28/10/2025

TUESDAY | OCT 28, 2025

12

EDUCATION NEWS

Foundation empowers and uplifts indigenous communities

Ű BY DHARSHINI GANESON

W HILE indigenous com munities in Malaysia struggle on many fronts such as education, sourcing for income-generating pro jects to fund their communities, the RYTHM foundation has successfully made a difference by implementing a series of projects. Over three years across Sabah, Pahang, Kedah, Johor and Negeri Sembilan, RYTHM worked with partners to uplift the Orang Asli (OA) communities in various strategic areas. One success story, Imelda Kasung from the mist shrouded highlands of Kiulu, Sabah can stand proud with her home-made bottle of “Sambal Liposu”, made from forest chilis that grow naturally in the area. With funding from RYTHM, Imelda was able to learn how to bottle and market the “Kiulu Kio” label and achieve a level of success in marketing and selling the item. This is only part of the work carried out by the foundation. The diverse communities from the Dusun, Bateq, Kensiu, Jakun and Semelai indigenous people across five states have also experienced dramatic upward changes in their literacy rates as children participate in tuition classes after school, while youth and women have succeeded in generating income that has not only increased but tripled household income. Datin Sri Umayal Eswaran, chairperson of RYTHM foundation said: “Our work with the OA is not about charity but about solidarity. At the foundation, we believe empowerment means listening before we lead and walk beside communities as partners. “Every project we support – from classrooms in Pahang to eco-tourism in Kedah is an investment in dignity, resilience, and a future where indigenous voices are not only heard outstanding booth design. The entry bagged three awards at the Pertubuhan Arkitek Malaysia (PAM) Annual Architecture Student Works Exhibition (PAASWE) 2025. TAR UMT’s outstanding design, ‘Islands in Resonance’ stood out among the 20 display booths and was conferred Best Bench award, Best Use of Materials (jury citation) award, and Gold in Best Booth award. The exhibition held from 8 – 12 Oct 2025 was showcased in a local mall. PAASWE, an annual event, organised by PAM aims to create public awareness about the architecture industry in Malaysia, while providing a platform for architecture students to showcase their work to the public. Desmond Leong Li Heng, one of the student participants said their booth concept visualised individuality within unity, much like islands in an archipelago. This concept directly mirrored the competition’s theme, “Archipelago: Shared Roots of

The Orang Asli children receive additional classes to improve their literacy skills, especially reading and writing.

o Orang Asli achieve success with funding for projects

but honoured.”

Banking & Finance Megat Ariff Shah Megat Omar, lecturer from the faculty of built environment (FOBE), was proud that his students were able to take their “I think the biggest challenge was coming to an agreement on an idea that everyone would be happy with. We took about two weeks to settle on a design, and another two weeks to complete the construction of the booth, but all that hard work and effort paid off in the end,” he said. The team’s unique approach, creative idea and functional design resonated with the judging panel that consisted of PAM council members and professional architects from across the nation. “Compared to the other booths, ours demonstrated a practical bench component and we successfully highlighted the unique features of the sponsored materials composed of clay roof tiles and fibre cement boards. I believe the judges picked up on those details which helped our booth stand out from the rest,” said Koh Chua Ivan, leader of the team. Academic support programme (ASP) Among the initiatives were to provide after school tuition, with high rates of attendance achieved over three years. Results showed that over 98 percent of (OA) students in the programme were able to display mastery in the areas of reading, writing and comprehension. Youth empowerment programme (YEP) The concept behind the YEP was to set up ecotourism ventures in three villages, Watu Kokoluton Hill (also known as Kg Talantang), located in Kota Marudu, Sabah, Sangod Hill (Kg Lokub) and Ratau Campsite (Kg Ratau), both located at Kiulu Sabah. The youths located at these places have benefitted from skills development, while fostering a sense of ownership and pride in their communities. These eco-ventures have succeeded in attracting international tourists, looking for adventure and local culture, and contribute to environmental conservation. All three of these projects have contributed collectively to generating

Women

empowerment

formed a Kiulu community collective enterprise (KCCE) with representation from all three villages. With the brand name of “Kiulu Kio” they ventured into creating and marketing two products in their locality, which was the ‘Liposo’ fruit known as the Sabah apple and banana stem. Thus, the lives, educational opportunities and income levels of the OA students, women and youths have been uplifted with grants allocated by RYTHM foundation towards the betterment of the indigenous community.

a gross income amounting to RM 44,000, over three years, thus ensuring a steady income for youths. The membership of youth connect circle YCC) composed of local youth, has also increased from 12 members to 22. These sessions were valuable as they equipped the youths in the locality with the knowledge needed to work in the local ecotourism industry as tour guides. Since the inception of these ecotourism ventures, the numbers of international tourists has picked up in tourist destinations across Sabah.

programmes The purpose behind OA women empowerment programmes by RYTHM foundation is to create a source of income for the women, which would give them financial independence and a sense of pride in generating an income on their own. There were preliminary discussions held with the women in the locality of Kg Ratau, Kg Talantang and kg Lokub in Sabah, to determine what economic ventures would be most suitable. Together the OA women also

Winner of outstanding booth design TUNKU Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology (TAR UMT) was in the spotlight when an idea born from a collective of 49 bachelor of science in architecture (Hons) students won most Malaysian Architecture” and was inspired by the team’s own experience of working to achieve cohesion while respecting each member’s unique contribution.

Han Wei Yang (centre), one of TAR UMT’s architecture students, presenting the design concept and idea behind ‘Islands in Resonance’ to the judging panel.

practical application of their booth, especially the bench and material selection. “Competitions such as PAASWE are essential to students’ growth as it allows fostering of teamwork, clear communication and real-life creative problem solving, which may be harder to instill via typical coursework. “Through exposure to collaborative works in competitions,

creative ideas and translate them into an award-winning structure. “The students showed perseverance and flexibility in handling various challenges presented to them, such as budgeting, material procurement, and design issues, all while preserving their design vision. The judges were very impressed with their approach, creativity, design language and

better prepared to tackle the challenges in the industries as soon as they enter the workforce,” said Megat. Call 603-4145 0123/011-1075 8535, or log on to www.tarc.edu.my for more information about TAR UMT or to apply online. Various financial aid and merit scholarships are available for qualified students .

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