held on Jan 26 this year, at the Nikko Hotel, Kuala Lumpur was a grand affair attended by a good mix of sponsors, advertisers, editorial contributors, and other friends.
During the launch, guest-of-honour, Malaysia's Fourth Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, presented EDUsmith to six students of the St. John's Institution which has a loyal readership to the magazine. The event was covered by the media and published in several newspapers in the following days. In his message carried in the souvenir programme, chairman of VC Publications Sdn Bhd which publishes EDUsmith, Datuk Ahmad Rejal Arbee, said that the education industry is an important component in achieving the country's growth objectives and remains a significant contributor in many of the high-growth sectors.
"Edusmith is at the heart of this growth and to this end, continues to support the Higher Education Ministry and has increased focus on publishing articles of excellence," he said. He added that during the past year, Edusmith has confirmed its leadership status in the market by having a readership of 750,000 across the nation. In his address, Tun Mahathir noted that young people are uncertain about the fi eld of education and career path to choose upon completion of upper secondary. "This phenomena is getting serious with the ever-evolving education industry and takes an inquiring mind to search for such information," he said.
Tun Mahathir also congratulated the publishers and editorial staff of EDUsmith for having found the time to produce an outstanding magazine and for reaching the first anniversary. "This bimonthly magazine is an appropriate vehicle to bring forth critical educational issues and perspectives aiming at young readers who need help with directions and course guidance as coherent as possible," he said. He added: "The climate is right; the publication of the magazine marks a major step forward in carrying the critical discourses on the very crucial paradigms of education."
