is “ to make something from whatever is available, without advanced planning”. This requires making judgment within a very short time, and it is certainly a skill that can’t be taught or learnt. However, a student who manages to master this will certainly stand out from the crowd.

Mapping a perfect plan for the success ladder requires us to focus on our own strength. This plan acts as the track along which we can plot our route. If the devised plan is well executed, we can start small, with things we can cope with and these small successes will then snowball into larger accomplishments.
Of course in every war there would be victories and defeats. There will be times of celebrations and times of mourning. Facing failures is not easy, but that is the nature of life. We have to be prepared to face and accept failures, though it’s a bitter pill to swallow. In the face of failures, we have to shake off the dust, get back on to your feet and continue your journey. This is the mentality that creates leaders.

Another quote that I would like to share is from a great scientist who discovered buoyancy; Archimedes.
Archimedes said “Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world”
A student should know working together as a team, where sharing ideas, knowledge and technologies, could propel them further forward than what they could achieve on their own. Positive Thinking is a key point, where collectively the strength is inevitable and success more likely. As the saying goes, ‘’an ape would never kill another ape “, teamwork should be visible always within a group and this is exactly what Archimedes meant by his “fulcrum” and yes, we can move the world indeed.

After all has been said and done, in the end the students themselves must realize true potential, hence making them more marketable and attractive to the eyes of the corporate world. While they’re at it, they should pick up communication skills with great flair, which is commonly in Malaysia, English. Most make mistake of thinking that language is secondary but what these people don’t realize is that, English is the language of science and technology, along with Latin and Japanese. A good combination of a great institution like IUCTT, a carefully planned module, competent workforce and positive approach by the students, would generate future leaders, scientists, politicians and businessmen.

We wish to have Imtiaz to write about his experience when he delivered his valedictorian speech in Berjaya Time Square a few years back. Him and his antic "tidak hairan kalau satu hari nanti, ada di kalangan graduan di hadapan YB Dato' (Minister of Higher Education at that time) yang akan menggantikan YB Dato' sebagai Menteri Pendidikan Tinggi."

Picture Note: "Talk about the best gift you could give to your parent"