At the Silver Jubilee Home Annual Dinner
Speech by Chief Minister of Penang
At the Silver Jubilee Home Annual Dinner
Thursday, 30th January 2020, 6pm
A very good evening to:
YB Phee Boon Poh - Penang State Exco Member of Welfare Caring Society and Environment Committee Chairman
YB A. Kumaresan, Batu Uban Assemblyman
Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Tan Kok Ping, Executive Advisor & Trustee of Silver Jubilee Home
Mr Bernard Kok, Legal Advisor and the Board of Trustees of Silver Jubilee Home
Dato’ Seri Chin Kok Wah
Mr Loh Yeow Boo, Chairman of General Committee of SJH
General Committee Members of SJH
Family members of the Cheah family
All distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen
Happy Chinese New Year! Silver Jubilee Home was founded in 1935, and over these 84 years, the Home serve the needy elderly of Penang. The Committee and Management have done an excellent job in upgrading the facilities for the comfort and happiness to the elderly and we need to thank the Late Mr. Cheah Leong Keah who donated 22.5 acres of land for the destitute.
Incidentally, the Cheah Family are also present at this dinner tonight. The Committee and Management have done a sterling job in upgrading the facilities for the comfort and happiness of about 169 senior residents.
The Home's expenditure comes up to RM 180,000 per month and that makes up to RM 2.16 million annually. Its commendable that the Home is independent by managing its expenses by donations alone. The State Government have been giving an annual nominal amount of RM20,000 since the 1980's. Sponsors are willing to fund the Home because they are confident in a Home that is run professionally, efficiently and cleanly. This is a good example of CAT administration in action.
I wish to record my appreciation to the Tan Sri Dato Seri Tan Kok Ping as Executive Advisor and Trustee of the Home and the General Committee led by its Chairman Mr Loh Yeow Boo for the fine work in seeing to the upgrading to the accommodation and facilities of the Home and the wellbeing of the residents.
Starting from very basic shelters in the initial years, the accommodation has been upgraded a few times to what we see today, a modern complex of cluster homes completes with medical wards, physiotherapy centre, dining hall, recreation facilities and a lot of green open space.
Meals for residents whether in the cluster units or the medical wards are prepared by a dedicated team of chefs, workers and volunteers in the kitchen. All these benefits that the residents of Silver Jubilee Home enjoy are provided free of charge.
We are greatly honored to have all of the Donors and Volunteers regularly visiting the Home and I personally would like to thank you for your contribution and generosity. There are hair cutting groups, Tzu Chi team members, regular visiting Drs, Physiotherapist, batik painting group, exercise team and band team to cheer the residents.
Tan Sri Dato Seri Tan Kok Ping and Tzu Chi team members started the recycle center since October 2017. I understand that your residents help in the Recycling Centre and the Kitchen and in doing so make themselves useful and keep themselves active and fit both mentally and physically. The Home aim is to help the residents to keep busy and at the same time contribute to the society and the Home and to enable them to cultivate sincerity, integrity and honesty among themselves and thus will set a good example of righteousness and integrity for our future generations and society.
The CNY dinner is held annually at the Home to bring together all staff, volunteers and sponsors for the Home in appreciation of their kind contribution and services to the Home. Once again, I thank all of you for your generous contributions to Silver Jubilee Home and hope you will continue to support the Home.