THE Endowment and Waqf Division of Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) recently collaborated with the Sarawak State Library’s Sports and Recreational Club to organise an event called “Program Kasih Insani”, a welfare initiative to bring cheer to the asnaf (those who qualify as zakat recipients) and the needy in preparation for the Gawai and Hari Raya festive seasons.
Nearly 200 asnaf and poor families from four villages around Petra Jaya, namely Kampung Semariang Batu, Kampung Lintang, Kampung Sungai Bedil Besar and Kampung Kandis, were invited. Each family received a food package and were given the liberty to have their pick of donated clothes and children’s reading books. The families were also given bubur lambuk and the children duit raya.
The programme aimed to establish a good relationship among those involved.
A total of 20 Unimas philanthropic partners gave donations through the Unimas Endowment Fund last year, whereby five per cent of their contributions were used to provide food packages, dubbed “Box of Love”, to the poor. Among the sponsors involved were Unimas Holdings Sdn Bhd, Bank Islam Malaysia Bhd, Sarawak Energy Bhd, Unimas Business School and Harwood Timber.
Meanwhile, through the “Sekampit Beras, Sejuta Bahagia” (A Packet of Rice, A Million Happiness) campaign, the Endowment and Waqf Division received about 300 rice packets and various daily food stuff from staff, the public and friends from the industry, such as Hong Leong Bank and Kechara Soup Kitchen.
During the opening ceremony, Unimas vice-chan
c
ellor Professor Datuk Dr Mohamad Kadim Suaidi called on the children from the underprivileged group to use the opportunity to cultivate a reading habit.
“Use the access to books the best you can. Study hard and aim to enter university, particularly Unimas,” he said.
Present to officiate the opening ceremony was Unimas pro chancellor Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr Alfred Jabu Numpang.
Program Kasih Insani ended with the breaking of fast. Among those who attended were Sarawak State Library chief executive officer Dr Rashidah Bolhassan, Unimas deputy vice-chancellor (student and alamuni affairs) Professor Datu Mohd Fadzil Abd Rahman, deputy vice-chancellor (academic and international) Professor Dr Ahmad Hata Rasit and registrar Henry Tening Sengeng.
