The team members from Southern University College who won the Best Project Award in My Starfish’s Project for Happiness 2022.
Southern University College has won the Best Project Award in the Project for Happiness organised by My Starfish Foundation.
Its prize-winning project was one of 88 proposals from 32 higher education institutions in Malaysia.
The project was developed and designed by students from Southern University College’s Faculty of Art and Design, and Journalism and Communication Department.
This cross-departmental project was led by one lecturer each from the faculty and the department.
This project named “Hello Seletar!” focused on the group of people living by the sea at Sungai Temon who are known as Orang Seletar.
Students launched a physical book and an ebook recording the culture and life of the Orang Seletar.
The team members are aiming to promote public awareness and understanding of the culture of the Orang Seletar through this project. They hope the empathy cultivated will help the Orang Seletar to preserve their culture.
According to project leader Asciutto Jonathan, the Orang Seletar do not have their own writings, and can only pass on their culture by word of mouth from generation to generation.
Apart from that, the Orang Seletar usually are not highly educated, and rapid urbanisation is erasing their culture.
The Hello Seletar! magazine- style book and ebook encompassing all the research materials were published in mid-April.
The book and ebook were launched during a special ceremony at Southern University College.
There was also an exhibition on the Orang Seletar held at the same time.
According to the university, a total of 1,500 books will be disseminated to various local libraries, higher education institutions and cultural cafés.
Besides winning sponsorship from My Starfish Foundation to publish the material, the team also received funding from Southern University College and the public.
In addition, this project won the Think City: Downtown Johor Baru Grants under the cultural activities theme.
In conjunction with the win, there was a two-day special exhibition on the Orang Seletar and the screening of a documentary as well as a series of cultural activities in Jalan Tan Hiok Nee heritage street in Johor Baru.
This project not only helps to preserve the culture of the Orang Seletar but enables the students to pick up knowledge outside the classroom.
Check out the Hello Seletar! Facebook or Instagram for more information.
