KUCHING: Kuching District Scout Commissioner and businessman, Kho Ik Teck yesterday donated RM50,000 to the Scouts Association of Malaysia, Sarawak Branch.
President of the Sarawak Scout Council, Tan Sri William Mawan Ikom, who received the mock cheque from Kho, described the personal contribution from Kho as something very massive as far as Sarawak Scouts Association was concerned. “Now, if there are any Scout supporters or anybody who sympathse with us, they are welcome to chip in one way or the other in cash or kind, and we will be very grateful.
“It doesn’t have to be RM50,000. RM500 or RM5,000 will go a long way towards meeting some of our financial needs and for carrying out various activities that have been planned. We are very grateful to Mr Kho,” he told a press conference after receiving the cheque from Kho at the Sarawak Scouts Association Headquarters at Jalan Batu Lintang here yesterday. Mawan called on the public, GLCs, individuals and corporate figures to give whatever support they could.
“Because when it comes to societies and NGOs and all these, the tendency is to rely on assistance or allocation from the government. While that is the case, the public at large should also be generous enough to give their support.
“What Mr Kho did this morning was exemplary,” he said. Kho, who is now 79, joined the Sarawak scout movement 63 years ago. He has been the Kuching District Scout Commissioner since the late 1960’s and at the moment, he is an Exco Member of the Sarawak Scout Council. Kho said getting involved in scouting activities had made him very disciplined, work hard and behave well. He said he never regretted jo ining the scout movement 63 years ago.
“I think what I am giving is just a small contribution. When I was first sworn in and received my first badge, I promised that I would be a scout for life and that I would do whatever I could to contribute to the scout organisation.
I hope this will be the promise of all the scouts and their motto for life,” Kho said.
Al so present at the pres s conference yesterday were the newly appointed Sarawak Chief Scout Commissioner, Captain Zainuddin Tan Sr i Hamdan Sirat, Executive Secretary of Sarawak Scouts Association, Haji Mohd Said Bolhassan, Secretary of the Sarawak Scout Council, Zasran Abdullah and Assistant State Commissioner (Publicity), Valentine Tawie.
