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Sacrificing her locks for the deaf | Daily Express Newspaper Online, Sabah, Malaysia.
Civic-conscious Rachel Lee Siew Yee sacrificed her locks in aid of the Sabah Society for the Deaf.
The Tenom-born administrative staff of the Society had her head shaved before a dining audience of 1,000 people at the Society's 35th Anniversary Celebration-cum-Charity Dinner held at Putera Theatre Ballroom, Bukit Padang, here.
Lee's charitable gesture alone reaped a total of RM24,800 when the hat was passed around together with an earlier collection of RM15,000 from sponsorship cards.
Rachel won tokens of appreciation from the Guest of Honour, Datuk Susan Wong Siew Guen, and President of the Sabah Society for the Deaf, Francis Yong.
"Teases from friends in the Society eventually became a challenge.
I had no hesitation to turn bald for the sake of deaf children and adults in Sabah," she said when met at the function.
Speaking at the gathering, Wong said Lee's unique contribution towards the deaf people in our community was highly commendable.
"Given the Society's dependence on the government grant and donations from the private sector and members of the public, the organising of a charity dinner on this occasion is very timely and meaningful.
"It deserves my strong support as well as that of the private sector and general public to ensure the continuity of the noble work of the Society.
"We all know that the Society is playing a vital role in promoting education among deaf persons, helping to get jobs for those who are trained, and in preventing the incidence of deafness in Sabah," she said.
Wong noted that the Society has achieved its objective of early childhood intervention and early childhood education by providing preliminary education for deaf children through the establishment of special kindergartens.
"Your vocational training for the deaf youths to acquire both living and occupational skills in the areas of bakery, tailoring, handicraft-making and computer studies is also very beneficial as it paves the way for them to secure gainful employment," she said.
Earlier, Yong disclosed that the Society is currently making a resource centre at the second block of the school building here.
"Our Principal, Regina Wong, and Immediate Past President, Janet Lee, have been working very hard with our sponsor, a petroleum company, to equip the room with the necessary facilities.
"Reference books have been ordered from overseas and the centre is expected to be completed before the end of this year," he said.
Sabah Society for the Deaf was founded by the Rotary Club of Kota Kinabalu and registered on Jan 21, 1975.
Yong paid tribute to Past Presidents like E. Balakrishnan, Patrick Chin, Lawrence Thien and Connie Tan for having been instrumental in reviving the organisation in 1985.
"Over the years, I have witnessed the ups and downs of the Society.
From a humble beginning with a small classroom at the old St John's Ambulance Building in Sembulan, it has grown to what it is today with its headquarters at Bukit Padang (KK) and four branches in Sandakan, Keningau, Kudat and Lahad Datu. Each has an established education centre to cater for the needs of the deaf people in Sabah."
Saying the biggest problem faced by the Society was the shortage of funds, Yong acknowledged the Rotary Club of Kota Kinabalu, Sabah Credit Corporation and Sabah Council of social Services (MPMS) for their significant contributions which have kept the Society afloat.
The Society, he said, owed it to the club and corporation for the two blocks of school buildings here, and to the council for its annual grant.
The President also commended the Organising Committee's Programme Co-ordinator Yen Shuk Khyun and her members, and Organising Chairman Lim Chong Sim of Metta Charity Task Force and his committee as well as Sabah Automobile Repairers Association for having organised several fund-raising projects for Keningau Branch, Sabah Society for the Deaf (KK) and Kudat Branch for the past few years.
"And I take this opportunity to say a big thank you to Regina, former Principal Geraldine Chin, teachers and volunteers of the various branches, particularly Madam Tomoko from Japan, and former educators, especially Luanne Tan and others, for their dedicated services to the deaf community in Sabah."
Also present were Joanne Lee who represented MPMS, Sabah United Sze Yip Association's Women Section Chairperson, Wong Li Chu, Sabah Society for the Deaf Sandakan Branch Chairman Choi Chin Wan, Keningau Branch Chairman Wong Kim Lan, Kudat Branch Chairman Edward Wong and Lahad Datu Branch Vice Chairperson Fatimah Hj Khamis.
Civic-conscious Rachel Lee Siew Yee sacrificed her locks in aid of the Sabah Society for the Deaf.
The Tenom-born administrative staff of the Society had her head shaved before a dining audience of 1,000 people at the Society's 35th Anniversary Celebration-cum-Charity Dinner held at Putera Theatre Ballroom, Bukit Padang, here.
Lee's charitable gesture alone reaped a total of RM24,800 when the hat was passed around together with an earlier collection of RM15,000 from sponsorship cards.
Rachel won tokens of appreciation from the Guest of Honour, Datuk Susan Wong Siew Guen, and President of the Sabah Society for the Deaf, Francis Yong.
"Teases from friends in the Society eventually became a challenge.
I had no hesitation to turn bald for the sake of deaf children and adults in Sabah," she said when met at the function.
Speaking at the gathering, Wong said Lee's unique contribution towards the deaf people in our community was highly commendable.
"Given the Society's dependence on the government grant and donations from the private sector and members of the public, the organising of a charity dinner on this occasion is very timely and meaningful.
"It deserves my strong support as well as that of the private sector and general public to ensure the continuity of the noble work of the Society.
"We all know that the Society is playing a vital role in promoting education among deaf persons, helping to get jobs for those who are trained, and in preventing the incidence of deafness in Sabah," she said.
Wong noted that the Society has achieved its objective of early childhood intervention and early childhood education by providing preliminary education for deaf children through the establishment of special kindergartens.
"Your vocational training for the deaf youths to acquire both living and occupational skills in the areas of bakery, tailoring, handicraft-making and computer studies is also very beneficial as it paves the way for them to secure gainful employment," she said.
Earlier, Yong disclosed that the Society is currently making a resource centre at the second block of the school building here.
"Our Principal, Regina Wong, and Immediate Past President, Janet Lee, have been working very hard with our sponsor, a petroleum company, to equip the room with the necessary facilities.
"Reference books have been ordered from overseas and the centre is expected to be completed before the end of this year," he said.
Sabah Society for the Deaf was founded by the Rotary Club of Kota Kinabalu and registered on Jan 21, 1975.
Yong paid tribute to Past Presidents like E. Balakrishnan, Patrick Chin, Lawrence Thien and Connie Tan for having been instrumental in reviving the organisation in 1985.
"Over the years, I have witnessed the ups and downs of the Society.
From a humble beginning with a small classroom at the old St John's Ambulance Building in Sembulan, it has grown to what it is today with its headquarters at Bukit Padang (KK) and four branches in Sandakan, Keningau, Kudat and Lahad Datu. Each has an established education centre to cater for the needs of the deaf people in Sabah."
Saying the biggest problem faced by the Society was the shortage of funds, Yong acknowledged the Rotary Club of Kota Kinabalu, Sabah Credit Corporation and Sabah Council of social Services (MPMS) for their significant contributions which have kept the Society afloat.
The Society, he said, owed it to the club and corporation for the two blocks of school buildings here, and to the council for its annual grant.
The President also commended the Organising Committee's Programme Co-ordinator Yen Shuk Khyun and her members, and Organising Chairman Lim Chong Sim of Metta Charity Task Force and his committee as well as Sabah Automobile Repairers Association for having organised several fund-raising projects for Keningau Branch, Sabah Society for the Deaf (KK) and Kudat Branch for the past few years.
"And I take this opportunity to say a big thank you to Regina, former Principal Geraldine Chin, teachers and volunteers of the various branches, particularly Madam Tomoko from Japan, and former educators, especially Luanne Tan and others, for their dedicated services to the deaf community in Sabah."
Also present were Joanne Lee who represented MPMS, Sabah United Sze Yip Association's Women Section Chairperson, Wong Li Chu, Sabah Society for the Deaf Sandakan Branch Chairman Choi Chin Wan, Keningau Branch Chairman Wong Kim Lan, Kudat Branch Chairman Edward Wong and Lahad Datu Branch Vice Chairperson Fatimah Hj Khamis.