On the next day, upon our arrival, we were welcomed by Mr Kenny who is also the Plant Manager. Prior entering the factory, we had a short briefing about the safety inside the plant and the prohibited areas. After the briefing, all of us were required to wear safety helmet as a precaution step.

During our visit to IOI Edible Oil Sdn Bhd, students and lecturers were participated in a series of discussions and presentations from plant manager on the refinery process. We were all divided into 3 major groups where each group was guided by an officer from the plant and were brought into different locations separately.

Students had the opportunity to experience and were briefed about the whole refinery processes by the Mr Kenny from IOI edible oil. From there, we had ample of opportunities to exchange our own idea or experience regarding the process of palm oil which is an important for our chemical engineering course.

Apart from this, the plant manager, Mr Kenny also conducted an open discussion session where students or even lecturers can ask anything about the operating process of this refinery plant. After that, we were taught about the basic of designing a plant which proved to be important for us especially for our final year’s plant design project. This has certainly widen our knowledge and understanding about this field.

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Next, after the open discussion session, we went to their research lab where it is the place that they determine the chemical and physical properties of their products. Instruments such as:

• DOBI machine – To determine the content of caretene

• Finto meter – To check the colour

• NIR – To determine the percentage of FFA, moisture content

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are used to check the quality of their final products so that it meets the current standards and regulations. If it does not meet one of the basic requirements, it has to be refined again or face the threat of being rejected.

 

Anyway, our study trip to IOI edible oil officially ended at around 2pm. After that we proceed to OrangUtan sanctuary before moving back to Kota Kinabalu. The support we received during the preparation of the trip and during the trip itself from all the 3rd year students proved to be essential to the success of our trip to Sandakan. We would like to thank all the committee members who organised this study trip as well as to Mr Kenny and all the staffs from IOI Edible Oil Sdn Bhd for their support and warm welcome. In the future, we are looking forward to have more study trip as it has proven to be beneficial to all the chemical engineering students.

Traditions: Told, Lived and Passed On.

In many ways, people can be taught that some aspects of their lives must remain the same despite the changes that happened due to passing of times. These aspects are called traditions and they must be lived by the present people and passed on to the next generations. Sometimes, it is crucial to live the tradition for it makes us unique as a whole community. So unique in a certain way and the only one there is that it makes us who we are.

Last August 17th, it was our turn (sophomores) to organize a welcoming party for freshmen of Chem. Eng. Course. It was some kind of a tradition for us in Chem. Eng., whereby the sophomores were the one who must organize an event to welcome the freshmen. Headed by Mr. Director Fanshuri, activities were carefully set so that there were a lot of chances for the seniors, us and the juniors to mix, mingle and have fun. Original plan was to conduct the party on the university’s ground but since there was a need for escapism from the university scenery and committee members disagreement, the venue was later changed to Tanjung Aru Beach, where we were first welcomed a year before.

As mentioned before, there were activities planned that filled the air with fun, love and laughter. But before it all began, they were first subjected to an Ice-Breaking session. Here, the participants were required to introduce themselves and share a bit of their personal information. Then, it was when the fun begins. After being divided into several groups, each member must cooperate with each other and come out with group names and mottoes within a time limit. After that, they were required to present it as creative as possible.

Then it was an activity called “Panjang oh Panjang”. This activity required each group to create a line which length surpassing other groups using any materials they could find. The line must be clearly visible and surely, they must remain intact. It was very interesting to see how the participants showed their creativity in order to create a line that was unsurpassed by other groups. Some of them even took their shirt off and their last resort; lying on the sand and become one of the lines themselves.

There were so many activities that were done and can be written here but words alone cannot convey the pure joy we had during the party. One has to go there himself and witness the whole excitement. We played, we laughed, we won and we lose as a family. There were no such things as “outcast” in this family of Chem. Eng. Everyone is welcomed warmly as a part of our family regardless of their background. This is our aim, creating a tradition of being a family in Chem. Eng. Course as we put aside our differences and unite within our common ground.