![Diwali in the Eyes of You [by Sunway Cultural Exchange and Sunway University Student Council (SUSC)]](https://i0.wp.com/sunwayechomedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/27B78BFD-7ECD-456C-8EB0-DA371C1716EE.png?fit=1024%2C342&ssl=1)
Food, a universal basic necessity. A way to find solace amidst the hustle bustle of everyday life. A way to enlighten the taste buds and embark on a gastronomical adventure. As Malaysians, we can admit that food has always been a big deal. Food is unanimous with culture, and has been a unifying element throughout the changing eras, breaking the fences of race and religion that stood to keep people separate.
A small group of friends from Sunway University’s School of Actuarial Sciences decided to capitalise on the unifying effect of food by starting the Sunway Makan Club. Meet President Lim Yih Teng, Vice President Ryan Teng Yew Xiang, and their fellow committee members: the Secretary, Kong Jia Jin and Head of Research and Development, Gan Huai Shien. Piquing an interest in the newest club on the block, we have interviewed these individuals to gain a clearer impression of what the Sunway Makan Club is really all about.
Sri Lanka is still reeling from the consequences of a 25-year-old civil war between the ethnically, linguistically, and religiously different Sinhalese and Tamils. The war, which terminated in 2009, remains an unhealed wound for many whose loved ones went missing, killed, or displaced. Sri Lanka’s president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, is also distrusted by many who harbour resentment towards him over accusations of his war crimes during the civil war when he was the defence secretary. However, Sri Lanka’s recent economic crisis has brought the union of previously divided groups under one Sinhalese flag as protests rage on against the government, which is governed by the Rajapaksa brothers, for their ill-advised decisions leading to a mismanagement of Sri Lanka’s economy and the Covid-19 pandemic. Civilians’ anger and disappointment are directed towards the government’s inaction as Sri Lankans have had to endure months of food, fuel, medicine and essential depletion, as well as frequent power outages, with no hope for amelioration in sight.
Time is running out… And, yes, that’s a threat. In 2021, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said, “We have reached a tipping point on the need for climate action. The disruption to our climate and our planet is already worse than we thought, and it is moving fast.” With the Earth falling short of the targets set by the Paris Agreement, he added, “We must urgently secure a breakthrough on adaptation and resilience.”
On May 30, the world commemorates World Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Day. MS is one of the most common central nervous system diseases that affect over 2.8 million individuals worldwide today. And that is why World MS Day brings together people and organisations from all over the world to promote awareness while bringing us closer to a world free of MS. It is a day to celebrate worldwide unity and optimism for the future.
In this month full of festivities, Echo is proud and pleased to present its most recent collaboration with none other than Sunway Theme Parks! For those interested in knowing more about Malaysia’s famed theme parks, Sunway Lagoon and The Lost World of Tambun, this new series will update our readers with recent events and additions into the theme parks.
Kicking off this new series, Sunway Theme Parks is extremely pleased to introduce Cahaya Aidilfitri, a month-long filled with Raya themed events for the people! In lieu of Hari Raya, Sunway Theme Parks has designed a fairly exuberant line of events and activities for its visitors to celebrate their Raya full of fun and excitement.
Some may think that meeting the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of an organisation is an instance out of the question. However, on 22 April 2022, students of Sunway University and Sunway College’s student leadership bodies had the opportunity to meet the esteemed Professor Elizabeth Lee, CEO of Sunway Education Group, in person as she welcomed students for an afternoon dialogue and “Cuppa Coffee” in JC 3 Hall, University Building while ensuring to maintain SOPs. Likewise, audiences could tune in to the event’s live stream on Microsoft Teams from 3:30 PM – 5 PM. Besides Prof. Elizabeth, other outstanding persons attended the event, including Prof. Matthew Sansom, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education) at Sunway University, Prof. Abhi Veerakumarasivam, Provost at Sunway University, and Prof. Mahendhiran Sanggaran Nair, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research Engagement and Impact) at Sunway University.
