Strive to become icons of healthy lifestyle, Lukanisman tells Miri teachers

MIRI (July 16): The teachers can become the icons of healthy lifestyle that their pupils can emulate from, said Deputy Health Minister Datuk Lukanisman Awang Sauni.

He said education institutions such as schools have been identified by his ministry as highly conducive platforms to deliver the message and advocacy of good health.

“All efforts aimed at cultivating healthy lifestyle among Malaysians is not the role of the MoH (Health Ministry) alone.

“Collaborations across ministries and agencies are very important in ensuring that the message of good health can be delivered widely,” said the Sibuti MP.

He said this when officiating at the ‘Meet & Greet Health Promotion in Learning Institutions’ (HePiLI) programme at SK Temenggong Datuk Muip here today.

Moreover, Lukanisman said the operators of the school canteens could also play their part by preparing healthy food options such as fresh local fruits instead of junk food and candies, or offering bottled water instead of sodas and other artificially-flavoured sweet drinks.

“Good healthy lifestyles and habits should be cultivated from a very young age, as this would have a much longer-term positive impact on the children. As fit and healthy adults, they would contribute immensely to the nation’s productivity in the future.”

On HePiLI, he said the MoH had selected two primary schools in Sarawak – SK Merbau and SK Temenggong Datuk Muip – to set up the ‘Young Doctors Club’ each.

“I would like to call upon the school management to give room and opportunity to the members of this club to carry out their health educational activities for their peers, either during the assemblies, before starting the class session, or during recess.

“They (Young Doctors Club members) can use the speakers, or create a health corner,” he said.

On this, Lukanisman mentioned the ‘X-Break’ – an activity that the children and their teachers could do together at any time during school-time.

“It (X-Break) is a physical activity such as stretching, being performed in just three minutes after one has been sitting for a long time.”

Lukanisman also expressed hope that other schools in Sarawak would emulate SK Merbau and SK Temenggong Datuk Muip by setting up their own Young Doctors Clubs.

It was informed that as of June this year, there are 223 primary schools and 85 secondary schools in Sarawak that have set up their own Young Doctors Club, as part of their co-curriculum.

In terms of memberships, there are 1,202 primary school pupils and 147 secondary school students who have signed up.

Launched last year and to run until next year, the ‘Meet & Greet HePiLI’ with Didi & Friends is a programme that brings together the elements of education and entertainment in advocating healthy lifestyle to school-children.

Later at the event, Lukanisman presented an allocation of RM100,000 under the ‘Projek Mesra Rakyat’ grant to SK Temenggong Datuk Muip.

Also present were MoH Education Division director Suraiya Syed Mohamed, and Education Department Miri assistant officer (students development sector) Grispin Sahah, and SK Temenggong Datuk Muip headmaster James Nibong.