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t 17, they do not feel embarrassed to share a classroom with much younger children as they understand how vital education is to their future.
Mostly children of Indonesian plantation workers living deep in the interior of Sabah, these youngsters are making full use of the educational opportunities provided by their parents’ employer, Sabah Softwoods Bhd (SSB), through the Community Learning Centre (CLC).
So far, SSB has opened six CLCs in Tawau, providing education based on the Indonesian syllabus.
If the students do well, they will have the opportunity to continue their secondary education in their home country and, eventually, be able to improve their family’s livelihood.
In August, a group of 20 students from Universiti Putra Malaysia’s (UPM) Serdang and Sarawak campuses spent a week of their semester break at a CLC in Kalum, Tawau, to help the children with their academic studies as well as guide them in other activities such as art, agriculture and community projects.
The undergraduates were there as part of an outreach activity organised under the Jiwa Putra programme, an initiative introduced by UPM in 2024 to foster volunteerism and social responsibility among its students through community activities aimed at strengthening their relationship with local communities.
Their short stint at CLC Kalum was made possible via a collaboration among UPM, SSB and the Indonesian Consulate in Tawau, with this particular project focusing on fostering empathy, unity and the values of independence through community service.
CLC Kalum has 178 students aged between seven and 17, and a teaching staff of 20 who are trained to teach the Indonesian syllabus.
BEYOND TEXTBOOKS
Denie Afiq Huzamy Husni Sawal, 22, one of the undergraduates who participated in the CLC Kalum project, said he was asked to teach science and mathematics.
“However, I did not get to spend much time in the classroom; instead, I taught them through practical means,” the second-year agriculture student at UPM Serdang told Bernama via Google Meet recently.
For the children at CLC Kalum, the existence of this school is a beacon of hope amidst isolation.
“For example, when I taught them about photosynthesis, I directly related it to the plants they were growing. When it came to mathematics, I used calculating plantation yields as examples. That way, they saw knowledge as useful, not just theoretical.”
According to Denie Afiq, the main challenge in teaching the children was language, but he overcame it by using visual aids and speaking more slowly.
“If they still did not understand, I sought help from Pak Agil,” he said, referring to Agil Ridho Bima Anggara, who oversees SSB’s CLCs and is also headmaster of CLC Kalum.
Denie Afiq said he also carried out gardening activities to spark the children’s interest in learning new knowledge.
He showed them new farming methods, including tilling the land without using a hoe and producing compost, so that they could see how modern techniques can be put into practice, given that agriculture is closely connected to their lives.
“They were very eager to learn. Even though school hours are only from 7 am to 11.30 am, they often approached us during breaks or after class to ask questions or simply to chat.
“We also taught them other things, such as producing motivational videos and Peninsular dialects, to help them feel included,” he added.
PLANTING SEEDS OF UNITY
Another participant Nur Airin Nerina Muzaffah saw the opportunity to engage with the children of the Indonesian plantation workers as a chance to deepen her understanding of their culture, while fostering kinship among people who share the same heritage.
This second-year chemistry student at UPM Serdang, who is from Sabah, shared her knowledge of arts and culture with the children, strengthening bonds between the younger generations of the two neighbouring countries.
One of her most meaningful experiences was teaching the children to perform traditional dances.
“At first, many were shy, but after some encouragement, they eventually performed with full confidence,” she told Bernama.
Nur Airin Nerina said she was touched by the children’s warmth in welcoming the Jiwa Putra participants.
“I was deeply moved. They were very friendly and respectful toward their teachers. One of the most memorable moments was when they offered us food they had cooked themselves or taught us the Indonesian language.
“That was when I learned that unity does not come from slogans alone, but from heartfelt encounters and mutual respect,” she said, adding that among the traditional foods she managed to taste in Kalum was pantolan (meatballs), one of the favourite dishes of the children at CLC Kalum.
MURAL
During their week-long stay, the UPM students, together with the children, also completed a three-metre-high mural on one of the walls of the building housing the learning centre.
The mural features various local iconic images such as the SSB headquarters building, Yayasan Sabah Tower, Mount Kinabalu and the CLC Kalum logo. At the centre of the mural is a Malaysia-Indonesia map united with flags, batik patterns and traditional characters.
Mural painted jointly by UPM students and students at CLC Kalum.
“The ‘Malaysia MADANI’ slogan and the phrase ‘Bhinneka Tunggal Ika’ (an old Javanese expression meaning ‘unity in diversity’) are clearly displayed too,” said Denie Afiq.
“Here I learned that independence is not just about celebration but about how we liberate others through knowledge, compassion and opportunity.”
For the children at CLC Kalum, the presence of their UPM “brothers and sisters” inspired them to continue their education. They said they were taught “many things” and that they are now motivated to keep studying.
Clearly happy to experience learning like their peers elsewhere, these children also see the CLC as a place to strengthen friendships among themselves while their parents are busy working in the nearby plantations.
“If this school didn’t exist, it would be difficult for us to study,” a 12-year-old student, who identified herself as Nurul, said.
EDUCATION AS SOCIAL INVESTMENT
Commenting on the CLCs, SSB chief executive officer Datuk Mohd Daud Tampokong said education is a long-term investment that benefits not only the children of workers but also the future of both Indonesia and Malaysia.
The company has established six CLCs so far, located in Kalum, Kapilit, Kumansi, Mawang, Bukit Tukok and Banita in Tawau. Currently, the centres have a total enrolment of 621.
Datuk Mohd Daud Tampokong stressed that the education of students at CLC is a long-term investment for SSB.
So far, SSB has spent RM5.4 million on the development and operation of all six CLCs.
“The learning centres were first set up about 15 years ago. Three of them have been operating for a long time, while the other three are new and only started operating recently,” Mohd Daud said, adding the CLCs were established in collaboration with the Indonesian Consulate in Tawau.
Meanwhile, UPM Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Student Affairs and Alumni Prof Dr Arifin Abdu said through the CLC Kalum project, the undergraduates were exposed to community activities. The project, he added, is part of the university’s efforts to produce graduates who are not only academically good but also people-oriented and ready to become agents of change.
He said the university’s Jiwa Putra programme was introduced in 2024 to provide students with the opportunity to be involved in various community activities across the country.
“Besides (the recent) CLC Kalum (project), our students had also previously taken part in flood relief missions and assisted fire victims, among other activities (under the Jiwa Putra programme),” he said.
On UPM’s continued engagement with SSB CLC under its Jiwa Putra programme, Arifin said the university will collaborate with SSB and the Indonesian Consulate to hold similar initiatives at each CLC in Tawau on a rotational basis.
Prof Dr Arifin Abdu shared the sustenance with the children of farm workers at CLC Kalum.
“This time it was in Kalum, next it will be at another CLC because we want our students to understand the realities of communities living in the interior,” he told Bernama.
He added that since its inception, the Jiwa Putra programme has received encouraging response from both UPM students and the local communities it supports.
“With this, we hope Jiwa Putra can continue as a long-term programme that leaves a lasting impact on our students and the local community,” he added.
