By Leong Z-Keen
In an effort to enliven the Ramadan atmosphere, Persatuan Bahasa dan Komunikasi (PERBAKOM) students and lecturers, on April 6, organised a distribution of bubur lambuk (savoury porridge) to University Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) students.
Both students and lecturers were spotted preparing and packing the bubur lambuk at the back of the Faculty of Language and Communication.
“We started prepping (April 5) by cutting the vegetables, buying rice and onions, and preparing the necessary utensils, but we only started making the porridge today (April 6) at 8am after bringing all of the equipment and raw ingredients over,” said Irfan Nasrullah Jafi, a member of PERBAKOM and one of the coordinators for the distribution of the bubur lambuk.
He said that 600 packages of bubur lambuk, made with beef and chicken, will be distributed to students in the lobby of the Faculty of Language and Communication with the assistance of Dr Ambigapathy Pandian, the Dean of the faculty.
“The distribution of bubur lambuk is a significant event done throughout the month of Ramadan because it is a way we help one another sustain during the holy month and this really benefits people from our sponsors to the students, especially the students because there are cases where they are unable to afford food and have less sustenance,” he said.
Irfan added that since this event involves so much participation from everyone, it also helps students, lecturers, and sponsors bond with one another.
“Apart from students from the Faculty of Language and Communication, we also welcome students from other faculties, as well as those who live off-campus, postgraduates, Master’s degree students, and even students who happen to pass by the faculty, as we want to serve porridge to everyone,” he said.
Dr Ambigapathy mentioned in his speech that the purpose of this event is to highlight the spirit of goodwill, togetherness, and sharing, which is why he encourages students to participate and share it with the public.
“We had an event like this last year, but it was only for staff members. In the future, I hope to do this type of initiative every year, with more projects centred on student engagement,” said Dr Ambigapathy.
Furthermore, Dr Vimala Govindaraju, the PERBAKOM advisor, said she was very happy with how hardworking and cooperative the students were in preparing for the event, from making the bubur lambuk to distributing the meals.
“We had to spend more than RM700 for the materials and supplies, which we got from PERBAKOM and some help from the faculty, but it was worth it because everyone had a meal to eat when they get back to their rooms or homes,” she said.
Dr Vimala hopes that they would be able to organise more events like this and invite the entire university to participate in the future with the permission from their professor and advice from other faculty members.
- This article was written by a student from the Strategic Communication Programme at the Faculty of Language and Communication, UNIMAS.
Nor Azmi Wahi
Year 2 Linguistics student, Faculty of Language and Communication
I am grateful to the faculty for organising this event so that everyone, including myself, can enjoy a meal with our friends.
Nurizatul Se-Aie
Year 2 English for Global Communication student, Faculty of Language and Communication
I’m overjoyed to be receiving some free food from the faculty because it means that the students who will be breaking fast later can save money by eating the food provided.
Leo James Sembilan
Year 1 Linguistics student, Faculty of Language and Communication
Receiving the bubur lambuk is a joy for me since I know that the faculty is doing this out of concern for the welfare of its students.
