Article contributed by Sarah Kambali, and photos by Darren Lai and Sarah Kambali, Members, Bar Council Safer Malaysia Committee
Upon Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Kuching, Sarawak (“UNIMAS”)’s invitation, the Bar Council Safer Malaysia Committee conducted a talk and workshop on 9 May 2015 at the Tutorial Room, UNIMAS.
Before the event, Khadijah Mohamad Tuah, Lecturer of the Faculty of Social Science, UNIMAS had conducted a survey pertaining to safety issues where the respondents were UNIMAS students. The results of the survey showed that theft was of the outmost concern for students on campus. As for students staying off-campus, it was the issue of robbery and theft.
The members of the Committee who facilitated the talk and workshop were Darren Lai, Sarah Kambali and Marcus Low. Similar to the workshop held at Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, the three committee members presented a brief historical background of the Safer Malaysia programme and its main objectives and aims. The participants were introduced to the three crime fighting elements — vigilance, deterrence and prevention.
After the talk, the workshop took place from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm. The participants were asked to discuss and present solutions to scenarios given. The groups produced videos to create safety awareness for the students. The committee members were told that the participants would be involved in a safety campaign, where the police have been asked to officiate, from 12 to 15 May 2015.
The talk and workshop ended with a presentation of souvenirs for the Committee and the speakers. The participants were invited to appoint representative to join in the Committee meeting, which will be held at the Bar Council Secretariat on 30 May 2015, as it would be a good exposure towards the participants’ efforts, especially on their videos.