By Hamka Rosli
BACHOK, 5 April 2015: More than 80 communication students, together with their lecturers from the Department of Communication, spent useful weekend at Kampung Perupok in Bachok, Kelantan carrying out research related to communication on the villagers.
The three-day trip to Kampung Perupok, from 3 to 5 April, was undertaken by a combination of two classes. The entourage stayed at Sri Nipah Resort, close to the beach.
The main objective of the visit was to continue with the research carried out by Professor H.M Dahlan about 40 years ago at the same village in Bachok. The research was intended to examine the development that have taken place in Kampung Perupok over a period of time since the last research conducted in this village in 1975.
The students were divided into groups to go from house to house to collect data from local villagers. The hot weather in Kelantan was not an obstacle for them to carry out the research. In fact, they really enjoyed meeting the local people.
œThe people around here are very warm hearted and they like to serve us food. I can tell that they are nice people because they treated us well even though they do not know us personally, said Raihan Yusof, a third year student.
Former IIUM Rector, Prof. Dato’ Sri Dr. Syed Arabi Idid, was among the lecturers who went to Kampung Perupok to oversee the students in conducting the research. He could be seen as the lecturer who was willing to ˜turun padang to observe the students progress in conducting research.
Other lecturers who participated in the research were Assoc. Prof. Dr. Che Mahzan Ahmad, Dr. Zeti Azreen Ahmad, Dr. Aini Maznina A. Manaf, Dr. Tengku Siti Aisha Tengku Azzman and Madam Mazni Buyong.
The village head, Hassan Mohammed, 55, expressed his gratitude for the visit by IIUM students to the village. He, who was also known as pokcik Hassan, said that the villagers were more than happy to welcome the visitors, especially university students.
œI can say that the students have learned something from this visit because unfamiliar place such as Kampung Perupok can really motivate them to find out more about the village, he said while having conversation with the students.
For the students, it was not about collecting the data blindly, but it was more about how well they used their skills to communicate with the local people and extract information from them. Apart from conducting research, the students had a great time at the beach when they were having dinner on last day at Kampung Perupok.
Although it was a tiring journey to collect the data from house to house, the students really enjoyed themselves and had gained exposure and knowledge that certainly benefited them.***
Photos taken by Hazwan Hashim