UNIVERSITAS ANDALAS NOT SERIOUSLY AFFECTED BY QUAKE

From Nurulhuda Che Das

PADANG, Oct 9 (Bernama) -- Every visitor who enters Universitas Andalas
(Unand) campus, located about 12km from Padang town, will be impressed by the
design of the arch with a Minangkabau roof at the entrance.

The arch, with a roof that has pointed ends like a buffalo horn, still
stands intact, despite the 7.6 magnitude earthquake which hit the town last
week.

Those who enter and leave the campus, look like they have forgotten the Sept
30 devastating tragedy.

The bus service in the campus, which is in the hilly areas of Limau Manis,
Pauh, which stretches for about 500 hectares, has resumed operation

"Here, the air is fresh and cold because it is on a hill," said a man, only
known as Adi, to Bernama here.

At a glance, it is like the area has not been struck by a disaster with
traders still operating their business as usual beside a bus station, and many
students, as well as university staff, gathered at the administrative building
at the university.

Only a slight damage to the roof of one of the buildings, and some pile of
cement debris, indicate that the buildings at the 54-year-old university are
affected by the earthquake.

Work to clear the debris and clean the areas are still being carried out at
the Law Faculty, which class has yet to resume.

Likewise, at the medical faculty, located about 15km from the main campus,
work to clear the area of debris due to the earthquake is still in progress.

Only two or three of the nine buildings at the faculty have cracks and some
parts of the roofs damaged.

A student, Rahmi Sarita, 22, from Medan, said she and a few friends had
registered as volunteers to help victims in the earthquake.

Unand deputy rector, Prof Dr Elfi Sahlan Ben, said all university staff had
returned to work since the third day of the quake.

"Students will register on Oct 12 and will begin classes on Oct 15," he
added.

He said the many students seen at the campus were those who came to process
their registration, adding that many of the students had registered as
volunteers to help those affected by the earthquake.

Elfi Sahlan said only 20 per cent of the buildings at the campus were badly
damaged and would take up to two months to repair.

"Buildings which cannot be used have been marked red and their entrance have
been sealed for safety reasons," he added.

He advised the more than 300 Malaysians studying at the university not to
make their experience in the earthquake as an excuse not to return here to
continue their studies.

"Don't be traumatised. If we come here to study, regard it (earthquake) as a
lesson and experience. Parents should also not worry," he added.

A final year student in Agriculture Technology, Sartika Abdul Muis, 22, said
Malaysian students need no t have to worry about the condition at the university
because work to repair the damaged buildings had started.

Medical student, Dian Pratama Putra, 21, urged the affected Malaysian
students to return to the university and join other students here to help those
affected in the disaster.

-- BERNAMA