RedCrescentPenang.org.my

The annual Malaysian Red Crescent Society (MRCS) Penang branch Flag Day will be held on Sunday 22 March 2009. So, Penangites, be ready with some loose change and be generous to the MRCS members approaching you with their donation tins. The society is aiming to raise RM100,000 or more this Flag Day when its members once again take to the streets of Penang to collect donations from the public.

Organising chairman and MRCS Penang branch vice-chairman Chan Hon Kwong said the society managed to collect almost RM100,000 last year and he was confident that they would reach the RM100,000 target this time. “We believe, to many, RM1 or RM2 is not much. We have a good feeling we can reach our target,” he told reporters at the MRCS Penang branch headquarters at Jalan Grove on Tuesday after the launching of the event by state Health, Welfare, Caring Society and Environment Committee Chairman Phee Boon Poh.

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THE Malaysian Red Crescent Society (MRCS) Penang branch wants to rope in more youths to be part of its regional disaster response team to assist relief operations.

Branch chairman Saw Ewe Yong said they could become members of the Voluntary Aid Detachment. “We provide free training. We hope youths will join the team so that they can provide help to the needy,” he said at the MRCS awards presentation ceremony at its headquarters yesterday. Currently, there are fewer than 100 active adult members in the state, he said.

A total of 115 members received their awards, which included the honorary life membership award, Distinguished Service Medal, excellent service medal and meritorious service medal.  The highlight of the ceremony was a special award presentation to Renesas Semiconductor (M) Sdn Bhd managing director Setsuo Ogura, who was also the branch’s fundraising dinner organising chairman for the past 15 years.

Ogura said the company was “passionate” about humanitarian and relief work. He said the company had contributed more than RM1mil to the branch in recent years.

The branch has about 8,000 members. It has 93 units in secondary schools and 91 units in primary schools. It has seven well-equipped ambulances to provide emergency aid.

About 250 members attended the ceremony that was held in conjunction with the World Red Crescent Day celebrations.

SLEEPING soundly, clerk Hasrini Hasin’s one-day old firstborn was oblivious to the attention showered on her when Malaysian Red Crescent Society (MRCS) Penang Island Chapter members paid a visit to the Penang Maternity Hospital.

MRCS had welcomed her as a Red Crescent baby to honour International Red Cross Society founder Henry Dunant, who was born on May 8, 1828, in Geneva,

“We have been doing this since the early 90s and today, we’re happy to welcome eight Red Crescent babies born on May 8 at the Penang Maternity Hospital,” MRCS Penang Island chapter acting chairman Nancy Cheah said.

Hasrini, 27, said her 3.52kg baby girl was born at 2.09am, and thanked MRCS for the hampers.

“I will encourage her to join MRCS to help and care for others,” she said.
Assistant accountant Siti Nurbaya Osman, 38, who delivered her sixth child at 9.10am that day, said she too hoped that her daughter would join the MRCS when in school.

“My eldest child who is in Year Four is an MRCS member and I hope that my youngest can follow in her footsteps and learn to have compassion for people.
“I also hope that my children show interest in medicine and in serving others so that they can grow up to be doctors and perform noble deeds,” she said.

Eight babies, four girls and four boys, by four local and four foreign women were born at the maternity hospital.

PENANG needs an emergency contingency plan.

State Health, Welfare and Caring Society Committee chairman Phee Boon Poh said it was crucial to establish a response team that could quickly decide what to do when emergencies happened.

“Previously, disaster management committees were only formed after the disasters had happened.

“We need people skilled in areas like first aid, rescue operations and logistics.

“Although I have not presented the proposal for the emergency contingency plan to the state executive council, I have spoken about it with the Chief Minister. He is also concerned,” he said.

Phee was speaking at a press conference recently after closing the 12th Regional Disaster Management Committee Meeting organised by the Malaysian Red Crescent Society (MRCS) on behalf of Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.

MRCS secretary-general Major General (Rtd) Datuk Megat Mohd Yusof Megat Mahmud said they provided training to workers and students as part of its ‘A First Aider in Every Home’ initiative, which was organised in collaboration with the Education Ministry and the Youth and Sports Ministry.

“We started in 1994 but re-launched the programme a few years ago. We hope to train five million first aiders in the country by 2010,” he said.

NON-governmental organisations(NGOs) in Penang can apply to pay only RM1 for their annual assessment as long they are non-profit and serve the community.

State Health and Welfare, and Caring Society committee chairman Phee Boon Poh said due consideration would be given on a case to case basis.

“It is not special treatment but non-profit organisations such as the Malaysian Red Crescent Society should be entitled to that special waiver because they contribute to the community.

“For as long as I’ve known, non-profit organisations (that serves the community) in the mainland only pay RM1 token amount to the Seberang Prai Municipal Council for their annual assessment,” he said when launching the MRCS Penang branch’s Flag Day at their headquarters at Grove Road in Penang recently.

Phee also suggested that the branch apply for a special waiver for quit rent, adding that he would check on the allowed quantum for non-profit organisations.

The MRCS has been paying RM3,600 for their annual assessment, MRSC branch vice-chairman and Flag Day organising chairman Chan Hon Kwong said.

Also present were MRCS adviser Datuk Khoo Leong Hun, branch chairman Saw Ewe Yong and branch deputy chairman Datuk B.J. Yeang.

A host of events were lined up for the participants for the three days two nights camp jointly organised by the Malaysian Red Crescent (MRC) Penang branch and the state Education Department.

They included setting up tents, mass cooking, camp craft and several other training sessions related to improving youth members leadership skills.

Seberang Prai municipal councillor Ong Tang Chuan, who closed the training camp on behalf of state executive councilor YB Lau Chiek Tuan, told the participants to share their knowledge with others when they returned to their respective schools.

Also present were MRC Penang branch vice chairman Chan Hon Kwong, state Education Department co-curriculum unit officer Sabidi Mustafar and organising chairman Lim Kuo Shee.

Cheng Kar Lee from SMJK Jit Sin received the Best Leadership Award. Muhamad Firdaus Abd Rahman from SMK St Georges was recognised the best male participant while Looi Mun Yee from SMK Convent Light Street was chosen as the best female participant.

SMK Tun Hussein Onn received the first prize for its choir presentation during the cultural night.

Click here to view the Youth Camp 2007 photos