In fact, plans are in the pipeline, with the co-operation from Unimas, to hold a study on the involvement of the Penan community in business and education activities. Unimas also plans to adopt a Penan village. Azuriaty Atang, state’s first Penan lecturer
KUCHING: Azuriaty Atang, the state’s first Penan lecturer aspires to help her community improve its lifestyle through education.
The 26-year-old from Kampung Baru in Suai, some 100km from Miri, is the eldest of four siblings, dreamt of becoming a Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) lecturer and finally achieved it when she became a management lecturer in Unimas.
She is determined to achieve her goal to prove that Penans could also be successful in many areas including academically.
“In fact, plans are in the pipeline, with the co-operation from Unimas, to hold a study on the involvement of the Penan community in business and education activities. Unimas also plans to adopt a Penan village.
“I am unable to provide further information as it is still in the discussion and planning stage,” said Azuriaty during a press conference on Thursday evening.
She revealed that she was motivated by her supportive parents, father Atang Sanai a Forestry Department staff and mother Zuliana Abdullah a housewife, as well as her friends.
She has three younger siblings, Azmilhisyam, 22, who is currently a diploma student in Uitm, Afreeza, 16 and Anastasia, 13, both who are still in secondary school.
On her early education, Azuriaty said she went to SRK Temenggong Datuk Muip in Miri from 1992 to 1997 and SMK Riam Taman Tunku in Miri from 1998 to 2004.
After completing her STPM, she furthered her studies at Unimas at the Economy and Business faculty and graduated with a Bachelor of Administration in Tourism in 2008.
The following year, she pursued her masters degree in Human Capital Management at Universiti Malaysia Sabah and graduated in 2010.
Before joining Unimas, she was attached to a private company for a year.