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Manifesto for CUMSA Junior Treasurer Elections

Hello! I am Zhi Qi, a first year Engineer in Christ’s College, and I am running for the position
of Junior Treasurer as part of the CUMSA Committee 2008/09.

Even before I set foot onto UK soil, CUMSA has reached out to ensure that my endless lists of
questions and doubts about life in Cambridge are answered; upon arrival in the UK, the
warmth and friendship of fellow Singaporeans and Malaysians have helped me to adapt and
ease into life in Cambridge, alone and away from the comforts of home. Having benefited so
much, I hope to be able to contribute to CUMSA and do my part for the Singaporean and
Malaysian community here.

From my experience as CCA and class treasurers previously, I am confident of handling large
sums of money and managing accounts. I am also a perfectionist and very attentive to
detail, and this is especially important when keeping accounts and during the ticketing of
events to minimise discrepancies and errors in payment. Time is Money, and as I am not very
involved in any other college or university societies, I am able to devote my time to
continually source for more money for CUMSA. Thus, I feel that I would be best able to
contribute to CUMSA as Junior Treasurer.

With our digestive systems pampered by decades of Singaporean and Malaysian cuisine, UK
food always seems somewhat lacking, but with the high costs of living here, eating out with
friends too often becomes a rather expensive option. As an organisation, I believe that
CUMSA is well-poised to tackle this problem through organising more cookouts or gatherings
where home food is served. This will also help to bring members together, especially
between seniors and juniors and members in different colleges.

Hence, on top of carefully managing CUMSA’s finances and maintaining regularly updated
accounts for transparency and accountability to members, I also plan to implement some of
the following ideas to maximise revenue for CUMSA and minimise costs for members.

• Refresh funding from previous sponsors and source for sponsorship from new
organisations.
• Tie-ups with UK and Asia-Pacific companies for sponsorship of events and for
career/internship opportunities for members.
• Subsidies for formals, bops and balls and discounts at food establishments in Cambridge.
• Partnerships with food suppliers back home to bring in subsidised Singaporean and
Malaysian food as refreshments for CUMSA events, especially during festive periods such
as Chinese New Year.
• Collaboration with Singaporean and Malaysian societies from other UK universities and
travel/freight companies to explore the possibility of group discounts when
travelling/shipping goods to and from home.

Most importantly, I will do my utmost to ensure that CUMSA remains financially sound so that
activities can be carried out smoothly and members can continue to enjoy benefits and
subsidies for events, whether during term time or during the long Cantabrigian vacations.
Please give me your support if you believe in my ability to carry out my responsibilities
effectively and efficiently, and I am always open to any ideas or suggestions for
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improvement. Together, we can bring CUMSA beyond simply a network of friends to become
a second home for us all! 