IPTA Registration - Now vs Then

I just come back from my son's registration in UITM Sri Iskandar. When we arrived in campus it was already packed with cars belonging to parents with similar intention.

Salute to the management for being so innovative and creative in handling the on-slaught of new students and parents. Instead of the normal registration procedure, students were given individual room key and directed to their hostel as asoon as the car passed the fascilitators' tent at the campus entrance.

We then drove straight to Damar College. Syazwan's room was 227 on the second floor. He decided to go alone first searching for the room. After finding the room he came back to the car and led us all, with all the paraphernalia, to his new room.

The room was in a mess. Cobwebs and dust everywhere. It just had to be cleaned.

All parents and siblings went to work immediately in getting the room liveable. The lockers were wiped free from collection of dusts and cobwebs. Bedsheets were put on covering the mattresses that were full of 'maps'.

An uppity father from Shah Alam gave orders to everybody.

In short, I found that the students, they were pampered. Parents took care of everything.

The hustle and bustle of students registration brought memories of the great old days.

For my registration, as wells as for most of today's parents', it was all do-it-yourself thing. I did not blame my parents for that. They were just inadequately blessed to give us what we are giving our children now.

I remember having to carry two big bags onto Tong Foong bus to get to UPM campus. From the bus stop I had to drag the bags to the register at the First College. I had to do almost everything by myself.

A week back I had a visitor. He was the MD of a big poultry company - a Chinese of course. In our discussion we talked about the food security thing. I then said:

" We here in Pahang have Rompin. It could be successfully converted into another rice bowl if we could bring in Chinese farmers there."

He quickly interjected: " That was right with the then Chinese, Dr. It will never work with the present Chinese young men."

"Why?"

"Because young Chinese nowadays are not interested to work in agriculture sector. They are more interested to work as along and sell pirated CD's and DVD's."

"That bad uh?"

"You know what? During our times, our fathers would say: Son, study hard so that in the future you will have good job with good pay. Then only you can help the family. But now it is the kids that say to their fathers: Father, work hard and smart so that you have enough money to give to your children to pay for his petrol and car instalments!"

We all laughed, but nodded in agreement to what had been said.

What say you?