Aliff Ahmad
Project Manager
In Malaysia, colorectal cancer stands as the second most common cancer, yet many cases are only discovered when it’s already too late. The problem isn’t just the disease itself—it’s that people are not getting screened early enough. Fear, stigma, and a lack of awareness often hold them back. But what if a simple change in how we communicate could make all the difference?
To tackle this, we took an innovative approach: creating two short videos designed to communicate and gently nudge those at higher risk of colorectal cancer. These used the story telling technique — they told real stories. Each video featured individuals with different risk factors, sharing their personal fears and struggles about screening. Through relatable storytelling, the videos addressed the emotional barriers people face, transforming fear into understanding and reluctance into action.
After watching the videos, participants showed a clear boost in their knowledge and attitudes toward colorectal cancer screening. More importantly, they felt motivated and ready to take that crucial step toward getting screened—turning awareness into life-saving action.

Daniella Mokhtar is a senior lecturer teaching Psychology at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities. She obtained a Bachelor`s Degree in Psychology and Masters in Industrial and Organisational Psychology from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. She completed her Ph.D in Occupational Health Psychology at the University of Sheffield, United Kingdom where she wrote her thesis on workplace bullying.
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Emma has 20 years of experience as an academic and a health communication researcher. She is passionate with the role communication to nurture positive health behaviours and strongly believes in the importance of health literacy to empower society in making informed health decisions.
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Arina Anis Azlan is a lecturer at the Centre for Research in Media and Communication, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. Her research interests are in health communication, information management and communicative behaviour among publics. She is currently involved in several research projects focusing on health communication and strategic communication to publics.
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