LABUAN — Ten final-year students from the Faculty of Labuan International Finance (FKAL), Universiti Malaysia Sabah Labuan International Campus (UMSKAL), have raised RM2,290 to provide food aid for stray animals in Labuan through the “Stray Free: From Streets to Love Food Bank Drive 2026” project.
The project, carried out under the Service-Learning Malaysia-University for Society (SULAM) framework as part of the International Corporate Finance course, aimed to raise public awareness on animal welfare while applying financial knowledge through crowdfunding, resource allocation, budgeting and project financing.
The campaign, held from May 1 to June 1, 2026, successfully achieved its three main objectives — raising awareness on crowdfunding and animal welfare, collecting RM2,290 through the MyStartr crowdfunding platform, and providing a sustainable food supply for about one month for stray animals at selected feeding areas in Labuan.
Project director Kartiga A/P Govindasamy said the initiative showed that compassion, teamwork and collective action could create a meaningful impact on stray animal welfare and the community.
“This project proves that compassion, teamwork and collective action by the community can create a meaningful impact on the welfare of stray animals and the community,” she said.
The project was led by Kartiga, together with deputy project director Dhanushantini A/P Esvaran, secretary Thivyah A/P Ramais and treasurer Surayah Salman.
The publicity and media team comprised Nur Farhana Danny, Muhammad Zulkarnayn Suardi, Veejay A/L Vasudevan and Yuvarani A/P Jaisankar, while public relations and logistics were coordinated by Susanti Abdullah and Thevanrach A/L Selvakumaran.
Throughout the campaign period, the organising team promoted awareness on stray animal welfare through social media platforms, including WhatsApp Channel, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook, to encourage public participation and donations.
A structured crowdfunding campaign was also conducted through MyStartr, with the funds channelled towards the purchase of animal food supplies, logistics costs and other needs related to the feeding activities.
As part of the project, an awareness booth was held at Ujana Kewangan Labuan on May 17, where leaflets were distributed to the public to enhance understanding of stray animal welfare issues and encourage responsible community involvement.
The booth also attracted members of the public through interactive sharing sessions conducted by the organising team.
The main programme was held on May 23, bringing together students, volunteers, collaboration partners and the local community.
It included briefing sessions, awareness sharing, interactive activities and an appreciation ceremony for supporters who had contributed to the success of the initiative.
After the programme, volunteers continued food distribution activities at several selected locations around Labuan to feed stray cats and dogs.
The food supplies, funded through the MyStartr campaign and public contributions, helped ensure that every donation received directly benefited stray animals and supported a more sustainable food support system.
The project was implemented in collaboration with Community Stray Free Labuan, International Shipcare Sdn Bhd, Labuan Toastmasters Club and the Department of Veterinary Services, Federal Territory of Labuan.
The organisers also expressed appreciation to SULAM supervising lecturer for the International Corporate Finance course, Dr Suzillah Sidek, for her guidance, encouragement and continuous support throughout the implementation of the project.
Through “Stray Free: From Streets to Love Food Bank Drive 2026”, the organisers hope to inspire greater public awareness, concern and continuous involvement in efforts to protect and care for stray animals.
Guided by the slogans “Together we make a difference” and “Every Paw Deserves a Meal”, the initiative reflected the importance of community cooperation, empathy and sustainable action in strengthening the welfare and protection of stray animals in Labuan.
