FT Girl Guides Association celebrates World Thinking Day
By BAVANI M
THE Federal Territory Girl Guides Association celebrated World Thinking Day on Saturday by launching an awareness campaign to stop the spread of AIDS through the sale of its bookmark.
The bookmark basically carries important information on AIDS awareness and members will help to sell it to raise funds to help the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) in its global fight against AIDS and other diseases.
World Thinking Day, which falls on Feb 22, was originally a Girl Guide and Scout initiative whereby girls all over the world sent kind thoughts to each other and learnt more about life from girls in other cultures.
Today, it has moved beyond the Guide and Scout movements and has been adopted by other girl groups. The message has also expanded to focus on health issues that affect girls and young women.
Informative initiative: (From left) Norkhayati (in white tudung), Yeoh and DBKL deputy director-general (administration) Datuk Norma Malik launching the AIDS awareness bookmark project.The celebration, which was held at the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) auditorium, featured songs and performances by Girl Guides from various schools in the city.
The event was graced by Federal Territory Girl Guides Association patron Datin Norkhayati Hashim, who is the wife of Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Ahmad Fuad Ismail.
Also present were Kuala Lumpur Girl Guides Association president Datuk Yeoh Soo Keng and Federal Territory Kuala Lumpur Education Department director Sulaiman Wak.
Yeoh said the association had planned several activities for its members for the year 2009 and that most of them would include AIDS awareness education.
The programmes include social activities, scheme tests and handicraft making, involving Guides from 145 schools in the Federal Territory.
The Girl Guides movement in Malaysia began in 1916 with only six members, and there are now more than 8,000 members in the Federal Territory.
Calling all former scouts, ISGF Asia Pacific gathering to be held in July
By THO XIN YI
THE International Scout and Guide Fellowship (ISGF) Asia Pacific Gathering will be held from July 16 to 21 at the Selesa Resort in Bukit Tinggi, Pahang.
It is the second time the gathering is being held here – the first in August 1998 – by the Malaysian Fellowship of Former Scouts and Guides (Fofsag).
Themed Towards A Better World, the activities would include a campfire night, waterfall tour and fellowship banquet.
“The highlight is the Asia Pacific Inaugural Golf Tournament for both local and foreign participants. We also have visits to places of interests and selected tours to promote Malaysia to the foreigners,” Fofsag president Tajinder Singh said.
ISGF world chairman Brett D Grant said the event’s objective was to bring all members within the region together to form a network.
“So far, 70 members internationally have registered to participate in this gathering, and we have also received enquiries from members beyond our region – Ghana, Egypt, Libya, Denmark and United Kingdom,” he said.
For details, call 03-40453421, or Shaharom Banun (013-3360088) or Tajinder Singh (017-3832303) or visit www.fofsag.webs.com/.
Abdullah the scout par excellence
By YIP YOKE TENG
LARGE banners of outgoing Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi looking resplendent in full Scouts uniform adorn the walls of Rumah BP, the headquarters of the National Scouts Association of Malaysia, in Jalan Hang Jebat, Kuala Lumpur.
The photo was taken after Abdullah, the association’s honorary president, received the highest award of the movement, the Semangat Padi Award First Class (Gold), during its centenary celebration in 2006.
In the picture, Abdullah is seen standing tall next to Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who also heads the scout movement in Indonesia called Pramuka.
“Once a scout always a scout, Pak Lah always reminds us of that, and he practises what he preaches. Not only that, he has always been a sincere follower of all scout rules and principles,” national chief scout Datuk Seri Dr Shafie Mohd Salleh told StarMetro.
According to Shafie, Abdullah had shown his leadership abilities during his school days, when he joined the scout movement in his primary school days and later became a troop leader at the Bukit Mertajam High School.
“In fact, the humble prime minister always said the training he had during his scouting days made him what he is, and a scout will always become a successful person as discipline has been inculcated in him since young,” Shafie said.
Renewing their commitment: Shafie (middle) with chief executive secretary Mohd Zaki Nurud-Din (right) and national training commissioner Abdul Shukor Mohsin taking an oath.
Abdullah’s scoutmaster Ng Soo Chye has recalled in the scouts circular that he was someone who thought creatively, liked to mix with friends of different ethnic backgrounds, was a disciplined person and had innate leadership ability.
“Datuk Seri was also a selfless scout who was ever ready to help others, therefore he was always a crowd favourite. He was polite but firm, he could shoulder responsibilities and he was good at delegating tasks. He was an epitome of the scout spirit,” Ng was quoted as saying.
Shafie said it was quite a challenge to list out Abdullah’s contributions to the movement as there were just too many.
One of his first efforts, which is still much appreciated after several decades, was his decision to make uniform group participation a compulsory co-curricular activity in schools in 1984 when he was the education minister and the patron of the association.
He also directed the formation of the Training Scout Council of Malaysia under the Education Ministry to facilitate the movement’s development.
Shafie said Abdullah was also the first to take the initiative to bring scouts in Asean closer together, fostering closer bilateral ties among the countries and promoting better understanding between the people at all levels.
Leaders in the region welcomed the initiative with enthusiasm, and the Asean Scout was formed after a meeting between Abdullah and Susilo.
“When the Indonesian president came with his delegates for the centenary celebration, we were treated to a heartening scene where everyone scrambled to see their old scout uniforms. That simply demonstrated the spirit, Scout Never Alone and Always Like Young,” Shafie said.
He said Abdullah, as a caring leader, heeded the needs of poor people closely.
Shafie said among the various measures, Abdullah offered free uniforms to schoolgoing members whose household income was less than RM1,000 a month.
He recalled that the opening ceremony of the International Union of Muslim Scouts international jamboree in Malacca in 2006 coincided with a cabinet meeting but Abdullah made it to the function.
“Though it was difficult, Pak Lah did not disappoint the participants from all around the world. Such dedication and understanding really touched me,” he said.
Shafie said Abdullah’s efforts were appreciated by the international scouting fraternity, with the Indonesian Scout Movement honouring him with the Tunas Kencana award in Jakarta in 2007.
The scount movement’s centurial celebration will climax on April 25 when the commemorative medal and shilling will be unveiled. The association will present the medal to Abdullah and invite him to continue leading the local movement, which now has 250,000 members.
Leow loses kilos but gains friends during NS stint
By ROSLINA MOHAMAD
“The programme develops a wholesome attitude for the trainees and promotes unity.
Sensational: Leow (right) receiving the “Wira” award from Abdul Hadi (left) after completing the three-month National Service programme.“It teaches everyone about cooperation and ways to achieve it,” he said when met after the function.
The fifth boy of six siblings and a scout leader from Tangkak, Johor, Leow received his award from the NS director general Datuk Abdul Hadi Awang Kechil at the closing ceremony.
Leow added that during the stint, he was close to many trainees of different races and religion.
“It gives the opportunity for me to know about their culture better.
“I also learned to be more independent and gained knowledge on leadership qualities,” said Leow.
On the most unforgettable experience during the programme, Leow said it was when he tried rowing the kayak.
Leow added that there were concerns because of his weight but he managed to complete the task and was even praised for doing a good job.
Abdul Hadi, in his speech earlier, commended the trainees for completing their stint and was confident that they would become a better lot.
He also said parents would see their children as ‘a new person’ with a more positive outlook and a higher sense of patriotism.
A day out in the town for Girl Guides
Story and photos by NIK NAIZI HUSIN
THE three-day Friends of Asia Pacific World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) general assembly held in Kuantan was a time for bonding and also an opportunity for the participants to get to know Pahang better.
WAGGGS is the official umbrella organisation for the national Girl Guide and Girl Scout organisations in the world with about 10 million individual members.
It provided young women with high quality non-formal educational programmes, including training in life skills, leaderships and decision making.
Fostering good relationship: Tunku Azizah (left), Adviser on Women and Social Development to the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil with the Korean participants.The assembly held in Kuantan recently saw some 100 participants from Malaysia, South Korea and Australia taking time off during the event to have a familiarisation tour to the Royal Tenun (weaving) Centre in Kampong Sunagi Soi in the town and later proceed to visit Rumah Penyayang Tun Rahah and the Tunku Azizah cooking school in the Inderapura Resort, both in the Royal Town of Pekan.
Royal Patron of WAGGGS and Malaysia’s WAGGGGS chairman Tengku Puan Pahang Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah Sultan Iskandar said the participants were able to let their hair down during the three days to strengthen not only their friendship but the guiding spirit in them.
“It is what I call bonding time,” Tunku Azizah said in her message in the souvenier programme book.
This is how you do it: Tunku Azizah showing off her cooking skills to the participants.She said the gathering was held a week after the World Thinking Day and in conjucntion with the day, she called on members to think of how to recruit more friends.
“Think of how many more friends we can have and all the wonderful things we can do to promote and contribute towards guiding in the Asia Pacific region,” she said.
During the visit to the weaving centre, the participants were shown the art of tenun Pahang, which included fabric weaved by the skillful workers and guests in the centre.
Music time: The villagers in Pekan district playing traditional music for the participants during their visit to the Tunku Azizah Cooking School.They spent more than an hour getting to know the centre’s workers and guests while appreciating their art of weaving.
In Rumah Penyayang Tun Rahah, orphans and children from broken homes were delighted to meet the WAGGGS participants.
Lunch was held in a hall together with the participants and Tunku Azizah.
Later in the evening, the participants visited Inderapura Resort and the nearby Tunku Azizah cooking school where Tunku Azizah showed off her cooking skills.
Scout movement loses lustre
“The Scout’s popularity has waned and there are many uniformed units for students to choose from nowadays.
“Police and army cadets, which are supported by the Government, have an advan- tage over the Scout movement — they are part of the school co-curriculum,” he added recently.
Rafie said the Scouts movement, which was introduced in Malaysia in 1908, was being run by volunteers and steps were being taken to promote the movement to schools.
Recently, 60 Scouts made up of 27 boys and 33 girls from all over Kelantan attended an expedition where they canoed 50km from Sungai Kelantan to Pulau Melaka.
Kelantan Education Director Ghazali Abdul Rahman, who flagged off the expedition, said it was the first time that such an event was organised by the Kelantan Scouts.
“We hope that the students will gain the self-confidence required to accept challenges of the future,” he said.
One of the participants, Muhamad Hakim, 17, said he was thrilled with the expedition, adding that he felt good after finishing the ti-ring journey.
“If I had the chance, I would love to do it all over again,” he added.
Salimah Ahmad, 17, from Tumpat, said she nearly gave up half way but she had lots of encouragement from her peers who encou-raged her to finish the gruelling trip.
Keep the spirit alive
By LOOI SUE-CHERN
MORE than 2,500 Girl Guides, Rangers and Brownies from schools in Penang observed the movements’ World Thinking Day this year with a very special “line-up”.
They lined the 8km route of a jeep ride which took Girl Guides Association of Malaysia president Datin Seri Jeanne Abdullah from Convent Green Lane (CGL) to St Xavier’s Institution (SXI) during the Penang state-level celebration of the event last Saturday.
The Prime Minister’s wife, who was the guest-of-honour at the Penang celebration, was accompanied by the association’s chief commissioner Datin Zalillah Mohd Taib and Penang Girl Guides Association (PGGA) president Datin Seri Su Hashim on the ride. Jeanne had earlier opened the celebration at CGL.
There were also 20 Girl Guides on bicycles and 15 PGGA leaders on trishaws accompanying the jeep to meet the girls who formed the line in batches.
Jeanne lighting up the Guiding Light torch to start off the event.The association is attempting to enter the Malaysian Book of Records for the longest human chain through the line-up which stretched along Jalan Mesjid Negeri, Scotland Road, Macalister Road, Peel Avenue, Pangkor Road, Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah and Farquhar Street.
At the closing ceremony of the celebration at the SXI field, Jeanne handed over RM3,000 collected by the PGGA through a walkathon to two welfare organisations – Pure Lotus Hospice of Compassion and the Handicapped Children’s Association in Bukit Mertajam.
She also handed over a donation of alumminium can ring tabs collected by the PGGA to the Prostheses Foundation of H.R.H. The Princess Mother of Thailand which uses the tabs to make artificial limbs. The donation was received by the foundation’s secretary-general Dr Therdchai Jivacate.
Zalillah, in her speech, congratulated the PGGA for its fine work in organising the huge celebration.
“We hope to see the association continue to develop into a more excellent and dynamic organisation and do its part to train young women to be sincere and pure in speech and action,” she said.
The annual World Thinking Day, which falls on Feb 22, is celebrated globally for Girl Guides to think and give thanks to each other.
It is themed Guides Worldwide Say: “Stop the Spread of Aids, Malaria and other Diseases” this year.
The celebration also commemorates the birthday of Lord Baden-Powell who founded the Boy Scout Movement, and his wife, Lady Olave Baden-Powell who was World Chief Guide.
Fun, frolic and 300 students mark World Scout Day
By PRISCILLA DIELENBERG
The students, comprising girl and boy scouts and some girl guides, were from 14 primary and secondary schools in the district.
After a formal assembly, the students separated into groups for some fun with Kim’s Games (memory and observation games named after the hero of Rudyard Kipling’s novel ‘Kim’).
The games involved the five senses of sight, sound, smell, taste and touch.
For example, in the game of touch, blindfolded students were asked if they preferred to dip their hands into a pail of clean or dirty water to feel for and identify several items such as a comb, a brush, a pen, string, a screwdriver, and even a mobile phone dummy.
Those who preferred clean water were then led to a pail of water mixed with some mud, sand and grass while those who chose dirty water were led to a pail of not-so-dirty water.
Then in a test of memory, they had to list down all the items they found in the pail.
Students waiting for their turn to play did not just stand around idly but had fun with tongue twisters in English, Bahasa Malaysia and even Hokkien.
The primary school students played five similar but simpler games that required them to identify a fewer number of items.
Among the pupils were Muhd Aizat Shamsudin, 11, and Mohd Khairul Ikhwan Mohd Kamil, 12, of SK Sungai Ara who said they were glad they took part in the event as they were enjoying themselves very much.
Teacher, scout, crusader
Review by LIM WEY WEN
SELFLESS WARRIOR: A TRIBUTE TO THE LATE MR LLOYD TAN PAO CHAN
By: Dr Chew Nee Kong
Publisher: Negeri Sembilan Parkinson’s Society, Malaysia
ISBN: 978-9834398903
IF a man’s worth can be judged by the weight of his biography, you know you are going to read about someone important when you hold this book in your hands.
Tipping the scales at 1.5kg, Selfless Warrior even outweighed the heaviest book in my collection by 0.5kg – which happens to be my trusty paperback version of Oxford’s Advanced Learner’s Dictionary.
But that kind of weight, translated in almost 450 pages of pictures, memorabilia and testimonials, is hardly enough to encapsulate the life of the late Lloyd Tan Pao Chan, a mighty soul of seemingly common but precious qualities.
Tan was the founder of the Malaysian Parkinson’s Disease Association (MPDA) which was formed in 1994. Diagnosed with Parkinson’s 15 years before he eventually succumbed to pneumonia at age 71, Tan is truly a rare breed.
As a child, he was jovial, talkative and a model student. Although schooling started at age ten for him after the Japanese occupation in 1945, he went on to excel in his studies until he graduated from the Malayan Teacher’s College.
As a teacher, his selflessness and devotion to teaching motivated and encouraged countless students under his tutelage, some of which visited him frequently even when he was no longer their teacher. His friendly style and understanding nature brought him close to his students as he could always empathise with their teenage concerns.
Despite the gratitude expressed by his students, Tan remained humble and continued to serve without expecting anything in return.
The highlight of Tan’s teaching career, though, was his involvement in the propagation of Scouting in the schools he served. As poverty had denied him a chance of joining the Scout Movement when he was young, he actively pursued this dream when he became a teacher. He later became a Scout Master who led and inspired numerous young boys.
He used to go out of his way to help students and colleagues, and his skills in massage had his friends running to him when they have aches and pains.
A caring husband and father, he always made time for his family despite his busy schedule. Among Tan’s virtues, the one that stands out the most was his inherent ability to see the silver lining in every cloud.
When he could not afford to go to a medical school, he chose education instead. When he knew he had Parkinson’s disease, he went to the United States to understand his disease and find a way to deal with it.
To help society understand more about Parkinson’s disease, Tan was ever willing to take part in medical trainings at hospitals or media interviews about the disease.
Even in his speeches and letters to the Parkinson’s community, he light heartedly called himself a “Parkie” and continuously gave words of encouragement to other patients.
As a tribute to Tan’s dedication in creating awareness about Parkinson’s disease, Dr Chew also dedicates a chapter of the book to explain the disease in comprehensive, layman terms.
Like plots of a movie, most writers will agree that a good story will compensate for some “packaging” flaws. So is the case with Tan’s story. Amidst some blurry photos and size 14 Times New Roman fonts, the spirit of this man leaps out of every page, inspiring readers with his patience, love and sincerity.
Fun for Special Scouts
By CHRISTINA CHIN
THE Penang Water Sports Recreation Centre was abuzz with laughter and cheer when a group of Special Scouts embarked on an unforgettable adventure there recently.
Organised by the Penang Cheshire Home, the Special Scouts Carnival held in conjunction with 100 years of Scouting in Malaysia, saw the special children doing everything their able-bodied counterparts normally did at such events.
Special scouts learning flower arranging skills at the carnival. The children spent the day canoeing, communicating via ham radio, playing station games, learning flower arrangements, acquiring firefighting skills, making sandwiches and even trying their hand at paintballing!
Thirteen-year-old Ng Phooi Ling said she had “a lot of fun” at the beach.
“I love the water. My favourites were canoeing and the paintball session where I got to shoot with a gun.
Special scouts, aided by volunteers and a fire department personnel learning how to put out fire during the carnival. “I hope they will have more carnivals for us,” she said, adding that all her friends had a good time too.
Pulau Tikus assemblyman Koay Teng Hai, who was present to launch the event, praised the participants for showing the “Scouting spirit”.
“Remember, you are all part of a worldwide movement with 28 million members in more than 150 countries,” he said, drawing a loud applause from the crowd.
Ready, aim, fire: Special Scouts learning how to shoot paintballs.In his speech, the home’s chairman Datuk Seri Khoo Keat Siew said the Scout Movement was for all young people, irrespective of creed, race and physical ability.
“As far back as 1920, the movement’s founder Lord Baden Powel had emphasised that Scouting is not only for the physically strong but also for the weak so that they can gain their strength and hope.
“The home started its Scout Movement in 2001 and recently organised the first Penang Cheshire Special Troop Camp in Cameron Highlands.
“Today’s event is a follow-up to that because the kids requested another outing that included canoeing as part of the activities,” he said.
The home’s Scouts coordinator Veronica Pau urged parents of children with special needs to allow them to participate in “normal activities”.
“Give them a chance to join society. These special children can be like everyone else if they receive proper training and guidance.
“Some of the activities may have to be improvised and adapted to their capabilities but other than that, disability should not be a hindrance to them.
“No one is perfect and every-one needs a little help. Each and everyone of us has some form of disability. For instance, those who wear spectacles need help with their vision too,” she said.
A total of 36 participants from the home and Penang Cerebral Palsy (Spastic) Children’s Association attended the event.
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