Beluran: For Lorenica Frenila Masundim, teaching Jawi script at a school in Sabah's interior is more than a lesson in writing, it is a way of bringing students and the wider community closer while fostering understanding across racial, religious, and cultural differences. The 36-year-old teacher at Sekolah Kebangsaan Bawang views Jawi lessons as an opportunity to expand students' appreciation of the national language's heritage, especially among those who initially saw the script as foreign and linked exclusively to Islam.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Lorenica finds great fulfillment in seeing non-Muslim students, initially unfamiliar with Jawi, gradually learn to read and understand its function as part of the Malay writing system. 'There were students who used to say Jawi was too difficult, but after using the transliteration technique in the application I created, they were able to read it in a short time. As a teacher, seeing their understanding of Jawi change gives me a satisfaction that is hard to describe,' she shared.

Lorenica's Rungus background and Christian faith have not hindered her from embracing Jawi, with her role as a Bahasa Melayu teacher motivating her to understand the script's place in the national language. She expressed, 'Just like the Malay language, I have never seen Jawi as belonging to any particular race or religion. To me, it is a national treasure that all Malaysians should learn and preserve.'

Introduced to the Jawi script in 2009 during her studies at the Institute of Teacher Education, Gaya Campus in Kota Kinabalu, Lorenica has spent 15 years building her knowledge before teaching it in 2024. Her teaching approach was further developed through PhD research under the Ministry of Education's Hadiah Latihan Persekutuan (HLP) sponsorship.

To facilitate students' mastery of Jawi, she developed the PANtaS baCA Jawi application, which integrates transliteration techniques, interactive exercises, and self-directed learning. Lorenica believes that learning the language or writing systems of other communities not only broadens knowledge but also fosters respect, empathy, and mutual appreciation, while addressing prejudice born from misunderstanding.

'Education is a bridge that brings us together despite our differences, and I believe cross-cultural learning can strengthen national unity, especially through Jawi, which is one of the writing systems used for our national language," she said.

Lorenica's commitment to promoting the Jawi script has garnered several accolades, including the Tokoh Ibnu Uraiqith Maulidur Rasul 2024, IMTIYAZ MURABBI Award: Jawi Cross-Cultural Inspiration Teacher 2025, and Sabah Education Excellence Award 2025. The Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka Ikon Wibawa Jawi 2024 award holds particular significance for her, as it followed a viral 12-second video showcasing her Jawi teaching efforts.

She reflected, 'I received this award when I was just starting to teach Jawi. At that time, I had not contributed much, apart from a 12-second video that went viral, but I took the award as a trust and responsibility, and it motivated me to keep going and achieve what I have today.'

In light of this year's National Day and Malaysia Day celebrations, Lorenica emphasized the importance of harmony in a plural society, highlighting Sabah's example of mutual respect among diverse communities. 'As an educator, I believe unity begins in the classroom, where students learn to accept, understand, and respect each other's cultures. That is the true spirit of harmony in diversity,' she concluded.