New collection centre

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Commendable work: (From left) Dr Yee, Voradet and Kiew looking at cartons of drinking water stored at the new 'Humanitarian Mission for Thailand' collection and storage centre.

A NEW collection centre for the ‘Humanitarian Mission for Thailand’ project has been opened in Penang Free Industrial Zone (FIZ).

St John Ambulans Malaysia (SJAM) Penang state commander Datuk Dr Yee Thiam Sun said Mini-Circuits Technologies had stepped in to provide storage space to house a collection and storage centre for the relief effort.

“Many express sympathies for those affected by the floods in Thailand, but those who truly come forward with action are exceptional.

“The number of collection centres in the northern region now stands at five,” he told a press conference.

Mini-Circuits chairman and president Datuk Seri Kelvin Kiew said the collection centre would be open from 8am to 12pm from Monday to Thursday.

“The location of the centre makes it especially easy for factories who want to donate things for the effort.

“We are also getting our design engineers to help with the collection and coordination of the donated goods,” he said.

Kiew added that storage space of 4,645sq m had been provided for SJAM to store the donations before delivering them to Thailand.

The company also donated RM20,000 to the effort and had developed a computerised inventory management system for the huma-nitarian project.

He said to date, a total of 8,000 cartons of drinking water, 300 boxes of biscuits and 600 boxes of noodles had been sent to Thailand.

Thai consul-general Voradet Viravakin, who was also present, said the aid would be greatly appreciated by the Thai people.

“There is still a lot of work to be done, but we are taking it step by step.

“Even when the water (eventually) recedes, there will be many issues like disease and repairs that the Thai people will have to face,” he said.

The Thai Government has sent out a list of items greatly needed to face the extreme flooding in the country.

Among them are tents, camping lamps, lanterns, insect repellent, mosquito nets, flash lights, toilet paper, drinking water tanks, mobile drinking water supply units, drinking water, life jackets, rubber boots, rafts, rowing boats and water pumps that are over 16 inches in diameter.