The interpreting workshop was a huge success for the participants. They heard lectures on the role and practice of Deaf interpreters (interpreters who are themselves deaf who work with individuals with limited formal sign language or whose sign language is unique.) They also heard about the intricacies of interpreting in Malaysian courts. The hands on exercises in the workshop included interpreting and voicing from live speakers in one on one situations and interpreting from mock lecture formats.

Interpreters and students came from all over Malaysia itself, from the Maldives (a Republic in the Indian Ocean), the Phillipines and of course Cambodia. While the majority of those interested were Christians, as you can see in the picture there is one Muslimah and a number of Buddhists. The workshop itself was conducted in spoken Malaysian English with Malaysian SL (interestingly abbreviated as MySL) interpretation. Native or home spoken languages of the participants included at least four Chinese languages, Khmer, Tagalog, Hindi, Dihevi (the Maldives national language), Malay and Urdu. After the workshop was done we were invited to see the headquarters of the Malaysian Federation of the Deaf. That tour was the highlight of the conference for me.