From left: Department of Alumni Relations and Placement (DARP) Head Foo Wai Wai and Nurul

Being a University “by the people for the people”, UTAR has always played an active role to nurture its students to be serviceable to the society. Although gone but not forgotten is the charitable spirit portrayed by a team of alumni from the UTAR Alumni Association of Malaysia, who took their time off to visit Persatuan Kebajikan Vallalar Sungai Buloh (PKVSB) on 11 June 2017 as an act of love.

Prior to the visit, a trip was made to Shah Alam by the team headed by the Alumni Association of Malaysia Vice President Nurul Izwazi Mohd Nor along with some volunteer helpers from PKVSB on 9 June 2017 to deliver provisions worth RM500, an allocation approved by the Alumni Association of Malaysia during its council meeting to help the poor community. The provisions included vermicelli, oats, Nestum cereals, crackers and biscuits. The representatives from the association also lend their hands to pack the provisions along with the items donated from the others. With that, a total of 100 packages were prepared to be given out to the poor families identified by PKVSB.

On the day of the visit, the committees enjoyed a genuine prayer session together, followed by a fulfilling vegetarian lunch. The association committees also obtained a chance to meet the poor families and serve the food for them. The committees then helped to distribute the provisions along with the donated items to the underprivileged families.

Nurul, who was celebrating the holy month of Ramadhan during the time of the event said, “I was fasting but that did not hinder me from helping those from different faiths. The opportunity to serve the dishes for the children and old folks made me realise that all of us were no different from one another. Thus, the whole experience humbled me and from there on I understood that we humans should help each other transcending whatever barriers that we humans have created, intentionally or vice versa.”

Persatuan Kebajikan Vallalar Sungai Buloh (PKVSB) is a charity home operated by a group of volunteers. They have a total of 100 needy families in their centre, all adopted around Sungai Buloh, Subang and Kuala Selangor.

From left: Foo, DARP Naaresh Arumugam and Nurul

From left: Nurul and Foo during the pack-up process

Alumni Association Charity Day