Enduring the forth student council meeting exposed MUSA for what it is and what it will always be, a somewhat giant student corporate organization that tries to be as functional as it possibly can within its jurisdiction. 

The President’s Boundless Office

The president is truly the busiest person in the office because why is this man attending so many meetings within the span of one month. Albeit, extremely important meetings that have the capability to transform our student experience in Monash. Shoan and a few other office bearers first met with Prof. Sharon Pickering, the vice chancellor and president of Monash University, and Prof. Sarah McDonald, the deputy vice chancellor and senior vice president of Monash University, where the main discussion revolved around the current status of MUSA and recommendations of improvement in regards to Moodle and financial structures within MUSA itself. 

Buzzwords are incredibly instrumental to universities and the word now going around Monash is ‘anchor institution’, which is the idea that Monash wants to be more engaged with its community and establish a legitimate social standing within its peers and the area itself. This was discussed in a meeting with Dr. Mohamed Noor Rosli Baharom, the director of external engagement and advancement. 

It was mentioned in my previous article that Monash is restructuring its financial framework, meaning new policies and stricter regulations to avoid overspending in the 2025 fiscal year. This applies to all departments considering that overspending this year would lead to severe budget cuts and freezes in the next fiscal year according to Bakhtawar and Jananee, the finance directors of MUSA. This was all discussed with the Student Life department. 

Crackdown on Expensive Events 

Shoan also reminded all office bearers that the budget allocated to each department is for the purpose of enhancing student experience which includes aggressive subsidies given to students. Events should not be treated as a for profit initiative, rather it should be as affordable as it can be to ensure inclusivity and an overall pleasant experience for the student body. 

By-Elections and Interim Appointments (Again!)

The voter turnout for the 2025 By-Elections was shockingly terrible. Only 367 voters exercised their right to vote for the finance directors and head of publicity, while only 196 international student voters voted for the MUISS candidates. It was unclear what exactly caused the delays in conducting the By-Elections but what we certainly know is that promotional initiatives should have been far more elaborate to engage with the student body and encourage them to exercise their fundamental right to vote for student leadership. Regardless, all contested positions are now filled. 

Two interim positions were appointed, an additional MUISS head and a MUISS CRO. Farrel, elected MUISS head, raised the motion to appoint Ibrahim Murtaza as an interim MUISS head and Farhat Fuvas as an interim MUISS CRO alongside the elected office bearers for both of these positions. This was done to channel in additional support to the MUISS department to maintain overall operational effectiveness. This aligns with the constitution which states: 

“If a vacancy occurs after the MUSA By-Elections, the MSC must appoint a person to fill the vacancy within 30 academic days.” Clause 48 (vii)

“Persons filling vacancies hold those positions for the remainder of the term of office, subjected to this Clause.” Clause 48 (viii)

The reason why interim reappointments were needed as opposed to merely allowing both Ibrahim and Fara to run in the By-Elections was not made clear. 

Merch Sales 

Monash merchandise, designed and spearheaded by the publicity department went live a few weeks back with t-shirts, varsity jackets, tote bags, mugs, and hoodies on their catalog. The merchandise was captured positively by the student body, with total revenue as of 29th April 2025 amounting to RM 62,320. For reference, the cost of manufacturing the current stock was RM 71,725. 

Written by Yashven Jayabalan

Designed by Jason