Archive for the ‘Adi Putra’ Category
For The Young ‘Uns
Malina is passionate about children’s issues.
There’s a new magazine in town that specifically targets children here. MEENA SREENIVASAN speaks to the brain behind the venture.
Best Buds - “Where kids rule”.
“I USED to spend quite a bit on foreign magazines monthly for my daughter,” said Datin Malina Su.
The mother of three realised there was a dearth of local magazines specifically targeted at children, and decided to publish one herself. Which was how Best Buds came about.
“It dawned upon me that children didn’t really have much choice. There weren’t many local magazines aimed at children aged between seven and 14. That was one of the reasons which inspired me to start Best Buds.
“There are less fortunate children who can’t afford to buy magazines, let alone books. Best Buds is affordable at just RM5.50,” she said, looking pretty and poised in a dark blue ruffled chiffon blouse and black slacks.
For an ex-army captain, you would expect her to look a little more weathered, but she surprises you with her feminity and sophistication.
“I joined the army when I was 18. After serving for seven years, I left to pursue a career in public relations and marketing,” she said.
She had always been interested in children’s issues, especially drugs and runaways.
“I like to surf the Internet for information on these topics and I am sure that with some guidance from parents and good books, these children will do better for themselves,” she said.
“Children learn basic subjects in school such as Maths, Science and Geography. But what else do they learn other than what is taught in school? Where else can they get knowledge? Reading isn’t a hobby anymore. They prefer to chat online or spend time on social networking websites such as Facebook and Friendster,” she lamented.
The magazine, designed by children, features current happenings in Malaysia and covers a variety of topics such as movies, jokes, fashion, health, celebrity chats, contests, events, inventors and their inventions, and health.
“Best Buds’ tagline is ‘Where kids rule’. It’s a cool magazine featuring great kids who are accomplished in their own right. Children are invited to join the Best Buds club and as members, they can participate in fun-filled activities,” said Malina.
She likens Best Buds to a children’s Reader’s Digest where readers get little bites of knowledge.
“I have a Best Buds club member from Singapore who is 23. She didn’t know what ponggal was about until she read about it in the magazine. The magazine covers all local festivals and celebrations. Recently, there was a informative piece on Alexander Graham Bell. It was on his birthday.
“Most magazines contain entertainment and general information. And they put idols and artistes on their cover. We do otherwise. We feature young Malaysian achievers on our cover,” she said, holding up a past issue of Best Buds with genius kid Adi Putra on its cover.
“What’s really wonderful about this magazine is our cover kids. They are all young achievers and we source for these children through newspapers, clubs, sports clubs and NGOs.”
Damelia Ajla, Malina’s cousin and editor of Best Buds, does the research and sources for the children and talents they want to feature.
“In line with the Olympic Games, the September issue features a child who is a badminton player,” she said.
How did the name Best Buds come about?
“My daughter and I were chatting in the car. She is very creative for a 13-year-old. I asked her to suggest a name as children her age would know what is hip and trendy. She suggested Best Buds because it means Best Buddies!”.
Malina’s favourite column is “Ian Rants”.
“Ian, our regular contributor, is in upper primary school. He is an excellent storyteller. He writes on different topics such as his life, school holidays, the beginning of school and other interesting stuff.”
Malina is also working on setting up a children’s library for poor urban children.
“For me, it is the urban poor who are suffering now. Food and rental are expensive. But even if the parents are poor, their children want what their classmates and friends have. These are the children who get into trouble.
“It will be good for them to have a place to hang out and spend time usefully. I am thinking of setting up a library in Cheras for children from seven to 14-years-old.
“There are many amazing children in this country in this age group. My dream is to be able to distribute my magazine to children for free,” she added.
New Straits Times
A Toast To Maya
A scene from Anak Halal which stars (from left) Maya, Farid and Fasha.
Maya Karin is on cloud nine as - is getting married tomorrow in a breathtaking lake-view Italian villa and was chosen recently as Best Actress. HAFIDAH SAMAT writes.
Maya is expected to wear designer Syaiful Baharim’s creation while makeup artist, Khir Khalid has been flown in to Italy to add his Midas touch for her at the ceremony tomorrow.
ACTRESS-and-singer Maya Karin is on a roll. After clinching the coveted Best Actress award at the 21st Malaysian Film Festival for her role in director Osman Ali’s Anak Halal, the German-Indonesian beauty would once again be the toast-of-the-town as she weds her British-origin fiance in Italy, tomorrow.
For her victory at the film fest, Maya beat contenders Erra Fazira, Nurfazura, Nasha Aziz and Vanida Imran. Anak Halal is a tale of love, lust and betrayal originally written by Osman as a short film in the late 1990s. Produced by Tayangan Unggul Sdn Bhd, the RM1.5 million film also starred Fasha Sandha, Farid Kamil and Zulhuzaimi, Raja Farah, Adi Putra, Aqasha and Saufi Jikan.
Speaking in a brief telephone interview from Lake Como in Italy yesterday where she is due to wed Steven Shorthose or Muhammad Ali Abdullah, Maya admitted to be on cloud nine.
“I received the good news from some friends in Kuala Lumpur and was dumbfounded for a bit. Yeah, I’d have loved to be at the festival to celebrate the joyous moment with them but I planned this trip six months ago,” she said, excitedly.
Asked about her family’s reaction after she broke the news to them, she said: “They’re all cool about it. Steve was excited for me when he heard the news.”
Since the announcement of her film festival coup, Maya claimed she has received a deluge of SMSes from well-wishers and fans from Kuala Lumpur.
“I’ve been unable to answer all of them yet. I’m tied up running errands and tying loose ends before the BIG day tomorrow,” said Maya, adding that winning the title comes as career booster.
She said: “It’s a lovely bonus for me. I’m eternally grateful to director Shuhaimi Baba who has been a great mentor and for teaching me the ropes in the acting world. I thank Osman (Ali) for trusting me.
“I’m also thankful to the great production team of Anak Halal for its support and patience throughout the shoot.”
And what about the wedding?
Maya, 29 who arrived in Italy with her family last Friday, said: “I’m just as excited as any bride but I don’t intend to dwell too much on the wedding preparations. Everything is pretty much done already. There’s not much to do really except for the catering and decorations. The view is just breathtaking from my room and I want the natural beauty of the surrounding to do its magic for the special day.
“My only concern now is to ensure that my guests are happy and comfortable with their stay here. What’s important is the fact that the event is a special gathering of family and our close friends,” stressed Maya.
According to Maya, who is synonymous with her gripping portrayal of a modern-day pontianak (vampire) in Shuhaimi’s Pontianak Harum Sundal Malam I & II, her family members from Germany and Austria have arrived at the villa which Maya says, “overlooks the panoramic Lake Como and the view is just indescribable”.
Her close friends including Shuhaimi and actress Kavita Sidhu will take time off from their hectic schedules to witness her akad nikah ceremony tomorrow.
“People are saying that I’m realising a fairytale dream with the ceremony yet I’m a practical person and it takes a lot of effort to make it work,” she said.
After the ceremony, Maya is heading for Venice for her honeymoon. She will be joined by the rest of her family members.
“Yeah, the whole bunch of them are coming along,” she said, laughingly. She is expected to return to Kuala Lumpur on Aug 20, and there will be a wedding reception in Kepong on Aug 29.
“Then there will be one quiet week before I start the rehearsals for my next film, Pisau Cukur,” she added.
New Straits Times
Kenal Pasti Si Kecil Pintar
Oleh Nor Afzan Mohamad Yusof
afzan@bharian.com.my
Kanak-kanak cerdas perlu sokongan ibu bapa dan guru supaya dapat kembangkan bakat
KEPINTARAN, kecerdasan dan bakat (PCB) kanak-kanak boleh mengundang prasangka. Keletah dan kebijaksanaannya boleh menyebabkan orang sekeliling menyifatkan sebagai kurang ajar dan paling menyedihkan sekiranya kepandaiannya tidak diketahui, bakat yang ada dalam dirinya dipersiakan begitu saja.
Berbanding Eropah, Australia serta Indonesia, ada program diwujudkan bagi membantu kanak-kanak yang mempunyai kelebihan PCB. Di negara seperti itu kepintaran kanak-kanak tidak dianggap pelik, malah kerajaan mempunyai peruntukan khas untuk memberikan sokongan, seperti menyediakan kelas khusus di sekolah atau sekolah khas. Bagaimanapun, di sini ia masih dianggap luar biasa.
Timbalan Pengarah Pusat Pembangunan Akademik dan juga Pensyarah Pendidikan Khas Pintar Cerdas dan Berbakat, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) Dr Rosadah Abd Majid, berkata kanak-kanak yang menunjukkan kepintaran dan kecerdasan luar biasa, perlu diberikan perhatian sewajarnya.
Katanya, sekiranya dibiarkan begitu saja, bakat yang ada pada diri kanak-kanak akan menjadi sia-sia dan kemungkinan menjurus kepada perbuatan negatif kerana keinginan dan sifat ingin tahu mereka dihalang, sedangkan jiwa mereka meronta-ronta untuk tahu sesuatu perkara.
“Kanak-kanak pintar atau geliga ini perlu kepada pendekatan pengajaran dan pembelajaran (P&P) yang berbeza daripada rakan sebayanya. Kurikulum dan pendekatan P&P perlu berbeza kerana mereka lebih cepat memahami serta mudah mengingat. Sekiranya kurikulum dan pendekatan pengajaran untuk mereka sama seperti untuk pelajar lain, dibimbangi pelajar pintar akan cuba mewujudkan suasana bilik darjah yang lebih mencabar untuk mereka, atas inisiatif mereka sendiri. Ini kadangkala tidak bertepatan dengan peraturan serta suasana di bilik darjah. Justeru mereka kadang-kadang menjadi ‘black sheep’ atau juga mungkin badut di dalam kelas.
“Mereka mungkin juga akan menjadi kanak-kanak yang dianggap degil di dalam kelas kerana mengganggu tumpuan rakan sebaya. Dicap sebagai kanak-kanak degil, memungkinkan mereka menganggap dirinya tidak berguna, sedangkan dalam sesuatu perkara boleh melakukannya dengan cemerlang berbanding rakan sekelas,” katanya.
Beliau berkata, memperlihatkan nasib kanak-kanak begini, perlu bagi kerajaan menyediakan program pendidikan khas yang sesuai dengan ciri unik yang ada pada diri mereka.
Justeru, kerjasama daripada semua ibu bapa yang mempunyai anak pintar cerdas diperlukan untuk membolehkan usaha mewujudkan program itu berjalan dengan lancar mengikut kaedah yang lebih sistematik dan profesional.
“Ia penting kerana mungkin ada segelintir ibu bapa yang sudah berputus asa dan kecewa kerana sehingga kini masih belum ada program khas untuk pelajar pintar cerdas dalam sistem pendidikan di Malaysia. Namun, program pendidikan yang akan dirancang perlu memastikan pelajar PCB dapat membesar dalam suasana normal tanpa sebarang tekanan daripada mana-mana pihak,” katanya.
Sebagai contoh, kebijaksanaan Adi Putra dalam Matematik dianggap luar biasa, tetapi hakikatnya bilangan anak yang pintar dalam pelbagai bidang di luar sana semakin banyak, tetapi tidak diberikan perhatian atas pelbagai sebab, antaranya kurang maklumat dan kurang keprihatinan.
Sistem pendidikan yang mementingkan pencapaian akademik memungkinkan kita menganggap hanya pencapaian akademik saja sebagai tanda kepintaran, tanpa memikirkan aspek lain seperti kepintaran kanak-kanak dalam aspek perhubungan dengan orang lain dan bidang seni, juga dianggap sebagai kanak-kanak geliga.
“Andai kanak-kanak dapat dikenal pasti seawal mungkin, usaha menyediakan pendidikan yang sesuai dengan ciri unik yang dimiliki dapat dilakukan dengan segera. Tetapi sekiranya sebaliknya, negara besar kemungkinan mengalami kerugian akibat pengabaian sumber modal insan,” katanya.
Kenali anak pintar cerdas dan berbakat
INGIN memahami kanak-kanak sedemikian, Kumpulan Penyelidikan Pendidikan Inklusif dan Pembinaan Jati Diri, Fakulti Pendidikan UKM akan menganjurkan Seminar Pendidikan Khas Pintar Cerdas Berbakat selama dua hari bermula 21 Julai ini.
Objektif seminar itu meningkatkan kefahaman dan kesedaran peserta mengenai teori dan konsep pintar cedas dan berbakat selain menyediakan ruang untuk perbincangan serta perkongsian maklumat dan ilmu berkaitan dengan pendidikan untuk pelajar PCB di kalangan pendidik serta ibu bapa.
Selain itu, ia juga membantu peserta merancang dan melaksanakan pendidikan untuk individu PCB. Antara dibincangkan dalam seminar berkenaan termasuklah ‘Focus on Giftedness and Talent Development’ dan ‘IQ 101: What Intelligence Test Really Measure and The Weakest Link’.
Seminar itu mengundang Malim Prof Francoys Gagne. Prof Gagne terkenal kerana membina dan menerangkan konsep mengenai perkembangan individu (PCB) menerusi sebuah model yang dikenali sebagai Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent (DMGT).
Sebagai profesor yang banyak mengkaji bidang pintar cerdas dan berbakat dan adalah ahli akademik di Universiti Quebec, Montreal, Kanada. Namanya cukup terkenal dalam bidang berkenaan, malah sering diundang menjadi penceramah untuk ucap utama di beberapa persidangan seumpama itu pada peringkat antarabangsa.
Hasil pemikiran dan kajian beliau diterbitkan dalam buku serta jurnal penulisan akademik seperti Gifted Child Quarterly, Roeper Review, dan Handbook of Gifted Education.
Dr Rosadah berkata, kehadiran beliau akan dapat membantu ahli akademik, penyelidik, pendidik dan ibu bapa untuk meningkatkan pengetahuan dalam bidang PCB serta kemahiran dalam penyelidikan serta dalam penulisan ilmiah. Kehadiran Prof Gagne boleh mempertingkatkan lagi prestasi penyelidikan serta penerbitan dalam bidang pendidikan khususnya pendidikan untuk individu pintar cerdas dan berbakat. Bidang pendidikan untuk golongan pintar cerdas dan berbakat yang masih baru hendak diperkenalkan dalam sistem pendidikan di Malaysia.
“Justeru kehadiran itu diharap dapat dimanfaatkan peserta seminar untuk perkongsian ilmu, kepakaran serta pengalaman bersama-sama dengan beliau dalam bidang berkenaan. Kita perlu memahami ciri anak pintar cerdas kerana ramai yang tidak mengenali dan memahami mereka hingga ada yang menganggap kanak-kanak pintar cerdas adalah mereka yang berjaya mendapat berbelas A saja dianggap pintar.
“Kanak-kanak PCB tidak terbatas kepada kepintaran dalam aspek akademik semata-mata, ada kanak-kanak pintar cerdas yang gagal di sekolah, tetapi cemerlang dalam bidang lain, dan ada juga yang tergolong dalam kategori kanak-kanak khas, justeru janganlah membataskan PCB hanya kepada kejayaan di sekolah atau peperiksaan saja,” katanya.
Mengulas sikap sesetengah ibu bapa kanak-kanak pintar yang gemar menonjolkan anak pintar kepada umum dan media, katanya pendedahan berlebihan dikhuatiri menjejaskan perkembangan mereka selain menerbitkan pandangan negatif orang ramai.
“Tidak mustahil kanak-kanak sebegini menjadi bahan atau alat kepada ibu bapa meraih keuntungan, sekali gus boleh menyumbang kepada masalah keruntuhan akhlak akibat terlalu ditekan atau dipaksa untuk menyerlahkan kelebihan mereka,” katanya.
Individu berminat menghadiri seminar berkenaan boleh berhubung penganjur di talian 03-8921 3858.
Berita Harian