Dapur HEP, UiTM Penang’s Community Kitchen Eases Financial Burden On Students

By Siti Azila Alias

BUKIT MERTAJAM, June 22 (Bernama) -- Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Penang campus has introduced a community kitchen initiative, dubbed Dapur Hal Ehwal Pelajar (Dapur HEP), to ease the financial burden on students, making it the first UiTM campus in Peninsular Malaysia to open the kitchen following its implementation at UiTM Sabah in 2023.

Dapur HEP was the brainchild of Prof Dr Mohd Sazili Shahibi, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Student Affairs (HEP), who conceived it during a meeting with deputy rectors of Student Affairs across all UiTM campuses. It was introduced at the Penang campus on June 4, 2023, under the leadership of the then Deputy Rector of Student Affairs, Associate Professor Dr Basharudin Abdul Hadi.

Penang UiTM's Student Residential and Hospitality staff Dewi Anis Othman said the initiative began with only four rice cookers and 20 kg of rice donated by a private contributor. Since then, the kitchen has expanded and is now equipped with two sets of stoves, essential items, and canned food, allowing students to prepare their  meals. 

She said the kitchen operates from the second-floor pantry of the residential college for male students (Intan) and female students (Nilam).

"The kitchen is open daily from 7 am to 11 pm with daily monitoring by the College Representative Committee to ensure cleanliness and maintain inventory," she told Bernama recently.

She said that although the kitchen targets students from the B40 group, it is open to all students as the university understands the financial struggles that many of them face, having to tighten their belts to make it through their studies.

Dewi Anis said the initiative has so far benefited 50 per cent of the 5,500 students from seven residential colleges on campus, adding that it won the Gold Category Special Award for Best Dapur HEP at the 2024 UiTM Excellence Awards for National Student Residencies in January.

She said the programme also received attention from ASEAN member countries, such as Indonesia and Thailand, whose representatives visited the campus to study the approach that UiTM Penang adopted, intending to implement a similar model at their universities.

"We hope to expand the Dapur HEP initiative so that more students can benefit, especially students with disabilities. We are currently working to identify a suitable ground-floor location for this purpose," she said, adding that around 15 UiTM campuses, including satellite campuses, have already begun implementing the Dapur HEP initiative.

Meanwhile, a Master's in Chemical Engineering student, Nur Basiroh Mohd Rahim, 26, praised UiTM's effort in opening the kitchen, admitting that it has been a great help in reducing her daily food expenses.

"I would spend around RM15 per day for food, sometimes more during lunch. Dapur HEP allows me to save money, especially on weekends, by cooking simple meals like fried rice and sharing them with my friends," she said.

Muhammad Hakimie Azim Azha, 22, said other universities should emulate UiTM's initiative to introduce Dapur HEP, as not all students come from well-off families.

"Studying at university costs a lot, especially for someone like me who's taking a tourism course, as we often have off-campus trips. I make full use of Dapur HEP. It would be a waste not to, as it helps reduce food expenses.

"I use the kitchen about four to five times a week, and it helps me save around RM15 to RM20," said the final-year Diploma in Tourism student.

-- BERNAMA