KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 17 — Lorenica Frenila Masundim, a teacher of Rungus descent from Sabah, is making waves on social media with her passion for promoting the Jawi script, which she sees as part of Malaysia’s shared heritage.
In a Facebook video that went viral, Lorenica showcased her impressive writing skills by neatly penning the proverb “Bagai Aur Dengan Tebing” in Jawi.
This heartfelt display has stirred up nostalgic feelings among social media users for the 1970s, a time when Jawi symbolised racial unity in Malaysia.
The 34-year-old teaches Jawi as part of her Malay language curriculum at Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Bawang K9 in Beluran.
“Since 2020, Jawi has been included in the Year Four Malay syllabus and continues through to Year Six, enriching students’ understanding of arts, heritage, and Malay history,” she was quoted as saying by national daily Harian Metro.
Recognising the lack of Jawi proverbs in Malay textbooks, she said she decided to create a keepsake video on October 10.
“After my students finished their assignments, I recorded several videos of their work as part of my routine before sharing them on Facebook,” she said.
The enthusiastic response to her post took Lorenica by surprise, garnering positive feedback, including admiration from former education minister Maszlee Malik.
“Many people were reminiscing about the 70s and 80s, longing for the racial understanding and unity we had back then,” she said to Harian Metro, reflecting on the comments.
Lorenica also stressed the need to reshape the perception that Jawi is solely an Islamic script.
“Jawi is a classical writing system for the Malay language, just like other scripts around the world,” she added.
With a hopeful outlook, she encourages everyone to embrace Jawi’s place in the education system.
“Teaching and learning Jawi has nothing to do with Islamisation. It belongs to all of us. If we want a more peaceful future, we must embrace the cultures of our fellow Malaysians,” she said.
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