KOTA KINABALU: Little does anyone know, a student from Keningau, a district some 100 km from the capital city, has been learning haiku.
Haiku is a type of Japanese poetry comprising three lines, with a specific number of syllables for each line. The first two lines offer images in visual and auditory forms to the readers, while the third line conveys the intended message.
Her steely determination to succeed landed Siti Nur Hanisah Omar Hashim, 17, international recognition as she bagged first place in the haiku competition.
Hanisah, an early childhood education student at Keningau Vocational College, joined the competition at an online art festival "Argentine Gathering" hosted from Argentina on Saturday (Nov 5) and was announced as the winner the next day.
"I learnt to write the haikus from the workshops I attended last month. I felt so touched when my teacher, Dr Sirhajwan Idek, told me that he would submit my haikus for a competition.
"I felt happy and proud when I got the 1st prize for my haikus. It has motivated me to learn to write more. I want to write short stories next," she told the New Straits Times.
As the winner, Hanisah received a certificate that records an important achievement in her literary work.
Themed nature and the environment, Hanisah said her inspirations were derived from her parents and school life.
Part of her haiku reads:
"October morning
The sun is fading away
Same goes with feelings"
Her haiku recital video can be accessed on this link: https://youtu.be/DO37X1oHCrE
According to Sirhajwan, Hanisah took part in two virtual workshops on how to write haikus.
"She first attended an online session with Lynn Nakazawa, a Japanese American, and this was followed by her participation in another virtual workshop with Alan Maley, a British English language expert.
"It was from these workshops that she started writing her own haikus. Her effort paid off as she clinched the first prize in the haiku category.
"As a teacher, the most effective way to spark students' interest in writing haiku is to generally get them to share their work, either through oral performance, publication or even to share it on social media platforms. This can really motivate the students. It makes them feel appreciated and their talents recognised," he said.
The college director, Mr. Johari @ Jaibet Sabin, congratulated Hanisah and hoped her success would inspire other students to do well in writing poems.
"I hope this will inspire more students to write poems and other types of literary works that can help to preserve cultural heritage, boost their English language proficiency and hone their talents in performing visual and literary arts," he said.