RedCrescentPenang.org.my

VERY often sand gets into the feet of 10-year-old J. Ragunathan, not because he does not wear shoes but because there is an opening on the heels. Because his parents could not afford to buy him a new pair of shoes, the SJK(T) Mak Mandin pupil is forced to wear the same pair to school everyday even with the gaping heels.

Embarrassed at having to wear torn shoes, he would occasionally switch them with his sister’s, whenever he felt the need to be properly dressed. “My father earns about RM600 a month as a lorry driver while my mother is a housewife. I have four siblings and my parents cannot afford to buy us new school uniforms and shoes all the time,” he said.

Ragunathan was relieved when Southern Rubber Works Sdn Bhd gave him a new pair of Pallas Jazz school shoes recently. He was among 21,000 students from about 100 schools in the state who received free school shoes from the company. The shoes were distributed at the Malaysian Red Crescent Society (MRCS) North Seberang Prai district office in Jalan St Mark, Butterworth.

Another recipient Siti Nursyakira Ibrahim, 10, from SK Bagan Ajam, said this was the first time she received such a gift, noting that her father, a factory worker, had six other mouths to feed. Her schoolmate Nurfaziera Amira Zainal Abidin, 10, said she would wear the new shoes next year when the school term begins.

The company’s chief operating officer Ho Kok Loon said this was the single largest number of shoes that the company had given out since it started business in Penang in 1959.

“As the brand owner of Pallas shoes, we are pleased to do our small bit for needy pupils here,” he said, adding that the sponsorship was valued at about RM250,000. Ho said the company had also donated several thousand pairs of shoes to tsunami victims as well as to those affected by the big Johor floods last year.

MRCS Penang vice-chairman Chan Hon Kwong said about 100 of its members helped to identify the needy pupils from different schools. “The volunteers took about two weeks to sort out the shoes according to the various models and sizes,” he said.

A Health Camp and Colouring competition was held on 14th April 2007 at Flat Mutiara Idaman 1, Jalan Tengku, Jelutong.

This event was organized by the Panel Penasihat, Klinik Jalan Perak, The Resident’s Association of Flat Mutiara Idaman 1 and Malaysian Red Crescent Society Penang Branch. The event was officiated by YB Looi Swee Cheng, ADUN Sungai Pinang.

The MRCS was present with 10 members, 4 officers and 1 Branch staff to demonstrate basic first aid and exhibit materials on the IHL and Red Crescent Movement. For the first aid demonstration, we demonstrated the Heimlich maneuver, CPR and the KED. We also got some of the visitors to try out CPR and Heimlich maneuver. This demonstration generated a lot of interest from the residents for a First Aider in Every Home course.

The exhibition was about the International Humanitarian Law, the contributions of the IFRC and ICRC and the history of the movement.

Free health check services were provided to the visitors by Klinik Kesihatan Jalan Perak. They were also there to give a talk on Healthy Living. The colouring contest was participated by children aged 5 and 6 years old.

The temporary settlement for tsunami victims in Batu Ferringhi, Penang, took on a carnival-like atmosphere recently in a gotong royong to make dodol.  Residents and Malaysian Red Crescent Society members joined hands to make the local cake, which is made from glutinuous rice, coconut milk and palm sugar.

(From right)Penang MRCS chairman Saw Ewe Yong,Dr Koh and Ahmad joining in to help cook dodol.

The event was organised by Maxis Communications, which also hosted a buka puasa dinner for the 98 families living at the settlement. The company also gave cookies and sarongs to the residents while the Sultanah Bahiyah Foundation from Kedah gave RM100 duit raya to each family.

Chief Minister Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon, who was the guest of honour, presented the items to the families. Dr Koh commended Maxis for organising such an event to cheer up the people for Deeparaya. He advised the people to work together to face adver-sities like the tsunami and dengue outbreak.  Also present was advisor to the Maxis chief executive officer, Datuk Ahmad A. Talib.

Chief Minister Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon, who was the guest of honour, presented the items to the families. Dr Koh commended Maxis for organising such an event to cheer up the people for Deeparaya. He advised the people to work together to face adversities like the tsunami and dengue outbreak.  Also present was advisor to the Maxis chief executive officer, Datuk Ahmad A. Talib.

MALAYSIA sees an average of 20 new HIV/AIDS cases each day, said Malaysian Red Crescent Society (MRCS) Penang branch chairman Saw Ewe Yong.

He said there were now over 40 million HIV/AIDS cases worldwide, of which 2.5 million cases involved children.

Saw said the rising number of HIV/AIDS cases worldwide and in the country was cause for concern and there was an urgent need for all to fight the disease together.

Speaking at the official launch of the MRCS Penang World AIDS Day 2003 celebrations at the Relau Metropolitan Park on Saturday, Saw said the campaign was to protect the dignity of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) by fighting against stigmatisation and discrimination.

“There is a need for the society to know the truth of the disease instead of believing in myths and misconceptions about the disease which results in stigmatisation and discrimination,” he said, adding that this year’s World AIDS Day celebrations were themed ‘The Truth about AIDS – Pass it on’.

He added that the stigmatisation had resulted in PLWHA shying away from treatment for fear of being discriminated against.

Only about 3% of PLWHAs dared to seek proper medical treatment, he added.

‘Hope’ cards, he said, had been distributed to the public to create more awareness and encourage them to reach out to PLWHAs.

A total of 2002 ‘Hope’ cards had been distributed since early December and more than 80% of the cards were completed and placed on a red ribbon sculpture at the park.

Saw, who placed card number 2003 on the sculpture bearing the message ‘Spread not the disease, but spread the truth about AIDS’, said many of the cards carried thoughtful and special messages in support of their campaign to fight the stigmatisation of PLWHA.

‘Don’t give up, life is full of hope’, ‘Love is the tool to fight AIDS’ and ‘AIDS is not transmitted by touch’ are just a few of the inspiring messages written on the cards placed on the sculpture.

The sculpture and exhibition booths put up by the MRCS, state health department and Universiti Sains Malaysia’s AIDS Action & Research Group will be at the park for a week so that the public can have access to more information on HIV/AIDS. Flyers and red ribbons will also be distributed at the park.

The United Nations’ World AIDS Day 2001 theme for this year, I Care – Do You?, is aimed at changing society’s negative perception of those living with AIDS/HIV into one of non-discrimination, awareness and caring.

Malaysian Red Crescent Society (MRCS) Penang branch director Chan Hon Kwong said the theme also urged people to show care “not just by words but by action.”

“People living with AIDS/ HIV (PWAs) are often discriminated against and perceived in a bad way by society. This attitude must change to one of humanity and caring,” he said at the opening of the society’s World AIDS Day celebration on Saturday.

At the event, the MCRS Penang branch joined 19 countries in kicking off World AIDS Day by releasing 1,000 balloons into the sky at the Penang Youth Park.
The balloons, carrying “messages of love and care to PWAs” written by the public, were released by Yang di-Pertua Negri Tun Abdul Rahman Abbas in conjunction with the release of 50,000 other balloons in 19 Asia-Pacific countries, including China, South Korea, Thailand, Singapore, Myanmar and Vietnam.

MRCS Penang branch chairman Datuk Khoo Leong Hun said the society had also initiated its Youth Peer Education Programme, which would involve discussions on family planning, sexual responsibility and the dangers of sexually transmitted diseases, especially AIDS.

According to the Joint United Nations Programme on AIDS/HIV (UNAIDS) programme web page (www.unaids.org/worldaidsday/2001/), more than 8,000 people die of AIDS every day. There are 40 million people now living with the virus.