Remarks from the President
Dear DISTED Community,
Welcome back to campus! We hope everyone had a restful break over the Deepavali holidays. As for our Hindu students and staff, we hope you had a wonderful celebration.
Although it was a short week, we were pleased to welcome members from the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) who visited our campus to conduct an accreditation assessment of our Diploma in Mass Communication programme. We will also be hosting the Hack Club Haven Penang (Game Jam & Hackathon), a 2-day social coding event and game jam led by our School of Computing Science later this weekend.
At our Scholarships & Honours Night 2026 next Saturday, we will be celebrating the achievements of our scholars and recipients of the President’s Award. We are also proud to announce the launching of the new Dato’ Leela Mohd Ali Scholarship Fund during the occasion.
Commencing in 2027, the scholarship fund is established in memory of late educationist, Dato’ Leela Mohd Ali, who had believed in the power of education to create better opportunities in life for all families.
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!
President
Dato’ Dr (h.c) Lim Si Boon
DISTED Accounting Students Gain Industry Insights at AMD Penang
DISTED College’s Accounting students recently embarked on an industrial visit to AMD Penang, providing both our diploma and degree students with valuable first-hand exposure to the corporate environment and semiconductor industry.
The visit featured a company overview, a finance sharing session, and a product sharing session. Through these sessions, our students gained a better understanding of AMD’s business operations and products, as well as the important role finance plays in supporting organisational performance and business decision-making.
The experience also offered our students with the opportunity to connect what they had learnt in the classroom with real-world business practices, gaining a broader perspective of how accounting and finance functions within a multinational technology company.
Beyond the learning sessions, our students also participated in a networking session with AMD’s industry professionals. This gave them the opportunity to engage directly with those in the field and gain valuable insights into career pathways, workplace expectations, and the knowledge and skills needed to build a career in accounting and finance.
The visit was a meaningful learning experience, allowing our students to look beyond their textbooks and gain a closer appreciation of how their chosen field contributes to the wider business world.
Sharizan binti Abdul Rashid
Programme Lead, School of Business and Hospitality
Bringing Our Deepavali Podcast to Life: Teamwork Behind a Single Camera
Our college multimedia studio came alive with festive energy last week as students gathered to create a special Deepavali podcast for the campus community. Rather than relying on a complex production setup, the team gathered around a single camera setup while focusing on setting up the lighting, staging the set, and positioning the mic to capture the warmth and spirit of the occasion. Transforming the studio into a welcoming space for cultural storytelling was a collective effort from start to finish.
The true highlight of the shoot was watching how seamlessly everyone collaborated to bring the project together. Working with just one camera meant that every role on set became even more critical. Team members took turns framing the shot, monitoring audio levels, directing the host and guests, and managing the flow of the floor. Coordinating a complete podcast episode around a single frame pushed everyone to communicate clearly, problem-solve on the fly, and adapt to the flow of the conversation to turn the studio into a live classroom of shared effort and creativity.
Participating in hands-on collaborative projects like this offers immense benefits for students looking to build real-world confidence. Stepping out of the classroom and into an active studio environment bridges the gap between media concepts and practical execution. Handling actual equipment, even if it is a simple camera setup, demands responsibility, attention to detail, and adaptability under production deadlines.
Beyond technical practise, producing content centred around Deepavali gave us students a meaningful platform to explore, celebrate, and share cultural perspectives with our peers. Most importantly, the experience reinforces the power of teamwork. Learning how to pool individual talents, support one another behind the lens, and take collective ownership of a production equips students with practical communication, leadership, and media production skills that will serve us well across any future career path.
Naviin Raj Jaya Ganesh
President, DC Live Club
A Successful Convention on Mental Well-Being
The recent Penang Youth Mental Well-Being Convention 2026 held at DISTED College in conjunction with World Mental Health Day, was a meaningful and successful community engagement initiative in promoting mental well-being, resilience and help-seeking awareness.
Organised by Befrienders Penang, with the support of our School of Psychology students, the Rotary Club of Butterworth and Penang Health Committee chairman Daniel Gooi, the convention brought together some 240 secondary students, alongside teachers and parents.
The event went beyond a conventional mental health talk by providing an engaging, hands-on learning experience through an 8-station wellness circuit covering academic stress, resilience, mental health stigma, gratitude, empathy, personal boundaries, burnout and seeking help. A concurrent programme for parents also emphasised the importance of active listening, supportive communication, and recognising when professional help may be needed.
A special shout-out goes to our DISTED School of Psychology students, whose dedication, teamwork and commitment contributed significantly to the success of this large-scale event. From preparing the venue and coordinating activities to facilitating the wellness stations, guiding school participants and supporting event operations, our students demonstrated professionalism, initiative, empathy and the practical application of their psychological knowledge. Their willingness to step forward and contribute to the community truly reflects the values we hope to nurture in future psychology professionals.
Seeing our students work together with the organising team to create a meaningful and supportive environment for young people was incredibly rewarding. This experience was not only an opportunity to promote mental health awareness but also a valuable learning journey for our students in communication, teamwork, facilitation, and community engagement.
May the conversations, connections, and lessons from this convention continue to inspire young people to prioritise their mental well-being, seek support when needed, and remember that they do not have to face their struggles alone.
Together, we are building resilience, seeking support, and creating hope.
Thiresyinie A/P Tamil Chelvam
Lecturer, School of Psychology
OFM 2026 Training Camp: DISTED Students Share Their Experience
Back in March 2026, DISTED College had the honour of hosting the Malaysian Physics Olympiad (OFM) 2026 Training Camp, a five-day residential programme that brought together 43 highly potential students from across the nation. Among them were several of our own DISTED students, who recently shared their reflections on this transformative experience.
Justin Tan Zen Yi described the camp as an enlightening experience that pushed him beyond his limits. Over five intensive days, he participated in seven experiments covering potentiometers, spring constants, viscosity, and capacitors. He particularly appreciated the facilitators’ guidance and noted that the process of writing reports and analysing data gave him invaluable practical skills.
Jose Ong Zhong Yu provided a technical reflection of his learning journey, from tackling challenging simulation experiments to deriving equations for simple harmonic motion and optical phase difference. He especially valued the mentorship from senior facilitators, which helped him refine his experimental techniques and improve the quality of his reports.
Liow Nick Hong offered a practical piece of advice for future participants: “Always double check the apparatus. My data is more accurate using the actual data instead of the ‘given’ data.” His insight underscores the importance of careful measurement and independent verification in scientific work.
The camp concluded with an inspiring closing ceremony by Dr. Tan Fuyi, who motivated all participants to persevere regardless of selection outcomes. We are immensely proud of our students for their dedication and growth, and we look forward to their continued success in the field of physics.
