In January 2011 a party of twelve club members and spouses enjoyed a two-week visit to Malaysia to visit the two projects we support a Children's Home and the Penang Hospice.
The Precious Children's Home in Kuala Lumpur was the first visit. We met up with Rotarian and Past President Balram Menon with members of the Inner Wheel of Petaling Jaya and the twenty four children who live in the home. We had tea and presented gifts and Rotary dictionaries. For all of us, this was a most moving occasion and we were able to speak with the Home's Administrator to plan how our club can continue to support this worthy project.
Whilst in Kuala Lumpur (KL), the party took part in the 50th Charter Anniversary dinner of the Rotary Club of Petaling Jaya our fellow Rotary Club which also supports the children's home. This was a grand occasion with their Royal Patron - the Sultan of Selangor present. It was a magical evening set in a beautiful ballroom with over 670 people present.
In this first week in K L, we were also able to experience the diversity of the different cultures. We enjoyed a delicious array of cuisines from when we dined in elegant surroundings, inexpensive restaurants and on the streets from the many hawker stalls. We experienced shopping in the grand shopping malls of the city, Central Market, China Town and Little India and we visited the Petronas Towers with a guided tour of the city which included a visit to the King's Palace, the contemporary-styled Masjid Negara (National Mosque) and the Merdeka Square, where Malaysia's independence was proclaimed on 31st August 1957.
Our second destination was Penang, northern Malaysia. Again with our guide we enjoyed visits to Suffolk House, Fort Cornwallis, Khoo Kongsi or clanhouse, the Botanical Gardens, the Temple of the Reclining Buddha, the Kek Lok Si Temple where the 36 m tall bronze Goddess of Mercy towers over the city and we sampled fruit on a fruit farm and smelt spices at a tropical spice garden.
We visited two Rotary clubs in Penang, the Rotary Club of Georgetown, Penang and the Rotary Club of Penang. It was interesting to meet these fellow Rotarians and hear of their ongoing projects and we were able to tell them of our projects at home and in Malaysia. Weexperienced the a truly international welcome for their Rotarians, from every continent present at these meetings!
In Penang we visited our second project the Penang Hospice. We were welcomed by Dr Devaraj, the Medical Director of the Hospice and Vice-Chairman of the National Cancer Society of Malaysia. We visited the current headquarters of the Hospice and Dr Devaraj gave us a presentation of the Hospice at Home Programme they run. We were told that the hospice is looking to purchasing a piece of land on which they plan to build a bungalow where once again they will be able offer both care at the patient's home and hospice home care. Once again we are looking at ways in which we can support this venture in the future.
For us all it had been a trip of a lifetime and it has enabled us to enjoy and see what Rotary can do worldwide!
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