Exclusive Interview with Prof Dr Sidek Ab Aziz 

Series - I

About academic background and experience as a Lecturer   Through the Video Call of Whatsapp app, most recently on April 10, 2020, around 1000 - 1115, a group of students attended the DCE 3606 Performance Management course comprising Siti Nursyarnisa Masmos, Siti Syaza Aina Abdul Rahman, Nur Afirah Suhaimi, Nurul Atikah Ismail, Nur Zafirah Roslan, Xu Chen Rui had the opportunity to interview Prof Dr Sidek Aziz, Principal of KTDI. Follow this exclusive interview. 

Syarnisa: Okay Prof, Assalamualaikum. I'm Siti Nursyarnisa. Do you remember me again? (laughs) No way. I'm okay. I was a moderator during the forum with Prof. Near K2. Okay. So, these are the members of my group. So, they each introduce themselves. We're from the Faculty of Educational Studies.

 Okay Professor, today we want to ask permission to record this voice for the purpose of this last transcript. Can you prof? 

Syarnisa: Actually this is for the subject of performance management. We need to interview whether lecturers, executive hr, executive business and others. And Prof. is a very interesting person to interview. 

Syarnisa: 

So, we started having an online interview today asking myself the question, What is your current position as Prof?

Prof Sidek: 

Bismillahhirrahmannirahim. Thank you for voting. Okay. Currently, I am the principal of the KTDI, formerly known as the Third College and now the KTDI is merged with the Fifth College. 

I've been entrusted for almost three years. Starting with the fifth college. If merge, then third college or Tun Dr. college Ismail. So before that, I was the dean of the University of Malaysia's Faculty of Science for three years and before that I was in administrative positions. What more questions? 

Syarnisa: 

Okay, thanks for the answer. Turning to the second question, "Can you share your educational background and related experiences"? Prof Sidek:

Okay. Lecturer's background, right? Okay. To become a lecturer, we need a PhD degree as a prerequisite for teaching. I obtained a PhD from the University of Bath, United Kingdom in 1989. 

So before that, she was a lecturer at the National University of Malaysia. There are some people, he has to have a Master first, right? But thankfully I was lucky because I was able to jump. Sign in Master of Philosophy. But within a year, I was able to convert it to PhD and I had completed about four years there. 

So preparation for this lecturer, we have fun, sharing knowledge, right? When we have the pleasure of sharing knowledge, it is easy for us to do our work as lecturers. If we feel compelled, it's a bit difficult

Zafirah: Professor, may I ask? Which PhD profess? 

Prof Sidek: 

Okay. My areas of physics, science and technology are solid state or in English, solid state science and technology. For example, we want to look at the properties of materials. The material we use before we use it for anything. We have to test, we have to pass. Like you all jugakla, before graduation / work.

Lots of testing, lots of assignments and so on. It just wants to test all of you. But these materials, like these plastic bottles used, we have to know he has his features, his content. He can't stand the heat, he can't go into the ocean. So we have to find out if he has the characteristics or properties of the material. My research material is plentiful. Examples of minerals then glass, plastic, wood and so on are just looking for a feature. Let's test whether it's destructive or not.

However, my research is more on studies using sound waves. When a sound wave enters a material, it is reflected. So, when he reflected it he would. 

He said his timing would depend on what was up and down. But if the material has a lot of cavities, he has to slow it down. Then we can see that he has some characteristics. Maybe you all don't understand very well. Nothing.

 Syarnisa:         

Okay Professor. Never mind. So can you share what kind of expertise do you need to have to become a lecturer? What kind of test did he have to go to?

Prof Sidek:     

In order to become a lecturer, we need to have confidence. If I'm not sure, I can't talk, I say, But honestly, I'm a shy person too, fear of being in the front, uncertain, dup dap dup dap the sound of standing up.

But because we enjoy sharing with people, he gets used to it. There are many things to do before becoming a lecturer. Especially UPM is the Academic Development Center (CADE). So that's where lecturers are taught how to teach better and more professionally. So whatever, it depends on science, charity, creativity and so on. They say, aaa, everyone can read, but some people can be news anchors.

Everyone can write, but how many people can be writers. So to be a lecturer, we have to diversify our knowledge, skills, expertise and so on. Science is one thing. Expertise is one thing.

So if we mix knowledge and expertise with creativity, we can succeed in the future. Don't think too much, it's important that we do this for the future, that we will use. I told you a little bit about what knowledge should be behind this lecturer. Okay.

Syarnisa: When you apply for a lecturer near here, do you apply through the online system to Prof to submit via manual?

Prof Sidek:

I graduated from the National University of Malaysia in 1984, so after 1984, I applied to some UKM, UPM and KUSZA (UNISZA). The two interviewees, first one is KUSZA (UNISZA) and the second is UPM. So thank God I got to UPM. At that time, I had to fill out the form, I had to find the head of the department.

Okay. After graduating, I wandered around. Before that, I worked part-time after I graduated, which was a tough time. When I was working part-time at SMEs. So, Monday and Tuesday, I work at UPM and SME. So thank God when I meet with the department chair, dean, he just looks at me and I have what kind of approval? So, that's her story.

Actually, after finishing my studies at SME, I also applied to become a Science teacher at the Mara College of Science in Seremban. It was just there that I entered the 10th month, I graduated in the 8th month. I teach grade four and grade five. So, taking Physics classes and teaching three classes and the fun started because it taught the students really well. When you teach good students, it's fun.

Teacher or Lecturer 

Each weekend, there was a lot of student activity and I loved being a teacher. So when I was interviewed at UPM, he said "you have to sign up on 2/1/1985". It is my fault whether I continue to be a Science teacher at MRSM or as a lecturer. So I went to see the head of the department and I asked

 "Can I finish my student, until he expires SPM?"

 “He has a good teacher, right? Hahaha. Okay. 

But the UPM says he can give it up to 5 months. Aaaa. 

To be honest, I also enjoy teaching at the Seremban Science College. Because the kids are good just a little cheeky and a normal dorm boy. So, it's the 5th month. It's 5/5 working days, right? 5/5 I started as a lecturer at the University of Agriculture Malaysia at that time. So, I'm in a dilemma to become a lecturer. So I think when I become a teacher, I only teach students or students at school, right? But this lecturer I teach will teach you to teach at school. So while at MRSM, there is a lot of work in innovation and creativity, not just teaching. Hmmm. Question? 

Syarnisa: 

The next question is, what is your responsibility or duty as a lecturer other than to teach in the classroom. What are the other duties of Prof.? 

 Prof Sidek: 

In fact, this lecturer's job is a lot of 'P' to know. If you remember 'P', P must be your teacher, right? Lecturers must teach. The second is the Supervisor and thesis Examiner. Then, he must be a Researcher, doing research work. He then worked as Consultant, Bookwriter, Paperwriter, Conference paper presenter, Lecturer, Participant, moderator for conference seminar, Designer, University administration to become an international network of services and community services. So development and also we must belong to professional bodies. So, that's between P. Many P's, right?

Prof Sidek: 

There's another room cleaner in his office. (haha) Lecture work is a lot. If you want details, search the Internet. For example, in SMEs, He has a list of lecturer assignments. Teaching is an essential, essential thing. This teaching does not mean what we learn, we will teach. 

No. Just like PHD first, my research is more specific. On the way back, he was directed to teach general physics. So we as lecturers just read. To be this teacher, he has to read at least three times. Three times read, you can communicate well. To be a good teacher, he has to know how to teach. Do you understand? So that means the teachers and lecturers are about the same. But this student, read it once, right? 

To become a 4flat student, he had to study many times. Three times four so that he can convey it well to his friend. That's a student. Then, as lecturers, we are required to oversee and examine final year project (FYP), Master and PhD examinations.

Lecturers are required to be supervisors. Why the supervisor? The supervisor is to guide them as we present the task to the student to conduct a study of the task. So, we want to educate them scientifically. Everyone can be a supervisor but a supervisor with no skills. 

We must have a system. That is, we need to know whether to prepare a sample, how we want to test a material, how to analyze it, how to collect data. So, that's part of the supervision at the bachelor's, master's and phd levels. 

The third is research. Is that a necessary investigation? Why make it mandatory? Because this lecturer needs new knowledge. How can info be a knowledge? Knowledge can be created through study, digging as we know it. 

It's COVID19 season right? This is info, right? There is a dump of info to be knowledgeable. To be knowledgeable, it must be through the system, it must be compiled, more information about Covid, his history, how he spread, how to read, how to know. So, info can also be used as we compile systematically and scientifically. Okay this research, the lecturer must be compulsory.As we do our research, we will discover new secrets of nature.

For example, let's say I study these glass materials, I study not just looking at them. I can look at the bottle. Right? A perfume bottle right? Haaa. But how do we put on a high beam, how do we cast a laser, how do we crush it or compress it and we'll see if we can get those data.

The results of our research are published in local and national journals. Why do we make a general local? That is a goal of compiling department for department and comparing our department with that of others. Haaa. Okay? It must be done. Otherwise, we just see the surface. If I tell you that, in a minute you can explain this bottle. Because maybe we don't have enough knowledge from the bottom yet and how can we get into this plastic bottle? 

How does he have his network, how can he fix it to be solid plastic. So it requires a lot of research. In addition to research, we are writers. When we become writers, we have to publish journals, for example, how do your lecturers make it here. Like this one, we have to find the data. And then the respondents' data and so on. 

This is how you got a live interview right? So you all record, you analyze how Dr. This sidekick is a lecturer. Okay? In addition, we have to make books. We see a lot of lecturers for books, right? Books to study, to guide lecturers. Only now many books are published in white countries because we speak English. 

If he invented the wheel, why don't we rebuild it? So we use it and we modify it a little bit? But if we were to make the book publishing process take longer than the journal or seminar presentation. Why do we need to present a seminar? Or we have a trial and more. It's because we want to share ideas, share experiences, we tell more specific audiences. Or that person, we can tell in general but if we get into higher chapters or higher scores right? We have to join the group. 

If I tell you all, this thing is made of what it is. Atom right. Atoms are made of Proton electrons, right? So far as we studied Science, right? Haa. But when we look at those ingredients, why they are so much better in terms of features and more - more. We have to get into that group as we go inside and we can see how many electrons look, Proton looks, and so on. How do we change those ingredients? Okay?

Prof Sidek: That is technically. Then at this seminar we are also invited as a panel as presentations poster because we also want to build future generations. As a lecturer, as dr. Now, we have to see how the next generation can do more in the field of research and more. ? 

Imagine a lecturer coming in for “Good morning class. Today we learn this. Please copy this. ”Let's copy it. It was in the 60s, 70s. But nowadays “students only snap, okay” Before, they couldn't bring a recording device, they couldn't bring a camera. Got to go to college and copy it. That's style. 

But nowadays, the changing times need a lot of innovation and creativity. “Okay, we have Kahoot”. Right? There are cafes, there are quizzes to score and there. You guys are all different from us people. So we have to adopt a lot of creativity for teaching and learning. This design is also necessary for the field of education / research. Sometimes what we study is, we have to show it to the general public. 

This lecturer is like a person at the top of a tall ivory tower. You all know what ivory tower is like? This ivory tower is like a place too high, people look good. So, we as lecturers have to step down so that we can pass on the knowledge to the benefit of the public and the subordinates. Then, from time to time we are invited to become administrators. 

Thankfully, after I got my Associate Professor, I was appointed a deputy director for a computer center. Starting with that era, the webpage era began.

We were among the groups that developed the UPM website in the early days. Later, I became the Deputy Director of Multimedia. We use e-learning. Like you all for Putrablast. First of all, regular e-learning, let's do more advanced e-learning. We want to do this to make it happen and last time we made Putrablast. We used to create PutraSpark. When I was the Deputy Director of Lectures at the RNC, we had the privilege of lecturing through design projects. We are some of the administrators who propose to hold university competitions because we open up opportunities for them to work for them to do something good for education. We also had great opposition at the time, but thankfully the project has become. When I was in the RNC, I was also involved in the publication of Tribune Putra.

Synergy: 

Ohhh. The Crown Tribune.   

Prof Sidek: 

Men's Tribune. Haaa. We're the ones who founded it. We thought what a great name it was and we were also given the opportunity to choose the UPM logo at that time. So the hour's logo that we have been thinking about. Looking at it, why is the water so tight? Is that so? Why there are lines, why there are branches like that, because he has certain philosophies. So, after that, I was appointed director of the Academic Development Center. As a director, we need to think about what is innovative and creative for lecturers to teach better. When computers were crazy, we were among the founders to develop the minds of lecturers to make them more creative and innovative. So now thank God, our efforts have been successful. Young lecturers are more creative now. And nowadays we are about to retire. So we give young people a chance. So after graduating from the Center for Academic Development, I was appointed Dean of the Faculty of Science. So that's why teaching and learning experiences are a must for anyone who wants to become a lecturer. Long story short. Now the KTDI Principal is back. 

Syarnisa: This is really a joke. 

Zafirah: Okay Professor. all of those lecturers take on the same responsibility? Or something else? Prof Sidek: Yes. He must have at least 10 P yes. I told you 10P earlier, right? If you search, she has teachers, researchers, mentors. You will become a regular lecturer. So P is a trigger, whatever. The more P she has, the more she has a job. 

Connected to Series 2.

Date of Input: 08/05/2020 | Updated: 24/06/2020 | farizaidi