SUBANG JAYA: A group of students from Sekolah Menengah Seksyen 9, Shah Alam emerged as the winners of the Panasonic Kid Witness News award by delivering a powerful message about racism in a short video.
The video, which was played during the award ceremony here today, also caught the judges’ attention with its catchy title — ‘Nasi Lemak and Tosai’.
The group’s leader, Syed Ahmad Thani Tuan Hadi, said racism was an international issue that needed to be addressed, adding this had inspired him and his group to create a video.
“The two dishes symbolise two races and this is an international event, I want the world to recognise our food as well,” he told the New Straits Times after receiving the award.
Syed Ahmad, who is also an English teacher, added that racism can only be eradicated through proper education.
“That's why we created this video. We want people to know that education on racism can start from school," he said.
Meanwhile, the best video for the primary school category was awarded to Sekolah Kebangsaan Cheras Jaya with its video entitled ‘Holding On’.
The video is based on a true story of one of its group members, Aina Aqilah Saharuddin, who was bullied after returning from the United Kingdom.
“I was not able to converse in Bahasa Melayu and they made a joke about it and called me names. I also had a hard time making friends and this left me feeling depressed. I also contemplated suicide.
“I was lucky because my mother noticed a difference in my behaviour and brought me to a counsellor to talk about my issues,” said the 10-year-old pupil.
Aina said she hoped her story would create awareness on bullying and depression among schoolchildren.
Panasonic Malaysia recently organised a national awards ceremony for their Panasonic School Programs Panasonic Kid Witness News and Eco Picture Diary.
Both programs are aimed at equipping students with additional skills and to instill the importance of education among the younger generations.
Students aged between 10 and 17 submitted their short film videos anchored on the themes of ecology, communication and sports.
In the Eco Picture Diary competition, students aged between 10 and 16 submitted their picture diaries on the causes and effects of global warming, biodiversity, eco-technology and eco-lifestyles.
These initiatives were carried out in collaboration with the Education Ministry to ensure that children are not only eco-conscious but also eco-intelligent through experiential learning.
Panasonic Malaysia Human Resources and Administration associate director Gorbachan Singh said the awards are part of Panasonic’s devotion to the progress and development of the society.
“These initiatives also act as an extra-curricular activity for the schools with a focus on skills development, teamwork, creativity and responsibility to help preserve the environment,” he said.
Winners walk away with a trophy and goodies from Panasonic.