The Borneo Post to introduce new columns

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KUCHING: The Borneo Post will introduce two new columns tomorrow (Saturday).The first will be a fortnightly column by the Sarawak Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA).

It will feature information on the association’s activities as well as raise awareness on the proper care and treatment of animals.

The SSPCA believes that animals — as living creatures — have value beyond economic measurement, and are entitled to legal, moral and ethical consideration and protection.

Its mission is to act as an advocate on behalf of     animals and as an enforcer of      their   rights; to provide for the well-being of animals that are abandoned,    injured, subjected to unfair or cruel      treatment, or otherwise in need; to cultivate an awareness of animals; to promote a bond of mutual assistance   between people and  animals; and to instil respect for and appreciation of all living things.

Meanwhile, the other column is ‘TIPS’ by local writer Amanda Chong.

It stands for Thoughts; Insights; Pointers, Pickings, Parodies; and Stories.

The weekly column aims to feature light-hearted and insightful reflections on society, both fictional and non-fiction, based on her personal travels.

Chong was born into a conservative Chinese family when women smiled behind fans and nodded in agreement with their husbands’ statements in public.

In the privacy of their homes, Chinese women took   care of everything from A-Z,   including  emptying chamber pots.

Social changes were rapid and as she grew into a young girl, she experienced flushing toilets and compulsory education for all in Malaysia.

She was fortunate enough to win a scholarship to Universiti Malaya in the 70s.

According to Chong, it was her late father who helped her gain a life-long interest in reading in both Chinese and English, although she is also literate in Bahasa Malaysia.

She reads everything she can lay hands on and is today slowly building up a personal library of more than 8,000 books written in English.