Last Saturday, the Faculty of Built Environment from Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) carried out a Service Learning Malaysia – University for Society (SULAM) programme at Kampung Sungai Putin, Sadongjaya.
The programme involved UNIMAS students and lecturers working together with the local community to improve basic infrastructure at the village’s community centre. Among the activities carried out were the building of tap water pipelines and repainting of toilets for public use.
SULAM is part of the Ministry of Higher Education’s initiative under the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2015–2025 (Higher Education), which encourages institutions of higher learning to implement High-Impact Educational Practices (HIEPs). It aims to combine classroom learning with real-life community service, allowing students to apply their academic knowledge to solve local issues.
The programme at Kampung Sungai Putin was led by SULAM Programme Chairman, Hj Yusuf Bin Aruf, and supported by KRT Chairman Hj Pangeran Sharbini. The coordination and implementation were managed by En Rahim Bin Hj Omar.
Also involved were Dr Shazwan Bin Mohamed Shaari and Abdul Wafi Razali from the Department of Quantity Surveying, and En Muhammad Fareez Bin Saidin from the Department of Architecture. Together, they guided the students to help the villagers in planning and developing innovation strategies for the use of raw materials in the village.
Besides infrastructure work, students also took part in social activities with the local youth. This included friendly futsal matches and other fun games for the pupils of Sekolah Kebangsaan Haji Bujang Rangawan.
The objectives of SULAM include improving student learning by linking theory with real-life practice, strengthening civic values, and encouraging teamwork between students, lecturers, and the local community. The programme also supports opportunities for NGOs and corporate bodies to contribute through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities.
With love, happiness and mutual respect as the core values, the SULAM programme successfully brought positive impact to both the community and the students involved.
