Universal Access To Celebration In Sabah! World AIDS Day 2010, Kota Kinabalu

World AIDS Day (WAD), observed December 1 each year is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the

spread of HIV infection. The celebration remains as a poignant reminder that HIV has not gone away, that the problem is real, and

that there are many things need to be done. World AIDS Day provides an opportunity for all of us - individuals, communities and

political leaders - to take action and ensure that human rights are protected and global targets for HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and

care are met.

The Borneo state of Sabah played host to two WAD 2010 events which were co-organised with Partner Organisations of the

Malaysian AIDS Council (MAC), Kota Kinabalu AIDS Support Group Association (KASIH) and Sandakan AIDS Support Group

Association (SAGA) – with the former a shelter home visit, while the latter a fundraising dinner.

KASIH Shelter Home Visit

KASIH delivers shelter home services to people living with HIV (PLHIV) in Kota Kinabalu,

Sabah. KASIH was founded by Dr Fong Siew Moy, an HIV/AIDS paediatrician with Likas

Hospital. It was initially conceived as a vehicle that provides contingency and material

support to underprivileged PLHIVs that came from the interiors of Sabah, many of whom

were too financially-stricken to seek treatment that was made available only in major

government hospitals in the city. As an extension to that objective, KASIH now operates a

shelter home for children and women infected and/or affected by HIV that also doubles as a

halfway house for PLHIVs from rural areas who come to seek treatment in Kota Kinabalu.

For the WAD 2010 celebration, MAC in collaboration with M.A.C Cosmetics co-

organised a charity visit to the KASIH Shelter Home on December 1 which was jointly

officiated by Professor Adeeba Kamarulzaman, Chairman of Malaysian AIDS Foundation

(MAF) and Miss Anna Chang, Brand General Manager of M.A.C. Cosmetics. Delegation

from M.A.C Cosmetics comprised makeup artists and the top-tier management team that

flew all the way from Kuala Lumpur for the shelter home visit, while MAC was

represented by key personnel from the Advocacy and CSR Department, led by Mr Jasmin

Jalil.

The event was also graced by the attendance of five MAC Red Ribbon Support Celebrities – Dayang Nurfaizah, Fahrin Ahmad, Joey

G, Shah Shamshiri, and Owen Yap. The visit was a day-long affair filled with fun activities and games for the children, and a special

makeover session for the mothers by M.A.C Cosmetics professional make-up artists. There were also gotong royong activities and

planting of vegetable plants on the shelter home ground. The highlight of the visit was the cheque presentation by M.A.C Cosmetics

worth RM 100,000 to KASIH, followed by the handover of goods by M.A.C Cosmetics worth over RM 13,0000.

Berakhirlah sudah tahun 2010

iaitu tahun yang amat bermakna

kepada Majlis AIDS Malaysia. The

Global Fund Round 10, kemasukan

ahli-ahli gabungan baru (welcome

to the MAC family!), penglibatan

penuh Jabatan Agama kebangsaan

dan negeri, perubahan EXCO, Pelan

Strategik Kebangsaan 2011-2015.

Ini adalah di antara penggerak

utama MAM sepanjang 2010, dan

setiap kejayaan adalah berkat

kerjasama kesemua pihak - ahli-ahli

gabungan, agensi kerajaan, sektor

korporat dan juga kakitangan

Urusetia MAM sendiri.

Ini adalah tinta terakhir saya

sebagai Pengarah Eksekutif di

MAM. Ingin saya mengabdikan

tinta terakhir ini kepada semua

rakan sekerja di Urusetia MAM

yang telah bertungkus lumus

menjayakan setiap aktiviti MAM

dengan bersungguh-sungguh.

Seringkali pengorbanan mereka

tidak diberikan perhargaan yang

sewajarnya, dan hasil titik peluh

mereka akhirnya memberi nama

kepada yang lain. Namun hanya

Tuhan yang dapat membalas penat

jerih keikhlasan sumbangan

mereka, dan saya berharap agar

perjuangan ini diteruskan selagi

HIV/AIDS masih menular di negara

tercinta.

Wahai rakan-rakan seperjuangan,

teruskanlah usahamu, walau ombak

badai membatas perjalanan.

Semoga apa yang tercapai

berkekalan sinarnya dan terus

membara!

Sekian.

Bakhtiar Talhah boleh dihubungi

melalui btalhah@mac.org.my