SMK Riam team wins this year’s Local Content competition
Initiative of Pustaka and Unimas to document and produce outcome of researches from competitions like this is appropriate and greatly needed for reference especially for the new generation. — Datuk Sebastian Ting, Piasau assemblyman
MIRI: Riam C – a team of four students from SMK Riam who researched and presented their findings on “Tikar Bemban” – the cultural aspects and its status has won this year’s Local Content competition.
The result of the three-month long competition organised by Pustaka Negeri Sarawak, Miri (Pustaka Miri) in collaboration with the Education Department, was announced on Thursday during the prize giving ceremony held at the auditorium of Pustaka Miri. Riam C’s team members are Harris Ding Denis, Emonnuel Jeng, Steve Glendy George and Nigel Dinis while their teacher-incharge Gilbert Lowrence won the Best Guidance Teacher’ award in the competition.
The champion team with its project entitled “Tikar – Satu Enigma” received cash prize of RM3,000, a trophy and certificates while Gilbert won RM500 cash.
The first runner-up and second runner-up – ‘Bentara Kenyalang’ from SM Sains and ‘Sapar Langit’ from SMK Pujut took home cash prize of RM2,000 and RM1,000 respectively. Seven consolation winners received cash prize of RM300 each.
Upai Semaring from SMK Lawas won the ‘Best Presentation’ award with cash prize of RM500 for their presentation on Lun Bawang traditional music.
Piasau assemblyman Datuk Sebastian Ting gave away the prizes to the winners.
Among those present were Pustaka Negeri Sarawak deputy CEO (Services) Arpah Adenan and Pustaka Miri’s regional manager Salina Zawawi who was Chief Judge for the competition.
Ting commended the organisers for their concerted efforts in continuing the competition which entered its 10th anniversary this year.
“Initiative of Pustaka and Unimas to document and produce outcome of researches from competitions like this is appropriate and greatly needed for reference especially for the new generation,” he said.
He added students’ involvement in the competition was priceless as it could further enhance their team work spirit and other positive values – memories they will treasure for life.
Thus he urged more schools to take part in future competitions.
Pustaka Negeri Sarawak CEO Rashidah Bolhassan in her text of speech read by Arpah said this year, twenty-eight teams from 14 secondary schools in Northern Sarawak took part in the competition.
“It was part of our efforts to document the local cultural heritage through the Sarawakiana series carried out together with professional researchers and universities; this year, we collaborated with the Education Department in organising the competition,” said Rashidah.
Among the competition’s main objective were to encourage students to learn the proper techniques of finding and gathering information in order to create complete and comprehensive project paper or report.
Participants were exposed to printed and non-printed information resources by participating in the Information Literacy Skills Programme. It assisted the participants in researching on local contents such as history, relics, indigenous communities, socio-economics and other topics.