Our vision is to promote the exchange of ideas, opinions and solutions among Malaysian students.
Our mission is to provide a platform for students to discuss pertinent Malaysian issues in an open and constructive way.
CEKU is the editorial arm of UKEC. We are a team of passionate student writers from the Catalyst Office, committed to promoting the values of democracy, free speech, justice and holism.
Our articles are written to be informative, persuasive and analytical in nature. We believe in the power of the pen, and that by encouraging participation in intellectual discourse, the collective wisdom of our dreams of a better nation will lead Malaysia to the right path of sustainable progress.
While still being part of UKEC, our writers operate at an arm’s length from UKEC itself. This gives them the freedom and independence to pursue any articles they deem important without fear of influence from any organisations. As such, the opinions offered on this platform are not an indication of UKEC’s position on a particular topic. We are merely the vessel that carries the voices and opinions of the Malaysian Student Community.
Editor-in-Chief
2nd Year, BA (Hons.) Philosophy, Politics and Economics
University of Manchester
If you ever fail to locate Cheng Jie, lay out a trail of teh tarik, pineapple pizza, B99 episodes, Malcolm Gladwell books, and she will come running to you.
Executive Editor
3rd year, LLB Law
Queen's University Belfast
Emilia's weekly routine sums up her character in which she: (1) listens to either BFM/BBC every morning (2) binge reality tv (3) consumes chocolate religiously.
Creative Editor
1st Year, BASc Politics, International Studies and Global Sustainable Development
University of Warwick
Damia’s idea of fun are 3 Bs: bed, books, and (kpop) boys. She tries different hobbies to fill time, but has concluded that she’s best at wasting time by bingeing something in bed.
Writer
1st Year, BA/BSc Philosophy, Politics and Economics
University of Warwick
When she’s not contemplating life choices, Maisarah is browsing through easy-to-cook uni meals since the UK ones are just too bland for her tastebuds. Cili padi? A necessity.
Writer
2nd year, MEng (Hons.) Chemical Engineering with Energy and Environment,
University of Manchester
Baking and petting street cats are Iman's top-tier dopamine boosts. Now, we fear she has gotten too powerful with her new oven and neighbour's kittens.
Writer
2nd year, BSc Economics,
University of Manchester
Hong Bin is always cooking something up—either an argument in his head or an experimental dish in the kitchen. Else, catch him diving for discs on the frisbee court.
Editor-in-Chief
2nd Year, BSc Economics
University of Warwick
History buff. He will drag you down to have a hours long deep conversation with him, its a slippery slope once he begins speaking to you.
Creative Editor
2nd Year BSc Economics and Environment
University of Edinburgh
Writer
2nd year, LLB Law,
University of Manchester
Weeb; daydreamer; aspiring lawyer. With a heart stronger than his motivation, Li Jun's passion in Malaysian politics resonates through his writing and terrible puns.
Writer
1st year, LLB Law and Politics,
Cardiff University
Other than reading 3 books at a time, you can find Qadirah over-analysing pop culture in her writing or sipping teh tarik.
“Selamat pulang ke tanah air”—these words strike a chord within the hearts of many Malaysians; I am no exception. This is the phrase I have yearned to echo in my ears and heart again since I first touched down in KLIA after a year of loss, solitude, and sorrow in my distant home, the UK.
Artificial intelligence seems closer to fact than fiction as chatbots like ChatGPT have taken the world by storm. ChatGPT is a chatbot that does more than your average school work. From diagnosing a medical disease to writing songs and poems, providing cooking recipes, planning your dream European holiday, identifying bugs in code, and explaining the errors, ChatGPT has defied the norm and become a symbol of the endless possibilities that artificial intelligence can offer. But as we delve deeper into the mechanics of it, we begin to assess several factors of this revolutionary generative AI chatbot that induces excitement but also fear-mongering and serious concerns.
The recently announced Budget 2023 under Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s administration will allocate RM15.1 billion to the Ministry of Higher Education, which is a 5.7 per cent increase compared to the previous budget, as reported by New Straits Times. The ministry has since pledged to improve the quality of Malaysian higher education, including upgrading the basic infrastructures and adopting more digitalisation to enhance digital learning, pairing with fiscal efforts such as the deferment of National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) loan payment and cash distribution via the e-tunai Belia Rahmah initiative.
The UK has seen its fair share of challenges since 2020. With the pandemic taking charge, a series of unfortunate events followed soon after. From having three Prime Ministers in a year to the Queen’s passing, the sterling took a deep dive following political and economic uncertainties. Now, the nation is challenged with its biggest issue yet: the cost of living crisis.
The cost of living crisis (CoL) began in late 2021 as an effect of the pandemic. Inflation was at an all-time high, causing a rise in prices and a fall in the public’s real disposable income. In other words, there was a significant increase in the cost of living compared to the previous year, creating an economic gap that has only worsened.
It was certainly a tough pre-Valentine weekend for Penang Deputy Chief Minister Ramasamy Palanisamy when he was attacked by politicians from both sides of the aisle, along with various civil societies and non-governmental organisations, over his remark that the Malaysian civil service is currently Malay-dominated and that the current government led by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim must take action to ‘break’ the Malay dominance in the public sector.
Dah makan?”. A question that connects us. A question of care and love. A question that might as well be a greeting. When I think of home or growing up, this question always comes to mind. The weight it holds, the care that is expressed through such a simple question—it is so much more than its translation, asking if I’ve eaten. It’s an extension of care, sometimes an offering and, most times, an invitation. What this phrase really means to me is an expression of love. It is what I think of when I think of love languages.
On 16 August 2021, following the resignation of Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s government due to backlash on the handling of Covid-19, UMNO vice president, Dato’ Sri Ismail Sabri became the ninth Prime Minister to lead the country’s recovery. He commanded a very slim four-seat majority in Malaysia’s 222-seat parliament of 114 seats. Pakatan Harapan (PH), the opposition bloc, had 88 seats in parliament. The country was still recovering with half-baked lockdowns and an unfinished vaccination program, and a general election was unrealistic and inconsiderate to the struggling rakyat. Thus, a memorandum of agreement between PH and the government was signed to ensure political stability.
We often seek entertainment when we are bored, whether it be going through social media, online streaming platforms, or games. I’m sure many of us have listened to our parents or seen other parents lecture us not to play too many games and focus on our studies since games aren’t going to feed us or get us a job. This might be true a few years ago, but how true is it now?
It is ironic to admit that I am prouder to be Malaysian while studying in Manchester than back home in beautiful Pulau Pinang. Growing up in front of Astro Ceria, running along lorong’s carefreely, queueing up by the milo truck drenched in sweat, I took the Malaysian part of me for granted.
It’s odd how what other people see as a waste of time is insightful for me and has changed my perspective on things. Whether it be bickering couples or day-to-day lives, as usual, your girl loves listing, and today’s list will be in the form of the things I have learned from one of my go-to series, One Day At A Time.
DYNAC
Dynac Sdn. Bhd., is a company that offers products & services from oil and gas, chemical refinery, rig building industry and telecommunication. For many years, it has served the industry with dedication, winning projects especially in the Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) industry. As a company that competes for major projects, it has to ensure that the construction work meets all the specifications and this is certainly a task that is taken seriously by Dynac.