A ONE-DAY public exhibition and talk programme titled “Jom Bersama: Lions dan Komuniti” will be held on Jan 10 (Saturday) at Island 88, formerly Island Plaza, in Tanjong Tokong.
Organised by the Lions Club of George Town, the programme will run from 10am to 5pm at the second-floor event space and is open to the public with free admission.
Organising chairman Peter Chung said the programme is the first of its kind organised by the club in Penang and is designed to be engaging and accessible to the public.
“This is our first time organising such a programme in Penang, and we want it to be friendly, practical and not too corporate,” he said.
Chung said the club is acting as a neutral non-governmental organisation (NGO) platform to bring together government agencies, NGOs and partners to share practical knowledge with the public.
“Our aim is to gather different government agencies and specialised NGOs, both young and established, to offer information, knowledge and skills that people can actually use,” he said.
He noted that many public programmes are available but are not widely known, including new initiatives by the Employees Provident Fund (EPF).
“Some people are not aware that EPF has introduced new retirement programmes, or that an EPF account can be opened from as young as 14,” he said.
Among the key partners is Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), which will share information on energy optimisation and how consumers can reduce electricity costs while contributing to national energy efficiency efforts.
Entopia will also take part to highlight its Feed-back Programme, which focuses on food security through a circular economy by converting kitchen waste into sustainable protein sources.
Youth participation is another component of the programme, with young speakers sharing how healthy hobbies and lifestyles can benefit people of all age groups.
Chung said the programme will be divided into two main components, namely exhibitions and public talks.
“The exhibition booths will run from 10am to 5pm, while public talks will begin from 12.30pm onwards,” he said.
The official opening ceremony will take place at 11am.
The exhibition area will feature booths by government agencies and NGOs, including Tenaga Nasional, Bomba, the Malaysian Red Crescent, Penang Island City Council (MBPP), Lembaga Perumahan Negeri Pulau Pinang, Perkeso, Penang Green Council and Penang Youth Development Corporation.
The Malaysian Red Crescent will conduct blood donation drives and provide automated external defibrillator (AED) and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) demonstrations during the event.
“People see AED machines everywhere, but many are afraid to use them. We want to help the public feel confident using them to save lives,” Chung said.
Free health checks, eye health screening and blood donation services will also be available throughout the day, anchored by Pantai Hospital Penang.
Pantai Hospital Penang will also deliver two talks titled “Early Stroke Response: Act FAST!” and “Myths vs Facts: What People Get Wrong About Ageing.”
Other scheduled talks include children’s reading challenges, microplastics in the human body, EPF planning, scam awareness, domestic violence support, dementia awareness, water and river conservation, and smart customer empowerment in electricity usage.
Chung said each talk has been limited to 20 to 25 minutes to ensure the sessions remain engaging and easy to understand.
“These are not academic lectures. The speakers are here to tell the public what they need to know in a simple way,” he said.
Environmental sustainability will also be emphasised during the event, with no bottled water provided.
“We will have water stations and encourage visitors to bring their own bottles. We want to help build better habits,” Chung said.
Lions Club of George Town president Datuk Gulab Mahatam Rai expressed hope that the event would attract strong public participation.
“It will be a one-stop event featuring various initiatives that benefit the public,” he said.
Among those present at the press conference were Lions Club of George Town past president Datuk Jimmy Ong, Lions Club of George Town Mutiara Past District Governor Datuk Khoo Kay Huat, and Datuk Dr Terlochan Singh, a former committee member of the club.
Story by Edmund Lee