EDITORIAL: STAYING ON THE SAME PAGE AND BEING A TEAM PLAYER WHILE SERVING THE COMMUNITY

SERVING the community is no easy task and is not a walk in the park.

Most people who talk about wanting to spare their time for community service often than not do not realise the intricate web of complexities they have to tackle when they want to sign up for community service. The younger community leaders struggle with time at work and in the community. The senior citizens who may have more time on their hands are perhaps challenged with other family commitments and also energy to carry out what they signed up for.

Many of us who have served in the community for some years now look however at other different factors. First and foremost, community leaders who had signed up to serve have to tackle a diverse crowd in the neighbourhood; and secondly, having to adapt to be a team player in the group of community leaders who have come together for the same cause.

These are two different aspects of community work and somehow these do not merge into one when we really roll it out and offer ourselves beyond the confines of our own home boundaries. We may be Kings and Queens in our own homes; but once we step outside the parameters of our home, we are “servants of the community”.

Knowing the community we serve is crucial for one who wants to lead the residents in it. Commitment, energy and time are important aspects which a leader needs to be ready to give when they step up and offer themselves. It doesn’t matter if you are younger or older; the idea and objective Is to serve. Serving the community should be unbiased and untainted by personal interests or agendas. Yes, people say there’s always an agenda when someone takes a role in the community. I agree, but that agenda should be primarily to improve the well-being of the people you wish to represent.

Now let’s touch a little bit on being a team player in the group of community leaders who have come together for the same cause. A community group is like a match of tug-of-war. Each side relies on the strength and resilience of its team to hold their ground and eventually beat the opponents. In community work, winning or losing is not important but working as a team is. Every person brings with him/her their strength (and weaknesses) but when combined will prove to be a formidable force to reckon with.

So, when one leader in the group slacks and suddenly loses interest in the work set out, what happens? The whole team suffers. Commitment to attend and spare your energy and hours in the team is crucial to keep it going. No one, however is indispensable. Anyone can be replaced, giving space to new blood and enthusiasm. Give what you can give; otherwise make way for others who can and are willing to start their role in the community.

We have just stepped into July, the second half of 2024. It’s been 6 months since our MBSJ councilors were appointed. Have many or most of them reached the satisfactory performance mark? What have they achieved so far? Do you know who your councilors are? Tell us – you can email us at [email protected] to give us your feedback.

We just successfully carried out a major fundraising drive for the Children’s Wish Society of Malaysia via our Jom Durian 13 eat-all-you-can durian buffet. It’s been four years since we last carried out this annual event because of the Movement Control Order. The wheels are rusty and restarting this signature event was harder than many of us thought when we embarked on planning it three months ago.

With uncertainty in the economy and market, we took a leap of faith to fundraise for this charity which fulfils wishes of terminally ill children across the country. “Born” and “raised” in Subang Jaya, CWS Malaysia has been going all out to make wishes come true for the children out there since it was established in 2007. Having not dealt with such a big quantity of durians for some time and unsure about people’s appetite, we planned and put our foot forward.

The crowd was slow to respond when we announced the return of this event. It was trickling in and that got us all anxious, wondering if this event would even take off. Having great partners like Sunway Pyramid and Agro Best Services helped in roping in the support eventually. We were also blessed with the participation of the crew from Malaysia Airlines Flight Operations Team who volunteered their services over the two-day event. Terima Kasih.

Thankfully, the fundraiser raised a substantial amount for the society to continue their work in the year ahead. On behalf of the organisers, please allow me to thank everyone for their support. I apologise as well if there were any shortcomings especially for the crowd who had different expectations of durians served. We honestly did our best and even ordered extra to feed the durian hungry crowd.

Here’s wishing everyone a good month ahead in July. It’s going to be a busy six months ahead I am sure.