Sabahan teacher seeks to preserve Jawi script heritage

BELURAN - Lorenica Frenila Masundim, who recently went viral for teaching Jawi script at her school here, described that this writing system is for all Malaysians and must be preserved.

As a Bahasa Melayu teacher at Sekolah Kebangsaan Bawang K9, Lorenica said the Jawi script is a valuable heritage, which every Malaysian child should take pride in, and called on the Sabahans to accept learning the script without negativity.

"It will foster greater harmony for the future of our children if all races can come together to discuss a writing (script) that symbolises us all as Malaysians,” the teacher of the Rungus ethnic group told Bernama.

Recently, a video and photo of Lorenica, 34, teaching her students the Jawi script went viral on social media. In the video, she meticulously wrote the proverb 'Bagai Aur Dengan Tebing' in Jawi, capturing the attention of former Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik.

Lorenica, a native of Paitan, explained that the Jawi script embodies artistic values, culture, and history, as it employs Arabic characters, which once served as classic Malay writing and was once used as a lingua franca.

She said learning Jawi script writing is straightforward, as its alphabet has been adapted to align with the Malay language, mirroring the sounds found in the Roman spelling system.

"I learned Jawi writing while pursuing my Bachelor's Degree in Education, at the Institute of Teacher Education Gaya Campus in Kota Kinabalu, from 2008 to 2013, through the Introduction to Roman and Jawi Spelling System subject,” she said.

Despite being a non-Muslim, it did not deter her from learning the Jawi script and sharing it with her students during the Teaching and Facilitation process (PdPc) at school.

"I began teaching Jawi script writing to my Year 4 and Year 5 classes in 2022. Many may not be aware that, since 2020, Jawi has been included in the Year 4 Bahasa Melayu curriculum, continuing into Year 6. This initiative aims to enrich students' understanding of Malay art, heritage, and history,” she explained.

Apart from consulting fellow Muslim teachers to improve her knowledge of Jawi writing, Lorenica also checks on Google and refers to the Kamus Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, which has been her primary reference since her teacher training days.

As a Bahasa Melayu option teacher, she feels a strong sense of responsibility to ensure that the Jawi script is preserved for future generations, and is embraced by all Malaysians. - BERNAMA