MalaysiaKini Op-eds

Dr. Benjamin Loh, Senior Lecturer, School of Media & Communication successfully obtained two op-ed publications with Malaysiakini, one of the most reputable English online news outlets in Malaysia. The first article which was published on 19th February 2021, co-written with several young academics from local public universities, addressed the recent issue of Malaysians publishing their work in predatory journals. It discussed the impact of KPI driven publishing requirements and why there needed to be substantive reforms in tertiary education to allow young academics to prosper rather than be subjugated by a predatory system. The second article which was published on 15th March 2021, addressed the recently announced emergency ordinance regarding the fight against coronavirus related fake news. It also discussed the negative implications and potential for abuse and proposed the need to empower the Malaysian public rather than to pursue punitive measures to deal with it. Both articles can be accessed here: https://www.malaysiakini.com/columns/563561, https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/566589

Featuring our Alumna - Zoey Chai, Founder of Woots!

“A dedicated and open-minded individual with an unrivalled energy who wants to make a change”.

This month's featured alumna is Zoey Chai Sze Wha, a graduate of the Event Management programme. She has successfully developed her company, Woots! Events and has worked with over 30 small and large scales businesses since graduation. Zoey has never shied away from a challenge, and she has always been ambitious and unwavering in her convictions, plunging headfirst into difficult decisions. It all began when she realised all of the events industry issues and decided that she would be the one to bring about change and introduce new ideas.

Zoey's love and enthusiasm for events had led her to make the risky decision to postpone her tertiary education and embark on her journey as a startup founder. Woots! Events is a well-established events company in the Klang Valley that provides a one-of-a-kind and unparalleled virtual event and outdoor ground site experience for a wide range of clients in various industries. During her tenure at Taylor's, she honed her management skills and gained a firm understanding of industry engagements, enabling her to guide Woots! Event towards long-term partnerships and fruitful events with major international companies such as Tencent, Microsoft, HP, Nexagate, CPA Australia, and others.

“We believe together, Woots! Event can be the trend; we can be the future. By understanding client's needs in event and providing the best solution to meet the outcomes. We create bridges to connect people, by the people, for the people. W.E make your ideas happen!”- Zoey Chai

TUTAS Celebrates Women’s Day with Adjunct Professor, Dato’ Dr Faridah Merican

Dato’ Dr. Faridah Merican, the First Lady of Malaysian Theatre, has started this initiative to get the performing arts back on track, since the Government’s recent decision to delay the return of live audiences to theatre venues nationwide. This has left the arts community aimless for more than 6 months. This year in conjunction with International Women’s Day, Dato’ Dr. Faridah Merican was featured in one of the online plays directed by senior lecturer, Mark Beau and co-directed by Taylor’s student, Syazani Zikry.

The 45-minute programme also featured works by TUTAS (Taylor’s University and The Actors Studio) academics, Joe Hasham OAM, Omar Ali, Jit Yang and Ian Chow. The online performance premiered on Facebook on 8th March 2021, with a minimum donation pass of RM10. All proceedings were to support operational cost of Penang Pac. With the recent announcement of the government lifting the MCO, we hope arts activities can resume and more people will have the opportunity to watch live performances once again.