05/04/2026

NATIONAL 4 theSun on Sunday APR 5, 2026

Initiative to bridge indigenous languages with English

system used water from Sungai Semawak, located about 800m from a NERC turbine. He said following repairs, the system now supplies electricity to various facilities, including the surau , chalets, laboratory, halls and dormitories. “The main challenge is the dry season. Hence, efforts are being made to improve the system.” – Bernama Tuba fishing sparks concern DUNGUN: Residents of Felda Kerteh 3 in Paka near here have raised concern over increasingly rampant tuba (poison) fishing in Sungai Rasau, which is affecting the livelihoods of local fishermen. Felda Kerteh 3 Village Development and Security Committee chairman Alias Mamat said since January, four cases of fish poisoning using the plant-based toxin have been reported in the river, with the latest incident occurring on Wednesday. He added that such irresponsible acts damage the river ecosystem and threaten the sustainability of aquatic life. “In the latest incident, thousands of dead fish were seen floating at various points along Sungai Rasau, believed to have been poisoned. “The individuals responsible are thought to have carried out tuba fishing at multiple spots along the river, spanning about four kilometres from Felda Kerteh 1 to Felda Kerteh 3.” He said among the species found dead were lampam , baung , sebarau , selat , tilan , terbul and haruan . Meanwhile, 60-year-old villager Zawawi Ibrahim said he often fishes in the river, relying on his catch not only for daily meals but also to supplement his family’s income. “I catch lampam , baung and sebarau as they fetch high prices in the market, between RM15 and RM25 per kg. “The fish are becoming increasingly scarce in the river due to widespread tuba fishing, especially during the dry season.” Felda Kerteh 3 manager Mohamad Hairun Abd Rahman, 38, expressed disappointment over the actions of individuals who use tuba to catch large numbers of fish, even at the cost of killing young fish and damaging the ecosystem. He said the river is a popular spot for residents as well as outsiders for fishing, in addition to being an important source of livelihood for the local community. “We will report this to the Fisheries Department so that an investigation could be carried out and those responsible could be held accountable, to prevent such activities from happening again.” – Bernama

KUCHING: In efforts to encourage the learning and usage of Sarawakian indigenous languages and English, a group of children took part in a reading session on literature and local stories recently. The session, organised by NGO Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL) Malaysia and the Salvation Army Kuching, was conducted by volunteer teachers. It was held at the Salvation Army centre in Jalan Sekama on March 28. HWPL Malaysia deputy general-director (Public Relations Department) Kelly Sim told theSun that the initiative supports Malaysia’s National Reading Decade 2021–2030 initiative, led by the Education Ministry. “The session we organised aligns with national efforts to build a strong reading culture and strengthen social unity. “The inaugural reading session marked a meaningful step in supporting children’s literacy development. “Conducted in small groups, the session saw tutors guiding children through reading activities to build their vocabulary, pronunciation and confidence,” she said. She added that writers, educators and community members – especially those producing works in indigenous languages such as Bidayuh , Iban and other native dialects – were encouraged to share their stories with young readers. “Within the initial session, noticeable improvements were observed as students became more comfortable and expressive in reading aloud, demonstrating the value of Session aimed at building reading culture and fostering unity: Organiser Ű BY ANDREW SAGAYAM newsdesk@thesundaily.com

Sim said HWPL welcomes collaboration with educational institutions, community organisations, authors and cultural groups that share a common vision of promoting literacy. – PIC COURTESY OF HWPL MALAYSIA

Through these partnerships and similar programmes, we are confident to reach more children and create meaningful learning opportunities across communities.” She also said, as highlighted by National Unity Minister Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang, that reading plays a key role in nation-building, as it “strengthens national unity through the sharing of knowledge, values and understanding among communities”. She added that reading, especially reading aloud, plays an important role in a child’s development. “It helps improve vocabulary and pronunciation while building confidence in communication. “With proper guidance, children are better equipped to express themselves, engage with others and grow into confident individuals within their communities. “By introducing children to books, be it in their mother tongue or English, the initiative supports both learning and the preservation of cultural identity.”.

She added that visual aids and group activities were also incorporated to enhance learning. “We used slides during the session and then provided printed materials for the children to practise together in groups. “Stories that actively engage the students could help them expand their English vocabulary and build confidence.” Salvation Army volunteer Thian Swee Choo, 32, noted positive response from children who attended the session. “It was very engaging. The children were divided into three groups, and each child had a chance to read different passages. There was also a warm-up video at the beginning to help them relax.” Sim said to further grow its impact, HWPL Malaysia welcomes collaboration with educational institutions, community organisations, authors and cultural groups that share a common vision of promoting literacy and cultural heritage. “We hope that we could collaborate with more groups.

consistent guidance in early learning. “Following this positive start, the session will be expanded to reach more communities, providing children with continued access to structured reading support. “Beyond literacy, the initiative also aims to foster unity by creating inclusive spaces in which children from different backgrounds could learn and grow together. “As a country rich in cultural diversity, such sessions would also promote the appreciation and preservation of local heritage.” Sharing her experience at the reading session, HWPL educator Christine Ting, 39, said it was designed to be interactive and engaging for young learners. “The reading session also involved a power-point presentation. “One of the stories we used was about a monkey who finds his laugh with the help of his animal friends. “It includes fun words such ‘Hello!’ and ‘Bang!’, which the children can say out loud while practising,” she said.

Varsity to deploy hybrid power system for Orang Asli community MERSING: Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) is set to broaden its deployment of a hybrid solar-micro-hydro system to benefit the Orang Asli community in Kampung Peta as a sustainable and more dependable source of electricity. National Parks Corporation at the Endau-Rompin National Park, has been in operation since 2013 and serves as the primary source of electricity for the Nature Education and Research Centre (NERC) in Mersing. during the UTHM-PTNJ Edutourism Field Trip Expedition at NERC in Endau-Rompin National Park. He said efforts to upgrade the electricity generation system, which has a capacity of about 15 kilowatts (kW), were underway following damage caused by a flood in 2023. He added that the new system is not only more sustainable, but also capable of reducing operating costs compared with diesel-powered generators. The programme aims to explore, strengthen and develop strategic collaborations to advance UTHM’s edutourism initiatives through the Living Lab @ NERC, which showcases the system as a key attraction for high-impact edutourism. UTHM Ecohydro Focus Group researcher Dr Izat Yahya said the UTHM vice-chancellor Prof Dr Mas Fawzi Mohd Ali said the system, developed in collaboration with the Johor “The focus now is to ensure that the system at NERC and corporation facilities is stable before expanding it to the community,” he told Bernama