Association gets timely aid from MCA for project

What say you on the issue below?

THEY wish to be financially independent, and have asked for RM30,000 to help spearhead a project.

Their project costing RM150,000 is to build three badminton courts to be rented out and the income will be used to pay their association’s utility bills and maintenance fees.

The wish from the Tao Khoon Choong Kinta Perak Association was granted by MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek during a recent dialogue with non-govermental organisations (NG0s) at the association’s premises.

Association chairman Ong Hee Seng, 62, said they needed RM150,000 to renovate their hall and raise its roof so that it could double up as a badminton court.

“We will raise the balance and are confident that the project can be completed very fast,” he said, expressing the association’s gratitude to MCA, adding that the party had been very supportive of the association all the while.

All ears: Loh Aim Heng, 83, speaking at the MCA dialogue chaired party president Dr Chua at the Tao Khoon Choong Kinta Perak Association’s hall in Gunung Rapat New Village, Ipoh.

Ong later told MetroPerak that the almost 60-year-old association had about 100 members.

He said the association, in Gunung Rapat New Village, provided free exercise programmes — tai chi, qigong and line dance —for the villagers.

He said there were about 1,000 houses in the village with an estimated population of over 10,000.

“We emphasise a lot on healthy lifestyle,” said Ong who teaches tai chi and qigong to the villagers.

“Our tai chi class starts at 6.30am,” he said, visibly proud of the association and its programmes.

Dr Chua, at the opening of the dialogue, said MCA would do its best to help the people and would only promised what the party could deliver.

The hour-long dialogue saw NGOs raising topics that ranged from environment and education to tourism.

Some also highlighted to the MCA president the problems plaguing the people, the weaknesses of some of the party’s representatives and the need to field good candidates in the next general election.

Dr Chua, who was on a two-day visit to Ipoh beginning last Saturday, also visited the SJK (T) Gunung Rapat, Simpang Pulai Market and Ipoh’s Little India besides attending the Perak Chinese Assembly Hall’s 84th anniversary dinner.