By: Noor Eszereen Juferi
Photo by: Mohammad Izrul Abdul Jabar
SERDANG, Dec 31 - A total of 80 students from Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) have volunteered for the Northeast Monsoon Flood Relief Mission 2022 to assist flood victims at Tumpat, Kelantan and Besut, Terengganu.
The student volunteers were from the Reserve Officer Training Unit (PALAPES), Student Police Volunteer Corps (SUKSIS) and Soft Skills and Humanity Development Club (INSAN), UPM.
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) Vice-Chancellor, YBhg. Dato' Prof. Dr. Mohd Roslan Sulaiman and the Director of the Centre for Co-Curriculum and Student Development, UPM, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Omrah Hassan @ Hussin witnessed the volunteers' departure to the affected areas.
Dato' Prof. Dr. Mohd Roslan said the programme was one of the many initiatives taken by UPM to create awareness and provide experience to students on the importance of volunteering and, ultimately, shaping a superior student identity.
"I hope UPM students will take this opportunity as a motivation to serve the community, and I also thank them for their efforts in making this programme a success," he said.
Nurul Amrah Najwa Azlan, a Bachelor of Environmental Science and Technology student from the Faculty of Forestry and Environment (FPAS), UPM, said this was her first experience taking part in a volunteering programme.
"I am interested in volunteering activities, and when I was presented with this opportunity, I felt excited, and I hope that my efforts can, to some extent, help the process of cleaning the houses of flood victims," she said.
Meanwhile, Amirul Amin Amran, a Physics major student currently doing his Bachelor of Science with Education (Hons) from the Faculty of Science, UPM, said volunteering was a beneficial activity that hones soft skills which can be meaningfully put into practice later in the future.
"Joining this activity is a good practice of instilling values in me, and I hope UPM students will be more involved in this type of programme as it can widen and sharpen our minds to see the world beyond the classroom," he said.
Meanwhile, the first round of the UPM Flood Relief Mission to Bachok, Kelantan, was held on December 23, 2022, with 40 UPM SISPA Corps student volunteers – UPM.
