SIBLINGS Nur Dania Mohd Najib, 10, and her sister, Nur Dafinah, eight, were both scared of water and swimming but not now.
They were among 64 pupils who received certificates from Penang Island City Council (MBPP) councillor Gerald Mak Mun Keong after completing a basic swimming course at the MBPP Sports Complex in Relau today.
“Now, I feel confident of entering the water. I am happy to learn some strokes and be able to swim a bit of a distance,” said Nur Dania.
Both Nur Dania and Nur Dafinah, who are studying at SRJK ( C) Union in Jalan Burma, also received morale support from their parents – contractor Mohd Najib, 41, and housewife Sit Raslina Mohd Ali, 38.
It was second time this year that MBPP held the basic swimming course for the young ones. The first session was held in March.
“They were afraid of water when we took them to the pool. But after joining the course, they could swim after the third lesson. There were altogether six lessons,” said a beaming Siti Raslina.
Mohd Najib chipped in. “We’re thankful for the opportunity to send them for the free lessons. We made effort to bring them to the pool because we know the importance of their own safety.
“Thanks to MBPP for organising this basic swimming course. It can be expensive to send children for private coaching. I hope MBPP will continue with this programme.”
Mak also congratulated MBPP for initiating the programme this year and expressed hope it would continue in the future.
“This programme caters especially to children from B40 (bottom 40% income earners) families. It is estimated that there are eight million families in the B40 and M40 (middle 40% income earners), out of which 2.7 million are in the B40 group and the rest in the M40 group,” Mak said.
“MBPP is always concerned and caring about the needs of the children from the B40 families and has organised several healthy activities for them.
“As it is now, the public is not so conscious of the safety aspect during water activities. There are about 500 drowning cases involving children every year according to the Water Activity Safety Council.
“The death rate is high as some who tried to save their friends or others ended up being drowned themselves. So, the objective of this programme is to raise water safety awareness to reduce the death cases and how to react in case of emergency.
“This progamme is also in line with the state’s aspiration towards an intelligent, happy and livable city.”
Also present were Butterworth Life Saving Society (BLSS) founder Datuk Ooi Win Juat, BLSS adviser Datuk Dr C.J. Ong, BLSS president Tan Kuan Ling, MBPP Community Services director Rashidah Jalaludin and Malaysian Red Crescent Island District chairman Rayson Khoo Beng Sui.
Ooi said some of the children were eager to learn how to swim but did not have the opportunity.
“We’ve to continue to raise the water safety awareness. We teach the children how to swim freestyle, breaststroke and survival strokes.
“We want to thank the parents for their children’s participation and also the coaches.”
While the children, aged seven to 13, gave a demonstration of what they have learned at the pool, Khoo and fellow Red Crescent members – Benny Lee Chye Sheng and Jenny Lim Kar Peng – taught the children’s parents how to perform CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) with the aid of an automated external defibrillator (AED) in the sports complex.
Story by K.H. Ong
Pix courtesy of MBPP