United Kingdom vs Australia vs Board of Engineers Malaysia

While involved in a camping spree deep in the heart of Kedah, I received a call from Kuala Lumpur. It was the International Education Office, stating that they have received a letter under my name.

The letter stated that I had been unconditionally accepted to pursue a Bachelor's Degree in Electrical & Electronics Engineering at Victoria University in Melbourne, Australia. Alhamdulillah to that. The only pending matter now, is the finalisation of the Advance Standing request. If it is approved, I will only be required to undertake the course for only half of the actual duration (2 years out of 4 years).

Last week, I received another offer letter. This time, it was from The University of Portsmouth in the United Kingdom. The offer was similar to that of the offer from Victoria University, only that upon my final year, if I were to meet expectations, I will be extended by another year to pursue a Master's degree.

The Portsmouth offer was tempting. Not only was I given the oppurtunity to return to England, I also stand a chance to upgrade to the Master's level.

However, to ensure whatever qualifications I am due to receive from any given institution does not cause problems in the near future, I decided to consult professional opinions.

And so, I went to the Board of Engineers's (BEM) office, which is located at the topmost floor of the JKR Headquarters in Jalan Sultan Salahuddin, Kuala Lumpur. What I was told there gave me quite the shock.

It seems that for Engineering courses, BEM only recognises UK qualifications at the Master's level. Any level below than that, no way! But, for Australia, BEM recognises its qualifications at the first degree level.

And so, it was with a heavy heart that I had to abandon all hopes of ever going to England. But then again, Australia is not a problem for me, mate. It's just that, England held so many memories of my childhood.

Anyhow, I've prayed and asked Allah to bless me with the the chance to be able to study overseas, with the best options. He knows more of what best befalls upon me. May the path I take be beneficial for me in the long run. Ameen.

As of now, there are two more pending results; one from the University of Newcastle, the other, from the University of South Australia (UniSA).