KUCHING: Social Development Minister Tan Sri William Mawan Ikom declined to take up the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Ice Bucket Challenge as he is “down with very bad flu and sore throat”.
Batu Lintang assemblyman See Chee How had nominated Mawan to participate in the challenge.
“I have been down with very bad flu and sore throat. That was why I could not respond to the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge as challenged by See Chee How,” Mawan told reporters after attending the closing and prize presentation ceremony for the 1st Sarawak Grand Championship at the Sarawak Golf Club (KGS) on Monday.
Mawan said he would always respond to causes in the name of goodness, kindness and compassion.
“I will continue to donate the way I have always done.
“But at the moment, I’m not ready to pour ice on myself because I’m not well,” he said.
See nominated Mawan after he participated in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge together with Assistant Culture and Heritage Minister Liwan Lagang last Thursday.
The Borneo Post organised the event after the newspaper was challenged by Interhill Group of Companies.
Besides Mawan, See also nominated Bandar Kuching Member of Parliament Chong Chieng Jen and Land Development Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Jemut Masing.
Liwan nominated Batang Ai assemblyman Malcolm Mussen Lamoh, Hulu Rajang Member of Parliament Wilson Ugak Kumbong and Ngemah assemblyman Alexander Vincent, while The Borneo Post nominated Second Resource Planning and Environment Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, Local Government and Community Development Minister Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh and Assistant Minister of Resource Planning Datuk Mohd Naroden Majais.
Naroden was the first to respond to the challenge last Friday, with two buckets of ice water, but instead of donating to the US-based ALS Association, he donated to three local charitable organisations.
Masing and Ugak took up the challenge in Kapit last Saturday, with Masing pledging to donate RM10,000 to the Sarawak Children’s Cancer Society.
Awang Tengah said he would take up the challenge, while Wong, who had helped raise funds for a local ALS patient previously, opted to donate.
Chong, who is also Kota Sentosa assemblyman, also turned down the challenge saying he would contribute as much as he could to the cause.