KUALA LUMPUR: Safe Kids Malaysia Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) bagged the prestigious Prince Michael International Road Safety Award 2017 in London today.
UPM's Safe Kids Malaysia won the award for its flagship programme on the Motorcycle Child Helmet Initiative carried out among primary school children in Selangor.
Safe Kids Malaysia UPM Associate Prof Dr Kulanthayan KC Mani said it was an honour to receive the prestigious award from Prince Michael of Kent, himself.
"We are not only honoured but view the award as a recognition for Safe Kids Malaysia which has been going all out in advocating and creating road safety awareness for children," he told the New Straits Times after the award ceremony from London.
He said Safe Kids Malaysia UPM, as a member of Safe Kids Worldwide USA and Global Alliance of NGOs on Road Safety on the global stage and locally, as well as being a member of the National Road Safety Council of Malaysia (MKJR), has been working on child road safety issues since its inception in 2011.
Kulanthayan said that in 2016, it adopted a focused approach to champion the Motorcycle Child Helmet Initiative, especially in Selangor.
"This focused initiative, with the full support from both local and international partners, was able to yield good results in increasing motorcycle child helmet usage in a year among children from 3.6 per cent to 35.5 per cent after the intervention as well as an increase in adult rider motorcycle helmet usage from 75.6 per cent to 87.3 per cent," he said.
Accompanying him at the award ceremony was UPM Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences dean, Datuk Dr Abdul Jalil Nordin.
Kulanthayan said he received a letter from the organiser in Oct informing him that His Royal Highness Prince Michael of Kent had approved the recommendation of the judging panel that Safe Kids Malaysia should be awarded for its initiatives in increasing helmet usage.
He said the Prince Michael International Road Safety Awards are normally presented to companies or organisations in recognition of their outstanding contribution to improving road safety.The Prince established his awards scheme in 1987 in the UK.
The annual awards luncheon ceremony held at the Savoy Hotel, London, was also attended by about 300 guests including road safety experts and a number of international road safety professionals.
Also present at the event was the Malaysian High Commission Education Attache A.P. Dr Zainol Abidin Sanusi and UK's Minister for Roads and Transport Jesse Norman MP.
Among those who extended their appreciation amd well-wishes for the international recognition were Road Safety Department director-general Datuk Rosli Isa and UPM Vice-Chancellor Prof Datin Paduka Datuk Dr Aini Ideris.