Open University Malaysia was acclaimed the winner for the best landscape in the College/Institution/Training Centre category for the National Landscape Competition 2003. The announcement was made at the National Landscape Day 2004, held at the Crown Princess Hotel on 3rd March 2004, officiated by YB Dato’ Seri Ong Ka Ting, Minister of Housing and Local Government Malaysia. The National Landscape Day is an annual event organised by the National Landscape Department and State Governments, held on 3rd March every year since 1993. The National Landscape Department acts as the Secretariat while the Panel of Judges comprised of professionals from the National Landscape Department, UiTM, UPM, MARDI, ILAM (Institute of Landscape Architects Malaysia) and SILARA (Malaysia Landscape Industry Association).

A total of 164 winners of State level Landscape Competition participated last year in the National Landscape Competition comprising of 15 categories. The National Landscape Day is in line with Government efforts to inculcate and encourage the development of landscaping towards realizing its vision to transform Malaysia into a Garden Nation and also to create awareness, interest and appreciation in the art of landscaping in this country.

Open University Malaysia was represented by Associate Professor Dr. Mansor Fadzil, Vice-President who received the award. This recognition has placed OUM at the top for landscaping and beautiful surroundings and given it the impetus to strive even further to stay on top in the future.

The signing ceremony of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between Open University Malaysia (OUM) and PDS TNE Sdn Bhd on 30th January 2004 marks another milestone in OUM’s achievement and acknowledgement as one of the preferred educational institutions in developing and providing e-learning i.e. e-education in Malaysia. Open University Malaysia has been given the opportunity to develop the elearning content, infrastructure and the Learning Management System (LMS) for the online learning purposes of the e-Corporate Director’s Training Programme (e-CDTP).

The e-Corporate Director’s Training Programme, implemented by the Companies Commission Malaysia (SSM), ‘serves to enhance the understanding and knowledge of all directors of non-listed companies (DNLC) in the areas of company law and corporate governance to facilitate the efficient discharge of directors’ responsibilities’. The e-CDTP is conducted nationwide, as one of the initiatives of the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumers Affairs’. One of its objectives is to overcome issues of insufficient knowledge and non-compliance amongst company directors in law and corporate governance in this country, and PDS TNE Sdn. Bhd. is one of the institutions officially given the rights to conduct the programme.

Among the guests who attended the signing ceremony were Yang Berhormat Dato’ Mat Yasir Haji Ikhsan, Selangor State Assemblyman, Tuan Haji Takril bin Tasuki, General Manager of the Selangor Foundation, management and staff of PDS TNE Sdn. Bhd. which included Encik Saroni bin Hj Judi, Director, Puan Jamaliah Kamaluddin, Director, Dr. Abdul Razak Omar, Advisor, and Encik Isma Nazir Ismail, Accountant, management and staff of OUM and invited guests.

On the 4th of February, OUM held a special luncheon with the family of Allayarham Tan Sri Dato’ Dr. Abdullah Sanusi Ahmad, at a hotel in Petaling Jaya. It was also to bid farewell to Allahyarham’s youngest son Iskandar who was scheduled to leave for Australia in mid February 2004 to pursue his education.

Among those invited were members of OUM’s Group Management Committee, YBhg. Puan Sri Eveline Anuwar Ali, and the Guest of Honour, YBhg. Puan Sri Hashimah Ismail, eldest son Faizal and wife Puan Aishah Osman, Mudzafar, Redza and Iskandar.

The luncheon began with a short welcome speech by YBhg. Prof. Tan Sri Datuk Dr. Anuwar Ali, President / Vice-Chancellor of OUM. YBhg. Prof. Tan Sri thanked everyone for their presence especially YBhg. Puan Sri Hashimah Ismail and family. He reiterated that YBhg. Puan Sri Hashimah and family will always be part of the OUM family and welcomed them to partake in OUM activities.

Subsequent to YBhg. Prof. Tan Sri’s speech was a speech by YBhg. Puan Sri Hashimah Ismail in which she included an excerpt of a heart-warming poem on friendship. YBhg. Puan Sri mentioned her utmost appreciation towards OUM Management and Staff who have given her family support in their moments of grief, after the loss of her beloved husband Allahyarham Tan Sri Dato’ Dr. Abdullah Sanusi Ahmad.