PENANG, July 2014 - Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) community is being urged to take advantage of the month of Ramadhan to empower the organisation.

Its Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dato’ Dr. Omar Osman said this in his message to the USM community in conjunction with the advent of Ramadhan.

"Ramadhan is like an educational institution for the improvement of moral and spiritual character of human being. The University must take up the challenge to educate the entire ummah to examine themselves (introspection), correct themselves as well as to seek purification of their deeds and thoughts. We need to strengthen our relationship with other people, our relationship with nature and the most importantly, our relationship with Allah s.w.t.," said the Vice-Chancellor.

He added that Ramadhan also teaches us about our role in helping one another, building each other up, performing good deeds for the betterment of mankind, upholding religious teachings by infusing them into their daily life and practice the teachings with full sincerity and devotion essentially for the love of Allah s.w.t.

"This is also applicable in developing an organisation or institution basing on the strength of each member. In an organisation or institution, each of its members, regardless of the position held, is equally important because Islam teaches its followers that each person is a leader who is responsible for what and who he leads," said Omar.

For example, at the university, the Vice-Chancellor and Deputy Vice-Chancellor are the mainstays of leadership in managing and administering all available resources to achieve the objectives of USM. The administrative and support staff plays a very important role in supporting and managing the implementation of policies in achieving the university’s objectives.

Lecturers and students are important in implementing the teaching and learning processes, conducting research and other tasks related to knowledge and resources efficiently and effectively.

"This also includes our colleagues at the lower management levels who are just as important in managing and maintaining equipment, cleanliness and the environment," the Vice-Chancellor added.

Omar also reminded that, regardless of rank and position, all are important managers of the institution in accordance to the function willed by Allah s.w.t. as khalifatullah – the trustees of Allah – to take care of this world.

"Three important things that each staff member needs to realise and put in practice in managing an organisation like USM, are, first, we are all equally important regardless of our position, therefore we have to acknowledge and respect the roles, expertise and jurisdiction of others.

"Second, we are all managers required by Allah s.w.t. to be His representative in managing the world, to manage USM in particular, and our function as a manager should be related to our function as a servant of Allah s.w.t. The third, to carry out our functions as a manager and a servant of Allah s.w.t. properly, in particular to manage USM, we need to have three main strengths which are the strength of faith and being conscious of God; the strength of the fraternity; and the strength in consistency and understanding," stressed the Vice-Chancellor.

He is sure that the three strengths are able to steer us towards achieving peaks of excellence for the University and also for ourselves.

The Vice-Chancellor wished the staff of USM, students, alumni and all the associates of USM "a blessed Ramadhan” and call upon the university community to fulfill the trust from Allah s.w.t. in striving for excellence in our university while ensuring that the work done receives blessings from Him," said Omar. - Translation: Yong Check Yoon & Nur Atiqah Dalbadalsa Merican/Text: Mohamad bin Abdullah