How much are we polluting the ocean with plastics? What kinds of plastics are we polluting our ocean with? Are we collaborating enough to work out a global solution to plastic pollution? In order to address these questions, an environmental education and public awareness programme, the first for the year, was successfully carried out on January 10th, 2019 (Thursday) between UMS (via the EcoCampus Management Centre) and Hokkaido Sapporo Keisei High School (a designated Super Science High School) at UMS. 

The programme commenced with a morning session of microplastic sampling at ODEC, UMS Beach. A total of 8 students from Japan, 8 students from SM All Saints KK, and 6 students from UMS joined hands to sample for microplastics from the beach at ODEC using the quadrat sampling method.

The sampled sand was later sorted for any plastic debris smaller than 5mm, which was classified as microplastics. Sorting included visual separation, floating, and burning. The data was eventually tabulated and compared with results gathered from Japan (Itanki-hama & Dream Beach) and Australia (Sunshine Coast).

A highlight of the programme was the ‘Sustainability Pledge Signing’ Session between UMS and Hokkaido Sapporo Keisei High School cordially led by Prof. Dr. Ismail Ali, UMS Deputy Vice Chancellor (Student Affairs & Alumni) representing UMS Vice-Chancellor and Mr. Hiroshi Nakahara from Hokkaido Sapporo Keisei High School. The pledge highlighted our joint commitments towards building a sustainable future for everyone for now and the future in tandem to the aspirations of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030 (UNSDGs 2030).

Subsequently, all invited guests and students also signed the pledge. The framed pledge was to be kept at UMS and Hokkaido Sapporo Keisei High School each for continuous reminder and motivation. The pledge signing session was carried out at the Seminar Room, Borneo Marine Research Institute.

During the session, Hokkaido Sapporo Keisei High School contributed kind sponsorship to 3 youth-based environmental sustainability NGOs too, namely Little Feet Initiative (LiFe), Seagrass Guardians, and UMS FEE Committee under the EcoCampus Management Centre.

These youth-based NGOs are actually established by UMS alumni/students, further showcasing the extension of UMS EcoCampus Agenda beyond campus life and proving that UMS alumni/students are able to make impactful changes to the society and world.

The programme presentations that followed was started by a talk on EcoCampus Agenda at UMS by Mr. Kueh Boon Hee, Deputy Director, UMS EcoCampus Management Centre, inclusive of brief talks from Little Feet Initiative (Mr. Elyas Eric Huil), Seagrass Guardians (Mr. Michael Yap) and UMS FEE Committee (Ms. Ivy Wong). Next was a talk on the microplastic survey by students from Hokkaido Sapporo Keisei High School.

Present during the programme were also Prof. Dr. How Siew Eng, Director, EcoCampus Management Centre, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ejria Saleh, Deputy Director (Academic and International), Borneo Marine Research Institute, Dr. Jakaria Dasan, Deputy Director (Corporate Communication), Centre for Strategic Management and Corporate Communication, and Dr. Nobuyuki Tsuji and Mr. Toshimi Oshima from the Hokkaido Sapporo Keisei High School.

MONDAY, 31 DECEMBER - According to the Ethnologue, 7,097 languages are spoken in the world today, but that number is always in flux depending on the survival of each language as “roughly a third of the languages are endangered”. 2018 has been a great year for languages and linguistics for RULLS specifically and for UMS in general. Since starting its operation on 1 Feb 2018, RULLS has worked to spread the message that UMS is on point to state that this university is relevant and a reference in the niche areas of languages and linguistic. Hence, it was apt that RULLS conducted its first workshop on the eve of the 2^nd International Conference on Languages, Linguistics, and Society on 7 Nov 2018 with the title ‘Language Revitalization and Documentation’. The 1-day workshop was led by renowned linguist, Emeritus Professor Dr. James T. Collins, from the Institute of Ethnic Studies (KITA), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.

The workshop was divided into four sessions: Review of Praxis and Priorities (Documentation, Maintenance, and Revitalization), Preconsiderations (Principles, Constraints, Targets, Guidelines), Strategies (Scope, Priority Targets, Agents, Ages, Surveys), and Practice (Training, Reviewing, Rethinking, Reaching Out, Products, Continuity) with a break for lunch with the participants.

Working in groups, the workshop participants explored contemporary situation on the Borneo and Southeast Asia islands; critically examined the response of governments, linguists and community activists; learned to distinguish between language documentation and language revitalization; and were exposed to international language documentation and language revitalization initiatives.

Officiated by the Dean of PPIB, Prof. Dr. Jualang Azlan Gansau, the workshop was attended by about 40 local and international participants and held at the Bilik Mesyuarat Utama, PPIB. It was organized by the pre-conference workshop committee led by Dr. Jane Wong Kon Ling, who is also the Coordinator for the Brown Bag Seminar Series for Languages & Linguistics.

Emeritus Professor James T. Collins has been a Principal Research Fellow of the Institute for Ethnic Studies (KITA), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, since 2013. His principle interests are Austronesian historical linguistics, Malay dialectology, the minority languages of Maluku and Borneo/Kalimantan and the social history of Malay.

Fluent in Malay as well as Indonesian, Professor Collins has authored twenty-five books in Malay, Indonesian, and English. His award-winning book, Wibawa Bahasa Melayu: Kepiawaian dan Kepelbagaian (1999) has been reprinted twice, the latest in 2016. The third expanded edition of Malay, World Language: A Short History, was published in 2018. His most recent book is Bibliografi Dialek Melayu Semenanjung Tanah Melayu (2018); this Bibliografi completes a series of five bibliographies covering Malay dialects throughout Southeast Asia.

Emeritus Prof. Collins’ commitment to community outreach continues through his work on minority language revitalization in Indonesia and Malaysia with funding from the Toyota Foundation (Japan) and the Kone Foundation (Finland). RULLS is extremely proud to have such a prominent linguist led its first language revitalization and documentation workshop. js/ldw-1-2018

FRIDAY, 21 DECEMBER - A group of 12 civil engineering final year students of Faculty of Engineering, University Malaysia Sabah (UMS) have been engaged with the community of Kg. Singgaron Baru, Ranau for water security and quality improvement using Biosand Water Filter recently.

Over 50 villagers took part in this project which was held for 2 days at the community hall, with 50 units of biosand filter have been successfully assembled and installed with joint effort of the community members which will not only benefit each household but also public places like mosque, kindergarten, pre-school and 2 food stalls.

“This project is fully funded by KHIND Starfish Foundation under Project for Happiness 2018. We are grateful and honoured to be among the selected ones to receive the fund and therefore able to turn the dreams of the community in Kg. Singgaron Baru, Ranau into a reality,” said group project leader, Allan Lumberio Lim.

 “This project is what the villagers have been looking forward to. We are very thankful to both UMS and Khind Starfish Foundation for selecting our small village and providing each household with a unit of filter which has the same function as other water filter system, without any cost charges. With this given facility, it sure will help in enhancing the water quality for consumption here,” said one of the villager during an interview session.

Present during the project implementation, Prof. Madya Dr.Nurmin Bolong as Advisor of the project and lecturer of Environmental Engineering course, officiated the ceremony and involved during the briefing with the villagers.

WEDNESDAY, 05 DECEMBER - In its first role as conference organizer, the Research Unit for Languages & Linguistics of Sabah (RULLS) successfully held the 2^nd International Conference on Languages, Linguistics, and Society (ICLALIS 2018) with the Centre for the Promotion of Knowledge and Language Learning (PPIB) Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) at the Promenade Hotel, Kota Kinabalu, recently.

The theme of the two days conference was “Languages, linguistics, and society in the era of disruptive technologies”.

Four keynote speakers together with 53 paper presenters from Malaysia, Switzerland, Nigeria, the Philippines and Indonesia joined the event. A pre-conference workshop conducted by keynote speaker Emeritus Prof. Dr. James T. Collins was also held on 7^th November 2018 at PPIB.

The conference was officiated by Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Trade and Industry, Sabah, Datuk Seri Panglima Wilfred Madius Tangau, who was also a keynote speaker at the conference.

Other keynote speakers were Assistant Minister, Ministry of Education and Innovation, Sabah, Jenifer Lasimbang; Principal Research Fellow, Institute of Ethnic Studies, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Emeritus Prof. Dr. James T. Collins; and Prof. Dr. Zuraidah Don, Advisor – Council of Language Deans, and Founding Chair – English Language Standards and Quality Council, Ministry of Education, Malaysia.

The opening ceremony was also attended by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Datuk Dr. D Kamarudin D Mudin; Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Student Affairs and Alumni), Prof. Dr. Ismail Ali, and Dean of PPIB, Prof. Dr. Jualang Azlan Gansau.

In his keynote, Datuk Seri Panglima Wilfred Madius stated that as societies move forward and face a world with disruptive technologies, there is even more need to maintain and practice good values which amongst others are found in languages.

“Indigenous languages, for example, are rich with positive values which people must not lose sight of especially in the digital world,” he said.  

In a first, ICLALIS 2018 was organized with collaborated effort by dedicated PPIB lecturers and language teachers from all three UMS campuses.

Another first was the introduction of five best paper presentation awards for the categories of indigenous language, Malaysian school teachers, Malaysian higher education, international presenter, and poster presentation.

Awards recipients received academic reference materials donated by generous sponsors. ICLALIS 2018 was helmed by the convener, Dr. Jeannet Stephen, and co-convener Natalie Ann Gregory.

Dr. Jeannet Stephen heads the Research Unit for Languages & Linguistics of Sabah (RULLS) since February 2018. ICLALIS 2018 is also a contribution by UMS in support of the United Nation’s 2019 International Year of the Indigenous Languages and the event’s information is listed on IYIL’s website via this URL: https://en.iyil2019.org/events/2nd-international-conference-on-languages-linguistics-and-society/.