The Malaysian Sign Language and Deaf Studies Association (MyBIM)

About The Malaysian Sign Language and Deaf Studies Association (MyBIM)

Introduction

The Malaysian Sign Language and Deaf Studies Association or MyBIM was established on February 8, 2014 and is registered with the Registrar of Societies.

The establishment of MyBIM emanated from a group of dedicated deaf individuals who aspire to elevate the Malaysian Sign Language as a true language and recognized and used by the public.

The establishment of MyBIM commenced in 2011 and is led by Jessica Mak, the founding chairperson. Other founding members are Anthony Chong, Amir Hamidi, Venugopal, Ho Koon Wei, Anne Laura, Sariah Ibrahim, Marzuki Ong, Lee Tur Chung and Mohd Adam Mahadi.

The founding members of MyBIM are educated deaf individuals who possess a diverse range of skills such linguistic skills, and information and communications technology (ICT) and wide experience in education, community development and leadership within the specific deaf context and community.

MyBIM aspires to be a research-oriented entity and differentiates itself from the existing deaf associations in Malaysia through its roles and strategic directions. MyBIM has its own set of unique focus and objectives, which are:
To promote academic knowledge about the deaf community and the Malaysian Sign Language as the official sign language in Malaysia,
To contribute the voice and ideas in language and linguistic issues and to carry out public advocacy,
To encourage academic research and development on the Malaysian Sign Language, and the communication modes and methods of the deaf community in Malaysia,
To disseminate information and knowledge related to the deaf community and the Malaysian Sign Language through seminars, publications and other media channels,
To organize activities and functions to build public knowledge on the deaf community and the Malaysian Sign Language, and
To build network and collaborative relationship with tertiary educational institutions and other similar organizations and establisments.
It is hoped that MyBIM can actively contribute to the development of sign language and deaf culture in Malaysia through the dissemination of related research findings and evidence in the media, academic journals and articles, courses, workshops and seminars.

These research findings will be used to raise public awareness of the importance of the Malaysian Sign Language as a true language and simultaneously develop a systematic standards for teaching and learning, grammar, syntax, level of use, and capability index for sign language.

Research activities on the deaf will also explore, build and develop new knowledge that covers a wide range of issues within the deaf community in Malaysia such as deaf history, identity, culture, education, sports, technology, socio-economy, arts and deafhood.

For these reasons, MyBIM has huge potentials to be a platform for publicly accessible quality resources and neutral reference for deaf associations, government agencies, tertiary educational institutions, special education practitioners and the general public.

Description of the logo
The open palm symbolizes sign language, which is used widely by the deaf community through the Malaysian Sign Language.
The letter “b” on the palm denotes the BIM (Bahasa Isyarat Malaysia) as the mother tongue of the deaf community in Malaysia.
The light green color symbolizes the preserved continuity of the Malaysian Sign Language. The turquoise color represents the rights of the deaf community in Malaysia to live a respectable and meaningful life.
The black color brings in the accepted tradition and practices of the deaf community.
You may read MyBIM constitution. However it is in Malay version.