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.

THE Malaysian Red Crescent Society (MRCS) of SM Methodist Girls School (MGS) in Penang collected the most money among Penang schools during Flag Day on March 24 and 25.

The 103 members collected RM21,000 over the two days.

For their efforts, the school received a trophy from the Penang MRCS branch at the branch’s annual awards presentation ceremony held recently at the state MRCS headquarters in Grove Road.

Three Form Five students from the school also won trophies for their excellent leadership qualities. They are Khaw Jze Yuin, Aimy Lee and Ooi Her Wuen.

All smiles: (From left) Khaw, Ooi and Lee showing off their trophies.
Khaw said she liked doing community work as she gets satisfaction from helping people.

John Conceicao, 76, who had been a member of the society for 42 years, received the long-service award.

SMK Chung Ling students C. L. Peh and Tan Wei Keat also received leadership awards.

MRCS Penang branch chairman Saw Ewe Yong gave out the awards.

Cooking for the masses is no easy task, especially during times of disaster. Food has to be prepared quickly, hygienically and be good enough to feed the crowds at disaster relief centres.

With teamwork and proper co-ordination, cooking for about 500 people can be accomplished in just two hours. Malaysian Red Crescent Society Penang branch sub-committee chairman of disaster response Peh Cheah Lun said members were trained to cook for large crowds during disasters, adding that mass cookout required the use of the right cooking utensils.

A mass cooking session was held yesterday at the Kota Permai voluntary fire fighting squad centre, Bukit Mertajam. Participants included 200 members of the Padang Lalang constituency disaster relief team and 120 voluntary firemen from Juru, Machang Bubok, Sungai Rampai and Kota Permai.

“Rice is cooked via steaming in a Clinton cooker. After the rice is washed, it is placed on several trays which are then stacked on top of each other in the cooker,” said Peh, adding that the rice would be cooked in 45min. One cooker, which resembles a traditional steamer, can steam rice to feed up to 250 people. During the exercise, volunteers used 30 chickens, 20kg of onions and a gunnysack of potatoes to prepare chicken curry. They also boiled 400 eggs in 15min and used 96 cans of sardines as one of the main dishes. They also stir-fried 50 bunches of cabbage. The total cost of the cooking exercise was RM500.

“All the food cooked today are enough for 500 people,” said Padang Lalang assemblyman Tan Teik Cheng who was present to supervise the exercise. He added that it was important to train volunteers and be ready for disasters. “Since floods always hit my constituency, the disaster team here needs to learn how to handle such situations. With an orderly and good system in place, the team would avert chaos. They would know how to handle the situation,” he said.

MALAYSIAN Red Crescent Society (MRCS) members will hit the streets of Penang this weekend to seek donations in conjunction with the society’s annual Flag Day.

MRCS Penang branch chairman Saw Ewe Yong said the branch had targeted a collection of RM100,000 this year to cover its expenses. Last year, the expenditure for our activities and operations amounted to RM600,000 and we expect the figure to rise to RM700,000 this year.

“One-third of the expenditure each goes to members’ training, administrative cost and maintenance of our premises and vehicles respectively,” he said at the event’s launching by state executive councillor Datuk Dr Teng Hock Nan at the Penang MRCS headquarters recently.

Leading by example: Dr Teng(second left)contributing some money after launching the Flag Day.

Saw said as a voluntary body, the society did not get any grant from the government and was solely depended on public donations. He said 5,000 members in their white uniforms would go around the streets and shopping complexes with their collection tins.

Organising chairman Chan Hon Kwong said among the activities carried out by the branch was the 24-hour ambulance standby service during festive seasons. “It is through our various fundraising projects that we are able to carry out our humanitarian work to the highest caliber,” he added.

In his speech, Dr Teng lauded the society for organising this mass effort, which reflected the spirit of cooperation. “I strongly appeal to the public to donate generously when approached by the members,” he added.

WITH an expected increase of accident cases during the Chinese New Year period, the Central and South Seberang Prai Malaysian Red Crescent Society has put three ambulances on a 24-hour standby mode for emergency services.

Central and South Seberang Prai Malaysian Red Crescent Society chairman Dr Yang Yit Min said there would be at least a 30% increase in accident cases during the festive period. “These ambulances along with 30 members would compliment the emergency services rendered by Government hospitals.”

“We will be concentrating more on the trunk roads and will make our services available for any emergencies,” he said before the launching the 24-hour service ambulances at Berapit assemblyman YB Lau Chiek Tuan’s service centre in Bukit Mertajam on Thursday.

The 30-member day team works in three shifts for eight days starting Thursday till Feb 22. The service will now be available from 4pm on Feb 17 till 12 midnight on Feb 19. “This is the eighth year we are providing this service and it will cover the area from Nibong Tebal to Seberang Jaya.”

“Our communication system will be connected to the Seberang Jaya Hospital, Sungai Bakap Hospital and Bukit Mertajam Hospital. We will be communicating via the Penang Emergency Area Radio Link (PEARL),” he said.

THE organisers of Penang Buildex 2006 Exhibition, a building industry showcase which was held at the Penang International Sports Arena recently, have donated RM6,500 to two charitable organisations.

Expo organising chairman Lim Hun Swee said the money was part of the revenue from the sale of booths during the three-day event.

The recipients were the Malaysian Red Crescent Society (MRCS) Penang branch and Sima Handicapped Centre which received RM4,000 and RM2,500 respectively.

Lim handed mock cheques to MRCS Island chapter deputy chairman Nancy Cheah and Sima’s founder William Ch’ng at a simple ceremony recently at the Penang Chinese Chamber of Commerce (PCCC) at the Penang Chinese Town Hall building.

Penang Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Committee Chairman YB. Lau Chiek Tuan, PCCC president Datuk Khor Teng Tong and Penang Master Builders and Building Materials Dealers Association (PMBBMDA) president Finn Choong Khuat Seng witnessed the presentation.