2026 October - Meeting with Madam Devi, Inspector of Schools.

Mr. Manoharan and I had the opportunity to meet Mrs. Thevi Subramaniam, an Inspector of Schools, Ministry of Education  Malaysia  during our visit to Batu Caves. The meeting took place in a beautiful setting near the iconic Murugan statue in Batu Caves Temple. Mrs. Thevi Subramaniam  warmly welcomed us, and we had a fruitful discussion over breakfast at a restaurant opposite the temple.

During the discussion, Mr. Manoharan explained our new ‘THINAI programme’ and how it has evolved as an extension and further development of ‘Bionity 1.0.’ Mrs. Thevi Subramaniam suggested that the programme could perhaps be considered “Bionity 2.0.” However, while appreciating this perspective, we explained that we prefer to identify the new initiative as THINAI, as it has developed into a broader Communiversity Sejahtera Model.

Mrs. Thevi Subramaniam shared her valuable experiences from visiting many schools, including Tamil and Malay schools. She observed that, in several cases, programmes introduced by different organisations, particularly those related to environmental awareness and human values, had not created a visible or lasting impact.

One important point that emerged from our discussion was the crucial role of ‘school leadership’. Madam Devi emphasised that the success of any programme depends greatly on having a committed and motivated leader within the school. We agreed that meaningful and sustainable change is more likely when the school leadership actively supports and guides the implementation of the programme.

Mrs. Thevi Subramaniam mentioned a national school in Kuala Lumpur where the Headmaster is highly interested in implementing programmes of this nature. She kindly expressed her willingness to introduce the ‘THINAI programme’ to the school.

As a follow-up, Mr. Manoharan will remain in contact with Mrs. Thevi Subramaniam  and will arrange to meet the Headmaster of the school she recommended. Together, they will explore the possibility of introducing and implementing the ‘THINAI Community Sejahtera Model’ in the school.

This meeting was particularly encouraging because it reinforced an important principle of THINAI: a programme alone does not create sustainable change. A committed leader, repeated community action, and collective ownership are essential for transforming activities into a lasting culture.

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