Background

There are approximately 206, 777 indigenous people in Malaysia, which is about 11% of the total population.1 While indigenous people are classified as a minority, they are included in the government’s development plan,2 although on a moderate and limited scale. Most indigenous people live in remote areas far from the city, making it difficult for them to receive medical assistance, resulting in them being frequently overlooked by the healthcare services.

The Sports and Health Education Programme at the Kampung Gumum village, Pekan district, Pahang, is part of the plan to serve Indigenous Malaysians. We first made initial contact, gained consent and agreement with the indigenous community. We then refined and implemented the programme that included sports participation and health talks. The programme was scheduled from 4 to 7 June 2023. There were a total of 27 volunteers, who were students from the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, undertaking the “Service-Learning” module. The module is an undergraduate programme which allows students to do service-learning activities during the semester. This programme started in 2023, and the activity is set as marked assignment. The programme will continue annually within this module.

The programme began with the formation of mixed-gender groups across a range of sports activities. These activities aimed to contribute to the creation of a more hospitable environment, regardless of socialisation or gender expression. This enabled both men and women to learn from and support one another, as well as strengthen relationships and foster enjoyable social interactions via sport.

The activities consisted of sports such as football, netball, dancing and aerobics, health-related group events and informative talks such as ‘the importance and benefit of physical activity’ and ‘the impact of low physical activity in life’. Participants included young children and adults across a spectrum of ages.

Main objectives

We aimed to teach indigenous people the benefits of physical activity while they learnt various sports and games, as well as how to maintain good health. The programme also aimed to allow young children to participate in sport and to instil in them a sense of sportsmanship. As the programme is an annual service project through the Service-Learning module of the university, it also allows the volunteer students to gain a greater understanding of Indigenous Malaysian culture and style.

Overall, we hope the activities prove to be an ideal method for the community to acquire new skills and be exposed to sports. Additionally, if continued, the programme can assist them in forming relationships and fostering a sense of community, helping to promote and maintain community cohesion and well-being.3

Challenges faced and lessons learnt

The proportion of indigenous people living in destitute conditions is still relatively high,4 meaning the opportunities for sport are very limited. While the community gains some physical activity carrying out on their daily activities (eg, agriculture tasks), a factor that contributes to low sporting participation is the absence or lack of organised sporting facilities in the community. Even when education is offered, amenities the schools can provide are very limited, such as a netball court consisting only of the net stakes. Many members of the community cannot afford sports apparel, including athletic shoes. As a result of having limited opportunities to participate in extracurricular sports activities, young indigenous athletes (figure 1) are unable to gain opportunities required to distinguish themselves on any national sports platform.

Figure 1

Together with 3 indigenous young children.

The impact on the community

Physical activity and sports are associated with enhanced health.2 This programme exposes the disadvantaged community to sports while fostering sportsmanship and friendships that may endure. This may change their perspectives on life and possibly help them to escape destitution. Exposure to sports can also stimulate their interest and allow them to gain the health benefits of sport and physical activity. The programme might also be a platform for them to venture into participating in higher level sports competitions.

Sustainability and reproducibility elements

Indigenous Malaysians have the right to contribute to society and advance their causes to help build a civilised Malaysia. Indigenous people should be the focus of special attention to promote cultural diversity and foster inclusivity. Supporting this programme can assist indigenous communities in surviving and prospering. A culture of volunteer university students contributing to such a programme as part of their community service assignment will help make it sustainable and, in turn, volunteers will receive valuable experience and build social and emotional skills through the experiential learning.

Conclusion

Fostering an environment that promotes regular physical activity and health awareness in indigenous Malaysians can be enhanced through this university-based service-learning programme for students. The programme allows members of the Indigenous Malaysian community to receive education about physical health and afford them opportunities to partake in sport while allowing young apprentice athletes to be identified and nurtured.

Ethics statementsPatient consent for publication

Consent obtained directly from patient(s).

Ethics approval

This study involves human participants but Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia exempted this study. Participants gave informed consent to participate in the study before taking part.

Acknowledgments

Special thanks to the Service-Learning class (LMCR 2342), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and Kampung Gumum, Tasik Chini, Pekan, Pahang, Malaysia.