By: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Siti Suriawati Isa
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KEDAH – The Volunteerism Development course, Co-curriculum and Student Development Centre (CSDC), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), has organised the ‘Hulurkan Tangan’ programme: Flourishment of Pulau Songsong & Kampung Desa KEDA Badong, Singkir, Kedah. This programme, which lasted for six days and five nights, was participated by 50 students, including international students, two from China and one from Bangladesh. They were guided and monitored by three CSDC staff throughout the programme.
This programme is a sequel to the programme with the community in Yan, Kedah, included in the Jerai Geopark project, which was declared the National Geopark by the Sultan of Kedah, Sultan Sallehuddin Sultan Badlishah, in 2018.
Songsong Island was chosen for this programme due to its uniqueness, rich in marine life and lush island forest, and its exclusive geographical conditions unavailable elsewhere.
The presence of diverse marine life makes the island a paradise for anglers and scuba divers. The island also holds the history of the establishment of modern Kedah, which is unknown to the outside community.
To date, the traces of historical relics still can be found on the island and are well taken care of by the fishing community who uses the island as a shelter from the stormy sea.
Nevertheless, the islands of Songsong, comprised of Bunting Island, Songsong Island, Telur Island and Bidan Island, need to be conserved from any damage, especially from activities that might disrupt the ecosystem and the nature of the islands.
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A sustainable development concept needs to be fully instilled to avoid severe damage to the islands, as these four islands are valuable assets to the country.
Various activities were conducted by UPM students, including cleaning and beautifying activities in Songsong Island, Yan. The students also conducted activities that promote island conservation.
One of the activities conducted was building a resting spot in the middle of the sea for divers and swimmers to rest from their tiring sea activities. The spot was built by utilising reused plastic bottles inserted into a large net with a UPM logo.
Other activities held on the island included painting the surau and cleaning up tree branches, garbage and plastic bottles.
The participants from UPM also received cooperation from local agencies, such as Yan Fire Station, Koperasi Desa KEDA Sg. Udang Yan Berhad and Department of Fisheries Malaysia, Kuala Muda, during the activities on the island. This helped the participants improve their soft skills in communicating and interacting with various local agencies.
The rapport built between all the agencies and UPM students will further strengthen the UPM’s industrial network with the agencies and communities outside the campus.
Meanwhile, the students were also involved in a community programme with the residents of Kg. Desa KEDA Badong, Singkir, Kedah, which is located next to the district of Yan. A total of 42 adoptive families participated in this programme and received sponsorship from Sakan Wholesale Market, Kuala Kangsar, Perak, Centre for Management of Zakat, Waqf and Endowment (WAZAN) UPM and Sahabat Masjid UPM.
Among the activities carried out with the community included the fostering programme, online briefings on fraud awareness for the villagers, martial art, drumming classes for UPM students, lunch and dinner preparation, and cultural night on the closing night.
The students did not only serve the community with their energy and knowledge, but the community also imparted valuable knowledge to the students.
The programme not only allowed knowledge transfer among its participants but also encouraged cross-cultural exchange between all participants from different backgrounds. – UPM
