Yu clansfolks in Miri want a centre of their own
MIRI:The Miri Yu Clan Association is now focusing on its fund-raising goal that would allow it to set up its own centre here.
The chairperson Kapitan Jee Kee Hiong says the association has yet to have a physical establishment ‘to call home’.
In this regard, she says they have been eyeing a shop-house at Pujut 2 here to be made its premises.
“We are looking at raising funds to enable us purchase the RM700,000 property, and we hope to gain support from the local communities and also the people’s elected representatives to achieve this target.
“We understand that this may take a bit of time to make it happen, but surely, we will get there,” she said in her speech for theassociation’s Chinese New Year 2024 gathering at a hotel here on Friday.
Adding on, Jee said having been established in 2020, the Chinese clan association was still considered‘very young’.
“We have three missions that we set out to accomplish: grow the membership, set up our own centre for proper administrative operations, and raise fund for our education fund.
“With our current membership of more than 100 people, this means that we need to work harder to reach out to those from the Yu, Yii, Yee clansgroup. Age does not matter – we welcome all people of the clan to join our association,” said Jee.
Moreover, she said once the association had achieved a certain number of membership, they would work on raising education fund.
“We plan a lot of projects and hopefully, we would be able to make all these happen soon.”
Jee also said by strengthening the membership, this would allow the association to do more such as reaching out to those in need, and running more programmes to benefit its members and the society as a whole.
Meanwhile in his remarks, the event’s guest-of-honour Minister of Transport Sarawak Dato Sri Lee Kim Shinregarded the monthlong festive celebration as‘a norm in Sarawak’, adding that celebrating it together with other races was ‘a common sight here’.
“The festivities may have ended on the 15th day of Lunar New Year, but the spirit in us calls for the celebration to be prolonged up to one month.
“With Hari Raya Aidilfitri approaching, we know that we will get to enjoy another festivity for a month too,” he said.
Also present were Mayor Adam Yii, Councillor Tan Lik Jin who represented Deputy Ministerfor Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak Datuk Sebastian Ting, and Miri MP Chiew Choon Man’s representative Lawrence Low.