..... of doing a small bit of charity

Yours Sincerely ( Y S ) moved a motion in the Parish Pastoral Council of the Church of St Michael, Alor Setar, to form an Ad Hoc Post Flood Relief Committee to deal with the current post flood situation with the hope that it will birth a permanent committee for emergency relief and also to set up an evacuee centre at the imposing three-storeyed parish house ( which currently house only two priest !!! ) . It was unanimously agreed since there was fund from the POHD, SVP and some well wishers which the priest had no way of using.

We were (Y S used the past tense with the prayerful hope that things will change after this) unequipped and ill organised for emergencies. As a big organisation, The Roman Catholic Church, with super and minor hierarchies, upper and lower echelons, we simply could not move fast enough in emergencies. Have you ever seen elephants and buffaloes in flight ? They are hopelessly clumsy and sluggish compared to smaller and sleeker creatures. The same applies to churches. The smaller one are closer knit, more agile and swift. But the older ones are not without advantages. They have years of cultures and traditions and a very rich heritage. However, these advantages could fossilize the ways things are run.

Anyway, the Ad Hoc Committee sprung into action and in three weeks we managed to collate data of the victims, apportion and distributed the amount of relief, and also visited the affected homes in Alor Setar, Jitra and Kangar. The Parish Priest consented to come along to bless the victims and their homes, and give them new courage and hope to start again.

It is when Y S visited such victims and their homes, that he came homes with bended knees gratefully thanking the Good Lord for all the blessings that He has bestowed on him. " The service we render to others is really the rent we pay for our room on this earth. It is obvious that man is himself a traveller; that the purpose of this world is not " to have and to hold" but " to give and serve". There can be no other meaning." Wilfred T. Grenfell.

The following is a report Y S wrote to Herald :

Better late than never

The Church of St Michael, Alor Setar , has formed an ad hoc Post Flood Relief Committee to investigate, document and provide relief for the parishioners , their

families, friends and neighbours who were victims of the recent flood. The relief also covered other affected areas in Jitra and Kangar. In the inaugural ad hoc committee meeting, Rev Fr Vincent Paul, the new Parish Priest stressed, “ We were ill organized to help the flood victims during the flood. Let’s no fail again to help them after the flood. It’s better late than never. “

The committee is chaired by Henry Goh and assisted by Vincent Victor, Maria Arokiam, Thomas Chua, Gabriel Tan, Susan Saw, Nathan and Joseph Arokeim, and collaborates closely with the POHD and SVP. It has stretched the fund provided by POHD, SVP and other well wishers very thin and far.

Inquiry forms had been distributed to the flood victims and the data was finally collated

to facilitate the committee to distribute cash relief of between RM 100 to RM 250. Rev Fr Vincent Paul and his assistant, Rev Fr Marshall accompanied by the committee members, had kindly consented to visit and bless the victims and their homes. Affected parishioners were touched not so much by the cash relief brought by the committee but by their parish priests’ visit. Paul, a retiree, from Taman Aman said with teary eyes, “ I have been living here for years. This is the first time my Parish Priest visits me .” Dave Cameroon, a student, from Taman Lumba Kuda, exclaimed, “ The cash will be very helpful. We’re down with only RM9 left ! “

The committee hoped to birth a Relief Committee, not only for floods but other emergencies. It also hoped to set up a relief centre for evacuees. Thomas Chua, the Chairman of the Parish Animating team, in his hind sight, commented ,” The flood has taught us an invaluable lesson in building BECs. We need to keep an up-to-date parish census to reach out during emergencies. “

By Thomas Chua

"He that bestows his goods upon the poor, shall have as much again, and ten times more. " - John Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress.