Rotarians playing a great role in creating leaders – Christina
KOTA KINABALU: Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Christina Liew said Kota Kinabalu Rotarians helped shape more leaders of tomorrow through the International Understanding Bazaar.
Christina noted the efficiently run 102-year-old Rotary Foundation, a charity arm of Rotary International, have five avenues of service - Community Service, Vocational Service, Youth Service, International Service and Club Service to better its members and render a range of service activities to benefit society.
She added Rotary Club of Kota Kinabalu (RCKK), established as Rotary Club of Jesselton after 1952 in Sabah, had likewise rendered a great service to local communities by setting up service organizations like Sabah Society for the Blind, Sabah Cancer Society and Sabah Society for the Deaf.
“Your educational activities like the REAL project for enhancing English Language literacy, SINDEX competition for promoting innovation among school students, mangrove tree planting programs for promoting environmental conservation, cataract project for bringing sight to the visually impaired, medical outreach to the rural areas, bird guide training project for enhancing skills of mountain guides, setting up student hostels in rural areas for the benefit of rural students, water projects - the list is endless, have made your organization, one of the premier service NGOs in our State.
“If I am permitted to choose one single focus of activity among many projects and activities that you are all involved in, I think I would choose your Youth Service,” said Christina, who is also Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister, during the World Rotary Day celebrations and International Understanding (IU) Bazaar at Suria Sabah Shopping Mall here yesterday.
“As I look at the International Understanding Bazaar and see the beautifully decorated booths and colourful costumes worn by your youth for the Interact Clubs, I become aware that Rotarians are playing a great role in shaping these leaders of tomorrow, who would hopefully take this world into a better, prosperous and peaceful future,” she added.
According to RCKK president Philip Koh, the event was organized for the first time by all 10 Rotary Clubs in Kota Kinabalu to celebrate the birth of the 114-year-old Rotary in conjunction with the World Rotary Day.
“This is an historic occasion. We are celebrating World Rotary Day together with the next generation - Rotaractors and Interactors,” he said.
“So, although you may not realise it, all of us here are making history just by being here,” added Koh.
Principals, Interact Club teacher advisers and Interactors from schools here helped to produce this year’s IU Bazaar, which included bazaar booths featuring food from throughout the world.
Koh said funds raised through sales of food, which were prepared by Interactors,would go towards funding the Interact Clubs’ own projects.
The Rotary Exhibition, IU Bazaar Traditional Costume Competition and Dance Competition were amongst the highlights of the event yesterday.
Sabah State Legislative Assembly Deputy Speaker Datuk George Ginibun, Kota Kinabalu City Mayor Datuk Nordin Siman, Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK) director-general Datuk Amrullah Kamal, presidents of the Rotary Clubs in Kota Kinabalu and Rotarians were at the launching event.