Giant, one of Malaysia’s leading best value retailers, has donated RM100,000 in cash to help families in Klang and surrounding areas to aid the community for post-flood recovery.
KUALA LUMPUR: Giant, one of Malaysia’s leading best value retailers, has donated RM100,000 in cash to help families in Klang and surrounding areas to aid the community for post-flood recovery.
The contribution from Giant was handed over to MyKasih Foundation for immediate distribution to affected families through their MyKad.
Each family will receive RM100 to purchase food and essentials.
The floods have devastated a number of areas in Selangor, and the impacted areas are still recovering from it.
Even though the water levels have subsided, victims, especially the ones in Klang, are in urgent need of support in terms of food and healthcare essentials as they start to rebuild their lives.
Chief Executive Officer for DFI Retail Group Southeast Asia, Chris Bush said they were saddened by the damage the recent flood caused to the community, and their hearts go out to everyone whose loved ones, homes and livelihoods have been impacted.
“We hope that this contribution will be able to aid those affected with the means to quickly purchase the essentials needed.”
Bush said they would also like to take the opportunity to thank our Giant team members who have gone above and beyond in looking after our customers when the floods hit.
This flood has also significantly impacted a number of our Giant team members and we will be providing assistance to them and their families through financial aid, temporary accommodation and food and health essentials, he said.
“Our team members are the heart of our business, and we remain committed to supporting
them with what they need.
“These are challenging times, but we will continue, as we always have, to serve our community and team members as best as we can.”
KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama) — “‘Eng Hok’ (i like) empowerNCER Academic @ Perak programme. The teachers are Orang Asli and this has made the learning process easier for me and my friends,” said a Year 5 pupil from Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Batu 7 at Batang Padang, Perak, Nazira a/p Noli.
Nazira is among 900 Orang Asli pupils from the state’s remote areas selected to participate in the empowerNCER Academic @ Perak programme to improve their academic and personal development skills, following the closure of schools due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The NCER Academic @ Perak (Orang Asli) programme is a human capital development initiative under the Northern Corridor Implementation Authority (NCIA) in collaboration with Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) and the Department of Orang Asli Development (JAKOA).
Some of the participants of empowerNCER Academic @ Perak programme who also benefitted from empowerNCER MyKasih programme.
The programme is designed to enhance the academic achievement and school attendance among Orang Asli pupils as they move to next phase of Year 6 and secondary level through effective learning modules prepared by UPSI lecturers and education specialists, with emphasis on the acquisition of reading, writing and arithmetic skills (3M).
COLLABORATION WITH MYKASIH
At the same time, NCIA is working jointly with MyKasih Foundation (MyKasih) to provide Orang Asli students in remote rural areas access to the latest learning aids and facilities, as well as food assistance.
The programme complements the academic training which focuses on the health and personal development aspects. Participants are from Year 5 and Year 6 from SK Pos Kemar in Hulu Perak; SK Batu 14 and SK Batu 7 in Batang Padang; as well as SK Pos Legap and SK Pos Perwor in Kuala Kangsar, mainly from various Orang Asli ethnic groups such as Murut, Semai and Temiar.
Norfazlyna a/p Shaari with some of the Orang Asli pupils during the teaching and learning process at the empowerNCER Academic @ Perak programme.
Fully funded by MyKasih Foundation, the programme is divided into four main components, namely, cashless food aid for students; 21st Century Classroom for further improvements in 3M; Robotic Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Learning to create awareness in STEM and other learning applications; and Aquaponic Garden initiative to encourage students to sell their own products.
The programme has shown positive impact in improving the school attendance of participating students and has spurred their interest in STEM.
EDUCATION KEY TO POVERTY ERADICATION
NCIA Chief Executive Datuk Seri Jebasingam Issace John said education is key to lifting the poor out of poverty, noting that NCIA’s partnership with MyKasih through the programme was geared towards assisting the Orang Asli community.
He said before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, UPSI teachers were mobilised to Orang Asli settlements to conduct learning activities related to 3M skills.
“However, as a result of school closures and the measures taken to stem the spread of the coronavirus, UPSI has appointed 31 Orang Asli facilitators to conduct teaching and learning programmes in their villages.
“These facilitators are Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) leavers who are equipped with teaching modules from UPSI. Lessons continued despite the pandemic to ensure they could enjoy better life in future.
Some of the participants of Virtual National Robotics Competition 2021.
A facilitator, Norfazlyna a/p Shaari, who was proud to contribute towards Orang Asli, said the programme provided her with a wealth of experience to realise her ambition of becoming a teacher.
Meanwhile, Jebasingam said UPSI is also collaborating with participating school canteen operators to provide food and drinks for students and facilitators.
“Previously, student beneficiaries were given monthly cashless bursaries worth RM60 via their MyKad-linked student smartcard to buy food and drinks at the school canteen.
“As schools were closed during the Movement Control Order (MCO), the monthly allocations via the smartcard were used by UPSI for food arrangements with the school canteen for students and facilitators.
“We fully optimised the facilities provided by MyKasih. In addition to providing food for students, MyKasih also contributed food baskets for Orang Asli children in the five participating schools,” he said, adding that each food basket worth RM150 comprising basic items such as rice, flour, sugar, etc, were distributed to 1,600 students to ease the burden of their families during the pandemic.
LAPTOPS FOR STUDENTS
According to Jebasingam, nearly 400 laptops, projectors and printers were delivered last year to 19 Orang Asli schools and were placed at the respective schools’ computer laboratories.
MyKasih Foundation (MyKasih) also contributed food baskets to Orang Asli children.
“With the new laptops, it is hoped that Orang Asli children will be drawn to tap on the boundless learning opportunities available to them. This is also one approach to encourage them to attend school, which allows them to utilise the latest digital technologies in the globalisation era,” he said.
Due to the implementation of the MCO and school closures, MyKasih has allowed UPSI-appointed facilitators to utilise the facilities for the teaching and learning process in their villages.
“With these facilities, we hope to stimulate the students’ learning interest to ensure they are not left out of the national transformation programme, in line with the Malaysian Family concept and the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP),” he said.
The government has assured that no ethnic group would be left out in Malaysia’s goal of achieving a high-income economy, he added.
MyKasih, among others, provides teaching and learning materials to prepare students for the Virtual National Robotics Competition 2021 which was held for a week from Sept 24.
“A total of 74 students took part in the competition under the empowerNCER MyKasih programme including 10 Orang Asli children from five schools. This allows them to gain new experience as well as to spur their interest in robotics,” he said.
MyKasih Foundation (MyKasih) also contributed food baskets to Orang Asli children.
Meanwhile, in the same competition, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Langkawi which was also involved in the empowerNCER MyKasih programme, was selected for the Robot Virtual Games (RVG) World Championship 2021 next month.
Jebasingam said the synergy between MyKasih, NCIA, UPSI and JAKOA is vital in assisting the underprivileged students receive quality education and to provide a better life for their families.
“It is our hope that other organisations especially the private sector would take part in similar programmes to boost student participation in the future. This is in line with the 12MP’s aspirations of eradicating poverty and developing inclusive communities, including the Orang Asli community,” he said.
KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama) — “Eng hok (saya suka) program empowerNCER Akademik @ Perak. Cikgu yang mengajar adalah Orang Asli dan ini amat membantu memudahkan proses pembelajaran saya dan rakan-rakan,” kongsi Nazira a/p Noli, murid tahun lima di Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Batu 7, Batang Padang, Perak.
Nazira merupakan antara 900 murid Orang Asli yang terpilih untuk mengikuti program empowerNCER Akademik @ Perak bagi tujuan pembangunan akademik dan modal insan kaum itu di sekitar pedalaman negeri tersebut, susulan penutupan sekolah akibat pandemik COVID-19.
Program empowerNCER Akademik @ Perak (Orang Asli) merupakan program pembangunan insan di bawah Pihak Berkuasa Pelaksanaan Koridor Utara (NCIA), dengan kerjasama Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) serta Jabatan Kemajuan Orang Asli (JAKOA).
Antara peserta Program empowerNCER Akademik @ Perak yang juga menerima manfaat Program empowerNCER MyKasih.
Program bertujuan meningkatkan pencapaian akademik dan peratusan kehadiran murid Orang Asli di sekolah, terutama dalam fasa peralihan ke tahun enam dan sekolah menengah, menerusi kaedah pengajaran tambahan berkesan berdasarkan modul yang disediakan pensyarah dan pakar pendidikan daripada UPSI, merangkumi asas pembelajaran ‘membaca, menulis dan mengira’ (3M).
KOLABORASI DENGAN MYKASIH
Pada masa sama, NCIA turut berkolaborasi dengan Yayasan MyKasih (MyKasih) bagi program empowerNCER MyKasih yang bertujuan memberi akses kemudahan danfasiliti termasuk bantuan makanan kepada murid Orang Asli di kawasan pedalaman.
Program pelengkap kepada latihan akademik yang memberi fokus kepada kesihatan dan pembangunan sahsiah itu melibatkan murid tahun lima dan enam daripada SK Pos Kemar di Hulu Perak; SK Batu 14 dan SK Batu 7 di Batang Padang; serta SK Pos Legap dan SK Pos Perwor di Kuala Kangsar, merangkumi pelbagai latar belakang suku Orang Asli, antaranya Murut, Semai dan Temiar.
Norfazlyna a/p Shaari bersama sebahagian murid Orang Asli sewaktu proses pengajaran dan pembelajaran pada program empowerNCER Akademik @ Perak.
Dengan peruntukan sepenuhnya oleh Yayasan MyKasih, program itu mempunyai empat komponen utama, iaitu pemberian bantuan makanan tanpa melibatkan penggunaan wang tunai kepada murid; Pembelajaran Abad ke-21 untuk menambah baik pembelajaran 3M; program Robotic Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Learning yang memberi kesedaran tentang STEM dan aplikasi pembelajaran; serta Laman Akuaponik yang bertujuan mendedahkan murid kepada bidang keusahawanan melalui penjualan hasil tuaian tanaman.
Program itu menunjukkan impak positif dari segi peningkatan kehadiran murid di sekolah serta minat mereka terhadap STEM.
PENDIDIKAN KUNCI UTAMA
Menyifatkan pendidikan adalah kunci utama dan jalan keluar daripada belenggu kemiskinan, Ketua Eksekutif NCIA Datuk Seri Jebasingam Issace John berkata kerjasama NCIA dengan MyKasih melalui program itu bertujuan membantu komuniti Orang Asli.
Menurut beliau, sebelum negara dilanda pandemik COVID-19, tenaga pengajar daripada UPSI telah digerakkan ke perkampungan Orang Asli bagi mengadakan aktiviti pembelajaran berkaitan kemahiran 3M.
“Berikutan penutupan sekolah dan langkah pencegahan untuk mengurangkan penularan wabak, UPSI telah melantik 31 fasilitator daripada komuniti Orang Asli bagi mengendalikan proses pembelajaran dan pengajaran di perkampungan mereka.
“Fasilitator ini terdiri daripada pelajar lepasan Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) dan mereka dibekalkan modul pengajaran daripada UPSI. Proses pembelajaran tidak terhenti berikutan penularan wabak, tetapi tetap diteruskan bagi menjamin masa depan mereka,” katanya.
Antara peserta Pertandingan Robotik Kebangsaan Maya 2021.
Seorang fasilitator, Norfazlyna a/p Shaari yang berbangga dapat menyumbang bakti kepada Orang Asli, berkata program itu memberi pengalaman luas kepadanya dalam mengejar cita-cita menjadi guru.
Jebasingam dalam pada itu berkata UPSI turut bekerjasama dengan pihak kantin sekolah yang terlibat bagi menyediakan makanan dan minuman kepada murid dan fasilitator.
“Sebelum ini, murid yang layak diberikan elaun bulanan RM60 melalui kad pintar MyKasih bagi membolehkan mereka membeli makanan tanpa tunai di kantin sekolah.
“Memandangkan penutupan sekolah berikutan pelaksanaan Perintah Kawalan Pergerakan (PKP), peruntukan bulanan daripada kad pintar itu digunakan oleh pihak UPSI untuk berurusan dengan kantin sekolah bagi menyediakan makanan kepada murid-murid dan fasilitator.
“Kami mengoptimumkan sepenuhnya kemudahan yang diberikan oleh pihak MyKasih. Bukan hanya menyediakan makanan kepada murid yang terlibat, tetapi MyKasih juga menyediakan bakul makanan kepada semua murid Orang Asli di lima buah sekolah berkenaan,” katanya, menambah setiap bakul makanan bernilai RM150 itu yang mengandungi barang kering seperti beras, tepung, gula dan sebagainya, telah diedarkan kepada 1,600 murid bagi meringankan beban keluarga mereka ketika pandemik.
SUMBANG KOMPUTER RIBA
Sementara itu, Jebasingam berkata pada tahun lepas, hampir 400 unit komputer riba, projektor dan pencetak disumbangkan kepada 19 buah sekolah Orang Asli, yang ditempatkan di makmal komputer sekolah berkenaan.
Yayasan MyKasih (MyKasih) juga menyediakan bakul makanan kepada semua murid Orang Asli terlibat.
“Sumbangan komputer riba baharu itu diharap dapat memupuk minat murid Orang Asli untuk meneroka dunia pembelajaran yang lebih luas. Ini juga merupakan satu kaedah untuk menarik minat mereka hadir di sekolah kerana berpeluang belajar menggunakan teknologi digital dalam era globalisasi yang semakin canggih ini.
“Disebabkan pelaksanaan PKP dan penutupan sekolah, pihak MyKasih telah membenarkan fasilitator yang dilantik oleh UPSI menggunakan kemudahan itu bagi proses pengajaran dan pembelajaran di kampung mereka.
“Menerusi kemudahan komputer riba di kampung (Orang Asli), kita harap dapat menarik minat mereka untuk terus belajar bagi memastikan mereka tidak tersisih daripada program transformasi negara, selaras dengan konsep Keluarga Malaysia dalam Rancangan Malaysia ke-12 (RMK12), yang bertujuan memastikan tidak ada kaum atau etnik ketinggalan dalam usaha menjadikan Malaysia negara berpendapatan tinggi,” katanya.
MyKasih turut menyediakan bahan pengajaran dan alat bantuan dalam mempersiap murid mengikuti Pertandingan Robotik Kebangsaan Maya 2021 yang bermula pada 24 Sept lepas selama tujuh hari.
Yayasan MyKasih (MyKasih) juga menyediakan bakul makanan kepada semua murid Orang Asli terlibat.
“Seramai 74 murid di bawah program empowerNCER MyKasih, termasuk 10 murid Orang Asli daripada lima buah sekolah, terlibat dalam pertandingan itu. Ini dapat memberi pendedahan dan pengalaman baharu di samping memupuk serta menanam minat mereka dalam bidang robotik,” katanya.
Menerusi pertandingan itu, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Langkawi yang juga antara sekolah yang terlibat dalam program empowerNCER MyKasih, terpilih ke Kejohanan Dunia Permainan Robot Maya 2021 yang akan berlangsung pada November ini.
Jebasingam berkata sinergi antara MyKasih, NCIA, UPSI dan JAKOA penting bagi membantu murid yang kurang bernasib baik mendapat pendidikan berkualiti dan membina kehidupan yang lebih baik buat keluarga mereka.
“Sehubungan itu, adalah menjadi harapan kami agar organisasi lain, terutama sektor swasta, dapat turut serta dalam program seumpama ini, supaya lebih ramai murid dapat terlibat pada masa akan datang bagi menyokong aspirasi RMK12 untuk menangani kemiskinan dan membangunkan masyarakat yang inklusif termasuk pembangunan Orang Asli,” katanya.
