Name: Alfred Chong Chun Kiat
Course: LLB Law with Criminology
Year: First
Positions: President, Finance Officer, Sports and Events Officer
Manifesto:
"we are more than just friends. We ARE your family". a message to the new batch of freshers joining Brukeele! :)
my name is Alfred Chong, im here hoping to be able to fill in or even exceed the previous presidents respectively. They have done a magnificent job building up Brukeele, What to expect should i become the president? I am hoping to make the society more active and bond closer. the activities that i have in mind is BBQ-ing, steamboat, game night(if possible), trip to outside of Keele and so on. of course money issue will come into the scene but if prompted, i am willing to chip in some maybe more to the event just so we can have the gathering because it is more important that we as a group are able to bond. furthermore, by bonding with each other, we will be able to remind ourselves who we are and where did we come from and never get lose sight of our paths of whats right. if i were to become the president, i am also open to new suggestions and ideas from the society and also i am willing to accept any feedbacks (whether positive or negative) from the society so that i can rectify myself not only as a president but also a better person.
Name: Khairul Izzul Zaini
Course: Dual Honours in Marketing & Politics
Year: First
Positions: President, General Secretary, IT
About Me:
I'm 21 years old. I am at level 4 studies in Marketing and Politics. I did my foundation year in 2015. I've been Keele for almost a year now. I am currently doing a part-time job in Marketing Industry at Harrow in London.
Why Vote Me:
People keep asking if I’m really running for president or just kidding about it. I’m not running in the sense of wanting the position. Being president looks hard. My current job is far easier and it pays better. I can work in my pyjamas, and my risk of assassination is relatively low. It would be more accurate to say I’m like your emergency option for president, in case the major parties are offering you nothing but a guaranteed slide toward economic doom. During my one year in Keele, I have seen the University undergo huge changes. As a service to this society, I offer myself as your only viable alternative.
Anyone else is coming into my way - I know, those guys are smarter than I am. They’re also more experienced. They’re taller, better looking, and they have excellent hair. They also have much, much better character. So why would you vote for me? Let’s run through the reasons.
1) ORGANISATION: There will be more people involve in my committee. Our organisation would be a big society categorized to different positions. I had years of experiences in different types of organizations - Non-profit, work-based and school based. Every responsibility is very important. It is the key to a successful organisation.
2) EVENTS: If you vote me as a president. Your schedule for event would be much organised as it would be in early calendar. Everything would be planned out accordingly every quarter of the year.
3) STUDENTS WELL-BEING: UK is part of the big world- Culture shock? Feeling homesick? Feeling depressed? Having financial difficulties? Don't know where to get help? Need not to worry. We would have someone be in touch with you and it will be confidential - After all we are your family and we will welcome you whatever you are as what Coldplay and Beyoncé did in the Superbowl!
4) NEWSLETTER AND MAGAZINE: We would have our own annual magazine. This newsletter - hopefully will be collaborated with the local newspaper in Brunei of how Keele is the best place to study.
5) BUDGET: The first of my public debates will be on the topic of how much expenditure is too much and whether spending £ helps or hurts in the long run. I won’t support any budget plan until the majority of interested Bruneian understands the general economics of government debt, and tax policy, and agree in general on the best path forward.
If the budget debates don’t create a useful consensus, I’ll support what I call the Default Budget Plan, which involves x£ for a monthly event. That plan would be painful for everyone, and that’s the point. I’ll challenge other candidates to come up with something better.
In addition to that, we will have 1 or 2 big events in Keele, and of course with the help from sponsors in Brunei. This would make Keele and you lot the Bruneian to experience Keele like never before. Last year on KeeleRag - Islamic societies won for raising £15K and I can promise you that we could get better. My experience in charity fair is that I did organized one in 2011 for Tsunami Earthquake victims in Japan. It was a successful event, everyone is happy although we only manage to raise a charity about BN$250.93 Approx.
6) SCANDAL: I will stipulate in advance that any rumours you hear about me, scandalous or not, are 100% true. In reality, probably only half of them will be true. My advice for you is to assume everything you hear about me is accurate. If you believe I once spiked a hobo, but on the other hand, my idea of televised public debates is a good one, I’m still your best choice for president. I’m not your role model!
Name: Hajah Nur Hazirah Wahidah binti Haji Roslan
Course: BSc Psychology Single Honours
Year: First
Positions: Finance Officer, IT , Welfare Officer
Manifesto:
I wish to develop leadership, communication and co-operative skills whilst being on the committee. My first choice of position in the committee is being the Welfare Officer followed by Finance Officer and finally, IT officer.
I am interested in making sure that Bruneian students studying at Keele University are feeling safe and secure during their stay on-campus and off-campus. As the position of Welfare Officer has only been recently introduced, I will share a few ideas that I thought a person should do as the Welfare Officer.
I think that students who wish to stay off-campus should have easy access to finding homes. The Welfare Officer should compile a list of recommended landlords/lady from Bruneian students who were/are living off-campus. Students who wish to move out of their homes off-campus can report to the Welfare Officer if they are seeking someone to take their places next year. This can act as a reference for the students who wish to live off-campus and they may meet with the Bruneian students living off-campus to discuss the pros and cons of living in their houses and/or making a contract with their recommended landlord/lady. It will also be helpful to find other Bruneian students to live in the same house. Students who live off-campus may be able to reach me easily as I will be living off-campus, located not far from the Newcastle town centre, next year.
The Welfare Officer should introduce the newly-arrived students to the modes of transportation (First Bus, Roseville Taxi & Keele safety bus) and the choices of student bus tickets available to them (monthly tickets, yearly tickets, etc). The Welfare Officer should be able to assist students in applying for bus tickets in the Keele Student Union when needed.
Just like what we experienced this year, the Welfare Officer (assisted by the VP or vice versa) should plan trips to take newly-arrived students to the Newcastle town centre, Hanley, intu Potteries, Pak Foods, Wing Lee, etc. and introduce them to the various shops available to them.
The Welfare Officer should ensure that students living off-campus have the chance to participate in BruKeele activities (board game night, Asy-Syifaa, etc). They should also make sure that they return home safely after the events. The Welfare officer can personally accompany them to their homes (especially when an event ends late at night).
Finally, students should be able to easily reach and communicate with the Welfare Officer through text and calls. They are free to tell them any problems involving their health, safety, etc. Optionally, the Welfare Officer should ask students about their well-being twice or thrice every month.
In regards to being the Finance Officer, I do not have any accounting or business experiences but I have experience in managing money. I understand that being a Finance Officer means that I will be managing a large sum of money and I will make sure that the money collected is well-used and safe with me. I also have the tendency to find cheaper alternatives if necessary. I will always consult other members of the committee to make sure that the cheaper alternatives that were chosen do not fall short on their qualities when compared to the expensive ones. I believe that we should use the money collected as best as we can without losing too much.
As an IT Officer, I have experience in editing blogs and photos (Photoshop). I also own various social media accounts and I believe that I am capable of running the online BruKeele accounts. I will try my best to work with my fellow IT Officer in updating these accounts as frequently as we can.
Name: Nuur Afiqah 'Izzati @ Izzul Farahain binti Haji Zulkiflee
Course: Geoscience
Year: First
Positions: General Secretary, Religious Officer Female, Finance Officer
Manifesto:
I am an industrious individual and I want to be a committee member because it has always been my passion to contribute effectively to the society because I believe that it will help me grow more as a leader, in terms of gaining more experience, enriching knowledge, decision-making skills and meeting new people from different backgrounds and morale. Besides self-growth, this is an opportunity for all of us to be the voice of our youth, innovate, unite through teamwork and gaining the ability to understand each other, help each other with their strengths and working together to eliminate any weaknesses, to achieve a goal.
I participated in extra-curricular activities that contributed to my growth as a dedicated and confident individual. Over the years, my responsibilities increased and experiences broaden, due to the different positions I have held in contrasting working environments. I was a ‘Peer Group Helper’ [Pembimbing Rakan Sebaya], which gained me great counseling skills, improved my interpersonal skills with people that had different morals and exchanging insights. By working together as a team and understanding each other, we can achieve more and think outside the norm. I believe that having a friendly and understanding approach with others is one of the keys to be a good leader because others would look up to you for help and assistance and it is our job to be the intermediary.
I was also elected as the secretary of the Student Council. This experience had taught me the importance of teamwork and commitment of oneself to any responsibility. Furthermore, I learnt the ability to work under pressure with demanding conditions –especially when organizing events- and managed to get the job done. In addition, I am an articulate speaker because I am comfortable with public speaking. This is evident as I was appointed the Vice-President of the Gavel Club.
If I were chosen to become a committee member, I would contribute by being the voice of the students, putting forth their opinions to the higher authorities and achieve a conclusion for everyone. I believe that gatherings bring people together and remind us of our cultures, thus I will work to promote better social and cultural harmony amongst us by conducting more gatherings and events on a regular basis. This would enable the students to develop closer relations –juniors, seniors- with each other and finding the balance between academics, entertainment and religious faith. I also believe by collaborating with other societies, this would build up our foundation as a Bruneian society and we can exchange cultural beliefs and traditions, further developing our interactive skills.
My final words would be to pick me because I would be a great and this Brukeele society better for us, the assests of Brunei and to become a better individual for ourselves. impactful addition to the committee, and let’s work together to make a better individual for ourselves.
Name: Bahjahtul 'Izzah Haji Ahmad Alisa Eswan
Course: International Relations and Politics
Year: First
Positions: Finance Officer, IT, Welfare Officer
Manifesto:
Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem.
Assalamualaikum and warm greetings to my fellow peers.
My name is Bahjahtul ‘Izzah and all are welcome to call me Izzah. I am currently an International Relations and Politics student in Keele’s International Study Centre (ISC). I’d like to run for the position of BruKeele’s Welfare officer for 2016/2017. My slogan is “With Brukeele Through Thick and Thin” and I always believe that “Tanggung jawab itu satu amanah”.
Why choose me? Well, as an International Relations and Politics student, in my perspective, this is a perfect opportunity for me to step forward and offer my commitment to the BruKeele committee. At the same this will become a podium for myself to learn and strengthen my leadership skill. I always believe in teamwork as cooperation between the members and listening to their opinions are the keys to success and mahabbah. Moreover, I am confident that I am capable of holding the position while giving some new ideas and supporting my committee members simultaneously Insha’Allah.
Honestly, I don’t have that much to offer you all but I am someone who is trustworthy, approachable and a good listener. I would lend my shoulders to your problems and try my best to see you through! As I know being alone overseas can be really intimidating and there is no doubt that there will be some serious challenges that we will need to cope up with and hardships that will be difficult to endure (because I’ve been there) hence I will contribute as much as I can, and make everyone especially new students feel like home here as that was what our seniors did to us in previous year. That’s my promise. Furthermore, this will enhance our bond as one big family in Keele. No one should be left out!
As to my experiences and skills, I have been in various positions since high school as I was appointed as one of the peer guiders in sixth form, monitor in high school, Secretary and Treasurer in various committees and I am active in volunteering as well. I joined numerous volunteering events, two notable events being Student Entrepreneurship Development Expo and Beach Bunch cleaning campaign and many more. I used to be an active member of Girl Guides association and I joined some leadership camping to improve my skills. I have experiences in public speaking too as I joined various competitions, hence from it, I have gained confidence even though sometimes I find my knees shaking.
I will do my very best to accomplish my objectives of joining this committee, that are, to unite all the BruKeele members and assure an equal and fair treatment within the members regardless of their age, gender, class, race and religion, to preserve our national identity as a ‘Bruneian’, to ensure that being a member of BruKeele family will be joyful and a satisfying experience, and lastly but not least, to help improve the image of BruKeele amongst Bruneians in Keele and the UK as a whole! So vote for me! :)
Much love,
Bahjahtul ‘Izzah.
Name: Azmina Azmain
Course: Mathematics
Year: First
Positions: Finance Officer, IT, Sports and Events Officer
Manifesto:
I enjoy taking photos of people and documenting events then sharing them through social Medias such as facebook and Instagram. Owning a DSLR camera allows me to improve my photography skills as I can understand better how the camera which allows me to take better photos. Other than that I have had an experience as a secretary in Health club in my secondary and have had a chance of being a member of the student council in my sixth form so I am confident that I can help the committee in anyway if they need me to.
Name: Siti Nurin Bari'ah bte Hj Muhd Sabirin
Course: Law LLB with Business
Year: First
Positions: Vice President, General Secretary, Sports and Events Officer
Manifesto:
Assalamualaikum. Hi. My name is Nurin and I'm running for Vice President. As one of the Sports and Events Officer, I've had the opportunity to observe the way the current committee is being run and so I'm confident I can apply the experience as an example and reference for the new committee. I will assist and support the President in any way I can and be his/her wingman. 🐦🐦🐦🐦 I hope to work with the President in ensuring that the members of the new committee are in-sync and that all their voices are heard, before proceeding to making a decision that will إنشاءالله be beneficial to the society. You see, the survival of BruKeele Society is especially important to me because I take this task personally. I believe we are the only family we have and so it is fundamental for us to be close to one another because we trust each other; not just because we're from the same country. Long story short, if I do get this position, I will do my best.
Name: Afifah Syamimi Yanam
Course: Psychology
Year: First
Positions: Vice President, General Secretary, Welfare Officer
Manifesto:
Being given a role that represents where we're from in a foreign country carries a lot of responsibility. These responsibilities may be heavy, or may be light. Either way, despite all those responsibilities and hard work, being able to represent Brunei in Keele would be a huge pleasure.
Why?
This is because we would get to appreciate Brunei even more, since we are 16 hours away from our home country.
The warm weather, the people, the environment we're so used to and oh the glorious food that we constantly miss everyday.
Being absolutely far away from our families are of course the most difficult situation we have to deal and face with everyday. Those nights where we would stay up just to face time or call our parents to make sure they are doing just fine and vice versa and we started to appreciate their presence even more.
So what are my points exactly?
Well, I believe that being a part of the Brukeele society would make the experience of homesickness less threatening. The reason being is that the members will always have a piece of Brunei with them when studying abroad surrounded by other Bruneians; sharing the same interests.
As part of the Brukeele society committee, I would assure that you will have the time of your life during your university period. This is the crucial period where we would learn more about yourselves and grow as an individual.
Being said that, one of my contributing ideas would be to make every member of this society to be proud that they've reached this far after all of the hard work and sacrifices made to achieve this far.
So we're in the UK, what now?
Well, being one of the committee member, I would like every member to feel included, like they belong just right; and still feel like home with the other members.
Celebrate Hari Raya? Yes let's do it.
Celebrate Chinese New Year? Yes let's do that.
Being able to celebrate those celebrations you would back home overseas would mean a lot to an individual. Thus, creating a harmonious diversity environment amongst Bruneians in Keele.
Along those lines, I will do the utmost best of my capabilities and time; running as Vice President/General Secretary/Welfare Officer of Brukeele Society. I will do my best to maintain the good reputation of Brukeele Society and to spread the well deserving recognition of what Bruneians as well as Brunei herself has to offer.
Name: Siti Watiqah binti Samsuddin
Course: MPharm Pharmacy
Year: First
Positions: Vice President, General Secretary, Sports and Events
Officer
Manifesto:
It’s understandable that living abroad is hard especially at such a
young age, first time living away from family and learn to be independent.
Hence I am writing this manifesto to express my interests to become Brukeele
2016/2017 vice president, someone who is involved in the caring of other
Brukeele members well-being while in UK. I consider myself having a good
organizing skills as I always like to plan ahead of how I want all activities
to go and make sure there is always a plan B in case plan A does not work out.
I believe my organizing skills will help me juggle my studies despite having to
perform the duties of a dedicated committee. Moreover, being able to overcome
stress is a crucial skill that I presume all Brukeele committees should have
and I trust that I have my own way to cope with stress.
MY VISION
If I am elected to become the next vice president, I will make sure opinions
and problems are heard at every level. As a Pharmacy student who is trained to
communicate well with people, I will definitely make good use of my listening
skills to try my best help Brukeele members with their problems including
financially and academically. If I could not help resolve their difficulties, I
will refer them to the experts such as Keele University advisers and ‘Unit
Penuntut-Penuntut’ staffs. I enjoy helping others and working in a team, hence
if I am elected to become the next vice president I will support other Brukeele
committees in performing their tasks and take into account of their views.
Therefore, together we work to accomplish our aim to allow Brukeele members to
have memorable experiences while studying in Keele. I will assist in organising
events such as Maulud Nabi celebration and meet-up sessions every once in a
while to allow Brukeele members to bond with each other and make everyone feel
like they are all a family. I immensely thank my seniors for arranging board
games nights for us, the freshers and I will carry on this method as I
personally admit this approach helped me a lot with my homesick and it made me
think that home is not far after all. Being someone that others will look up to
either for advice or just for supports, I will start keeping myself updated of
current issues about what is happening in the UK, around Keele and also news
involving our home country, Brunei. First year students will be my major
priority as they are the ones who need additional help. I will help these
juniors in terms of settling in new accommodation, adapting to the new
environment and sharing beneficial tips on how to prepare themselves for university
life. In order to meet Brukeele member’s satisfaction and also improve our ways
of doing our jobs, I aim to give out questionnaires for Brukeele members to
fill in during Winter break. To conclude, bonding between Brukeele members is
one of the many aims that I want to fulfill if I am elected. Brukeele member’s
problems will absolutely be a part of mine and I certainly will try my best to
be a good listener and a good adviser to them. Positively, I am sure I can
manage the duties of Brukeele vice president with all these goals to help
others and skills that I have developed to aid me achieve these goals.
"Voters will decide how they want to be governed"
Evangelos Venizelos
