HEBAT Wins “Most Impactful Community Project” at ACUM 2024

A celebration of collaboration, creativity, and community empowerment.

The energy was infectious, and the smiles said it all. HEBAT (Henti, Elak, Basmi Asap Tembakau) has been awarded the Anugerah Cemerlang Universiti Malaya (ACUM) 2024 for Most Impactful Community Project. This recognition marks a joyful milestone for a team that has spent nearly a decade empowering youth, schools, and communities to lead the charge against tobacco.

Led by Associate Professor Dr Amani Natasha Ahmad Tajuddin from the Department of Primary Care Medicine, the HEBAT initiative is a shining example of multidisciplinary collaboration. The Department of Social & Preventive Medicine played a central role, with Associate Professor Dr Farizah Mohd Hairi, Dr Siti Idayu Hasan, Dr Rama Krishna, and Dr Lim Yin Cheng contributing to its design, implementation, and evaluation. The project also drew strength from Psychological Medicine (Associate Professor Dr Amer Siddiq Amer Nordin), Primary Care Medicine (Dr Megat Mohamad Amirul Amzar bin Megat Hashim), and Emergency Medicine (Dr Mohd Afiq Mohd Nor and Dr Mohd Hafyzuddin Bin Md Yusuf), creating a dynamic team committed to behaviour change among youth.

Since its launch in 2015 under the Grand Challenge (GC004D-15HTM), HEBAT has:

• Trained over 700 university students as tobacco-control advocates
• Reached more than 7,000 adolescents in schools nationwide
• Partnered with the Ministries of Health & Education, NGOs, UTM, and USIM
• Expanded internationally to the Maldives, training 100+ school counsellors and 250 students
• Contributed expert input to parliamentary legislation and WHO/MoE advisory committees
• Earned multiple awards at the university, national, and international levels

In recent years, HEBAT has expanded across Universiti Malaya, engaging new faculties and disciplines. Notably, the Faculty of Education has become a key partner, with Associate Professor Dr Azmawaty Mohamad Nor, Deputy Dean and licensed counsellor, contributing her expertise in adolescent mental health and behavioural research. Her involvement has strengthened HEBAT’s psychological support framework and broadened its reach in school-based interventions.

The initiative also welcomed Dr Shafa’atussara Silahudin, Senior Lecturer at the Academy of Malay Studies, whose work in heritage music, alternative culture, and arts communities has added a creative dimension to HEBAT’s youth engagement strategies, bridging public health with cultural expression. Winning ACUM 2024 is more than an award; it’s a celebration of shared purpose, smiling faces, and the belief that a tobacco-free generation is within reach. HEBAT continues to inspire, innovate, and lead the way toward Malaysia’s goal of reducing smoking prevalence to below 5% by 2040. HEBAT stands as a scalable model of hope and action.

This write-up was prepared by Dr Siti Idayu Hasan and Associate Professor Dr Farizah Mohd Hairi from the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya.