Hi Everybody,
Another Fellowship Night ended with renewed friendship and exchange
of information. I wish to thank Ms. Lim Phaik Imm personally for her contribution
of cakes for desert and taking the trouble to buy the bananas and lugged
them to Puan Sri’s house. I also wish to thank Michael Foo and the other
committee members who turned up early to help. Again my special thanks
to Dr. Chan Kai Soon who pieced together snippets of all the MNS Perak
activities that he took part and made it into a one-hour video tape presentation
which had all the members wowing, smiling and giggling. This really made
the night a memorable one. I must not forget Dato Dr. Majumder whose appearance
at our function despite her busy schedule and outbidding the others for
the Swarovski T-shirt set a new spirit and direction for the Perak branch.
Our Branch Building Fund is nearing
the RM10,000.00 mark. I hope members will come forward to help in fund-raising
in any way so that efforts can be redoubled to spur on our noble aim. I
know that there are a lot of untapped talents and manpower among our members
which will certainly go a long way towards realising our dreams. One creative
member, Foong Hui Wen, sent a very creative hand-made New Year Greetings
card to the committee. She has meticulously cut up a card to fashion a
multi-tiered building of the MNS. Maybe our dream building will take shape
in that form in the future.
There have been requests to start a
flora group like other branches. It was pointed out that both the more
energetic and the more relaxed members are interested in plants with their
myriad forms and characteristics. Malaysia’s rich bio-diversity certainly
present us with many opportunities to study and research on plant life.
Very often plant life are been relegated to the back of our minds
and members’ interest in the plant kingdom has not been organised to
arouse interest on a wider scale. Our visit to the orchid farm in Tanjung
Rambutan made me realise that quite a large number of our members actually
like plants, especially flowering ones like orchids of which more than
850 species are found in Peninsular Malaysia. Hence it is timely that a
plant group be started to cater to the needs of plant enthusiasts. For
a start I shall head this group temporarily until someone takes over. Personally
I have been involved with orchids, gesneriads and begonias which were introduced
to me by Mr. Leong Tuck Lock, a long-time school mate and friend. A recent
visit to Dr. Loh Seck Poh’s orchid garden (species only) further add to
my curiosity. With the wealth of knowledge from plant experts like Ananda
Krishna Rajah I am confident the group will contribute a lot to better
understand the myriad plant forms in our country.
The Perak MNS members have also grown
in sophistication and dedication. Both Laurence Poh and Cheang Kum Seng
have been supplying a constant flow of knowledge in the form of text and
beautiful digital photographs to help members better appreciate our avian
life. Such selfless dedication has also brought more members into our fold
who wish learn more about Nature and the innovative and artistic use of
modern technology. Dr. Chan Kai Soon’s video recordings of our activities
and wildlife especially birds bears testimony to the fact that the MNS
members are a nice lot and always willing to dedicate their time and energy
to bring to our realm and homes graphic knowledge about the wonders of
nature. To all of you I salute your willingness to share knowledge and
experience and the glory you brought to the branch.
Love Life. Love Nature.
Cheaw Hon Ming
1 March 2000