USM Penang

Universiti Sains Malaysia

(English: University of Science, Malaysia, acronym: USM) is a public university with its main campus situated in Penang, Malaysia. There are two other branch campuses, one in mainland Penang, and the other in Kelantan, on the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia. With around 29,789 students in 2006 ^[1], USM is one of the biggest universities in terms of enrolled students in Malaysia. The number of lecturers is about 1606, which leads to a student-lecturer ratio of around 1:23.

USM was established in 1969 as the second university in Malaysia. It was first known as Universiti Pulau Pinang. Initially, the University operated on borrowed premises at the Malayan Teachers' Training College at Gelugor. In 1971, it moved to its present 239.4-hectare site (formerly a military barracks) at Minden, approximately 9.7 kilometres from the city of Georgetown. The site, which consists mainly of undulating land, is indeed an ideal location to house a university campus. There are now two other USM campuses as well, one at Kubang Kerian in Kelantan known as the Health Campus and the other at Seri Ampangan in Penang, known as the Engineering Campus. The former houses the School of Medical Sciences, the School of Health Sciences and the School of Dental Sciences, while the latter houses the six engineering schools.

From the outset, Universiti Sains Malaysia was given the mandate to provide, promote and develop learning in the fields of Pure Sciences, Applied Sciences, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Building Science and Technology, Social Sciences, Humanities and Education as well as to conduct research and foster the dissemination of such knowledge. To date, the University has not departed from these terms of reference and has made significant progress in meeting its academic, social, and national obligations.

The University has always been guided in its activities by the need to develop a personality and identity of its own. Since its establishment, it has adopted an innovative approach to higher education and departed significantly from the traditional faculty system of an academic organisation. In its place, the University introduced the school system that allows for a multidisciplinary approach. The policy was to combine subjects and to organise programs in such a manner that a degree of specialisation in a chosen subject was possible.

To date, 24 Academic Schools, 14 Centres and 7 Units have been established. Of the Schools, 12 are applied science and technology-based Schools, namely, the School of Civil Engineering, the School of Aerospace Engineering, the School of Chemical Engineering, the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, the School of Materials and Mineral Resources Engineering, the School of Mechanical Engineering, the School of Housing, Building and Planning, the School of Industrial Technology, the School of Medical Sciences, the School of Dental Sciences, the School of Health Sciences and the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences. The three liberal arts schools are the School of Educational Studies, the School of Humanities and the School of Social Sciences. The pure science schools comprise the School of Biological Sciences, the School of Chemical Sciences, the School of Mathematical Sciences, the School of Computer Sciences, and the School of Physics, all of which offer courses that are similar to those traditionally available in other universities.

In December 1989, the School of Management was set up, having evolved from the Management program within the School of Social Sciences. As part of its continuing expansion, the University established the School of Computer Sciences and the School of Communication as of March 1995.

The centres and ancillary services include the Centre for Languages and translation, the National Poison Centre, the Doping Control Centre, the Centre for Archaeological Research Malaysia, the Centre for Educational Technology and Multimedia, the Computer Centre, the Centre for Knowledge, Communication and Technology and the Islamic Centre. There are also various research centres, namely the Centre for Policy Research, the Centre for Drug Research and the Centre for Marine and Coastal Studies. The Distance Education Program offered through the School of Distance Education is another innovative program adopted by the University in 1971. It has gained an encouraging response from working adults and is set to be developed further in this decade to cater for new directions and needs.

In the field of research, the emphasis is on function-oriented or interdisciplinary research. The main focus is on areas that integrate academic interest and practical relevance, thus directing scientific thrusts towards breakthroughs in problem areas crucial to the quality of life and national development.

USM is one of three universities in Malaysia that have been identified as research-intensive universities in Malaysia, with the other being University of Malaya and Universiti Putra Malaysia. This is in tandem with its mission and vision to be a world-class university embarking on world class research programmes via strategic planning and implementation of its R&D mechanism. The university has qualified academic staff and excellent human resource support in order to realise its mission.

History

USM was established as the second university in Malaysia in 1969 and it was first known as Universiti Pulau Pinang. At that time, it operated in Bukit Gelugor, Penang. In 1971, USM's campus moved to its present 239.4-hectare site, which was the former site of military barracks.

From the outset, USM was given the mandate to provide, promote and develop higher education in the fields of pure sciences, applied sciences, pharmaceutical sciences, building sciences and technology, social sciences, humanities and education as well as to provide research, advancement and dissemination of such knowledge.

The establishment of USM began with an agreement reached through a resolution which was approved by the Penang State Legislative Assembly in 1962, which called for the establishment of a university college in the state. The acquisition of a piece of land in Sungai Ara for this purpose was then followed by the ceremonial laying of the foundation stone by the then Prime Minister of Malaysia, Y.T.M Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj on 7 August 1967.

Taking into account the need for a larger campus and a more conducive one in line with future manpower needs, in 1969 a full-fledged university was established under the name Universiti Pulau Pinang. The establishment of USM was eventually gazetted under the Corporation Act signed by His Majesty The Yang di-Pertuan Agong as provided for under the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971, and published in the Government Gazette P.U. (A) 383/71.

The management of the University is carried out through the executive power of the Board of Directors, made up of members chosen from the University, representatives from government departments and those appointed by the Ministry of Higher Education. As an executive council, the Board of Directors retains the right to wield power entrusted to it by the University Constitution, Statutes, Acts and Regulations.

From its humble beginnings with an intake of 57 science students in 1969, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) had made great strides. Today, USM offers a wide range of courses at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels to more than 28,000 students. USM has also emerged as one of the most widely-acclaimed universities not only locally but also abroad. The success achieved in various fields especially in research, including the latest through the Asian Innovation Award in which USM emerged as the only winner from this country, has placed USM on the world map.

Education

Graduate studies

The international office of USM

USM offers three modes of study for the graduate programmes, i.e. by research, or by a combination of coursework and research (mixed mode), or by coursework. In 2003, there were about 5,122 students in the various study programmes at the master’s and doctoral levels. Almost 11.8% of them are foreign nationals from more than 40 countries. The majority of foreign students are from other parts of Southeast Asia.

Undergraduate studies

Almost all of undergraduate degree programmes at the University require a minimum full-time residence period of three years. Degrees in engineering, health sciences, pharmacy, medicine and dentistry, however, require minimum periods of study between 4–5 years. Most undergraduate courses are still taught in Bahasa Malaysia but the newer batch of undergraduate students are taught using English, especially in science courses. International students still have to demonstrate a level of proficiency in the national language as part of the entrance criteria.

Other study programmes

USM has study abroad programme for foreign students, and they can undertake either one or two semester. These students are considered as full-time students and also enjoy the benefits given as far as academic and physical facilities are concerned. The university and its community benefits from the cross-cultural flow of students as well as it gains international standing.

USM also has school of distance education. It was established in 1971 to provide opportunities for local working adults to obtain a tertiary qualification. These students are able to undertake undergraduate courses while still they are in full time employment. At present only four undergraduate programmes are available through distance learning, namely Bachelor of science, bachelor of social science, barchelor of arts, and bachelor of management degrees.

Money Changer

Money Changer Centre

The Penang money changers are Licensed moneys changers. They can be found all over Georgetown, in shopping malls and in the coastal areas in Batu Ferringhi too.

The Money Changers are usually of Indian or Indian Muslim descent.

The shops can look pretty unusual with bars and all. But it is understandable for security reasons, those money changer shops were built that way.

You get better rates if you change with our licensed Penang money changers. They are mostlyfound in Lebuh Pantai and Jalan Mesjid Keling.

Currency Exchange

The currency exchange for the Malaysian Ringgit is approx RM3.20 per USD plus minus 10 to 20 cents. For other currencies, please checkwith the local money changers or banks. The former offers better rates and are open to negotiations.

Laksa Penang

Laksa

Laksa is a popular spicy noodle soup from Peranakan culture also known as Baba and Nyonya, which is a merger of Chinese and Malay elements found in Malaysia and Singapore.

Types of laksa

The term "laksa" is used generally to describe two different basic types of noodle soup dishes: curry laksa and assam laksa. Curry laksa is a coconut curry soup with noodles, while assam laksa is a sour fish soup with noodles. Usually, thick rice noodles also known as laksa noodles are preferred, although thin rice vermicelli (bee hoon or mee hoon) is also common and some variants use other types.


Curry Laksa

Curry laksa (in many places referred to simply as “laksa”) is a coconut-based curry soup. The main ingredients for most versions of curry laksa include tofu puffs, fish sticks, shrimp and cockles. Some vendors may sell chicken laksa which uses chicken instead of shrimp. Cockles are usually very commonly used in laksa and most vendors would add them into laksa unless customers request not to have cockles for hygiene reasons. Laksa is commonly served with a spoonful of sambal chilli paste and is traditionally garnished with Vietnamese coriander, or laksa leaf, which is known in Malay as daun kesum.

This is usually known as "Curry mee" in Penang rather than curry laksa, due to the different kind of noodles used (yellow mee or bee hoon, as opposed to the thick white laksa noodles). Curry Mee in Penang is special for its jelly like pork blood, a delicacy to the Malaysian Chinese community. Two of the well known places to try curry mee is at Lorong Seratus Tahun and Chulia Street.[citation needed]
The name "Curry laksa" is more commonly used in Kuala Lumpur or Singapore. With the popularity of laksa in Singapore and Malaysia, laksa yong tau foo , lobster laksa, and even plain laksa, with just noodles and gravy.

Laksa is extremely popular in Australia, especially in the Chinatown districts of the capital cities.[citation needed] Special deals, such as "Laksa Thursday"[citation needed] encourage many local business workers to frequent the Asian cafes to dine on Laksa and other noodle based soups.


Assam laksa

Assam laksa is a sour fish-based soup. Asam (or asam jawa) is the Malay word for tamarind, which is commonly used to give the stock its sour flavor. It is also common to use "asam keping" also known as "asam gelugor", dried slices of tamarind fruit, for added sourness. Modern Malay spelling is asam, though the spelling assam is still frequently used.

The main ingredients for assam laksa include shredded fish, normally kembung fish or mackerel, and finely sliced vegetables including cucumber, onions, red chillis, pineapple, lettuce, common mint, "daun kesum" (Vietnamese mint or laksa mint) and pink bunga kantan (ginger buds). Assam laksa is normally served with either thick rice noodles or thin rice noodles (vermicelli). And topped off with "petis udang" or "hae ko" (蝦羔), a thick sweet prawn/shrimp paste

'Pasembur' Penang

Pasembur

Pasembur is a spicy salad dish that are usually sold by Indian as well as Chinese hawkers. The Indian version is often called Mamak Rojak while the Chinese version is often called Cheh Hoo. The name cheh hoo means "raw fish", although presently, the only raw "fish" in the dish is likely to be the jellyfish, which is also often poached.

Pasembur is a popular Penang hawker food usually taken as a side dish during lunch and dinner time. It comprises shredded cucumber, hong kuak (Chinese turnip), potatoes, taukua (beancurd), bean sprout, along with hae chi (prawn fritters), niau-choo chi (flour-batter fritters, literally meaning "mouse fritters"), and sliced boiled egg. Some stalls also garnish it with poached jellyfish. The whole salad dish is then covered in a spicy sauce made from sweet potato.

Penang Port

Equipment


Map


Port View


Map

Penang (pronounced /pəˈnæŋ/; Malay: Pulau Pinang IPA: [ˈpulaʊ ˈpinaŋ]) is a state in Malaysia, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. Penang is the second smallest state in Malaysia after Perlis, and the eighth most populous. A resident of Penang is colloquially known as a Penangite.

Name

The island was referred to as 檳榔嶼 (Bīnláng Yù) in the navigational drawings used by Admiral Zheng He of Ming-dynasty China in his expeditions to the South Seas in the 15th century. Early Malays called it Pulau Ka-Satu or "First Island".
The name "Penang" comes from the modern Malay name Pulau Pinang, which means island of the areca nut palm (Areca catechu, family Palmae). The name Penang can refer either to the island of Penang or the state of Penang. The capital of Penang state is George Town. More specifically, George Town is also called Tanjung in Malay. Penang Island is simply Pulau Pinang and Penang state is Negeri Pulau Pinang in Malay.Penang is severally known as "The Pearl of the Orient" and "Pulau Pinang Pulau Mutiara" (Penang Island of Pearls). [1]

History

Main article: History of Penang
Penang was originally part of the Malay Sultanate of Kedah. On 11 August 1786, Captain Francis Light of the British East India Company landed in Penang and renamed it Prince of Wales Island in honour of heir to the British throne. Light then received it as a portion on his marriage to the daughter of the Sultan of Kedah. Light ceded Penang to the Government of India and promised the Sultan military protection from Siamese and Burmese armies who were threatening Kedah. Light is now credited as the founder of Penang.
Many early settlers succumbed to malaria, earning Penang the epithet "the White Man's Grave". [2]
Unbeknownst to the Sultan, Light had acted without the approval of the East India Company when he promised military protection. When the Company failed to aid Kedah when Siam attacked it, the Sultan tried to retake the island in 1790. The attempt was unsuccessful, and the Sultan was forced to cede the island to the Company for an honorarium of 6,000 Spanish dollars per annum. This was later increased to 10,000 dollars, with Province Wellesley on the mainland of the Malay Peninsula being added to Penang in 1800. An annual honorarium of 10,000 ringgits continues to this day be paid by the Malaysian Federal Government to the state of Kedah.
In 1826, Penang, along with Malacca and Singapore, became part of the Straits Settlements under the British administration in India, moving to direct British colonial rule in 1867. In 1946 it became part of the Malayan Union, before becoming in 1948 a state of the Federation of Malaya, which gained independence in 1957 and became Malaysia in 1963.
The island was a free port until 1969. Despite the loss of the island's free-port status, from the 1970s to the late 1990s the state built up one of the largest electronics manufacturing bases in Asia, in the Free Trade Zone around the airport in the south of the island.
On 7 July 2008, George Town, the historic capital of Penang, was formally inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site alongside with Malacca. It is officially recognized as having a unique architectural and cultural townscape without parallel anywhere in East and Southeast Asia.[3]

Rapid Penang Bus Services

Bus Parking Area



Type of bus



Facilities for UKO

RapidKL, short for Rangkaian Pengangkutan Integrasi Deras Sdn Bhd is a government-owned company which was formed in 2004 as part of the restructuring of the public transport system in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia's capital.

RapidKL is the operator of Kuala Lumpur's two light rail transit (LRT) lines, the largest stage bus (regular or trunk bus route) and feeder bus operator in Kuala Lumpur, and, as of November 2007, also operates the single line of the KL Monorail and parts of the KLIA transit service.

All assets of the RAIL and BUS service is owned by another government-owned company, Syarikat Prasarana Negara Berhad (SPNB) which was also formed under the restructuring process.

Rapid Penang, which was set up as a subsidiary of RapidKL, began running bus services in Penang on 31 July 2007. This effort is part of the Malaysia Federal government's move to revamp the bus service in Penang.
Timeline

•In 2001, CDRC successfully restructured the two LRT companies' RM5.7bil worth of debts through the issuance of government-guaranteed bonds by SPNB.

•On 1 September 2002, SPNB officially took over LRT operations of Star-LRT and Putra-LRT

•In October 2003, SPNB bought over Intrakota Komposit and its subsidiaries from DRB-Hicom for RM177mil. It also paid RM14mil cash for the 364 buses belonging to Cityliner. The original companies were appointed interim operators.

•In November 2004, SPNB handed over the operations of the LRT and bus services to RapidKL.

•In January 2006, RapidKL began the first phase of a massive revamp of its bus network in the Klang Valley.

•On 23 September 2006, Phase One of Klang Valley's bus network revamp was completed.

•On 19 February 2007, Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi announced that the bus network in Penang will undergo a revamp. A day later, Malaysian Finance Minister parliamentary secretary Hilmi Yahaya said the new entity will be named Rapid Penang.

•On 25 February 2007, Malaysian Second Finance Minister Nor Mohamed Yakcop said 150 buses, at a cost of RM50mil, will make their first appearance on Penang roads in August 2007.

•On 31 July 2007, Rapid Penang began operations after being launched by Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi

Penang International Airport

Airport view from the air



Air Asia Aircraft



MAS Aircraft



Airport Map



Hall

Bayan Lepas International Airport

Penang International Airport (IATA: PEN, ICAO: WMKP), previously known as Bayan Lepas International Airport, is situated in the Bayan Lepas area of Penang, Malaysia. The airport is located 16 km (10 miles) south of George Town, the capital city of Penang. Airport facilities include an incoming and outgoing duty-free shop, restaurant, bank, foreign exchange office and car rental.

Penang International is a medium-sized airport with good connections with major cities in South East Asia. Passengers arriving or departing from the north will have a fabulous view of George Town, Butterworth and the Penang Bridge. Waiting times for check-in and baggage claims are relatively short compared to other larger regional airports. The airport is not crowded and basic facilities are available for users.
In 2008, over 3.4 million passengers used Penang International Airport. 43,796 aircraft movements were registered.[1]

The airport is the hub of two low-cost carriers, namely Firefly and AirAsia[4].
Penang International Airport won the Best Emerging Airport (Asia) in 23rd annual Asian Freight and Supply Chain Awards 2009(AFSCA) and Airport of the Year (below 15 million passenger annually) in the 2009 Frost and Sullivan Asia Pacific Aerospace and Defence Awards.
Penang International Airport

Penang International Airport

IATA: PEN – ICAO: WMKP Summary Airport type Public Owner Government of Malaysia Operator Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad Serves Penang, West Malaysia Location Bayan Lepas, Penang, West Malaysia Elevation AMSL 11 ft / 3 m Coordinates 05°17′49″N 100°16′36″E / 5.29694°N 100.27667°E Runways Direction Length Surface m ft 04/22 3,352 10,997 Asphalt Statistics (2008) Passenger movements 3,405,762 Airfreight movements in tonnes 192,936 Aircraft movements 43,796 Source: official web site[1] and DAFIF[2][3

Facilities

There are ongoing discussions between airport operator, Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB), Ministry of Transportation, and Asia's largest low cost carrier, AirAsia about setting up Malaysia's third low cost carrier terminal at the airport.[5] In October 2008, Firefly was urged by the Chief Minister of Penang, Lim Guan Eng to build a budget terminal, termed "community terminal" in order to better cater for the needs of budget travellers. He also called on the Federal Government and MAHB to consider renovating the current airport terminal to higher standards.
Reports in newspapers recently suggest that the new low-cost carrier terminal is approaching final stages. A parcel of land (36 hectares) has been reserved by Penang state government for the purpose. In NCER economic region, there is a proposal to build a new bigger and modern passenger and cargo terminal. An additional runway is also planned to cater increasing air traffic.

In the Mini-budget announced by Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, who is also the Finance Minister, on March 10, 2009, RM250 million has been allocated for the expansion of the airport.

Passenger facilities

International departure area of the airport
Annual Capacity 5,000,000. Min. Connection Times Domestic-International: 40 minutes, Domestic-Domestic: 30 minutes
• 64 check-in desks
• 11 gates
• 8 air bridges
• 3 baggage claim belts
• 808 short term parking spaces
• Post Office
• Bank
• Bureau de Change
• Restaurants
• wed Cafeterias
• Bars and karaoke
• VIP Lounge
• Duty Free Shop
• Newsagent/Tobacconist
• Chemist Shop
• Gift Shop
• Travel Agent
• Tourist Help Desk
• Car Rental
• Taxi Service/Rank
• First Aid
• Disabled Access/Facilities
• Business Center

Cargo facilities

Capacity 360,000tonnes (793,656,000lbs)
• Warehouse 270,000m² (2,906,255sq ft)
• 7 x 747 Freighter Docks
• Bonded Warehouse
• Transit Zone
• Domestic Cargo Only
• Free Port/Foreign Trade Zone
• EU Border Post
• Aircraft Maintenance
• Mechanical Handling
• Livestock Handling
• Health Officials
• X-Ray Equipment
• Decompression Chamber
• Security for Valuables
• Fumigation Equipment
• Dangerous Goods
• Radioactive Goods
• Very Large/Heavy Cargo
• Express/Courier Center