Pensioners thank Hii at Raya bash held in new-look office

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Giving the thumbs-up are (from right) Misiah, Lee, Chin, Hii, Dennin and Chai after surveying the new ceiling at PPKS office.

Giving the thumbs-up are (from right) Misiah, Lee, Chin, Hii, Dennin and Chai after surveying the new ceiling at PPKS office.

MIRI: The welfare of pensioners should not be sidelined, chairman of United People Party (UPP) Piasau branch Datuk Hii King Chiong said during a Raya visit yesterday.

“We should not neglect the welfare interest of government pensioners as they have served the people with dedication.

“Thus, it is time for us to pay back for what they have done for society. We should always be there whenever they need our help,” he told the

media at a Hari Raya Aidilfitri gathering organised by Sarawak Government Pensioners Association (PPKS) Miri branch at its office in Piasau yesterday.

In view of that, he called the people to come forward to help pensioners with welfare problems.

Hii, who is also the founder of community service centre ‘Majulah Miri’, had contributed RM20,000 in financial aid to the PPKS exco for office repairs last May.

The PPKS branch chairman Dennin Fredericks thanked philanthropist Hii for answering their call for financial help.

With Hii’s generous contribution, the association was able to change the ceiling damaged by termites and repair the leaky roof.

“Support from Hii through the (Majulah Miri) service centre really means a lot to us. Otherwise, we would not able to use the office as the venue for our Raya open house today.”

Hii agreed to donate an air-conditioner and office furniture for the association.

More than 100 guests and members attended the association’s open house.

Dennin said the Raya gathering was to inform members and guests that the association’s office which was on in poor condition had been repaired.

“This office has not been in use for many years due to critical damage to the ceiling and elsewhere. When I took over the chairmanship of the branch association early this year, I felt there was a need for my new exco team to revive the association with activities. Thus, we took on the challenge to repair the office.”

They also hired a caretaker to look after the office to prevent house-breaking and theft attempts.

They now plan to have a karaoke set and chess game set for members’ recreation.

He said the association, which has about 400 members from Miri as well as Bekenu and Marudi, targets to attract 1,000 members which is achievable if each member can recruit five to 10 new ones.

Also present were political secretary to the chief minister, Suzanne Lee, and councillors Bruce Chai, Keith Chin and Misiah Brodie.