GEORGE TOWN: Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) today forged a name in the Malaysia Book Of Records (MBOR) for scripting a scroll of Chinese calligraphy writing which stretched 2.68 kilometres.
The certificate of recognition was handed over by MBOR assistant marketing manager Jeska Seah to USM Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Student and Alumni Affairs Prof Dr Shaharum Shamsuddin in a ceremony at the Hamzah Sendut Library Foyer 1 in USM here.
More than 1,000 USM students from various races and ethnicities, including international students who are currently studying at USM, were involved in the writing of the calligraphy, besides being assisted by secondary school students around Penang and the general public.
Project director Choo Xuan Ping said the idea to produce calligraphy themed 'Prelude: Naga's Quill' was conceived half a year ago as a pre-event for the Chinese Language Association (PBT) Stage Performance Series to be held in June.
"The theme takes words from several languages to highlight the plurality and diversity of races in Malaysia as well as bringing together unity through cultural interaction among students.
"This process took three days from Monday and was completed on Wednesday, using 28 rolls of calligraphy paper on which each person had to write at least four idioms with good and positive meaning. In total, we were able to collect 3,000 idioms written on paper along 2.68 km," Choo said.
Choo added that the unpredictable weather was the main challenge when producing the project since they still had to attend lectures but successfully completed it within the set period.
Meanwhile, Shaharum, speaking at the ceremony, said the success underlined that the excellence of USM students was not limited to academics, but included being creative and innovative in co-curricular activities.
"The leadership skills and soft skills they have shown are also proof of their extraordinary ability to face challenges."It illustrates the country's cultural diversity to show the uniqueness and aspirations of students," he said. — BERNAMA