Duke of Edinburgh International Award – Rakan Muda 21

The Duke of Edinburgh International Award, established 60 years ago in the UK by HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, is a programme of challenge and development for young people worldwide which is widely recognised and regarded as a highly beneficial programme in developing teamwork, commitment, perseverance, cooperation and consideration for others in young people. It is run at the Kolej Yayasan UEM (KYUEM) by Mr Boler and is licenced through the Malaysian national body of Anugerah Remaja Perdana Rakan Muda. The Award consists of three increasingly difficult levels of Bronze, Silver and Gold, and consists of long-term pursuit of four components: a Skill, a Physical Recreation, Voluntary Services and an Adventurous Journey. Over the 16+ years that KYUEM has been running the programme, many students have achieved the Award a Bronze and Silver level. 

Each year, many new students join the programme and are trained in the skills needed for the expedition, including a trial (training) expedition and culminating in a Qualifying Expedition where the students navigate an unknown route in wild country in a group by themselves. It was just such a qualifying expedition for our senior Bronze Award students which took place just recently.

On the morning of Saturday 24th September, 13 Bronze Award candidates travelled by college bus to Gopeng where we met up with our host and guide, Mr Foon. Starting at Puspakom the 13 students in two groups, Bronze 1 and Bronze 3, and 20 minutes apart, trekked and navigated a tricky route south then east, in sunny/cloudy and warm weather via beautiful ex-tin mining lakes and oil palm plantations to the edge of Gopeng and stopped to cook and consume a hearty lunch under the expressway bridge. Along the way Mr Boler (KYUEM Award Leader), Matron Niza and colleagues, as well as Mr Foon, manned checkpoints to provide water, medical aid and check that the students stayed on course. 

After lunch, in continuing sunny/ cloudy and hot weather, the two groups continued navigating their journey through scenic limestone karst and agricultural landscapes, past checkpoints again, plus the Dahikmah Orphanage, Mee Kari Ami and through villages to the end point at the road junction at Jalan Kampung Jahang – Jalan Kampung Pintu Padang. From the end point, the students were then ferried by minibus vans up to Gopeng Rainforest Resort (GRR) for the night where they camped and cooked their own dinners. Both groups completed the day’s route very efficiently and effectively!

An early Sunday morning start saw the 13 Bronze Award candidates, Bronze 3 then Bronze 1 20 minutes afterwards, strike camps and trek and navigate from GRR east along Jalan Kampung Pintu Padang across the footbridge over Sungai Geroh. They then trekked into the hills past Kuala Razila (with elephants and prehistoric giraffe) via tall, majestic oil palm plantations and alongside the Geroh river, via checkpoints, across the Sungai Serokai to Kampung Ulu Geroh, where they stopped to view the scary ‘’Tiger warning sign’’. The weather remained pleasantly dry, warm and sunny/cloudy again. Winding back on narrow paths through oil palm on the north bank of the river, the students reached the beautiful riverside and bridge of Kamparado to cook their lunches, bathe in the river and try delicious home-made durian ice-cream from the Gopeng Highland Resort café. A few missturns and errors in the routes were made by both groups, but they were rescued by Mr Boler or Mr Foon, and the students overall followed the routes quickly and accurately. After lunch it was time to head back to GRR for a celebration upon successful completion and return to KYUEM by college bus.

Bronze 1

9187    Lau Shir Lyn

9188    Muhammad Freddie Loh Suffian Loh

9186    Marcus Neshad David

9190    Joo Jet Yen

9260    Sarrmiin Bala

9189    Teo Xian Yiew

Bronze 3

9447    Henry Tan

9428    Ainul Mardhiah Binti Yusof

9376    Nursyukrina Binti Abd. Shukor

9259    Raja Erin Sofea Raja Ahmad Shaharul

9212    Rhadhapriyaa Sooriapragass

9434    Kavvinah A/P Murali

9333    Muhd Asshmar Haiqal Bin Zamri