EDITORIAL
THE durian season is upon us and everyone’s making their way to their favourite stall to enjoy the rich creamy flesh of the King of Fruits. Some like it sweet while others seek the bitter sweet flesh of Malaysia’s favourite fruit.
I’ve had my fair share of durians this season but I am saving some spare space for JOM DURIAN 12, the biggest charity durian fest in the country which is happening on August 3rd and 4th. What’s so special you may ask about this durian buffet? Aren’t durians all the same anywhere in the country?
I’ll tell you why this durian eating fest at Summit USJ is special. It’s because what you pay for the session will all go to charity. And the charity that will receive the funds raised is the Children’s Wish Society of Malaysia; a Subang Jaya based national charity dedicated to fulfilling wishes of terminally ill children in the country. This NGO is very close to my heart. I was involved in the setting up of this charity and have been involved in its work since its inception almost 13 years ago. Since then, the team of volunteers has been fulfilling wishes of children stricken with life-limiting illnesses. To date, slightly over 800 children have had their wishes fulfilled.
Now you know why JOM DURIAN 12 is important. It’s not entirely about the durian but it’s more about helping to raise much needed funds the society requires to fulfill a child’s wish for a laptop, a bicycle or just to meet someone they idolise. For these terminally ill children, the simplest wish fulfilled means the world to them.
So join me at JOM DURIAN 12 with several thousand others who will come together to have a good time with the King of Fruits and also to raise funds to help bring a smile back to the children who face the bleakest hour of their lives.
We are officially now in the second half of 2019. To date, the community has been experiencing extremely hot weather with intermittent thunderstorms. The weather also means mosquitoes are having a good time choosing where to lay their eggs; because they will have a lot more pockets of water to do so. Last month itself, I joined two Ops Dengue; the first one in USJ2 in the night and another in SS15 during the day. On both occasions, the figures disclosed about the number of dengue cases recorded alarmed even the most seasoned volunteers who have been helping out regularly in Dengue Search and Destroy efforts. Health inspectors and volunteers also found many breeding spots in the compounds of homes and even in the house.
With so many reminders on checking and cleaning up potential mosquito breeding spots, why are there still so many dengue cases in Subang Jaya? Is it because people have the “it won’t happen to me” attitude or do they really not care?
In recent times, I have observed that our community ambulance has been responding to many motor-vehicular accidents in Subang Jaya. Most of the victims are motorcyclists while on rare occasions we have had accidents involving cars as well. Are our roads getting dangerous for vehicles or is it the “tidak apa” attitude of motorists that’s contributing to the escalating number of accidents on the road?
I personally feel it’s the latter. I have seen many a time motorcyclists beating the lights; riding without their helmets on and more often than not riding against traffic to take a short cut. Car drivers are no exception either as they rush to beat the lights to save on just a minute or two of their time; but risking life and limb by doing so. Are we that reckless on the road? Do we care for our personal safety and also that of other road users?
Have a good month ahead and see you at JOM DURIAN 12!
