REMEMBERING THE LESS FORTUNATE DURING THE FESTIVE SEASON

Saturday February 13, 2010
Single mums stand tall at reunion
By YIP YOKE TENG
Photos by SIA HONG KIAU

teng@thestar.com.my

THE reunion dinner is the most important meal of the year for the Chinese, and it should be a happy, heart-warming occasion with every one in the family coming together to celebrate the bond they share.

However, the occasion may be tinged with sadness for some families, in which some members are absent for one reason or another.

Still, the fact that they were from “incomplete” families did not stop 220 single parents and their children from revelling in a reunion dinner organised by Persatuan Rumah Caring Kajang at Fortuna Palace Restaurant in Kajang on Monday, alongside 20 old folks and 90 former drug addicts.

The single mothers kept their chins up, having embraced independence, and stood proud as their children, despite having had to endure pain and hardship in their growing years, had passed their examinations with flying colours or excelled in their career.

Thanks, mum!: Hiew Yoke Kuan (left) and Fu Xiang sharing Chinese New Year dishes with Liew at the reunion dinner

The hard work of 12 children who had scored straight As in the UPSR and PMR exams was recognised when they received awards from Kajang assemblyman Lee Kim Sin.

Among them were Hiew Yoke Kuan, 17, and her 12-year-old brother Fu Xiang, who had scored eight and seven As in their PMR and UPSR examinations respectively.

Nine years ago, their father succumbed to illness on the third day of Chinese New Year, leaving their mother Lim Mee Hua, 50, to fend for the family by ferrying children to school and making cakes.

Lim was thankful that she had a driving licence, which allowed her to eke out a living while keeping a watchful eye on her children.

Cherish the moment: Tan playing with her grandchild Looi Rui while Looi and his wife Tang Yi share the warm moment during the dinner

Two years ago, she started taking part in activities organised by the association and established close ties with its members.

“The Chinese New Year and reunion dinner used to remind me of the poignant moments of losing my husband, but now, these occasions fuel my spirit to brave the challenges ahead,” she said.

Another single mother, Tan Teaw Sim, 64, was all smiles at the reunion dinner, which she attended with her son Looi Joo Koon, 39, daughter-in-law Tang Yi, 39, and her four-year-old granddaughter Looi Rui.

When her husband left her, Tan took up to four jobs to raise Looi, who was then only seven years old.

A doctor now, Looi recalled helping his mother at a food kiosk and working part-time to earn tuition fees when pursuing his medical degree in China.

“The opportunities are out there and every one has an equal chance to taste success, so don’t be disheartened,” he told the children present.

He said the reunion dinner should not be the only occasion in the year to show love to one’s parents. “Find time to chat with them as often as possible; it will be good enough.”

Lim Mian Loong, 21, who amazed those around him with his excellent score of 3.97 out of 4 points in the first year of his accountancy degree at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, cherishes the reunion dinner as an occasion to thank his mother, Ong Lian Hiang, 51, who had raised him single-handedly since he was five, working in a restaurant.

Lim, who juggled his school work with part-time jobs, said it was time for his mother to enjoy life while he took over the role of breadwinner.

The festive mood was intense as the participants tossed yee sang, tucked into Chinese New Year dishes and were entertained by a world champion harmonica ensemble.

Residents from Caring Old Folks Home danced gleefully to the music while residents of six drug rehabilitation centres in Cheras and Kajang praised God in song.

Lee also penned chun lian (Chinese New Year couplets) on the spot and gave them to those present.

The association’s founder, Wendy Yap, said dedicating more than a decade to helping single mothers had proven rewarding.

“We believe helping single mothers is not just about giving them money and provisions; we must also make sure they can eventually live an independent life and, most importantly, their children grow up to be useful persons,” she said, thanking the 10 donors and sponsors who had made the reunion dinner a success.

“It is great that the children understand that only education can pull their families out of poverty and bring about a better life.

“Their mothers have done a great job in guiding them, despite the hardship they have had to bear,” she added.

3 WAKIL RAKYAT VISIT KAJANG MARKET...WELL DONE.

Tiga Wakil Rakyat Turun Serentak Ke Pasar Kajang

Pagi ini tiga orang Wakil Rakyat turun serentak membuat "Kunjungan Tahun Baru Cina"

Ke Pasar Kajang. Mereka ialah YB Dr Che Rusli bin Che Mat Ahli Parlimen Hulu Langat, YB Teo Nie Ching Ahli Parlimen Serdang dan YB Dr Shafie bin Abu Bakar ADUN Bangi. Mereka bertiga dan pembantu-pembantu bergabung tenaga mulai jam 8.30 menemui peniaga-peniaga dan pengunjung-pengunjung Pasar mengedarkan kad-kad Selamat tahun Baru Cina 2010 dan Jemptan Majlis Jamuan Tahun Baru Cina yang akan diadakan secara bersama antara Ahli Parleman Serdang dan ADUN Bangi pada 20 Februari 2010 (Sabtu) bertempat di Pusat Komuniti Taman Seri Langat. Jalan Reko, 43000 Kajang mulai jam 3.00 petang hingga 6.00 petang. Semua pihak dijemput hadir.

Turun ke Pasar menemui rakyat bagi mengucapkan selamat sama ada Tahun Baru Cina, Hari Raya Idul Fitri dan lain-lain adalah merupakan program tradisi yang diadakan setiap Tahun. Cuma tahun ini ketiga-ketiga Wakil Rakyat, khususnya dua ahli Parlimen hadir bersama merupakan satu yang lebih bermakna. Lebih dari 30 peti limau dan lebih dari 1,500 kad jemputan dan Selamat Tahun Baru Cina sempat diedar. Kad-kad selain ungkapan dalam bahasa Malaysia, tertera sama ungkapan di dalam tulisan Cina.

Rombongan yang terdiri lebih dari 20 orang memasuki lorong ke lorong pasar. Peniaga-peniaga dan pengunjung-pengunjung menyambut mereka dengan ceria. Setiap orang dihadiahkan dengan 2 biji limau mandarin dan kad-kad ucapan. Kunjungan berterusan hingga jam 10,00 pagi. Kehadiran kami menandakan kepada orang ramai tentang ketibaan Perayaan Tahun Baru Cina. Kami sebenarnya turut sama memeriahkan sama Sambutan Tahun Baru Cina dan memperlihatkan sikap muhibbah dan menghormati budaya antara kaum, bahkan sama menyambutnya bersama berbagai kaum.

ADUN BANGI WENT TO SUNGAI CHUA MARKET

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Turun Ke Sungai Chua: Selamat Tahun Baru Cina

Sungguhpun hari ini bukan hari kelepasan Sabtu dan Ahad, Pasar Sungai Chua tetap meriah dan dikunjung oleh pengunjung-pengunjung tetapnya membeli keperluan harian.

Pasar ini boleh disifatkan salah sebuah pasar terbesar di Hulu Langat mendapat kunjungan tertinggi pembeli-pembeli dan ruang pasar penuh sesak dengan penjual dan pembeli.

Demikianlah dalam rangka mengucapkan Selamat Tahun Baru Cina, Pasar Sungai Chua menjadi Pasar Utama kami kunjungi. Pagi ini adalah giliran kami berkunjung ke pasar tersebut. Jam lapan pagi saya menelefon Saudara Shahrum berhubung dengan persiapan. Menurutnya persediaan cukup dengan limau dan kad-kad jemputan ke Hari Terbuka Tahun Baru Cina pada 20 Februari 2010 (Sabtu) bertempat di Pusat Komuniti, Taman Seri Langat, Jalan Reko, jam 3.00 – 6.00 petang.


Saya bertolak dari Pejabat dan berjanji berjumpa di pintu masuk Pasar Sungai Chua, manaka Nada dan Nabilah mengikuti dengan kenderaan berikutnya. Tiba di Pasar Sungai Chua, kami mendapat maklumat kumpulan YB Teo Nie Ching dan YB Dr. Che Rusli Che Mat dan pengiring masing-masing telah tiba di pintu sebelah lain. Oleh kerana kotak limau kami telah dibuka dan kad jemputan di tangan, kami yang berkedudukan di pintu utama mulai mengedar kak-kad dan limau bersama Saudara Shahrum. Beliau pula berulang kali pergi mengambil kotak-kotak limau dari kenderaan. Ada kala pengunjung pasar sendiri tolong mengedarkan limau. Sebelum Nada dan Nabilah tiba, Sdr. Shahrum juga bertindak sebagai juru gambar dengan menggunakan kamera handset ADUN.


Dalam pada itu pasukan YB Sdr. Teo Nie Ching dan YB Dr. Che Rusli tiba ke bahagian pintu utama dan kami bersatu mengedarkan risalah dan limau kepada pengunjung-pengunjung yang berterusan melalui ruang menunggu. Pada masa inilah tiba pemberita-pemberita akhbar-akhbar yang dijemput seperti Sinar, Utusan, Nanyang Siang Pau, Sin Chew dan Chinese Press. Mereka sebok mengambil gambar semasa kami mengedarkan risalah dan limau-limau hingga semua peti limau kehabisan. Keputusan dibuat oleh Sdr. Foo untuk segera membeli 30 peti tambahan limau. Pembahagian terhenti sementara menunggu limau yang diorder tiba.

Sementara limau tiba perhatian tertumpu kepada peniaga-peniaga membuat protes kepada semua ketiga-tiga Wakil Rakyat berhubung larangan berniaga di pintu masuk dan larangan lori masuk ke tepi pasar memunggahkan barang-barang. Pada pagi ini juga ramai penguatkuasa tiba. Oleh kerana kesuntukan ruang dan kehadiran pembeli-pembeli ramai, terutama pada hari-hari minggu mereka memohon MPKj membenarkan mereka berniaga di pintu masuk selama dua hari. Kami berjanji untuk membawa perkara ini kepada MPKj. Perkara ini bukan baru. Larangan berniaga di pintu masuk pasar bertujuan untuk melicinkan laluan keluar-masuk, jika dibenarkan masalah kesesakan tidak dapat di atasi.


Apabila kotak-kotak limau tiba, keputusan diambil untuk memasuki ke pasar melalui lorong demi lorang. YB Teo Nie Ching bertindak sebagai pengedar limau dan jurucakap, kerana beliau memang banyak bercakap, lebih-lebih lagi hanya beliau memang berkemampuan menggunakan bahasa Manderin di kalangan pengunjung-pengunjung Cina dan Bahasa Malaysia untuk semua. Saya dan Dr. Che Rusli bertindak sebagai pemberi kad-kad. Sememangnya berlaku kesesakan di dalam pasar, tapi ini menjadi suasana lebih hidup dengan unjuk mengunjuk limau dan kad. Pengunjung-pengunjung juga amat ceria dengan kehadiran kami dan menyambut pemberian kami dengan penuh mesra. Ianya merupakan sebagai Pesta Kunjungan Tahun Baru Cina. Pengiring-pengiring berjumlah dalam lingkungan 15 orang. Limau yang dibeli sebagai tambahan juga ternyata tidak berkecukupan. YB Teo terpaksa, pada peringkat akhir mengurangkan pemberian limau dari 2 biji seorang kepada satu biji. Pada penghujung lorong terakhir limau kehabisan. Sejumlah 80 kotak limau berjaya diedarkan. Kami menghentikan edaran dengan kehabisan limau dan berpisah jam 10.00 pagi dengan penuh kepuasan. Cuma dalam masa mengedar limau dan kad, sebagaimana semalam di Pasar Kajang ada yang bertanya. "Mana YB Cikgu Lee Kim Sin ADUN Kajang?", Kami tidak dapat menjawab. Kalau beliau hadir tentulah lebih lengkap dengan kehadiran Ahli-Ahli Parlimen dan ADUN-ADUN Pakatan Rakyat dan tentulah lebih meriah.


Sementara itu, malam tadi sejak dari jam 8.00 malam Selasa ADUN Bangi dan YB Teo Nie Ching dan pengiring-pengiring juga turun bersama di Pasar Seri Langat mengedarkan limau dan kad jemputan kepada pengunjung pasar berkenaan yang terdiri dari berbagai kaum. Pasar di sini agak kurang besar dan tidaklah ramai dengan pengunjung, sebab itu dalam masa satu jam kami dapat selesaikan edaran kad dan limau. Masing-masing bergegas ke program masing-masing selepas itu dan ADUN Bangi pulang untuk urusan mesyuarat. Kunjungan ke Pasar Kajang, Sungai Chua dan Seri Langat mengeratkan hubungan kami dengan rakyat.

"Selamat Menyambut Tahun Baru Cina –Gong Xi Fa Chai"

THE STAR ON MPKj - TEARING DOWN ILLEGAL BILLBOARD & HIGH MAINTENANCE

The Star has 2 articles today on Kajang as follows. If true about the billboard then it's fantastic.

Monday February 1, 2010

MPKj tearing down illegal billboards

By OH ING YEEN

ingyeen@thestar.com.my

THE Kajang Municipal Council (MPKj) has begun operations to tear down illegal billboards.

The exercise started with Bandar Baru Bangi, where seven of the 20 illegal billboards had been taken down, and the remaining 13 would follow soon, council president Datuk Hassan Nawawi Abdul Rahman said at the Kajang Municipal Council full board meeting.

“It takes three hours to take down a big billboard (6.1m x 15.2m). There is even one that is located below TNB high-tension cables,” he said, adding that there were 1,600 illegal buntings in Kajang.

Several councillors pointed out that students were playing truant and visiting cybercafes near schools.

Hassan said there were guidelines on issuing licences for cybercafes. “It has to be at least 100m away from the schools. The council has the right to take action against operators who allow students in school uniform to enter the cybercafe. The maximum fine is RM1,000.

“However, the presence of cybercafes near schools is not the main reason for students playing truant. There are other reasons for them to skip school, too,” he said.

Kajang council spends RM95,000 for upkeep of vehicles

By OH ING YEEN

ingyeen@thestar.com.my

Kajang municipal councillors highlighted the exorbitant maintenance fees for council vehicles, which totalled more than RM95,960 last year.

At the monthly MPKj fullboard meeting, councillor Lee Kee Hiong questioned the reason for such high expenses for 14 vehicles.

A Jaguh motorbike costs RM4,645 a year for maintenance.

“There are even four vehicles that costs more than RM10,000 each, and these are only vehicles used by the enforcement department, what about the other departments?

“Despite such an amount spent on maintaining the vehicles, there are occasions when we had to abort certain operations due to vehicles breaking down,” she said.

One of the council directors said the motorbikes were used for escorting visiting VIPs such as the Mentri Besar.

Council president Datuk Hassan Nawawi Abdul Rahman explained that higher maintenance fees was needed for old cars.

“About 60% of the cars are more than 12 years old,” he said.

However, he could not provide off-hand the exact number of vehicles that the council uses.

He added that the council would use the hire purchase system when obtaining new cars.

Until the next time, cheers.