PENANG Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow saluted the many blood donors for their selfless and heroic acts during the Blood Donors Appreciation Ceremony held at the Hui Yin Seh building in Paya Terubong today, describing them as great heroes.
Chow praised them for being regular blood donors.
It is said that every time you donate blood, you can save or improve the lives of at least three persons.
“Blood is life and donating your blood can save lives. This is the relay of life that one plus one is greater than two,” Chow told the gathering at the Yeap Chor Ee Memorial Hall.
“As far as I know, in the past 26 years, Hui Yin Seh has held a total of 337 blood donation campaigns, large and small, and successfully collected 75,373 bags of precious blood to bring hope to thousands of patients who urgently need blood to survive.
“Through this organisation, it brings together kind-hearted people who are part of a group of regular blood donors.
“It is one of the few organised and systematic blood donation groups in Malaysia, and had won the Certificate of Honour for Blood Donation in Penang by the Penang State Health Department at the World Blood Donation Day celebration in 2000.
“This is the glory of all blood donors, and it also affirms the efforts of the organisation to promote social charity.”
When the country imposed the movement control order (MCO) in March 2020 following the spread of Covid-19 infections, all activities were restricted, including blood donation campaigns, he said.
But he said fortunately with the help of state Welfare and Environment Committee chairman Phee Boon Poh and other efforts, the National Security Council finally gave the green light to Penang to hold a blood donation campaign. It was, however, limited to 10 blood donors per hour.
He added that during the pandemic, Hui Yin Seh cooperated closely with the state government and managed to collect 59 packets of blood when they conducted a blood donation campaign on March 25, 2020.
From the MCO to May this year, Chow said Hui Yin Seh has organised a total of 44 blood donation campaigns in 25 months and managed to collect a total of 7,138 packets of blood.
Chow said the blood donation campaign also supported the Penang 2030 vision as one of the themes was to create a caring society.
He expressed hope that more groups would hold similar efforts to create a harmonious and friendly Malaysian society.
“Let me once again express my gratitude to all the great heroes who donate blood. Your deeds have touched the younger generation. Let us pass on the baton of love for voluntary blood donation forever,” Chow said when concluding his speech.
Hui Yin Seh usually holds blood donation campaigns near or in the month of June in conjunction with the World Blood Donation Day that is celebrated on June 14 every year.
At the ceremony today, Chow donated a mock cheque for RM10,000 to Hui Yin Seh as a token of appreciation for their social work.
Chow also presented a certificate of appreciation to Hui Yin Seh Metta Blood Donation organising chairman Dr Teoh Yee Ping, who received it on behalf of 803 certificate recipients.
Present among the 107 recipients at the ceremony were the men’s top donor Wan Eng Huat and women’s top donor Teh Lay Li, who have donated blood 94 times and 77 times respectively.
Also present were Phee, State Tourism and Creative Economy Committee chairman Yeoh Soon Hin, who is also Paya Terubong assemblyman, Bukit Gelugor MP Ramkarpal Singh, Air Itam assemblyman Joseph Ng, Hui Yin Seh chairman Datuk Chuang Keng Kuang, Metta Blood Donation Group adviser Lim Thung Hin and Penang Heart Safe Society chairman Dr Luah Lean Wah.
Story by K.H. Ong
Pix by Alissala Thian
Video by Darwina Mohd Daud