FIVE senior citizens, who have been actively contributing to the community or social work, received awards at the ‘Seniors Day Out’ progamme at the Klippa Shopping Centre in Batu Kawan today.
Chong Eng, the state executive councillor in charge of Social Development and non-Islamic Religious Affairs, presented the Active Aging Awards to Datuk Lawrence Cheah, Datuk Mary Ritchie, Datuk Dr Florence Sinniah, Dr Wan Joon Tong and Sharifah Nooriati Syed Amirudin.
Cheah, 79, is the president of Rose Charities Malaysia (Penang) and has served for 60 years; Mary, 87, is the president of the Mental Health Association and has served for 50 years; Dr Florence, 65, is the president of Sneham Malaysia/Befrienders Penang and has served for 15 years; Dr Wah, 82, is the chairman of Home Dynamics Berhad and has served for 34 years; and Sharifah, 65, is the founder and president of Pertubuhan Wanita Prihatin Pulau Pinang and has served for 26 years.
“Thank you very much for your tireless contributions. I hope everyone can continue this charity work so that we can carry out more programmes for the social development of the community in Penang.
“It will also help realise the Penang2030 vision for a Family-focused, Green and Smart State that Inspires the Nation’,” Chong Eng said during her speech at the event.
She also encouraged NGOs to promote social development projects. For the record, she said her office has also recently announced a maximum fund of RM5,000 to all NGOs that promote social development projects, including active aging programmes.
Interested applicants, she said, can contact her office for more information.
Chong Eng added that by the year 2040, Penang will be the first state to have an aging population and to prepare for this transformation, the state government, through the Penang Women’s Development Corporation (PWDC) and Malaysian Healthy Aging Society (MHAS) signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) recently. The plan is to implement measures to make Penang a friendly-aging city.
Meanwhile, many people turned up to take part in the ‘Seniors Day Out’ event, participating in activities such as aerobic exercise, singing and dancing, and a lucky draw.
Also present were Bukit Tambun assemblyman Goh Choon Aik and PWDC chief executive officer Ong Bee Leng.
Story by K.H. Ong
Pix by Lee Jia Ying