Malaysians abroad donate to fund
BY CHOI TUCK WO AND JOHAN FERNANDEZLONDON: Despite being thousands of kilometres away from home, the hearts of two Malaysian brothers go out to the tsunami victims.
Meng Yap and Steve Yap were so touched by the victims’ plight that they decided to help lessen their suffering.
“It’s such a horrific disaster. Our hearts go out to the victims and their families,” Meng said after presenting a donation of RM100,000 to The Star on Friday.
The presentation was held at the brothers’ Ethnic Cuisine Ltd factory in Swansea, South Wales.
Meng, the managing director, and Steve said they were just doing their “little bit” to help in whatever way they could.
“In fact, I was in Kuala Lumpur on a holiday with my family on Dec 26 when the disaster struck.
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FOR A NOBLE CAUSE: Teoh presenting a cheque for the tsunami victims to Sadik in New York on Thursday. |
Meng said Malaysia was still very close to their hearts and that they visited Penang and Langkawi quite often.
“These two places, which were badly hit by the tsunami, were like our second homes,” said Meng, who originated from Kuala Lumpur.
Ethnic Cuisine supplies nearly half a million chilled ready meals a week to Sainsbury’s, the third largest supermarket chain in Britain.
Touted as one of the largest Oriental and South-East Asian food businesses in Britain, the factory has chalked up an annual business turnover of nearly £27mil (RM89mil).
Not to be left out, Malaysians in New York also wanted to do something for the tsunami victims.
Many of them called the Malaysian Consul-General’s office in New York to ask how they could donate to the tsunami victims back home.
Last Thursday, they turned up at the Consul-General’s office in New York and presented cheques totalling US$10,200 (RM38,760).
“It was very spontaneous. We did not organise any drive to raise funds but people came and asked whether they could donate.
“They felt they had to do something for their fellow Malaysians,” said the Consul-General, Sadik Gany.
He said those who donated left it to the Foreign Affairs Ministry to decide to which organisation the money should go.
He thanked those who contributed, saying the money would go to the National Disaster Relief Fund and the Asia Disaster Relief Fund set up by the ministry.
Businessman Sunny Teoh said that as people from Sri Lanka, India and Thailand were raising funds and relief supplies to be sent to the affected areas, Malaysians in New York felt they too should do something.
“Compared to other countries, Malaysia did not suffer as much. But people died and property worth millions of ringgit was damaged so we should do our part however small it is,” he said.
The Star Earthquake/Tsunami Relief Fund
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