RedCrescentPenang.org.my

MALAYSIAN Red Crescent Society (MRCS) members in their white uniforms will be a familiar sight in Penang this weekend. This is because about 2,000 MRCS members from the Penang branch will be out in force on the streets in the state tomorrow and on Sunday to collect donations in conjunction with their society’s annual Flag Day.

MRCS Penang branch chairman Saw Ewe Yong said the branch had targeted a collection of RM100,000 this year. Besides, organising chairman Chan Hon Kwong said that other than manpower, the society was also in need of financial resources to continue carrying out its humanitarian work.

MRCS members will hit the streets of Penang this weekend to raise funds.

“I appeal to the public to show their support to enable us to carry out our activities,” he said before the launching of the Flag Day by state executive councillor Datuk Koay Kar Huah at the Penang MRCS headquarters on Wednesday.

Chan, who is also MRCS Penang branch vice-chairman, said that among the activities carried out by the branch was the 24-hour ambulance standby service during festive seasons. He said the branch also provided ambulance service to transport the aged and sick from their homes to hospitals.

Thanking the MRCS members for their contributions, Koay urged the public to donate generously to the Flag Day collection to make it possible for the society to continue its noble activities.

During the last Deeparaya celebrations, the Penang branch of Malaysian Red Crescent Society (MRCS) treated an accident victim suffering from head injuries and a spinal fracture.

“We administered first aid and rushed him to the Penang Hospital. The victim survived,” said MRCS training officer G Karuna.  Now he and the other 300 members and 30 officers of MRCS are again gearing up for action during Chinese New Year.

There were also two cases where CPR (cardio pulmonary resuscitation) was given for cardiac arrest.  However, the victims were pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital, said Karuna, who is a small trader by profession.

The squad’s festive mobilisation exercise was launched Thursday by state Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Committee chairman Lau Chiek Tuan at his MCA Berapit service centre.

”Qualified first aid personnel will be on duty 24 hours a day from now until Feb 1, working in three shifts. “Four fully equipped ambulances are at our disposal and backed up by two four-wheel drive units,” said Lau, who is also the state MRCS branch secretary.

“Our vehicles are connected to all the government hospitals via the Penang Emergency Ambulance Radio Link (PEARL) system.”

“Two MRCS ambulances are on standby to serve Penang island, one for North Seberang Prai and one for Central and South Seberang Prai.”

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.

UPON learning that the Malaysian Red Crescent Society (MRCS) Penang branch was seeking funds to buy a four-wheel drive (4WD) for disaster response operations, one company decided to give them such a vehicle.

The Boeing Company promptly donated a Ford Ranger worth RM100,000.

The regional vice-president of South-East Asia Paul Walters said the vehicle would be used to carry rescue personnel and equipment to disaster sites.

“The funding for the vehicle comes at a time when the Malaysian government and the MRCS are upgrading disaster response services,” he said, adding that Boeing shared the sentiment of the countries affected by the tsunami in December last year.

Walters handed the mock key for the vehicle to Penang Governor Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Abdul Rahman Abbas, patron of the MRCS Penang branch, during the Annual Dinner recently.

The branch chairman Ir. Saw Ewe Yong said as a voluntary organisation which depended totally on fundraising to carry out its activities and projects, the branch required a minimum annual funding of RM500,000 for various training programmes.

MRCS national chairman Tunku Tan Sri Shahriman Tunku Sulaiman also commended the Penang branch for its active role during the tsunami disaster.

“The branch was actively involved in search and rescue, counselling, health care, mass cooking and other relief operations,” he said.

The event raised a gross sum of RM155,000 for the society.

Aug 20 (Bernama) — The Boeing Company has presented a four-wheel-drive vehicle to the Penang branch of the Malaysian Red Crescent Society (MRCS) as part of efforts to improve the quality of life in the communities in which it operates.

“The four-wheel drive will enable the society to be in a better position to render medical aid in remote areas in times of disaster,” said Boeing’s Regional Vice-President Paul Walters.  He said the US$28,000 (RM103,600) gift was decided by Boeing after a devastating tsunami hit Penang on Dec 26 last year.

Prior to the tsunami disaster, Boeing had donated an ambulance to the Penang branch of the MRCS last year but it was subsequently felt that a 4WD vehicle would serve the society better, especially in remote areas.

More than 60 people were killed by the tidal waves in Malaysia following an earthquake off Indonesia’s Aceh coast on Boxing Day.  As part of its good corporate citizenship efforts, Boeing had budgeted US$44 million worldwide “to put back into the communities where we live and work and 10 per cent of that is spent internationally,” said Walters.

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