MRSM Kulim Alumni Begin Donation Drive To Build Dormitory For SMK Tun Fuad Stephens, Kiulu, Sabah

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) May 16, 2009 -- May 16, 2009; Kota Kinabalu – The Chief Minister of Sabah, Datuk Seri Panglima Musa Haji Aman, today witnessed a donation of RM56,576 raised by Killerbatch, the third batch alumni of Maktab Rendah Sains MARA (MRSM) Kulim to Datuk Vincent YK Pung, General Manager of the Sabah Credit Corporation for the construction of a dormitory at SMK Tun Fuad Stephens in Kiulu, Sabah.

The 10-man delegation from the MRSM Kulim alumni was led by representative, Raja Ali Raja Othman and former MRSM Kulim teacher, En. Teh Sharifudin Abdullah.

Later during the day, the delegation was introduced to The Tuan Yang Terutama Yang diPertua Negeri of Sabah, Tun Ahmadshah bin Abdullah where the TYT was briefed of Killerbatch’s intention to assist the children in Kiulu.

The cheque signified the first instalment of the approximately RM200,000 that is needed to build a dormitory for the school that will house 100 students. According to another representative of Killerbatch, Hasnan Jamaludin who was also present at the ceremony, the dormitory will be named “Asrama Donni”, in remembrance of the late Donni John Duin, the former Year-5 SK Kinarut student who tragically took his own life in March 2007 to ease his family’s financial burden. “We were all greatly saddened by the heartbreaking event when it came to our knowledge and decided that we must not let it past unnoticed. This hostel is our way to remember that what happened to Donni must not happen again”

Hasnan said as students who had themselves benefited from the boarding school experience, the “Killerbatch”, as the group calls itself, felt that it was timely that they did something in return for the benefit of society. This charity drive is to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Killerbatch who attended MRSM Kulim from 1979 to 1983.

According to a recent New Straits Times article, some 5,000 teenagers in Sabah drop out of school before sitting for the Penilaian Menengah Rendah (PMR) examination. Raja Ali said that part of the problem is the long distances the students have to travel to and from school each day. The dormitory will allow for students to stay on the school premises and thus allow the students to better concentrate on their studies.
Datuk Vincent Pung when interviewed said that Sabah Credit Corporation has always engaged in assisting the rural people by engaging in one major project a year and this collaboration with Killerbatch is one of them. He added “I see this project with Killerbatch, as a bridge between Malaysians from Kulim to Kiulu, Sabah and Kedah, Muslim to non-Muslims, between those who have received assistance by the government to the future generations of Malaysians”.

The “Killerbatch” are comprised of students who attended MRSM Kulim from 1979 until 1983. Their website address is at : http://www.killerbatch.org