Humanitarian Affairs Curtin Sarawak Chapter donates to Mount Kinabalu guides

Miri – 30 July 2015 – The Persatuan Malim Gunung Kinabalu (Mount Kinabalu Guides Association) recently received funds amounting to RM1,500 from the Humanitarian Affairs Curtin Sarawak Student Chapter at a simple handover ceremony held in Kota Kinabalu.

The funds were collected through a two-week donation drive organised by the student chapter on the Curtin University, Sarawak Malaysia (Curtin Sarawak) campus.

The donation will help alleviate the financial burden of the mountain guides and porters affected by the earthquake that hit the state last month.

Receiving the funds from Humanitarian Affairs Curtin Sarawak Student Chapter president Mohamad Hishamudin Muluk and vice-president and event coordinator Aaron Lim Chee Ren was the association’s chairman, Richard Soibi.

The association oversees some 250 mountain guides and porters. Four mountain guides lost their lives during the June 5 earthquake and most of them are out of jobs due to the temporary closure of Mount Kinabalu as Sabah Parks continues repair work on damaged mountain trails.

Lim expressed his appreciation to staff and students of the university who contributed to the donation drive, adding that as a Sabahan himself, it is humbling to know that the university cares for the people of Sabah.

Humanitarian Affairs Curtin Sarawak Student Chapter is part of the Humanitarian Affairs United Kingdom, a London-based social enterprise. The organisation empowers young people in bringing about positive social change by initiating and supporting humanitarian relief efforts and development programmes around the world.

Through such activities, the student chapter at Curtin Sarawak provides students and staff the opportunity to engage in humanitarian service, strengthen their cultural understanding, and develop a lifelong commitment in volunteerism to benefit communities in poverty-stricken areas.

For more information on the student chapter, email humanitarianaffairs.curtin@gmail.com or visit the Humanitarian Affairs Curtin University Sarawak Campus Student Chapter Facebook page.

Muluk (left) presenting the funds to Richard as Lim looks on.