Association organises Ramadan event for orphans, converts, widows
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Seni Silat Cekak Pusaka Ustaz Hanafi Association celebrated its Tautan Qaseh Ramadan programme by holding iftar and giving away donations to 50 recipients - comprising orphans, mualaf (converts), people with disability and widows.
Its president, Awang Masri Kefli, said donations were given in the form of financial assistance to the recipients and equipment for welfare centres.
There were 35 orphans, including from Suria Tuaran Welfare centre, who received RM50 each while the rest were the mualaf, people with disability and widows from among the family members of Sabah Seni Silat Cekak Pusaka Ustaz Hanafi Association.
Awang Masri said this year is the 25th anniversary of the Sabah Seni Silat Cekak Pusaka Ustaz Hanafi Association (1994-2019) and the silver jubilee celebration began from February 2019 to April 2020.
In conjunction with the silver jubilee celebration, he also said that a programme, Sahabat Masyarakat (Community Friends), was held to showcase the main product of Sedar (Self Defence Awareness) whichwas aimed at promoting and informing the public that Sabah Seni Silat Cekak Pusaka Ustaz Hanafi Association had been in Sabah for 25 years and also active.
Apart from that, Awang Masri said the highlight of the silver jubilee celebration would be the Karnival Seni Budaya Etnik Sabah (Sabah Ethnic Cultural Art Carnival) and National level of 2020 Wajadiri Silat Cekak Pusaka Hanafi Championship for higher institutes and schools to be held on April 8-12, next year.
He explained that the championship would be targeting participation of 100 contingents with a total of 4,000 silat practitioners, officers, including supporters from all over the country.
“This Karnival Seni Budaya Etnik Sabah will play a part in introducing various ethnic cultures to the people, especially guests from Peninsular Malaysia and foreign tourists,” he said and added the association would be able to continue with such a programme in the future.
He was met during the Tautan Qaseh Ramadan programme held at the Perkampungan Usahawan Sepanggar in Anjong Melawa, Sepanggar Park, near here yesterday.
Meanwhile, Karambunai assemblyman and Assistant Trade and Industry Minister Azhar Matussin who officiated at the celebration, and lauded the efforts of Sabah Seni Silat Cekak Pusaka Ustaz Hanafi Association for holding such an event at the Perkampungan Usahawan Sepanggar.
He said the place, which was developed by the president of Sepanggar Management Corporation and Sabah Bumiputera Entrepreneur Club, Mentoh Aru, had turned the area from dull to a more alive area with the existence of an anchor restaurant and kiosks.
Speaking on a silat performance during the event, he said it helped to educate the public on the importance of martial art in addressing social and safety issues, besides fostering a spirit of unity and high understanding among the multiracial and interethnic cultures.
Sabah Seni Silat Cekak Pusaka Ustaz Hanafi Association is one of the active martial art associations in the state. Currently, it has 49 centres or martial arts classes throughout the state and the Labuan Federal Territory with a total of teaching staff (instructors) of more than 210 people.
The current number of its members in the state exceeds 10,000 people including youths and teenagers in schools and higher learning institute.