6,000 student volunteers draw 400 mural projects

TAWAU: About 6,000 students volunteers made their own history when they completed 400 mural projects for the 2017 World Volunteers' Day.
The project, mooted by Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh, targets 500 murals by this Dec 31.
Chairman of the Malaysian Public Universities Council of Volunteers (Maskum) Prof Datuk Mohamed Fadzil Che Din said the 400 murals were drawn within two weeks at schools, health centres, public transport and houses or worship.
"This noble project, among others, reflect to the outside world that Malaysia also places volunteerism among the country's important agenda.
"We expect to complete more than 500 murals, involving about 10,000 students," he said, adding that there were 100,000 registered student volunteers in the country.

He told this to reporters after the opening of the 2017 World Volunteers' Day Mural project by Deputy Higher Education Minister, Datuk Mary Yap Kain Ching.
Meanwhile, Mary Yap said it was the ministry's hope that the university students made volunteerism a culture being that it served as a platform to help develop holistic graduates with the characteristics of entrepreneurs, ability to communicate effectively and love for the country.
She said in support of the efforts to culturise volunteerism among students, the ministry had introduced the Gap Year programme, which among others, allowed students to take leave from their study for between six months and one year to concentrate on their voluntary work. — Bernama