PR students snag two awards at Malaysia PR Awards 2023

Bachelor of Communication (Honours) Public Relations students from the Faculty of Arts and Social Science (FAS) managed to clinch not one but two awards at the Malaysia PR Awards (MPRA) 2023, organised by the Public Relations and Communications Association of Malaysia (PRCA Malaysia) on 1 December 2023 at the Aloft Hotel KL Sentral.

The team, supervised and led by lecturer and campaign advisor Ms Diong Fong Wei from the Department of Public Relations of FAS, won the Silver Award and Bronze Award for their campaigns titled The GreenBankers: Recycling Matters and DermaHope: The Hope that Never Fades respectively, under the category of Institution of Higher Learning and Cultural Institution Award. The awards won are a result of the commitment and efforts put in by the students as part of the coursework for the course UAMP3084 Corporate Social Responsibility.

Ms Diong enthused, “These awards serve as evidence of the relentless commitment, dedication and innovation that the University exemplifies in providing quality education to the students. Our achievements at MPRA 2023 prove that we are not only producing industry-ready graduates, but also socially committed individuals.”

The Silver award-winning campaign, The GreenBankers: Recycling Matters was a recycling campaign that aimed at educating the public, in general, and faculty members and students of the University, specifically about environmental responsibility whilst encouraging the practice of 6Rs – Rethink, Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose, and Recycle in daily life among the targeted audience. The campaign was also in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. In meeting the goals of the campaign, The GreenBankers advocated the core value of the Green Bank Project, a collaborative project between the University and Go Greenonline Sdn Bhd to promote effective waste segregation culture among its target audience.

“I felt incredibly proud when the award was presented to us. As the student leader of the campaign, I celebrate not only the recognition given but also the dedication and passion of each of us from the team, who worked relentlessly for the campaign. This campaign has taught us that our work went beyond mere projects; it’s about fostering a more sustainable future and making a meaningful and positive difference to society and the environment. Undeniably, without my team members and specifically our Campaign Advisor, Ms Diong Fong Wei, for their unwavering dedication and guidance, our campaign will not be possible,” said Yan Pheng Liang, UTAR alumnus and PR Executive and Personal Assistant of Sense Consultancy.

“Winning the Silver Award at MPRA 2023 evidences our hard work and commitment in our recycling campaign. This recognition inspires us to reach even greater heights, push boundaries, and discover new possibilities. This campaign has been a significant learning experience for me, showcasing the power of team spirit, perseverance, and the endless potential within our team. At least, we know that excellence is not a final stop but a continuous journey of growth and exploration,” said Seng Sum Yee, UTAR alumna and Junior Account Executive at Rantau+.

“This achievement is not just a result of team collaboration but also a symbol of widespread recognition for our commitment to environmental conservation. This campaign has not only deepened my sense of responsibility towards environmental issues but has also outlined my future career direction. I enjoy transforming the diverse imaginations in my mind into words, firmly believing that the power of words and social media can influence countless unfamiliar faces. Therefore, after graduation, I resolutely chose a career in the social media industry, aspiring to continually progress on this path and make a positive impact on more lives,” said Bong Qiao Xuan, UTAR alumna and Content Creator at Digital 38.

The Bronze award-winning campaign, DermaHope: The Hope that Never Fades was another communication campaign, held in collaboration with the Malaysian Skin Foundation (MSF). It aimed at improving the quality of life of those suffering from skin conditions and empowering them by providing the resources they need to make informed decisions about their health and well-being. This campaign promoted the foundation and created awareness among the general public with the hope that they would appreciate the cause the foundation is championing and help the foundation through it.

Chin Wei Qi, one of the student leaders claimed, “Being recognised by PRCA Malaysia is such an honour for us. In fact, this campaign offered me real-life experience in public relations. This experiential learning has strengthened both my hard and soft skills in my field of study. I am now a more confident person and I am definitely ready for the workforce.”

“Winning the award is unbelievable! It was a chance of the lifetime to work along with the MSF to serve the people, especially the skin disease patients. I never thought of doing this because being a PR student, I thought I would just learn about communications, in general. Unexpectedly, this campaign taught me something extraordinary and something I would treasure in my academic life; that was how I learned to serve and I served to learn,” said Ong Chun Qi, a final-year PR student.

“In ensuring the success of our campaign, we worked hand in hand for months so that our campaign was heading towards the right direction. Throughout the process, I never thought of wanting to be the best team, but I just did my best with my team members. The moment when our campaign was announced as one of the winners of MPRA 2023, we were thrilled. I am glad that we won the award, and this is a testament to the hard work of not only our team, but also our campaign advisor, Ms Diong,” commented another final-year PR student Ho Sau Ken.

PRCA Malaysia is an independent, non-profit organisation representing public relations and communications practitioners from both working in-house and in consultancies.