KUCHING: Public and private higher-learning institutions are encouraged to hold community service programmes to serve as a platform for character-building among their students or undergraduates.
Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said these institutions could seek financial support from the government or elected representatives to organise such programmes.
“I truly feel that community service is very important for the development of our young leaders.
“I would never say no whenever a university or college writes in to me, (either) to the ministry or to me in my capacity as Asajaya assemblyman, when they want to send students for such programmes,” he said when officiating at the 14th Convocation of Technology College Sarawak (TCS) here yesterday.
Speaking from his own experience, he said he has received groups of students from Singapore, aged 15 to 17 years, for community service programmes in Asajaya where they stayed with foster families.
He pointed out that for these young Singaporeans, the programme exposed them to the realities of life and taught them to be more appreciative of others.
For Sarawakian institutions of higher learning, he said they can do similar programmes through collaboration with his ministry or any of the elected representatives.
“We can always provide the funds for you to hold programmes which involve going into the interior of Sarawak to engage with communities there. There are universities writing in to me seeking funds to send students to Kalimantan and interior parts of Java and other parts of Southeast Asia,” he added. -TheBorneoPost
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