WE can do more...

Waaaaaa....How time flies when you are enjoying the sun, beach and great seafood at Kota Kinabalu beaches. Then...it's already the 3rd day of 2007.

I am going to start the New Year with an appeal to help spread the words to help the flood victims at Johor. I did not think much about the extent of the damage then but after I saw the photo that my friend sent to me about the damage done at her kampung and read the blog especially from Babeinthecity-KL. Better late then never. Sorry, I can be a bit slow sometimes.

I give thank to what I have now and also at the same time pause and think about our fellow Malaysians that are suffering because of the flood. The effort to clean up the mess after the flood. Carrying on the daily life with what is left. What about the children who are starting school today. There may not be a school yet to go to. Do what you can.

Source : http://babeinthecitykl.blogspot.com/2006/12/public-appeal-please-help-flood.html

Malaysian Red Crescent Relief Fund

The Malaysian Red Crescent Society (MRCS) is appealing to the general public including the private sector and corporate organisations for generous contributions towards the Malaysian Red Crescent Relief Fund set up to provide financial and relief assistance to people affected by the floods.All cash contributions are tax-exempted and are to be made payable to:"Malaysian Red Crescent Society" or Maybank A/C No - 5144 2210 3788 or call Tel: +603 - 4257 8726, Fax: +603 - 4257 3537 (Operations Room) for details.

Those who would like to have a tax-exemption receipt must fax in your bank-in slip and details (name, address and contact no) to the fax stated.

MRCS is also appealing for items that will be distributed to the various relief centres as follows:

Perishable FoodRice, Instant Noodle and Milk - Infant Formula and Adult

Can FoodChicken/Mutton/Beef, Vegetables, Sardines, Sugar, Coffee/Tea (Dust), Biscuits, Salt, Cooking Oil, Mineral Water

Non-Perishable ItemsSanitary Pads, Pampers, Toothpaste, Toothbrush, Towels, Soap, Detergent, Dettol, Slippers, Rubbish Bag

MedicinesMetronidazole, C.Penicillin, Ciprofloxacin, Anti-emetic - Metaclopramide, Antidiarrhoeal - Lomotil, Paracetomol tablets/suppository, Voltaran suppository and Antibiotic eye drops.

School ItemsSchool Bags, Uniform, Books, Stationaries and Bicycles.More details can be found at http://www.redcrescent.org.my/

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Orang Asli community in Endau Rompin

I've gotten a long mail from my friend in Kechara House, so I'm going to summarised it as best as I could...Kechara House (KH) is a Buddhist Center set up in the year 2002 at Sunway Mas. Website : http://www.kecharahouse.com/

Paulyne is involved with the rescue and relief team for the Johor Orang Asli Flood Victims at Endau Rompin. She is extending an SOS plea to Kechara members and the public for urgent donation to buy basic necessities like water, food, blanket, medication & manpower to help with distribution, etc.

In response, Kechara House is setting up a task force for collection and organization of this appeal.Please contact Kechara House Administrator, May Woo ( 0128338930 ), Paulyne ( 0123277898 ) or Wai Meng ( 012 212 0718) , regarding your pledge of donation or help.

Whoever wishes to volunteer for this task force, please contact Maple or Paulyne directly.Paulyne has been involved in a private initiative to help the Orang Asli at Endau Rompin for the past one year.

The Mission to bring supplies and medicine to the settlement will commence on the 5th of January 2007. ( see below for more details)

More background from Paulyne on 22 Dec:
There're about 450 Jakun tribe people squatting in the Endau Rompin National Park HQ, totally cut off by floods, with inadequate medical and food supplies. Many already started having diarrhea and we suspect cholera will follow soon.

A major relief mission has been organised, involving volunteers from KL, Penang and S'pore. There's always room for a team from Kechara House.

Please bear in mind that only heavy-duty vehicles will be permitted for this mission. I will personally go into the jungles as part of the mission.

Be reminded that only very experienced off-track drivers will be accepted as this can be dangerous. Those who are keen to go, you have to take anti-malaria medication immediately, pls. get them from me.Next, the mission has been scheduled for 5-8 Jan, Michael (team leader) will be briefing all participants before the trip. Those who are prone to skin allergies, scared of leeches, snakes, are not encouraged to participate. Once in the jungle, we'll be cut off from all communication, so please keep yourself fit for the trip. Please ask them to contact me for more info, if required.

More from Paulyne on 21 Dec:Here are more info about the plea for help. .... this morning, my friend Michael received a call from Endau Rompin Park that the entire orang asli is under water. Their livestock is gone, and so are most of their belongings.Being a neglected community, they're appealing to people like Michael and myself for aid. We have just sent them shoes and goodies for school kids a few weeks ago.Fortunately, there no loss of human lives yet, but some of them are beginning to show signs of illness, diarrhea and very soon we suspect cholera will set in. There are no medical facilities nearby, the nearest town Kahang is about 2 hours away by road and currently all roads are not passable to any kind of vehicles.What is worrying most is a tree called the 'Ipoh' tree (I think) which will emit poison once its bark is wet. We really worried that the flood waters will probably carry this poison into the rivers and kill all the fishes and prawns as well.

We are inviting caring members of Kechara House to collect donations in cash and kind towards the purchase of water, milk, food, blankets, towels, clothes (which we've already collected plenty by now but still need a lot of children's stuff) and medication.As soon as the roads are open to heavy vehicles, I'll be heading to Endau Rompin to assist in distributing the things to the stranded orang asli.

Members are most welcome to be part of the team but only heavy-duty vehicles and 4WD can be used for this mission. Kembaras and Vitaras are out! And drivers must be very experienced, team members are expected to get dirty!*******************************************************************

We've gotten one sms last nite asking the public not to donate instant noodles to the Orang Asli cos they don't take them but bee hoon is most welcomed.