Some of the undergraduates spending some quality time with the displaced children at the Sahabat 7 Cenderawasih evacuation centre yesterday.
LAHAD DATU: A group of undergraduate students spent their weekend to learn more about the sufferings of displaced villagers in Felda Sahabat.
The 17 undergraduates representing the National University Students Council arrived here yesterday to see first hand the situation around Felda Sahabat, including that of the affected villages.
Led by Hafiz Ariffin from Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, the students made it a point to mingle with the displaced villagers.
“We hope to learn more about their hopes after the security forces have completely quelled the threat by the intruders,” said Hafiz.
Over 2,000 people were affected by the intrusion incident at Felda Sahabat, some 110 kilometres from here.
After over a month, the displaced villagers, who were forced to temporarily put up at four evacuation centres – Sahabat 7 Cenderawasih, Embara Budi, Fajar Harapan and Gemala Pura, were finally allowed to return to their homes in Kampung Tanjung Batu and Kampung Tanjung Labian and several nearby villages.
Kampung Tanduo, where the armed intruders from the Southern Philippines were first holed up, is now closed permanently.
The area is, however, proposed for tourism development, whereby tenders would be issued soon to lure potential investors to develop the place.