HAIKU TERBAIK 2006

sabar menanti
induk pulang ke sarang
bawa rezeki

(waiting patiently
for mother's homecoming
bringing sustenance)

Haiku wins her a trip to Japan

KUALA LUMPUR: She heard about the grand prize of a trip to Japan, so she started from scratch learning how to write a “haiku” and she conquered the judges with her entry.

DREAM COME TRUE: Nur Ashiquin holding up her haiku in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday, after she won a trip to Matsuyama City in Japan for a week-long Haiku Camp.
Twelve-year-old Nur Ashiquin Maulad Azmiran's persistence with the Japanese verse form of three short lines paid off when she was picked the winner of the 2006 JAL World Children’s Haiku Contest.

“I still can’t believe I’ve won. This is my dream come true!” says the Year Six pupil of SK Manjalara, who was clearly excited about her impending trip to Matsuyama City from July 24 until Aug 1.

She will be joined by 24 primary students from other countries around the world and 20 Japanese students at a week-long Haiku Camp.

“It was very difficult to write a haiku initially but after a lot of practice, it became much easier to create one,” said Nur Ashiquin.

Her winning entry is Sabar menanti, Induk pulang ke sarang, Bawa rezeki (Waiting patiently, For mother’s homecoming, Bringing sustenance).

The five other winners of the contest who won RM100 and a book hamper are: Mohd Hafizi Sidratul Muntaha, 11 from Sekolah Sri Garden, Serene Teo Sing Ning, 11 from SJK (C) Nan Kai, Lim Looi Leng, 12 from SJK (C) Jalan Davidson, Muhammad Atiq Fitri Azmi, 10 from SK Manjalara, and Wong Jung Keet, 12 from Sekolah Sri Garden.

This biennial contest is organised by Japan Airlines (JAL) in collaboration with the Education Ministry.

“We are happy to play a role in the organisation of this contest in Malaysia as it develops our students’ proficiency in Bahasa Malaysia in a different way while encouraging them to appreciate the environment they live in,” said Deputy Education Minister Datuk Hon Choon Kim at the event on Wednesday. Also present was the Japanese Ambassador to Malaysia Tadashi Imai.

The contest saw 730 entries from 59 primary schools in Selangor, Putrajaya and Kuala Lumpur. Fifty-six entries were short-listed, from which six winners were chosen. There were two special entries from partially blind students of SK Pendidikan Khas Cacat Penglihatan Jalan Batu.