what level are we at now?

And so we had that long-awaited dialogue with the VC about the car policy issue. Well, I got there late - 9.10pm? Not on my own fault though. We were executing our birthday surprise plan for Chelsea and Will. which was totally well-planned and organized. *bangga* =P

I didn't take down everything, because the fingers only move when the ears hear something worth translating to finger movement. I didn't bother indicating who answered the questions either because there were just too many strange people on the forum and I really couldn't care less who they were.

Anyway.

I was afraid the dialogue would've ended by the time I got there. And then I thought 'dialogue' meant 'monologue' because the VC was talking by himself up there. No, no. It's because the dialogue had just started. Because the VC had just arrived. (9pm)

Okay. Snub completed. From here on I shall attempt to be sufficiently neutral and give a brilliant, balanced account of the significant events of the night.

The VC was reiterating the reasons for the policy when I entered. I suppose I missed the helping-the-world-rid-itself-of-global-warming part. Updates on the policy:

1. 1. Student reps from the Faculty of Law may submit a list of third-year drivers from the Faculty for special permission to apply for car stickers.
2. 2. Unlike other universities, UM isn't restricting anyone from driving into UM. Everyone can drive any vehicle (vc: lorry pun boleh. that was our plan, chelsea!) provided they enter campus via the Damansara Gate.
3. 3. Again, everyone, regardless of year of study, is allowed to apply for a motorcycle sticker. UM is already quite lenient, because in the University of Berkeley (California) they're not allowed to bring in their cars at all.
   
4. 4. Everyone is cramming into the southern area of the campus when the northern area is so empty, hence the university's directive to use the Damansara Gate - to utilize campus space.

Then the VC made this promise which we sought in vain to claim that night:

"All your questions will be answered tonight."

As always, there was an exemption clause to that fundamental term:

"I don't want to hear mere complaints. I want solutions and data as well."

K. Fair enough.


#1 - 3rd year (final year).


Complaints

1. Final-years from other faculties also need to carry out research for project papers and drive around.

2. Shuttle-bus only uses two roads. Waiting for the bus to get through takes two hours. If the bus is late, it'll be four hours.

Solutions

1. Autogate system. Instead of wasting time checking (a) if the car has a UM car sticker, (b) if the car sticker is valid, (c) the driver's matric card, and then (d) what he has in the car, use a card like Touch 'N Go where they can just "teet" and the bar is raised.

2. Fixed hours for driving. E.g. No driving from 8am-5pm. Allow driving after 6pm because by then there's lots of parking space.

3. Exceptions for parents who send kids to UM everyday.

4. Allow driving at night.

#1.1 (Panel's Reply).
Data?


#2 - Lady.
Data

How do you expect us to come up with 'data'? We're only students. "Dan saya tak pernah ada faith kat bas tu, saya lebih rela jalan ke fakulti saya."

Solution
Why don't you (VC) go experience it yourself?

*people clapped and whooped*

#2.1.
Clapping won't do anything. Statements like that don't help either.

...Data?


#3 - Korina (3rd year).

no, this isn't korina. i didn't take a pic of her.
so this is a law representative to represent her.
=P

Data

6pm. We have a bus stop sign outside the Faculty, but the bus didn't stop. We had to walk to the bus stop at 1st College. Waited till 6.40pm just to board a bus to SKR. (i didn't understand very much, only heard '30 minutes' about 2 or 3 times) Waiting for the bus takes longer than walking.

#3.1 - Keselamatan Guy.

The bus won't stop if too many students are waiting to board it. But it'll usually stop if you stop the bus.

*everyone groans and make oppressed noise in disagreement*

Maybe they got into a jam outside campus? You won't know. And sometimes they need to take breaks too.

*everyone groans even louder and make oppressed and vexed noise in utter dissent*

#3.2.
Mana data? Saya nak data.

[how data-ish can you get beyond "the bus was 40 minutes late" and "the bus didn't stop"?]


#4 - 3rd year (final year).
Data

"Minta maaf kalau statistik itu tidak benar." "Oh ok, pembetulan data."

Complaints
1. How is the traffic problem solved by allowing juniors in through the Damansara Gate? Today the campus was jammed till 8pm!

2. If you really want to tackle the parking problem, why don't the staff go park at 10th?

Solution
Only third and fourth-years should be allowed to drive in. "Saya telah menunggu tahun ketiga saat membawa kereta sudah terlalu lama."

#4.1.

1. Jam till 8pm not true. Accident at Pantai Baru, not UM's fault.

2. Traffic police complained on the first Monday. Jam started at 8am in the entire Klang Valley. What UM does affects the surrounding population because we're in the heart of the city. We're different from other universities!

3. 29,000 students, 8,000 staff. How to provide for all?

#4.2

1. UM is smaller in size than other institutions like UPM / UKM. We're 365ha, Rimba Ilmu itself takes up 100ha. Cannot compare with other universities.

2. We also allow a lot of activities which are open to the public, and the public bring their cars too.

#5 - Some lady.

Complaints
1. What about safety outside campus? I stay off-campus, so I have to walk into UM in order to take the shuttle-bus.

2. Parents who need to send their kids to uni? They have to hand in their identification cards and then turn round to exit through the same gate to collect the IDs.

Solution
Start a UM taxi service.

#5.1 - Dude with limited elaboration skills.

[In all frankness, everything he said (a lot) can be summed up in seven words: "We're always concerned about your safety. Period."]

#5.2

Parents may apply for a special one-year pass from the Pejabat Keselamatan. But only the parents may collect the pass, not the students.

#6 - Some dude.

Complaint
How come the guards let outsiders in at the roadblock in campus, while students are straightway taken to the Pejabat to be clamped (their cars)?

#6.1
Outsiders can't come in without business and without pass.


#7 - Some other dude.

Complaint
I went to the PJ Gate at 8pm and there wasn't a single security guard there. What happened to the 'safety of the students'?

#7.1 - Same guy with the seven words.

"Bagus! Sangat peka! Saya suka student yang peka macam dia! Kita semua harus begitu peka!"

See what I mean when I say he has limited elaboration skills? That entire thing can be summed up in four words: "Peka is good. Period."

#8 - Bespectacled guy.
Complaint

Was in campus for industrial training on Saturday till 1pm. When I got there by bus, the driver said there won't be buses by the time I finish. I asked him, "Then macam mana saya nak balik?" He replied: "Take taxi." I can get to PJ by car in 15 minutes using RM2! This hassle is unnecessary!

#8.1
Don't you know that you can drive in on Saturday and Sunday?

#8.2 - Guy with limited elaboration skills.

Referring to the UM taxi suggestion, (eh apa ni delayed reaction) it's a good suggestion! Some private taxi drivers drive customers out and then mug them. So yeah, safety!

#9 - Zer Hsien (3rd year).
Data

1. July 23, 6pm, waited 20 minutes at the main bus stop.

2. Some figures and calculation on the ratio of (students + staff) : (total sum of parking space) which I didn't quite get although I was a math student in Form Six. Aha.

Complaints

1. We want to know why the university went on with this policy when they did not have a comprehensive plan to execute it? The administration has obviously not foreseen the problems that would come with the implementation of this policy.

2. Are we supposed to trade in our cars and spend RM100 on a motorcycle license if we don't have one?

3. Double standards - Mercedez could enter the gate. Students are stopped at once.

4. Enough space at PALAPES if ALL students are let in?

5. Does the VC know how many students know how to get to the Damansara Gate? I've been here for two years and I don't know how to get to the Gate, nor have I ever been there. Forgive my ignorance.

Solutions
1. I personally invite the VC to come take the shuttle-bus to know what it's like.

2. Is UM going to provide motorcycles for everyone?

#9.1

1. The comment on the motorcycles was uncalled for. At a meeting with the VC, there must be a spirit of decorum, which the VC is trying to strive for. If you lose that, there's no point in having this dialogue!

2. I don't know what our Haluansiswa is for if you still don't know where the Damansara Gate is.

[note: didn't answer questions.]

#9.1
You're not mature in your behaviour.


#10 - Some guy.
Data

I was formerly from UiTM. Although it's true that UiTM is much larger than UM, it has much lesser parking space. But still, students are allowed to apply for their stickers.

Complaint

Waiting for the bus takes a long time. Sometimes we'd rather walk with all our heavy books - maklumlah kita kan datang belajar bersungguh-sungguh - to our faculties. If we could bring our cars, it'll be much more convenient. I'm not speaking on behalf of the Asasi, First, Second, and Third Year students. I'm speaking on behalf of students who stay off-campus.

#10.1
Don't compare.


#11 - Talkative international student.
Background Data
Northern part is empty not on our own fault. It is because of the way UM was designed.

note: left side of map is southern area.

The northern area is empty because there is virtually nothing there! Everything is in the southern area!

Complaint
If we are not allowed to compare then why compare us with universities in the USA and Australia? Even if you do compare, can you compare the things they're providing for their students with what you are providing us?

#11.1 (VC! at last!)

They pay 12,000 for their education there! Do you want us to make you pay 12,000? Do you want to pay 12,000? *leans forward and jabs finger at #11* This kind of issue is not relevant! I don't want to hear this kind of thing.

...Complaints (continued)
1. You say you want proof - isn't the fact that all of us are having problems with the bus proof enough? I had to chase after the bus and it didn't even stop.

2. As for the traffic problem, the jam starts 5-8pm - after-office hours. It has nothing to do with those of us inside.

...Solutions
1. If we are to stop the public from coming in, what about the taxis and Rapid KL buses? We should stop those taxis as well.

2. Increase the number of shuttle-buses and extend service to Rapid KL area.

#11.1 (VC! again!).

It's getting late. (10.45pm) We only have time for a few more questions. If you still have questions, form a task force and discuss those issues with the Pasukan Keselamatan at the back of the hall *asks them to raise hands*. Do you dare to take that challenge?

[then if the VC doesn't accept the 'solutions' we come up with when we join hands with the Pasukan, we're back to square 1 right? non-law students, this is called "using the horrors of bureaucracy to stall for time".]

at the sound of "only have time for", this happened.

#11.2.

"What can you do for our children?" is something we hear very often from parents. Sometimes you act like adults and don't want our protection and restrictions. Then when you have problems, you come and act like children, bringing your parents in and all. You want us to do this and that for you. There must be consistency. If you want to act like children, you do so all the way. Accept our protection and restrictions.

[although he could've said it in a better-structured and less ridiculous way, i think he has a point]

Before Myra could take her turn to speak, the emcee announced that the dialogue had come to an end. Kean Kang asked for an extension of 15 minutes. Tim went up and said that it was getting late, and the administrators were tired, and so we should end the dialogue as the VC wished. Kean Kang submitted another plea for the time extension. Tim said he didn't think it'd take 15 minutes to answer everybody's questions (there were six people awaiting), but the decision was still in the VC's hands.

Dengan bunyi jantung berdegup-degup pantas bagai tahi burung yang telah menimpa Kenari saya dengan cepat sekali, kami menunggu jawapan Timbalan Naib Canselor, mengharapkan dan mendoakan ---

"Neh."

Jantung burst. Tahi burung fell anyway. about four. aih.

He didn't even say it. He made some weird gesture which looked like "neh".

Tim: "I think we should respect that decision."

Before the emcee could begin to say his fourth word, a bunch of students in front of me (at the back) upped and left in silent protest.


Was the dialogue really over? I felt like we'd barely heard the VC, save for his opening speech at the start of the meeting. He should've called it a 'forum' if he'd intended to bring his little buddies along with him to un-answeringly answer answer most of the questions.

I'm not trying to be a judgmental critic by condeming the dialogue and all. But I had gone with a bona fide spirit, and abandoned the eight-page Robert Torrens extract, six-page Teo Keang Sood article, 25-page Development of English Common Law article, and tutorial that I was to finish reading, studying, and doing for Land Law the next day (today) in order to attend the dialogue. And I attended although I'd literally spent the entire day at the Faculty, celebrated two housie's birthdays dengan penuh kebernasan, and was late and nobody really wanted to go with me. (and here i thank ah will for going with me)

Most of us had also put aside all that we had to do - studying, tutorials, whatevers - to get to the dialogue. And it was so uberly disappointing.

Perhaps my expectations had gone way too high when I heard about the outcome of the MPMUM's meeting with the VC. It sounded so much better and impressive when Tim said it la. The VC was just...

K, let's not do the personal attacks stuff. Them forum people had probably had something important to do also. Let's be jolly and happy. Let's talk about the highlight of the dialogue.

...

FOOD!!
*fireworks*

the orange thing was too artificial, said will.

kean kang's depression evaporated
after a calming glass of coffee.

the watermelon was sweet also. yum.

And then Joshua gave me directions on how to get to the Damansara Gate.

ya. it is that much of a pain in the behind.

By the way, for those of you who think that your life will be sempurna dan bahagia cuz you'll be in your fourth year next year, don't start hopping just yet. The VC has announced that next year, fourth-year students will also have to use the blessed Damansara Gate. Tada. And he added, "And so on for the coming years." Meaning... Masters students? Marilah kita sama-sama berkesian.

Me: "Eh, why look so sick wan?"

Zer Hsien: "Gastric."
Me: "Oh, you haven't had your dinner?"
Zer Hsien: "No. Emotional distress."