BANTING: For 19 higher learning institution students who participated in the Students Volunteer Foundation (YSS) three-day programme at Kampung Orang Asli Bukit Tadom here, voluntary service is a way to mould one“s character and create a caring society.

It was quite an experience for first-timer Yew Ching Ryu, 23, as mingling with the orang asli community made him realise the need to restore civic consciousness which is slowly diminishing among young people today.

“Within three days, I was moved by their way of life, culture and customs. “The mutual respect, cooperation and understanding between them were strongly evident and we should emulate these values,” he said.

For Nur Hidayah Zulkifli, 22, a student from Institut Perguruan Islam Bangi, more community outreach programmes involving students should be organised as the experience could create awareness and understanding among people of various communities.

“From the programme, we realised many orang asli children had dropped out of school and we took the opportunity to highlight the importance of education to the parents,” she said.

Dengkil assemblyman Shahrum Mohd Sharif when met at the closing ceremony today, said the student volunteers were a source of inspiration to the orang asli children. -– BERNAMA