Projek Kalsom

Logo of The Kalsom Movement

Projek Kalsom is a student-led motivational camp for Malaysian youths held annually in August in Malaysia by Malaysian university student-leaders since 1994, and by The Kalsom Movement, a youth-led education charity since 2012.^[1] The aim of Projek Kalsom is two-prong; it is hoped that Projek Kalsom can bridge the gap in education inequality to help younger Malaysian students from underprivileged and deprived backgrounds achieve their ambitions, and to encourage voluntarism and develop leadership qualities in Malaysian university students.^[2] Projek Kalsom is open to all Malaysian students regardless of ethnicity, gender, religious or political background.

Every year, Projek Kalsom brings together the brightest, most talented and academically-gifted 16-year-old Malaysian secondary school students from Band 3 and below schools (underperforming schools), as outlined by the Ministry of Education, Malaysia) for a week-long programme of English Language modules, careers and scholarship and personal development workshops as well as entrepreneurship and innovation workshops, by Malaysian university students.

A significant proportion of Projek Kalsom facilitators are top Malaysian university student-leaders from Oxford University, University of Cambridge and Russell Group universities as well as Ivy League universities. Since 2014, Projek Kalsom collaborated with the Malaysian Students' Council of Australia (MASCA) to organise a Revisit Workshop, which runs in January (summer break for Southern Hemisphere university students) for student-participants who attended Projek Kalsom in the previous August to give them further support in their studies.

Background of Organisation

The idea for a motivational camp was initially mooted by a group of Malaysian students in London in 1993 upon reading a newspaper cutting of a Mrs Kelthom Abdullah,^[3] a single mother living in the rural areas of Kelantan, Malaysia, who could not bear the cost of her children's education. Aside from raising funds for Mrs Kelthom Abdullah, these students decided to organise the first Projek Kalsom motivational camp for underprivileged students in Jerantut, Pahang in 1994.^[4] Of note, as the founders of Projek Kalsom were also the founders of the United Kingdom & Eire Council for Malaysian Students (UKEC), it is not surprising that Projek Kalsom has been associated with UKEC in the past.

Subsequent Projek Kalsom motivational camps were rotated between the 11 states and federal territories of West Malaysia as a one-off motivational camp annually. In 2012, under the leadership of Dr Hannah Nazri^[5] (2011 Projek Kalsom 17 Director), formerly a medical student of University of Bristol,^[6] Projek Kalsom finally became a registered entity known as Kelab Belia Kalsom under the Registrar of Youth Societies (Ministry of Youth & Sports, Malaysia); ensuring its sustainability and continuity. 2012 also saw the Projek Kalsom motivational camp being held for the first time in East Malaysia, in Miri, Sarawak. The following year, saw the first Bristol Commonwealth Cultural Programme involving 10 British university students joining Projek Kalsom motivational camp in Kuantan, Pahang.^[7] In 2014, under the leadership of Mohd Zulikhwan Ayub (2014-2015 Kelab Belia Kalsom President), a medical student at University of Aberdeen, Kelab Belia Kalsom underwent a major transformation phase with an expansion plan of partnerships in place, an introduction of a one-year Kalsom Harapan plan, as well as a re-branding exercise where the youth-led charity became widely known as The Kalsom Movement.^[8]

Since 2014, The Kalsom Movement remained the only student-led organisation to receive support and endorsement from Bursa Malaysia (formerly Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange).^[9][10] In 2015, The Kalsom Movement was nominated as one of the Top 10 Organisations (Education and Community) for Merdeka Award, a highly prestigious award in Malaysia. Projek Kalsom itself, is endorsed by the Malaysian Book of Records as the longest student run motivational camp in Malaysia.^[11]

The 'tour' of all 14 states and federal territories of Malaysia was completed with the organisation of the 2015 Projek Kalsom 21 in Papar, Sabah. In 2015, the movement received 364 applications as facilitators from Malaysian students studying in 15 different countries including the United Kingdom, Ireland, United States of America, Canada, Poland, Spain, Egypt, Indonesia and Malaysia for 40 places.^[12] 11 international facilitators through the Bristol Commonwealth Cultural Programme (third year running)^[13] and American Fulbright Scholars were also selected with a dual aim in mind, to encourage bilateral relationships between the two countries and to encourage English speaking between Projek Kalsom student-participants.^[14]

Notable Alumni of The Kalsom Movement (formerly Projek Kalsom)

Members of The Kalsom Movement alumni consists of both Malaysian student-leaders (facilitators) and beneficiaries (student-participants) have gone to have very successful careers in their chosen field. A substantial number have started up their own businesses, charities and social enterprises. A non-exhaustive list of The Kalsom Movement alumni members are as below:

• Abdul Rahman Mohd Redza - Member of the Negeri Sembilan State Assembly for Linggi, primary founder of Projek Kalsom and alumnus of London School of Economics and Political Science.
• Adlan Benan Omar (1978-2008)^[15] - One of the founders of Projek Kalsom, founder of United Kingdom and Eire Council for Malaysian Students, and alumnus of University of Cambridge. The Adlan Benan Omar Award is awarded to a student of the Projek Kalsom motivational camp who has shown a tremendous improvement throughout the programme.
• Rafizi Ramli - Member of the Malaysian Parliament for Pandan and 1996 Projek Kalsom 3 alumnus (facilitator).
• Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad - Selangor State Executive Councillor (EXCO) for Education, Human Capital Development, Science, Technology and Innovation, Member of the Selangor State Assembly for Seri Setia and 2004 Projek Kalsom 10 alumnus (facilitator).^[16]
• Azri Malek - 2009 Projek Kalsom 15 Director. One of Malaysia's youngest lawyers running their own law firm^[17] and founder and 2015 President of Small Changes,^[18] another non-profit organisation established with the aim of encouraging young professionals to be involved in community work.
• Dr Hannah Nazri - Associate Fellow of Royal Commonwealth Society, medical doctor based at Oxford University and 2011 Projek Kalsom 17 Director.
• Aiman Azlan - Malaysian Youtuber, public speaker, writer and 2011 Projek Kalsom 17 alumnus (facilitator).
• Sabrina Musfirah Nazri - 'Siti Sifir' in Along, Seasons 10-13 (a popular children's television programme in Malaysia in the 1990s) and 2010-2012 Projek Kalsom alumnus (committee and facilitator). Sabrina is a law graduate from University of Sheffield who is currently pursuing a career in investment and also an Associate Fellow of Royal Commonwealth Society.
• Hanie Soraya Taha - Medical student at Mansoura University,^[19] Malaysian singer and 2015 Projek Kalsom 21 alumnus (facilitator).

Among the alumni members of The Kalsom Movement are also scholarship recipients of the most prestigious academic scholarships in Malaysia such as the Bank Negara Kijang Emas Scholarship (awarded to top four or five best Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia students nationally), Biasiswa Nasional (awarded to top 20^[20] (previously top 50^[21]) best Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia students nationally) and Biasiswa Yang di-Pertuan Agong (The King's Scholarship):

• Ahmad Helmi Azhar, PhD - Recipient of the 2009/2010 Biasiswa Yang di-Pertuan Agong to study at Oxford University^[22] and Projek Kalsom alumnus (facilitator). One of the founders of ICON Centre for Global Affairs,^[23] a Kuala Lumpur based think tank.
• Mohd Zulikhwan Ayub - Recipient of 2009 Bank Negara Kijang Emas Scholarship^[24] and 2014-2015 Kelab Belia Kalsom President. Recipient of 2009 National Full Colours Award and Co-Founder of SCVenture, a social enterprise start-up
• Abir Abdul Rahim - Recipient of 2011/2012 Biasiswa Yang di-Pertuan Agong^[25] and 2010 Projek Kalsom 16 alumnus (committee member and facilitator). Co-founder of Lean In Malaysia, a subsidiary of Lean In Foundation, founded by Facebook COO, Sheryl Sandberg.
• Lim Kai Xiang - Recipient of 2012 Biasiswa Nasional, currently at University College London. 2016 The Kalsom Movement Executive Committee member.
• Jalaluddin Mohd Zaiki - Recipient of 2012 Biasiswa Nasional, also currently at University College London. 2016 Projek Kalsom 22 Director.
• Hajar Nur Asyiqin Abdul Zubir - 2013 Projek Kalsom 19 alumnus (student)^[26] and recipient of 2015 Bank Negara Kijang Emas Scholarship. Hajar was also recipient of the Adlan Benan Omar Award of 2013 Projek Kalsom 19 in Kuantan, Pahang.^[27]

External links

• Official website
• Teach for Malaysia
• United Kingdom and Eire Council for Malaysian Students

References