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Pengalaman belajar bahasa Arab di TT

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Publication: Berita Harian, p 4 Date: 15 June 2009 Headline: Experience learning Arabic language in the Middle East opens a window of opportunity

TANPA pengetahuan dalam ba- hasa Arab dan berlatarbelakang- kan pendidikan sekular, Encik Zuraimi Naharudin, mengambil keputusan berani pada usia semu- da awal 20-an tahun untuk me- ninggalkan Singapura dan tinggal di Syria dan Kahirah selama tiga tahun.

Tujuan utamanya ialah untuk mendalami budaya dan Bahasa Arab kerana minatnya yang amat mendalam.

Ternyata, pengalaman berharga itu mencetuskan minatnya untuk membentuk syarikat Al-Markaz yang menyediakan kursus bahasa Arab kepada masyarakat Islam dan pelanggan korporat serta pe- merintah yang ingin mempelajari bahasa itu bagi memudahkan kaki- tangan mereka berurusan dengan orang Arab di Singapura dan Timur Tengah.

Pelanggannya bukan calang-ca- lang - ia termasuk kakitangan Pe- nguasa Kewangan Singapura (MAS) dan Kementerian Ehwal Luar (MFA), Cathay dan Disco- very Channel.

Al-Markaz turut menyediakan khidmat pente rjemahan bahasa Arab kepada beberapa hospital di sini yang memerlukan khidmatnya apabila terdapat pesakit dari Timur Tengah.

Ketika ditemui di pejabatnya di Bussorah Street baru-baru ini, En- cik Zuraimi, bekas pelajar Maktab Rendah Temasek yang mendapat 3A dalam peperiksaan Sijil Am Pe- lajaran (GCE) peringkat 'A', men- ceritakan bagaimana pada mula- nya, ibu bapanya tidak bersetuju dengan keputusannya untuk meng- hentikan pengajiannya dalam bidang Fizik dan Ilmu Hisab di Uni- versiti Nasional Singapura (NUS) demi mengejar cita-citanya untuk mendalami Bahasa Arab.

"Saya sedar cinta saya bukan pa- da bidang itu tetapi dalam Bahasa Arab. Tetapi, melihat saya bersung- guh-sungguh, ibu bapa saya merela- kannya clan malah membiayai pe- ngajian saya di sana," kata Encik Zuraimi, yang selain menguruskan perniagaannya ketika ini, turut me- luangkan masa menjadi mahasiswa sepenuh masa tahun kedua di Uni- versiti Pengurusan Singapura (SMU) dalam pengajian Penguru- san Perniagaan dan Perakaunan.

Di Damsylk, Syria, beliau bela- jar di Institut Bahasa Arab Bagi Warga Asing (Ma'had Ajanib) sela- ma setahun sebelurn mengkuti pe-

Begitu indah meli hat perniagaan ini berkembang -

bak menyaksikan seorang anak membesar. la merupakan satu bentuk dakwah dan satu laluan bagi Bahasa Islam. - Zuraimi Naharudin, pemilik syarikat Al-Markaz.

ngajian Syariah di Ma7had Fatar. Beliau kemudian ke Kahirah untuk mengambil Sijil Pengajaran Arab di Universiti Kahirah.

"Di sana, saya diletakkan dalam sekitaran yang memaksa saya mem- pelajari Bahasa Arab. Ketika me- ngambil pengajian Syariah misal- nya, kesemua pelajaran diajar dalam Bahasa Arab. Saya juga per- nah tinggal dengan orang Arab," kata Encik Zuraimi, yang bukan sa- haja pulang ke Singapura dengan kemahiran berbahasa Arab, malah pengalaman manis bertemu de- ngan isterinya, seorang warga Chechnya Islam, Cik Saykha Yusupova, ketika di Syria. Isteri- nya beke rja sebagai pente rjemah Russia-Inggeris di sebuah hospital di Singapura.

Sekembalinya ke Singapura, be- liau mengajar Bahasa Arab secara sambilan sebelum membuka Al-Markaz dengan pelaburan se- banyak $20,000 pada 2005 semasa pemerintah Singapura mula meng- uar-uarkan mengenai kepentingan meningkatkan hubungan Singapu- ra-Timur Tengah dan kewangan Is- lam.

Daripada hanya lima pelajar ke- tika memulakan perniagaannya, jumlah pelajamya kini mencecah 150 orang yang mengikuti kursus bahasa Arab di Al-Markaz.

Daripada jumlah itu, sekitar 20 peratus daripada pelajamya bukan orang Islam seperti seorang warga Perancis yang ingin mempelajari Bahasa Arab kerana sering ke Dubai dan seorang warga Jepun yang ingin mengetahui makna mu- zik Arab yang se- didengarnya.

Setiap tahun, Al-Markaz juga

BERANI MENEROKA: Pemilik Al-Markaz, Encik Zuraimi Naharudin (tengah), menyediakan khidmat penterjemahan Bahasa Arab di hospital-hospital dan menyediakan kursus Bahasa Arab bagi syarikat dan agensi pemerintah. Bersama beliau ialah dua kakitangannya, Pengurus Perniagaan dan guru di Al-Markaz, Encik Afif Pasuni, dan Pegawai Pentadbiran, Cik Husniah Kusnan. - Foto TAUFIK A. KADER

mengadakan lawatan sambil bela- jar ke Syria bagi para pelajarnya.

Selain Encik Zuraimi, beliau mempunyai dua lagi tenaga penga- jar kelulusan Universiti Al-Azhar dan seorang pegawai pentadbiran yang menguruskan perniagaannya.

Mengenai pelanggan korporat- nya, beliau berkata kebanyakan pelajarnya merupakan kakitangan yang perlu berurusan dan pergi ke Timur Tengah.

Selain mengendalikan kelas Ba- hasa Arab setiap minggu di MAS, beliau juga mengajar kursus bu- daya Arab kepada kakitangan MAS yang terlibat dalam Sidang Kemuncak Lembaga Khidmat Ke- wangan Islam (IFSB) yang diada- kan di Singapura bulan lalu. Sidang kemuncak itu menarik penyertaan

daripada gabenor-gabenor dari pu- sat-pusat kewangan Islam seperti Arab Saudi dan Bahrain.

Setiap dua kali sebulan, beliau juga akan dihubungi beberapa hos- pital di sini yang meminta beliau menjadi penterjemah Bahasa Arab bagi pihak para pesakit yang keba- nyakannya datang dari Amiriah Arab Bersatu (UAE).

"Para pesakit UAE ini mempu- nyai penyakit yang berbeza-beza seperti barah dan masalah tulang belakang yang berada di sini untuk tempoh dua minggu hingga enam bulan. Rawatan mereka di sini dita- ja oleh kerajaan UAE. Biasanya, saya akan mendampingi mereka sepanjang tempoh mereka berada di hospital, seperti ketika mereka bertemu doktor dan mente rjemah

apa yang diterangkan oleh doktor mengenai penyakit mereka," jelas beliau.

Al-Markaz juga pernah melaku- kan pente rjemahan sari kata untuk sebuah dokumentari haji bagi Dis- covery Channel dan ke rja-ke rja pente rjemahan bagi Penguasa Pem- bangunan Infokom (IDA) dan Na- tional Computer System (NCS).

"Alhamdullilah, selama ini, saya dapat melangkah sejauh ini kerana didorong oleh minat.

"Begitu indah melihat pernia- gaan ini berkembang - bak me- nyaksikan seorang anak membe- sar. Ia merupakan satu bentuk dak- wah dan satu laluan bagi Bahasa Is- lam," tambahnya lagi, yang menya- takan bahawa perniagaannya telah turnbuh sebanyak 20 peratus sejak dibentuk.

Source: Berita Harian O Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Permission required for reproduction.

Publication: Berita Harian, p 4 Date: 15 June 2009 Headline: Experience learning Arabic language in the Middle East opens a window of opportunity

Source: Berita Harian © Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Permission required for reproduction.

Experience learning Arabic language in the Middle East opens a window of opportunity Without knowledge of the Arabic language and with a secular education background, Mr. Zuraimi Naharudin made the brave choice at the age of early 20s, to leave Singapore and live in Syria and Cairo for three years. His ultimate goal was to delve in the culture and language of the Arabs due to his deep interest in it. This valuable experience sparked his interest to establish Al-Markaz LLP, an organisation which provides Arabic language courses for the Muslim and non-Muslim community. Al-Markaz‘s clients include the corporate and government sector who are interested train their staff to deal with Arab clients both in Singapore and the Middle East. Its clients include the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Cathay Organisation and the Discovery Channel. Al-Markaz also provides Arabic language translation services to several hospitals here when they receive patients from the Middle East. During the interview at his Bussorah Street office, Mr. Zuraimi, an ex-student of Temasek Junior College who attained 3As in his GCE ‘A’ levels examinations, shares how his parents were initially not supportive of his decision to quit his tertiary studies in the field of physics and mathematics at the National University of Singapore. He wanted to pursue his dreams of learning the Arabic language. “I realised my love was not in that field but was instead in the Arabic language. Upon realising that I was serious, my parents finally agreed and even financed my studies there,” said Mr. Zuraimi, who is currently a 2nd year full-time undergraduate at the Singapore Management University, majoring in Business Management and Accountancy. In Damascus, Syria he studied at the Arabic Language Institute for Foreigners (Ma‘had Ajanib) for a year before continuing his studies in Shari‘ah at Ma‘had Fatah. He then left for Cairo University to enrol for a certificate course in teaching Arabic. “There, I was placed in an environment where I was forced to pick up the Arabic language. For instance, when I was studying Shari‘ah, all the academic subjects was in that language. I also used to stay with an Arab housemate,” said Mr. Zuraimi. He returned to Singapore from Syria not only with Arabic language abilities but also with sweet memories of meeting his wife, Mrs. Saykha Yusupova, a Chechen Muslim. His wife works as a Russian-Arabic-English translator in a hospital in Singapore. Upon his return, he taught Arabic part-time before setting up Al-Markaz. With a start up capital of $20,000 in 2005, the timing was apt as the Singapore government had just started emphasising the importance of building relations between Singapore and the Middle East and of that of Islamic finance.

Publication: Berita Harian, p 4 Date: 15 June 2009 Headline: Experience learning Arabic language in the Middle East opens a window of opportunity

Source: Berita Harian © Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Permission required for reproduction.

From just five students when he first started his business, there are currently almost 150 students attending Arabic language courses at Al-Markaz. About 20 percent of its students are non-Muslims, the likes of a French citizen who is learning the Arabic language as she often visits Dubai and another Japanese student who wishes to better understand the Arabic music, which she often listens to. Every year, Al-Markaz also organises study trips to Syria for its students. Mr. Zuraimi has two other teaching staffs who are graduates from Al-Azhar University and an administrative officer managing the business. As for corporate clients, he says that most of his students have to deal and travel to the Middle East in the course of their work. Apart from teaching a weekly Arabic language class in MAS, he also taught an Arabic culture appreciation course for the staff of MAS who were involved in the Islamic Financial Service Board Summit, which was held in Singapore last month. The Summit attracted the participation of several governors from Islamic financial centres such as Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. Several hospitals have also contacted him for his Arabic translation services for their patients who are mostly from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). “These patients come with a variety of illnesses such as cancer and back problems. They are here for a period of 2 weeks to 6 months and treatment here is sponsored by the UAE government. Usually I will accompany them during their doctor’s appointment and translate what is being explained by the doctor with regards to their illness,” he explained. Al-Markaz has also performed a subtitling translation service for a Hajj documentary for the Discovery Channel and other translation jobs for the Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) and National Computer System (NCS). “Alhamdulillah (Praise be to Allah), so far, I am able to be where I am today driven by my interest.” “It is so beautiful to see the business expand – it’s like watching a child grow. It is also a form of missionary and a way to spread the language of Islam.” He added that his business has seen an annual growth of 20 percent since its inception.