MASAF Lagenda: MASAF HICOM 2010/11 Farewell Keynote : Because We Care

Assalamualaikum, Salam Sejahtera and Bonjour to all,

With the election now finished,the time has come for me and my fellow HICOM MASAF 2010-2011 to step down and make way for the newly elected HICOM to lead MASAF for the year ahead.

WORDS OF GRATITUDE

I'd like to take this final opportunity to wish a very big thank you to the MASAF HICOM 2009-10, and 2010-2011 with whom I have worked with for the past 2 years,from the Embassy H E Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Zainal,Encik Faris, Encik Megat,Encik Mohyidin,Encik Adlan, Mr Mohamed,Puan Yusfiza, and all the Malaysian students in France , for all your help and support.Without all your sacrifices, commitment and teamwork, we would never have achieved all the activities that MASAF has organised since July 2009. It has been a splendid experience with lots of beautiful moments, memories that I'll forever cherish.

I would also like to congratulate the new MASAF HICOM 2011-2012, lead by Hannamalai and Jason Ting as President and Vice-President respectively. Being friends and having known both of them for the past couple of years, I'm 100% sure that with the help of Masruddin, Anati, Aamirul , and Akmali, they'll perform as a great team to lead Masaf in the year ahead. You guys have all our support needed. For the rest,together with passion and aspiration to help MASAF and our fellow colleagues, I hope that we can all play our part as well in ensuring unity and achieving MASAF's target. I'm also very happy that there's a representative from each race in this year's HICOM.

MASAF'S ROLE IN MOLDING SUCCESSFUL ALL-ROUNDED STUDENTS

As students in France, and aspiring one day to lead and make our beloved nation proud, the life of a university student is essential as well as a pivotal moment in determining our future and life ahead. Being active in co-curricular activities is equally important as succeeding academically in inspiring to be an all-rounded person. Meeting and mixing with others of different backgrounds and cultures enables us to gain a wider view of things and being an open-minded person. Therefore, we must grab with both hands this opportunity given to us by our government and beloved country and use ouryears in France to learn and gather as much experience as possible, preparing us for the great challenge ahead. I greatly recommend all of us to give our continuing support and give a helping hand in future MASAF activities.Regardless being a HICOM or not, it is our responsibility to play our part, not just those being elected doing the job.

Walking down the memory lane , and looking back at the past programs, such as the MFI Experience Talk in August 2009, the first meetings between the MASAF HICOM with Encik Faris, the previous Ambassador Datuk Thana in Paris, to sport activities like the annual MASAF Games in Besançon and Toulon, as well as Futsal in Toulon & Rennes, Intellectual seminars such as theEducation Talk in January 2011 and world issues such as Aqsa Syarif Europe Tour Seminar in Toulon, social events and religious celebrations such as the Chinese New Year gatherings in Lyonand Paris, in 2010 & 2011 respectively, Iftar during Ramadhan in Nice, Visit Paris and Orientation for First Year Students in the summer of 2010 , the annual MASAF Graduation Day, and others, I like to thank again to those who have helped tremendously in making it happen. Without the generous help of our fellow colleagues, I'm sure it would not have been possible. Only God can reward you all.The MASAF Donation campaign has also been a success, with about 1000Euros collected for the victims of the Japanese Tsunami and and about 1500euros collected for Palestine.

MASAF being an association not just for sports, or social events, with the wide variety of events being held, from intellectual talks to social events,to sports ,and also cultural & religious events,and meetings with the JPA, MFUC to meet the students needs, I hope to have had catered to the students' needs . But of course, as a student, our time is also constrained and limited to other responsibilities such as academical works, family needs ,friends , etc, thus limiting our time and I am the first to admit that there are many more room for improvements and many more things that I could and should have done, especially in regards solving the issues with SFERE and Campus France, but having read Jason's manifesto and I believe that with the help of Hannamalai , you guys can help it to be solved in the future.

TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY

As previously done last year and as promised in my manifesto in the first election in 2009 in bringing a change for a more "transparent" MASAF, we will release this year's financial report after this weeks graduation day, since this weekends graduation day in Paris will be the last program organised by the HICOM. I'm glad with the hardwork and contribution from the HICOM 2009/10 & 2011/12 , hope that we are able to take MASAF to a higher level and also financially more stable and start a trend that will be continued in the future. More than 15 000 euros have been spent for all the activities all-together, and being a non-lucrative association, all the participation fees charged to the students were done merely to pay the fees,meals,logistical needs,etc for each event.It was difficult in the beginning having to begin with zero and working on a tight budget to organise the activities, but I'm glad that with the help from JPA, the Embassy, Petronas ,Telekom,MARA, MFUC and with the overwhelming support from students in each activity and participation fees in from each event, it has not become a stumbling block in preventing the events to happen,and that all the financial costs were safely managed.Not to forget my close friend since our days in Colmar , Kamil Baharuddin, President of the Kelab UMNO France who has been very helpful and supportive, helping us for the Masaf MFI Experience Talk and this year's MASAF Graduation Day 2011.

HOPE FOR A BETTER MASAF IN THE FUTURE

Having worked closely with the Presidents of the Malaysian Students Society Poland (MSSP) , Czech Republic Students Association (CzeMSA), in organising the Aqsa Syarif Europe Tour 2011, building official links with Malaysian Postgraduate Association Uk Ireland (MPA UK-Eire), participation in MASAF Games Besançon and Toulon by Malaysian Students in Germany and Spain respectively, we hope to have been able to put MASAF on the international scene and being recognised by other Malaysian students studying abroad.

Being a student in France since 2004 and gone through the years when MASAF wasn't even established yet, and through it's embryonic stages in the first few years, I acknowledge and really appreciate the initiative and work done by our seniors such as Fakhzan Badiran (JPA 1), Syukry Hamidi ( JPA 3 ) , Siva (JPA 1), Teoh Teik Siang (JPA 1) as well as the first two MASAF's HICOM during the year 2007/08 and 2008/2009. As much as I would love to take another shot at the MASAF presidential election for the third consecutive time, I think it's best for me to step and to let others lead the role and gain valuable experience, and still at the same time being able to contribute and help in achieving unity and catering student needs in any other way possible.

Let's all respect and treat others the same way that we would like others to treat and respect us. And with that, I end my speech with the slogan for MASAF that has chosen by the HICOM in my first year in charge, which is " Bcoz We Care " and some photos to look back and cherish some unforgettable memories spent together and the friendships built.